10.13.4 Displaylink no longer working

You can roll back your macOS if you made sure to make a complete backup before updating, which is always the recommendation. But even if you restore from that, you must first copy any files you created or edited since the update, since they were made after the backup, and you'll have to restore those manually after you've restored the backup.

If you don't have a backup of the state of your system before the update, there is no quick and easy way to go back. You could wipe the Mac and reinstall from an installer that is definitely not the latest installer, and then put all your files and settings back, but again, that is not quick or easy.

Apple warning you?

1) Beta has been out of months.

2) DisplayLink knew it breaks their drivers.

3) You bought DisplayLink hardware, they have responsibility, not Apple. Apple never claimed you can connect displays like that.

Points 1 and 2 are correct. Point 3 is wrong. We bought DisplayLink hardware when Apple supported the hardware and it worked just fine. That's the way all hardware is sold. Apple then removed support without public statement during the beta period. It may have been known to DisplayLink but NOT to existing hardware owners. Owners had NO way to know to scream. Then 10.13.4 was released. The Apple ReadMe made NO mention of the removal of DisplayLink support. NONE. So the users of this hardware had NO reason to not upgrade, as they have been upgrading for years.

BOOM! Then they found their new reality. They had been hosed by Apple. Not by DisplayLink, their hardware was unchanged. By Apple who had made such modifications to their OS code that thousands upon thousands of hardware owners were now SOL.

There is definitely damage to Apple's reputation. Its obvious they did this change to enhance their own profits in some hidden way. They are free to do tht, I think. BUT, actions have consequences and apple's customers (like me, for example) wont trust that any future updates are in their self interest to adopt. I rolled back to the previous OS version (10.13.3) after several hours of work, and got my third display back operational. I undid what apple rammed down my throat, and certainly have a different view of them as a trusted supplier. Too bad. This has ramifications for a future customer- supplier relationship for sure.

Almost everyone seems to feel certain that this was deliberate and not a bug.

Have there been previous incidents?

If so, did they issue some kind of statement or explaination?

I would think that would go a long way to save their reputation, if it was in fact an error.

I think it was a deliberate business decision NOT to release a version of OS that gave improvements without taking away functionality, and that while people might be upset, they already bought the apple computers and would find it difficult to just brick them and pick something else. Also, they figured that killing off display link didnt affect the income stream of APPLE, although I am sure future sales of display link stuff is seriously affected. macOS10.13.4 was faster in operation (in my experience) than the dot 3 version, and I would like a version of the dot 4 without the reduction in functionality.

johnfromtega cay wrote:

Almost everyone seems to feel certain that this was deliberate and not a bug.

No, they don't.

Have there been previous incidents?

Previous incidents of an OS update that breaks 3rd party software or hardware? Certainly. It is one of the few constants that all 3rd party developers can look forward to.

If so, did they issue some kind of statement or explaination?

Who is they? Apple makes beta builds available months in advance. Apple has extensive documentation. Apple engineers are quite willing to identify techniques that are likely to fail in the future. Apple gives all developers free tech support incidents to use in case something unexpectedly breaks.

I would think that would go a long way to save their reputation, if it was in fact an error.

Whose reputation? Apple is not concerned with this issue.

Why does everyone want to blame Apple for this? If some 3rd party products come out that depend on some specific behaviour of Apple software, does that means that Apple is forbidden from ever updating that software? Does it become Apple's responsibility to test those 3rd party products? What is the threshold? How many apps do I have to sell to lock Apple into an API that can never be updated? That would be really valuable information to have.

Why don't 3rd party hardware and software developers have a responsibility to test their products? Why is no one upset that these 3rd party developers would sell products that they knew could be crippled if Apple updated some critical component like video drivers? Were they not aware that Apple updates those critical components at least twice a year? Shouldn't developers releasing products like this have better knowledge of their platform and their host vendor?

No one is arguing that Apple doesnt have the right to change the software it offers, particularly when it is free.

But, given a large number of people rely on the existence of display link in order to make the apple products work for them, Apple should have more consideration for their customers.

Perhaps when functionality is removed by an "update" to MacOS, they could put in a pop up dialog box that tells you if you try to install it that there are known incompatibilities with certain hardware devices, like they do if you try to install a new macOS that is incompatible with older versions of mac computers. I am sure apple KNEW display link devices wouldnt work, but didnt say a thing. Perhaps high level "developers" figured it out, but us lowly "users" should have a chance to know this.

Lesson learned. Never take an Apple update without doing a time machine backup first. If you do that, restoring from the backup is easy. I had a new MacBook Pro, so I hadn't yet backed it up. I spent many hours on the phone with support this week and we determined my only path was rebuilding the system. So I...

-took a new time machine backup

-wiped my disk clean in the repair utility

-re-installed OS (this took the most time. Tons of errors but finally got it to work going back to Sierra instead of high Sierra. I'm good with that.

-manually bringing over the files I had from the backup (still doing that along with all my setting and apps)

Things that work again:

-Portable ASUS monitor I recently bought that is sold as Apple supported. Not anymore...

-80" HDMI TV at work that I plugged into vis USB-C to HDMI cable. Some TVs in our office worked after 10.13.4, but not this one. I am fairly certain this issue extends beyond DisplayLink. Basically anything expecting video out of USB?

-Expensive docking stations throughout our office at work for dual monitors.

Thank you for posting this update. I do not seem to get notifications from DisplayLink even though I had signed up for them, nor do they apparently tweet a notification of the update. It does appear to work. Again, thanks.

I am having the same problem at the company I work for. We are exclusively Mac based, and we have quite a few computers from 2012 to the latest and greatest. Many of the administrators want to have two external devices but they are using MacBook Air computers. Before 10.13.4, I connected one thunderbolt to HDMI, and a USB3 to VGA and everything worked perfectly. I have successfully downgraded two computers I installed 10.13.4 right away and found the break but now I have to make sure to never upgrade older computers with this setup past 10.13.3.

Moving forward, I'll make sure new administrators get a MacBook Pro which I can install two external displays, but the multiple adapters to get the job done is ... not pretty.

Bryan

I have a j5create mini DP to dual HDMI adaptor. That doesn't work on 10.13.4 either.

Not that this means anything, but I just spoke to my Apple Business Rep and they are supposedly trying to fix this. If they dont I was told by IT VP order windows machines. This *****.

I was using Dell D3001. Is it "cheap garbage"?

Unless you have a backup or usb drive with it you’re screwed. I had to roll back to 10.12 and there is no way to upgrade to 10.13 that I found.