display signal to TV has me stomped- Resolved

[mapleleaf]

Hello to all you fine Thinkpad users!
New here, and am starting my first post with a question.
My specs: TP R61i, Win Xp Pro, Sp3. My problem: I would like to stream a video from my TP to my older tube style TV. I've searched through some other posts related to my topic, and have purchased the following cables to accomodate:
S Video cable and an S video converter (to accomodate composite pluggin)
Volume out cable, which splits audio into composite L and R

A couple of weeks ago, wifey and I decided to stream a video off the internet, and so with the computer powered off, and the tv off, I hooked up the cables and turned on the pc and the tv (Line channel). Computer enters windows, enlarges icons/desktop and projects in proper format on my TV. I was happy and watched the movie.

Few days later we decide to watch a movie, and I set it up the right way (same as above), Pc enters Windows, desktop/icons stay the same size, bits of flickering on the TV here and there (white) and nothing...

I tried with various shutdowns/restarts to get anything on the TV but nothing
I then tried out varous settings by using the Presentation Directer (Fn F7)

I've also tried right click on desktop-->properties-->settings-->click 2 extend my desktop... This option does extend the desktop on the Tv screen, however, just
my backdrop, no icons or anything.

I'm sort of at the end of my knowledge/trying. What do I have to do to just have my desktop with all the icons projected unto my tv (dual display).
I wonder why it worked at first, and now I can't make it work anymore??

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Sorry for this longwinded post.

Lukas

[mapleleaf]

Perhaps its easier if I try to compare my Presentation Director settings with someone who has a TP 61i. When I hit Fn + F7 I get a window with display modes to choose from.
- My normal display settings
- Presentation on projector and notebook (XGA 1024 x 786)
- Presentation on projector and notebook (SVGA 800 x 600)
- Clean desktop presentation on projector and notebook (XGA)
- Dual display (XGA: notebook and analog external)
- Factory default notebook display settings (LCD only)

Now am I right under the assumption that "My normal display settings" should be used (standard), or would it be "factory default notebook display settings LCD only"? Could someone please check on their machine what is standard?

Once I hook up a external TV what option would I then choose? Is it "Presentation on projector and notebook XGA 1024 x 786)? Or is it ...?

I used my wife's old Toshiba Satelite laptop and hooked up the cables to the TV, hit Fn F5, chose LCD/TV and voila, my whole desktop was projected on my tv screen.

I believe it should be that easy with my Thinkpad also

Thanks for any input.
Lukas

[sjthinkpader]

Welcome to the forum.

Did you try making a new profile on Presentation Director the the TV as 2nd display?

[mapleleaf]

Thanks sjthinkpader for your post. I'm almost embarrassed to say that with creating a new profile I did manage to get it to work Thanks so much! Now, I do have one more questions:
When I hit Fn F7 I choose my new selected profile, It sort of enlarges my icons and changes the grouping/order of my icons. Once I switch back to my normal settings, my icons become smaller in size, but they are all over my desktop. Is there a way to avoid that from happening each time I use my presentation projektor??

Thanks!
Lukas

[sjthinkpader]

When you right click anywhere on the desktop, select Arrange Icons By; then click the options you need.

[mapleleaf]

Thanks sjthinkpader for your reply. The odd thing is that once I'm done using the presentation director, and once I have arranged my icons again (same way as you wrote), after a shutdown and restart, my icons are then scattered all over the place, not in any order, but just there.
I guess I can live with it, however, I always have to go search for my most used icons
Thanks,
Lukas

[sjthinkpader]

For some reason Windows is not saving your settings at shutdown. Try uninstalling PD, reboot then reinstall PD.

[rkawakami]

If that doesn't work, then you might want to consider installing a small utility which saves your desktop icon arrangement. There's many available if you do a Google search. For example, this one looks promising (I've not tried it myself):

http://www.midiox.com/desktoprestore.htm

[mapleleaf]

Thanks rkawakami for your programm link. I installed it, and my desktop is now no longer "disturbed". I'm going to place a thread resolved in the subject. Thanks for all the help.