Connecting a Laptop to a Projector in SILS Classrooms

Plugging In

Connect the laptop to the appropriate connector for your laptop. PC laptops most often have a VGA port. Apple laptops have DVI ports. MacBook/Pro/Air models require a mini DVI adapter or a mini DisplayPort adapter. The SILS Help Desk may have the appropriate adapter - please inquire at the desk. Adapters for various Apple laptops can be purchased at the UNC RAM Shop or any Apple store.

If the presentation has audio components, make sure the audio cord is plugged into the headphone jack on the laptop.

Tip

To ensure consistent network connectivity, plug the Ethernet cord into the Ethernet port on the laptop.

Turning On

Turn the projector on by hitting "power" on the remote. The "input" button should default to input1, but you may want to make sure this is set correctly.

Tip

Be aware that it sometimes takes the projectors a little while to warm up and turn on. You should see a blue light through the lens almost immediately, but it may take a little longer for the actual projection to begin. Don't succumb to the temptation to keep hammering away at the power button; you'll just turn it back off.

Powering down when you're finished requires you to hit the power button twice. The first press will ask you to confirm your decision; do so by hitting the power button a second time.

Note: Please see Classroom Support for Rooms 117, 208, and 304 for projection troubleshooting information.

Tip

In room 307 or room 214 , use the touch screen interface embedded in the instructor podium to perform the steps above. Press the PC button in the upper-left of the touchscreen, and then press the laptop button. Proceed to the next steps.

Setting Display Mode - PC

Many laptops have a Fn key set to change display modes and allow for the use of the projector. Holding down the Fn key (usually located at the bottom left of your keyboard) while pressing the appropriate function key ( F5, F7, F8, etc., at the top of your keyboard) should cycle through several projection modes (display on PC screen only, on PC and projector, on projector only, etc.). The appropriate function key varies from one manufacturer to another. The function key assignments of some common manufacturers are listed below.

Tip

The particular F# key to use should have an icon that looks like a computer and a screen separated by an "/",an "|", or in the case of Dell notebooks, it will have the characters "CRT/LCD."

Table 1. Common Fn Keys for Changing Display Modes

Manufacturer Key

Acer Fn + F5 Dell Fn + F8 HP (not all models) Fn + F5 IBM ThinkPad Fn + F7 Sony Fn + F7 Toshiba Fn + F5

Setting Screen Resolution - PC

If you have set the display mode (or if your laptop doesn't have an Fn-F# combo), and it is still not displaying correctly, you may need to manually adjust the laptop's screen resolution to a level the projector can handle. CCI (Lenovo) laptops allow you to select from multiple display modes by using Fn + F7 (see above). The default resolution for many newer laptops is often higher than 1024 x 768, so you may need to change your computer's resolution.

Set your laptop's resolution to 1024x768 by doing the following:

Right-click an empty portion of your desktop background and choose Properties.

Click on the Settings tab and make sure the screen resolution is set to 1024x768

Click on Apply if you made any changes and then OK.

Setting Display Mode and Screen Resolution - Mac

Macs should detect the necessary display and resolution settings and adjust automatically, but if not, go to System Preferences and select Displays. Select the Detect Displays button, and it will detect the projector and automatically adjust the screen resolution. You may also select a different resolution at this time.  Be sure to select the "mirror" setting to display the same screen on your Mac and the classroom projector.

Additional Troubleshooting

More often than not, you can get away with simply popping in the VGA cable and hitting the appropriate Fn key to reset your resolution, but sometimes you may need to have the cable connected at start-up in order for the appropriate drivers to load. If the above still won't get the display up through the projector, try powering down, connecting the VGA or DVI cable and powering back up.