Windows Vista Projector problems with Inspiron 1501

I just set up my new Dell Inspiron 1501, with Vista Home Basic last night. Today, I'm trying to get it to work with an IBM projector. I have both the laptop and the projector plugged in and turned on. The manual for Inspiron says to press Fn + F8. That didn't help, it didn't even bring up a window. Right now, I'm really really hoping that working with a projector is in fact something that Vista Basic can do. At any rate, is there anything I can do to get this projector working? I really need to know how to run a projector--it seemed so simple with XP. In 6 hours, I'm going to try out my new laptop at a location I'll be teaching a class at next week, and I'd like to know what to do! I did a right-click/Personalize/Connect to an external projector, but in the Windows Mobility Center window, nothing opened up that said "Projector." I clicked on "Connect Display," but nothing worked. I switched two cords, one of which is known to work, so I'm thinking that its not the cord. The projector itself is projecting an image (the standard image it does, when its not hooked up to a computer). Any suggestions?


Paul

 

OK thanks, Pete. I'm glad to know that I don't have to shell out another $80 or so to upgrade to Home Premium, just to hook my laptop up to a projector. Unfortunately, continuing to hit Fn + F8 (which was the one with a monitor-- "CRT/LCD" to be exact), but nothing worked. I know both cables I was working with, are good--they plugged into another laptop and are working fine, showing my desktop onto a wall. By the way--someone recommended going to Start/AllPrograms/Accessories/Connnect to a Network Projector, but that option wasn't there (yes I changed back to the Vista-style start menu). But simply toggling that combination (Function F8), again and again, didn't work. Thanks anyways.

 

Interesting. I plugged in my 93-year-old Sony Trinitron monitor into my VIsta laptop (using the same port, even) and it worked fine, without my having to do anything--even toggle the Fn-F8, or bring up any "Find new this or that" feature. As the image from my laptop appeared on my Sony monitor, up popped a window asking me what I wanted to do. So as you were saying, this ability is not OS-specific, although I'm still not sure why the IBM projector wasn't working. At least I know that my laptop isn't defective.

 

That does make me feel better about my $578 (plus carrying case) purchase, but I'm still feeling a bit unsettled about that. Working with (old) projectors is something that my laptop will have to be able to do, as a teacher. Well hopefully when push comes to shove, it will work with the projectors I'll actually be using in the classroom.

Thanks again, Pete. I do value your input, as I'm sure others on this board do.