Sam, of Phoenix asks, "Is it possible to run my PowerPoint presentation on my laptop while I show it on the projector screen?"
No matter how good your PowerPoint presentation, you will lose an audience if the presentation cannot be viewed on a second monitor or projection screen.
Capture your audience with good technical skills and know how to setup the presentation on a second monitor while still viewing the presentation on your laptop. To run the presentation on both monitors, follow these steps.
First, connect the second monitor to the laptop with the appropriate cables. Plug in the power cord to the second monitor and then connect the video cable from the second monitor to the monitor port on the laptop.
Next, turn on the laptop and then the second monitor.
Ensure that the laptop has fully booted before turning on the second monitor. This step is crucial, as some monitors may not be recognized by the laptop if the laptop is turned on prior to attaching the second monitor.
Click on "File" "Open" and locate the presentation on the laptop.
Start the presentation by clicking on the "Slideshow" button at the bottom of the screen. Click on the "Fn" (function key) + "Monitor" button on the laptop.
Depending on the laptop, the "Monitor" button is located on either the F2, F5, or F7 button.
Once this is done, the presentation will appear on the second monitor and may cause a black screen on the laptop.
On some laptops, this is all that is needed for both the second monitor and laptop to view the screen.
If your laptop screen turns black, continue to Step 5. Click on the "Fn" + "Monitor" button again and the presentation will appear on both the second monitor and the laptop.
NOTE: If you are lucky enough to have PowerPoint 2007 or 2010, you may simply use the "Presenter View" to view the presentation on multiple monitors. Using this new feature may still require following the above steps. It will all depend on the laptop and its features and capabilities.
