How to display version of utils, like Presentation Director

[Dan_Aquinas]

How does one display what version of Presentation Director is being used? I have searched the various "Help" systems provided as part of my ThinkPad, searched Lenovo's site and this site. This seems like such a simple matter to provide instructions for that I assume that I must be doing something "wrong". This "displaying version information" would apply generally to any utility I would think, not just Presentation Director.

I'm running on a T60 wide-screen, using Windows XP + SP3. I cannot even tell you what version of "ThinkVantage Productivity Center" I am using as I cannot find it. I did find that the "Software Installer" is not one of the items available in my "ThinkVantage" progam files group - perhaps because this is a corporate IT supplied PC??

Ultimately, I am trying to ensure I have the latest video driver installed for the ATI driver is blamed for causing a BSOD occasionally when I'm trying to enter Standby mode.

[Harryc]

Open up the application, and look for a little grey square with a yellow question mark inside of it, and the word 'help' beside it. Click on that and then select 'about'. In some Thinkvantage Apps there is simply a 'help' selection in the navigation bar, just click on help then select 'about'. In the APS App, there is an 'about' tab. You just need to look around some ... I do not use Presentation Director but I'd be shocked if there weren't something similar in it.

[Dan_Aquinas]

Thanks for the suggestion. Although this may sound suspect, I looked and looked both before I posted and after reading your suggestion - and cannot find anything on the Presentation Director GUI that looks like it will give me a version number. Did bring up properties for the program group's short-cut, which (if it matters) is

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"C:\Program Files\Lenovo\NPDIRECT\PDIRECT.EXE" /w

When bringing up properties for the PDIRECT.EXE, (via right-click and "Properties" menu choice), I see that the File Version is listed as 3.0.0.0. This is lower than the 3.04a which is required to install the ATI X1400 driver I need ( Video driver (ATI Mobility RADEON / FIREGL PCI Express-2) for Windows XP - ThinkPad R60, T60, T60p (20xx, 26xx, 87xx), Z61m, Z61p.

In my poking around, I did find that some utilities *do* have a Help - About on them. For example, if type [Fn] + [F8] to bring up "UltraNav Device Settings", *and* click the "Manage settings" link, the resulting dialog has a Help - About that presents a version of 3.03 (copyrighted in 2005).

So I'm off to find the latest Presentation Director install program and see what happens.

[Dan_Aquinas]

In downloading the Presentation Director's "Readme" file, I found the following (of all places!):

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DETERMINING WHICH VERSION IS INSTALLED

 [Windows Vista]
  1. Click Start, then click Control Panel.
  2. Click "Uninstall a program" link of Programs icon. You will see "Unistall
     or change a program window".
  3. Select Presentation Director.
  4. Click "Organize" menu, click "Layout", then select "Details Pane" ("Details
     Pane" might be already selected). You will see the version information on
     the pane below.
  5. Close "Uninstall or change a program window".


 [Windows XP/2000]
  1. For Windows XP, click Start, then click Control Panel.
     For Windows 2000, click Start, select Settings, and then click Control
     Panel.
  2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
  3. Click Presentation Director, then click Change/Remove (or Add/Remove).
  4. Click 'Click here for support information' link. You will see the version
     information on the screen.
  5. Close Add/Remove Programs.

Following the instructions for Windows XP, revealed a version of 4.07. So now I've got the mystery of why one version states 3.0 and one 4.07. The fun continues. . .

[Dan_Aquinas]

Found another way to get the version information.

After installing the "latest" version (v4.07) of Presentation Directory that is supported for my "old" T60, I could still see nothing in the application when I launched it that would indicate how to easily find the version information - no menu bar to find a "Help - About", nothing happened when clicked on the big red "Presentation Directory" program icon, etc. However, I did find that in the "System Menu" of all places, there was an "About" box that yielded the information desired. Who would have thunk.

For the uninformed or forgetful, the "System Menu", as the MicroSoft "User Experience" Guide defines it, is A collection of basic window commands, such as move, size, maximize, minimize, and close, available from the program icon on the title bar, or by right-clicking a taskbar button The "program icon on the title bar" is that icon in the far upper left. This "system menu" can also be activated from the keyboard via ALT + <Space>.

While getting the program's version is a basic type of command, I am not sure it is accurate to categorize it as a "window command".