Display Settings with ThinkVantage Productivity Center

[mangocani]

This is for my new T60, Type 1953-ESU running Windows XP. I am having problems with my Display Settings and can’t seem to go into them from the ThinkVantage Productivity Center Utility. When I open the ThinkVantage Productivity Center’s Resource Center and park my mouse over Device Configuration and slide across to “Select Display Settings”… nothing happens.

It doesn’t highlight and I can’t go into Display Settings (which I could do before). When I slide the mouse down to “Select Input Devices” or “Manage Power Schemes” for example, I have no problem accessing these settings. What should I do? Why is this happening? BTW, when I hit Fn and F7 the screen toggles from single monitor, to dual monitor, to the other single monitor, but it doesn’t go into Display Settings as it is supposed to do.

I need to do this so that I can configure for 2 monitors when I am docked at work.

Thanks.

[BillMorrow]

i have not done much with productivity center on my T60p because i'm accustomed to useing the XP tools..

but

have you tried to right click on the desktop to get into display properties and selecting the settings tab..?

[CobraCat03]

Greetings,
Probably your best bet if you want to avoid the XP configurations is to use your sytem update or go to Lenovo's site and download Presentation Director. With it you can create multiple schemes that are saved and accessed from the Fn+F7 key input.

[mangocani]

Thanks Bill and CobraCat03. The reason I don't really want to use the XP display configuration settings method is because supposedly by using the Productivity Center I get the advantage that when I dock my laptop it senses that it is docked and automatically switches to dual screen and places itself in the correct physical context (to the left of my external LCD screen). Otherwise, of course I can use the XP settings but have to re-set each and every day I arrive to work (not a big deal but why not have it done automatically). I'll download Presentation Director and see whether that helps.

[mangocani]

Just checked and I have Presentation Director 2.55 installed. The thing is I can't get into it by pressing Fn F7. I automatically just toggle between no screen, to both screens, to one screen. I remember there was a check box on Presentation Director so that the system does this but now that it is checked I don't know how to go back to the original setting.

[zern]

re Fn-F7

Maybe you need the Thinkpad Hotkey Features update? I believe this controls the various Fn key combinations. Use the ThinkVantage System Update tool to get the latest package.

[safelder]

Just checked and I have Presentation Director 2.55 installed. The thing is I can't get into it by pressing Fn F7. I automatically just toggle between no screen, to both screens, to one screen. I remember there was a check box on Presentation Director so that the system does this but now that it is checked I don't know how to go back to the original setting.

You should be able to open Presentation Director from the ThinkVantage folder off your start menu, which should give you access to the "Fn+F7 Options" button (I believe that is what it is called; I am doing this from memory). From there, you can elect the behavior for the hotkey. If that doesn't work, try reinstalling the hotkey driver as suggested above (that is what controls all your on-screen displays, like the wireless radio control with Fn+F5).

FWIW, I use presentation director with my mini-dock. Most of the time, it works flawlessly to automatically switch to the external monitor when docked and back to the panel when undocked. Sometimes, when I hot- or warm-undock, it doesn't work.