Why is my USB-to-VGA'd monitor working, but not showing in Display Settings?

Question

I have a USB-to-VGA adapter, which I use to connect a second monitor to my laptop (totaling 3 screens). It worked alright with Vista.

I upgraded to Windows 7, and now it no longer works properly (I downloaded the latest drivers just to get it to work on 7). The extra monitor is detected and used to extend the desktop (I can move things onto it, etc), but is not shown within the Control Panel. This is annoying because now I can't changes its resolution, set its logical position to match its physical position, etc.

Can I do anything, besides waiting for better drivers? I'm mainly concerned with moving its logical position. (I'd also like to understand how Windows can use a monitor it can't detect. Weird.)

Solution

StarTech uses it's own propritary driver system to manage it's external devices; on Windows Vista and Windows XP, the system can also control these; but using the new hardware abstraction that Windows 7 does, the starTech monitor utility is the one application that is used to change the resolution of attached displays.

Secondly, the USBVGA adapater is outmoted even by the developer,and this product has been replaced with: USB to VGA Multi Monitor External Video Adapter (USB2VGAE2)

Here is the link to the manual: http://www.startech.com/media/products/USB2VGA/Manuals/USB2VGA.pdf

That will show you how to configure and install your StarTech usb/vga adapter, and how to change its resolution on Windows 7.

Comments

[Jasmine]

The information in that document is incorrect for Windows 7.

[Joshua Drake]

"The Aero desktop theme is not supported by this adapter, so should be disabled prior to use of the USB Video Adapter"