When I bought the HP Mini 1030R netbook, I had every intention of using it for presentations, taking it on short trips, and having a lightweight machine for those times that I didn't need to carry around my larger Toshiba. The size difference is amazing, with my laptop feeling like a luggable next to the netbook. I'm looking forward to just taking the netbook with me to SQLSaturday #17.

I mentioned in another blog that I had issues the first night getting the netbook to recognize the USB display adapter that I'd purchased. It just would never see it, and it wouldn't turn on. Every time I connected the device, it would search for a new driver, despite my having run the install. Then when I tried to point it at the install folder, there were no drivers found. Apparently, Tritton Technologies, in the infinite lack of wisdom, hides the drivers inside their CAB files.

Note: Developers, don't do that. You can have an install routine, but leave the drivers in the file system.

When I got home, I had every intention of digging into the SEE2 USB adapter to determine if it would work, or if I needed to return it and the netbook.

My first step today was to re-run the install, and remove the drivers that were installed. Having a clean system helps, so I did that and rebooted the Mini. Then I went back to the SEE2 support page and downloaded new drivers. They listed a separate See2 driver file, which is a different file from the one I downloaded earlier. They both should have worked, and I had a later driver, but when in doubt...go backwards.

This setup program had a few more setup items. These drivers aren't WQHL certified, but many aren't and the instructions say to continue anyway when XP gives you the stop/continue dialog. I got that 3 times with this driver, and continued each time before it wanted to reboot my machine.

Typically external devices in Windows 2000 and XP have asked you to install the drivers first, then connect the device. I did that, connecting it after I'd rebooted, and got the same "find the driver" dialog from Windows. This was annoying, so I went and downloaded the user manual. One didn't come with the device, and since I had no CD drive, I hadn't viewed it.

The PDF file says to connect the device first, and then install the drivers. That's contrary to the poster and the explicit sticker that's on the device itself saying to PLEASE install the drivers before connecting this, but I thought, what the heck. So I uninstalled, rebooted, connected the device, and ran setup.

Setup completed, but things still didn't work. So I checked device manager and the main device was registered under display adapters with a good driver, but under the USB section there was a yellow icon next to the USBVGA item. So I clicked "update driver" and then instead of looking at the download folder from Tritton, I went to System32/Drivers/ and let it find the driver on it's own.

It did, and all of a sudden I could enable the second monitor in my display settings. I extended the desktop, and sure enough it turned on. I started my presentation with the Powerpoint Viewer I'd downloaded, and it appeared on the external monitor, leaving me  my main screen for other things.

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