It's now the "Dumb Stick" for me.

While getting prepared for the Publications Seminar in Philly, I decided to buy a new laptop(great excuse, right?), a Dell Inspiron 6000. $1200.00! Ouch! I have been using it(fiddling, in my case) and have been having the usual new program problems. The Corel program will not recognize my old word programs, where all of my old files are located.

As I get nearer to a presentation completion, I decide to check out the power point feature, a first for me. In calling around the neighborhood, I can't find a projector anywhere, not even one I can rent. Ahh, the values of living in the country. So, I decide to make the 2 hour trip to Va Beach to try out my 'Ol friend Terry Bond's projector. We hook her up and nothing happens, not even a shadow. We try Terry's laptop and everything works fine. I'm getting heated by now. We call Brenda Shore-Kaiser in Texas and we decide the pc must be missing a driver program. I drive two hours back home, still fuming.

I wait until yesterday to call tech support, what a joke. After being on-line for 1 1/2 hours I reach "Asmur". Trying hard to deciper the language he's speaking, he finally tells me I need to speak to the "feebased" tech guy!

"What?"
I have a 3 month old computer that now must be obsolete which had a 3 year in-house warrenty contract and I have to pay more? <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Oh, I got disconnected once during this ordeal too. I'm looking through my paperwork trying to find an address to send this @#%XU back to Dell, when I decide to make one more call. I get through after the normal <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> waiting hold period and get "AsMART", Asmur's American educated brother. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />
We go through the usual and he finally tells me that I don't need a projector, any old monitor will do. Gee! Who'd thunk!!??? <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

He explains what to do......
Step 1. Hook up monitor

Step 2. Push and hold "Fn" key(He had to say Foxtrot/Nancy, in my case! I never said he could speak English, just that he was educated in America. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />).

Step 3. Push "F8"( which actually reads CRT/LCD on the button) and release once for external monitor, or again for both laptop LCD and monitor(Projector), or the third time for just the monitor(projector), handy, if you're using a large screen external monitor, I would assume.

So, I run downstairs, find a spare monitor(got plenty of them, should open a store <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />), run back up, hook everything up, and presto, I now have powerpoint.
Yes, I know I'm dumb, but persistant, and somewhat like "Bush". If it don't work throw more money, or people at it. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

The moral of this story is never, never give up. Persistance will eventually pay off.

Wayne, the big dummy! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

PS. I had to post this here. I guess we need a PC Problem Forum now.

Wayne,
I guess you'll be an old pro by the time we meet in Philthydelphia. I've not ever hooked my Dell up to a projector, so I may run into the same problem. Do you think you can make sure mine will work?

PS. I think you misspelled @#%XU

West, just guessing here, mine you, but my keyboard has the indicated key "Fn" in blue just to the left of "windows" key(Which I found out last week, brings up my "start" bar at the left side of my screen). The "Ctrl" key is to the left of "Fn" in white letters.
The screwy part is that evidently every brand or programmed computer is different. Thanks a lot guys! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Wayne

PS, forgot to mention, Brenda Shore told me she could fix anything that could possibly go wrong with the computers in Philly! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Actually, she said there will be a lot of PC's there for us to use. Your best bet would be to have all of your program on a disc if at all possible.

Now be careful Wayne - I only volunteered to help you out, not solve all known computer problems!

Anyway, bottom line is any one bringing a presentation to Philadelphia should make sure that they have a back-up with them, either on a CD or 'stick'. I would also recommend that you get to the room for your presentation a few minutes early just to make sure that everything is working properly.

Brenda

I found out last December that I had to have all the equipment hooked up before starting the computer. When I added a projector to a laptop that was already running it didn't recognise it, yet at work they do. So I guess some do some don't. Try a cold boot with the projector hooked up and on. It might work.

MarkIII

I'm not sure I have an Fn key. My laptop, a Dell like yours, is only about a year old (yeah, yeah, I know, it's already a boat anchor). And if I did have an Fn key, I'm not sure I'd know what to Fn do with it.
If all we need is a "few minutes" before the seminar starts, Brenda must be quite good. It seems like it takes my computer more than that just to Fn boot up.
I'll definately have a back-up on CD, but that doesn't always keep you safe, either, as I found out when giving this presentation in Minnesota using someone elses computer. None of my photos came up on the PP presentation.
Would that have been because I needed to download the program onto the computer?? Because we tried running it off of the CD???

West: Well the computer you used in Minnesota does have a Fn key. It happens to be a HP, but then so is every other piece of computer equipment I have. I will have to try it next time I have to do a presentation. By the way people here are still talking about you coming to see us. Anyway, take care. The annual meeting is not in the plans this year but maybe next year.

Brian

Brian,
I really enjoyed talking with your group. I still feel bad that we started late because of the computer problems, and also because the photos did not come up. I'm glad ya'll liked the presentation, anyway.

Hey Wayne-
If ya got spare monitors, send one down! Mine is going out!!!

Brenda-
After Wayne's post that you can fix almost anything on a computer, I made my plans for Philly. Now your backin' out on the "Brenda's Fix-it-yourself Computers" seminar? Shucks, I just may as well stay home then!!
Dawn

I'm a Mac person and don't really try to understand all the extra stuff PC people go through but my experience from presentations at work, is the new laptops are higher resolution than most projectors can handle. You need to set up at a lower resolution on the computer for the projector to be recognized. Some of the incantations you are going through probably forces the computer to look harder by starting at a lower resolution, but there should be a control panel or something to lower the resolution with out rebooting while standing on one foot rubbing your stomach to get it to work.

Thanks Jim.

An update;
As you can tell, it's late at night, and I have just cured another problem with my Dell, not because of any help from them.

In trying to prepare to take pictures in Philly and also trying to set up a program to upload them on the Web Site Gallery the date they are taken, I ran into another problem.

The Dell would not except my Olympus programming plus it wouldn't allow me to uninstall the partial programming I did get downloaded. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Long story short, a Dell Support Forum got me headed in the right direction, even though neither Olympus, nor Dell Support could help me.

A word to the wise, if you're purchasing a new computer I'd suggest you buy from a "store" like Gateway, or some homegrown Builder. Don't laugh, the "homeground" guy will be around when you need him, and "Hey! He speaks English!" <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Wayne

PS, A little extra money spent is worth a world of pain and anguish.

Good thing you've got all that extra time on your hands, Wayne.