SOLVED Projector connection

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I cannot connect a projector to my laptop. Clicking on the "connect to a projector" icon in the startup button does nothing. Have tried several "tricks". The computer does not detect the projector at all. Any suggestions?
 

yodap

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Hmm.....

I see you are running Vista Home Premium. Is that 64bit by any chance. Is there any additional software for the projector?
 
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Sorry, I just upgraded to windows 7 32 bit. It doesn't recognize the projector. It shows just one display monitor and won't detect any when I click that icon.
 

TrainableMan

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When you click what icon?

In Start Menu ... All Programs ... Accessories you should have an option Connect a Projector and there is also a Connect a Network Projector so choose the right one.

Also if you right-click on an empty spot on your desktop and select Screen Resolution I believe it might show up as another display (like a second monitor).
 
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What does pressing "Windows Key + P" do?

Do you have the option to span or duplicate monitors, after pressing that key combination?
 
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thanks for your reply. I click on "connect to a projector" in the start menu and nothing happens. I believe I found the issue. I went to device manager and saw the attention icon on 3D Video Controller. There is no driver for "3D Video Controller" I've been trying to find the driver on different sites with no luck.
 
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When I go to the display window it shows only one monitor. There's no options for duel monitors. I'll try the window key + p and see. I do think, though, it's a driver issue with the 3D Video Controller and I can't find the driver.
 

TrainableMan

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There is no driver for "3D Video Controller"
You are correct, you found the issue. You will need the driver for anything to work (assuming that is the driver for your projector - this could be some other device you have connected)
 
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Nibiru2012

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According to several places I checked it should go as follows:

How to Connect your Computer to a Projector in Windows 7

With Windows 7 it’s quite easy to connect your computer to a projector and project your screen. The Windows 7 driver display utility- displayswitch.exe makes things easier. All you need to do is simply connect the projector and press the ‘Win key + P’ on your keyboard.



When you press the ‘Win key + P’ on your keyboard you should see a popup like the above one. Here you can switch through multiple display settings, such as “clone”, “extend” or “external only.”

How are you connecting to the projector? VGA, DVI, HDMI?
 
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Thanks all. It was a driver issue. found the NVIDIA GForce 8700M-GT driver and installed it. Success!!
 

Nibiru2012

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No offense intended, but that should have been the first thing you should have checked for. Especially if you recently installed Windows 7 on your system.

A lot of users forget that driver installs are the most important items to do immediately after installing a new Windows operating system.
 
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None taken. I searched for two days trying to find the right driver. I also couldn't find info on my graphics card so I called Dell (my computer co.) and they walked me through it. Again, should have made the call yesterday...yup...
 

Nibiru2012

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A handy free application that many of here find to be a valuable tool is called S.I.W. aka System Information for Windows.

It's a big help if one isn't sure about which motherboard chipset they have, video card version, amount and type of RAM, etc., etc.

SIW is an advanced System Information for Windows tool that gathers detailed information about your system properties and settings and displays it in an extremely comprehensible manner.
SIW can create a report file (CSV, HTML, TXT or XML), and is able to run in batch mode (for Computer Software and Hardware Inventory, Asset Inventory Tracking, Audit Software Licenses, Software License Compliance).
The system information is divided into few major categories:

  • Software Inventory: Operating System, Installed Software and Hotfixes, Processes, Services, Users, Open Files, System Uptime, Installed Codecs, Software Licenses (Product Keys / Serial Numbers / CD Key), Passwords Recovery.
  • Hardware Inventory: Motherboard, CPU, Sensors, BIOS, chipset, PCI/AGP, USB and ISA/PnP Devices, Memory, Video Card, Monitor, Disk Drives, CD/DVD Devices, SCSI Devices, S.M.A.R.T., Ports, Printers.
  • Network Information: Network Cards, Network Shares, currently active Network Connections, Open Ports.
  • Network Tools: MAC Address Changer, Neighborhood Scan, Ping, Trace, Statistics
  • Miscellaneous Tools: Eureka! (Reveal lost passwords hidden behind asterisks), Monitor Test, Shutdown / Restart.
  • Real-time monitors: CPU, Memory, Page File usage and Network Traffic.
SIW is a standalone utility that does not require installation (Portable Freeware) - one less installed program on your PC as well the fact that you can run the program directly from an USB flash drive, from a network drive or from a domain login script.
SIW can be distributed freely (ftp, archives, CD-ROMs ...).
Client Platform: Windows 7 / Vista / Windows XP

It's available as a standalone application.

SIW Without Installer (English-Only)
Download

Try it, I think you'll find it very handy and useful. ;)
 

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