After connecting the laptop and projector with a VGA cable:
1. TURN ON THE PROJECTOR FIRST:
If you are in an automated classroom this will involve using a button or an icon on a panel device.
Otherwise, if the projector is out of reach you must turn it on with the remote. It may be necessary to get close to the projector and aim at the front left or front right of the projector to hit the infrared sensor.
Newer, more powerful projectors may take longer to "ramp up" so be patient. You should soon see a light appear in the lens which shows that the projector is working.
If you cannot get the projector to turn on its chip may be "scrambled" or the bulb may be burnt out (both are rare occurances) so go to step 5.
2. TURN ON YOUR LAPTOP SECOND:
Allow the laptop to completely load the operating system or if it was already on make sure it is no longer in "suspend", "sleep", "hibernate" or other power saving modes.
If the laptop is turned on AFTER the projector the laptop sould "detect" that there is an external "monitor" connection via the VGA cable to the projector.
3. IF YOUR LAPTOP IMAGE DOES NOT APPEAR THROUGH THE PROJECTOR:
Make sure the projector is on the correct input. In an automated classroom the panel will let you select the input based on the source, eg. computer or video. If you need to use the remote to change the input, the laptop will need to be put through either input 1 or 2 (also called RGB1 or RGB2) depending on the projector configuration: TRY BOTH.
The external RGB feed may be turned off. Most PCs allow a keyboard shortcut, typically the FN key plus an F4 or F5 key, to cycle through the various video modes. Sometimes the relevant F key will have a square monitor symbol on it. Additionally you can check your video card settings to make sure that the correct monitor combination has been selected.
On Mac computers using OSX open System Properties, select Displays and press "Detect Displays".
There may be a problem with a damaged pin on the VGA cable; if all else fails try changing VGA cables.
4. IF THE IMAGE PROJECTS BUT IT IS DIFFERENT OR DISTORTED:
Our data projectors can display at true XGA (1024x768) resolution. Any higher input will be compressed. If you find your image being cut off or lines of important pixels missing consider reducing your video card resolution for the laptop's external monitor. On PCs choose "Display" from the Control Panel and select the "Settings" tab. Adjust the screen resolution slider to a lower resolution. On Macs open "System Properties", then "Displays" and choose an optimal resolution from the list.
Some video cards allow you to use an extended desktop on a second monitor. If you see a desktop with no icons on it this is due to such a setting. Go to "Control Panels", "Display", "Settings" and deselect the checkbox which says to extend the desktop onto the second monitor.
If your image appears normal except for a colour cast it is almost certainly a damaged pin on the VGA cable: Replace the cable.
5. IF PROBLEMS PERSIST:
Call our office at 494-6471 (LSC) or 494-2981 (FASS) or 494-3893 (ROWE) or for emergency
service after hours Monday to Thursday until 8:30pm when classes are in session please call 494-2981.
