Slideshow Presentation

HELP!

I need to run a slideshow through a digital projector but cant configure my laptop to display a slideshow through it.
Last time I tried this I had Vista on the laptop and it ran OK, now I am back to XP and apparently it wont work this way with XP, it just cuts out the projector (or second monitor) and displays the slideshow on the laptop screen only, I tried configuring the projector as the primary monitor but it just loses the signal and the laptop settings dont actually change.

Does anyone know of any freebie software that will allow me to display a slideshow in a window which I can then display on the projector set up as extended desktop?

Someone suggested pictures to exe but I cant justify the cost for one presentation.

Hi - Your laptop should have a funtion key - usually on the bottom row of keys and at the LH end
Pressing fuction key, usually marked in blue Fn, and pressing F8 will show either a blank Laptop screen and display through the projector, press again will give Laptop screen and projector and once again, this will give laptop screen only. Keep pressing the combination of function key and F8 and this will cycle through the settings mentioned above. However, be patient, allow the settings to run, so allow a little time for the laptop to talk to the projector before pressing the fn F8 combination because you think it has not worked! - Hope this helps

Thanks David, I'll give that a try. I never gave the function key a thought really, just tried to configure it through the display settings

It isn't always F8. On my Dell it is F8, on my netbook it is F4... Usually the symbol is a little screen like thing, or CRT/LCD.

Cheers, Kris.

OK Kris, I'll try everything

Mines a HP if anyone else has other suggestions.

I have Pictures to exe and I can't see anything to allow you to get direct from a laptop to a projector. I think the purpose of the software is to produce slide presentations onto disc.

I seem to remember when they set up a laptop/projector at work they had to be started in a particular order so that they recognised each other. don't know if that helps.

It will work but you need to make sure the configuration of multiple monitors is correct. I can never remember how to do this unless it's hands on in front of me, but please be assured the means are there.

That is assuming your video card will support multiple monitors.

On laptops which I've used an external screen/projector can be set up in several ways.

As David (Mayday) says there in usualy a special funcion key which when pressed rotates between "second screen off", "second screen mirrors primary screen", and "second screen acts as an extended desktop".

In windows there is also the ability to set up the second screen via the desktop properties - my memory is that to do this you will have needed to have selected the "second screen acts as an extended desktop" option of your function button first. This method has the advantage that you can do things on the laptop screen which are not displayed by the projector. But I have found that some programms don't like displaying on 2nd or 3rd monitors (could be a function of my hardware) and will only work properly on the primary monitor.

However most people will want to select the "second screen mirrors primary screen" so that what is seen on the laptop screen will also be shown on the external screen.
Some laptops will let you connect a second screen and select it via the function key after the OS has booted but others will insist that the external screen must be connected and turned on before the laptop is booted. Therefore its best to connect up turn projector on then turn PC on.

On my HP it's Fn + F4.

Symbol on the F4 key looks like a place setting - knife and fork either side of a place mat!