How To Have A Happy Promethean Board

Special Notes and Phone NumbersHow to Have A HappyPromethean BoardTroubleshooting GuideCreated by Jan RootEdited and Illustrated by Lynn McKennaYour Promethean Board Serial Number is located on thelower left corner of the back of the board on a tab.Find your serial number now and write it herefor future reference:Hazelwood School DistrictHazelwood, MissouriJune 2010

Promethean TroubleshootingTable of ContentsThe ActivBoardWhy is there no image on the board?.1*If the “Lamp Replace” light on your projectorappears, this is a warning that the bulb isnearing “end of life”. The bulb could lastseveral weeks to several months. Order areplacement bulb, if you do not have a spare.If you do have a spare, the bulb will need tobe replaced either when it goes out or thedisplay is so dim it impairs the ability to viewthe projection. Contact your reseller orPromethean if this happens.Why is there a message on the board that says “Hardware NotDetected?” . 1Why is my board not turning on?.1Why is my Activpen not aligned to the cursor on the board? .2How can I clean my Activboard?.2When Importing a Resource Pack, Do I Choose My Resources or SharedResources? . 3When using Activpen on a flipchart, why does the cursor appear toconstantly jump around to random locations or draw lines byitself?. .3What do the lights mean on my Activboard?.4Why does the right click menu appear when I am using my Activpen?.4What do I do if my pen won’t work?.4*Do you want more ActivInspire help files? If you’venever explored the help files in ActivInspire, they’redefinitely worth looking into. These documents are filledwith helpful graphics, step-by-step instructions anduseful tips. To access the help files, go to the mainmenu and choose Help Contents. You’ll then see theWelcome to ActivInspire screen with a listing of topicsalong the left side Click on a topic to read more, or usethe Search button to browse.How do I get a replacement Activpen or Activpen nib?.4Activpen and ProjectorWhat do I do if my display is a distorted shape?.5*Some fonts, such as Courier will not display correctly ifyou try to rotate them. If this happens, use the TextEdit toolbox to format your text with a different font.Why is my projector shutting down?.5Where are the filters on the projector located?.5Why is the image from the projector blurred and out of focus?.6Why does the image from the projector appear to have incorrect ordistorted colors?.6Why do I get the error message “Your Hardware/Software combinationis Not Permitted in this Country” when I am trying to register myActivote or Activslate device?.6*When using your ActivSlate, hover thepen to move the mouse, touching theslate only for a “click” equivalent.16

ActivDevices*Tape used to put chart paper or other items on yourboard may leave a residue that could possibly affecthow the pen interacts with the board.How do I know if my Activotes need a hub?.7How do I update ActivInspire?.7How do I change from Activstudio display to Activprimary display?.7*If the trashcan does not appear on your flipchart page,go to “View” on the top toolbar, and selectHow do I get instructions to install ActivInspire?.7“Flipchart Trashcan.”What do I do if my Activboard is constantly beeping?.8I installed ActivInspire and now my board and pen will not work .8How do I keep my flipchart displayed and take attendance?.8MiscWhat is Activarena? .9*If you have an Activboard 300 Pro series and haveno sound, check your connection box behind yourboard and make sure the stand-by button is not red.If it is red, push it in until it turns green. You shouldhave sound now!My sound will not work! .9Can I write on my Promethean Board?.9Sound Recording on Dell Series E Laptop .10Importing a Resource Package to ActivInspire .10Cloning Your Display (desktop and laptop) .11*Hover the cursor over the toolbox button to displaya description about the feature.Keyboard Shortcuts.12Where can I get more help with my Promethean Board?.12Promethean Planet .13Did You Know? . .14 - 16Where is my Promethean serial number?.back cover*You cannot save a Flipchart with a file name thatcontains any of the following special characters:\:/*?” 15

Why is there no image on the board?Check to make sure that all cables are securely fastened to theback of the laptop and the faceplate. Unplug and reconnectall cables, VGA and USB cables.If all cables are connected securely, press the buttonsFunction (Fn) and F8 on the keyboard.Press the video button on theprojector remote to switch theinput source from the DVD andDocument Camera.Why is there a message on the board that says“Hardware not Detected?”Did You Know ?*Flipcharts with a .flp can only be read withActivStudio software.*Flipcharts with .flp or .flipchart can be run withthe new ActivInspire software. Once a .flp hasbeen opened and updated with the new ActivInspiresoftware, it will no longer be available to the oldActivStudio software.*ActiVotes and ActivExpressions will need to havethe batteries changed when they no longer respond.A torx tool is provided behind the board of theupper lid in the ActiVote case – a secretcompartment! In the ActivExpressions case, it islocated in the inside lid. ActiVotes use 3 AAAbatteries. ActivExpressions use 3 AA batteries.Check the USB cable on the back of the computer and at thefaceplate on the wall. Make sure the cable is securely fastened.Check to make sure that the power cord is securely connectedand plugged into the wallCheck to see if the light (the flame) on the board is illuminated.Restart the computer.If none of these solutions resolve the issue, callPromethean at 1-888-652-2848Why is my board not turning on?Check to make sure the board is getting power. Thelight (the flame) on the board should be illuminated.1*ActivPens should be placed “up” not “down” in thepen holder. Placing pens down in the holder candamage the pen nib (tip).*You can export your flipchart to a PDF file. Openyour flipchart, go to the main menu, chooseFile Print on the lower right hand corner, choose“export to PDF”.*You can import a PDF file and PowerPointPresentation into ActivInspire. Go to Main MenuFile-Import. From there you can choose either PDFor PowerPoint. There are two choices forPowerPoint. If you want to be able to move thedifferent objects around, choose ImportPowerPoint as Objects, not Images.14

Why is my Activpen not aligned to the cursoron the board?The Activboard has to be calibrated in order to ensurethat the tip of the Activpen aligns with the cursor on thescreen. It is important to align your Activpen with yourActivboard each time your projector is moved or set up.*A Promethean Planet Toolbar is now available. It is acustomized toolbar for your browser that features PlanetLesson search capabilities; .rss feeds that display the latestblog posts, Planet Lessons and news stories; links tofrequently visited Planet pages; and countless gadgets!! Todownload this tool, go tohttp://prometheanplanet.ourtoolbar.comAnd click on the Download Toolbar button.You can calibrate the board in one of two ways:Right click one time on the Activboard icon in the SystemTray in the bottom right-hand corner of the computerscreen. Click on “Calibrate”Hover the Activpen over the lighted icon (the flame) onthe top left corner of the Activboard.Use the Activpen to click in the center of each calibrationcross.*There are ActivLearning classes on Promethean Planetwhich can help you learn more about ActivInspire. Go tohttp://prometheanplanet.com and choose ProfessionalDevelopment, then ActivLearning. There are four freecourses that you can take.*Scott Caulfield, a Promethean Teaching and LearningConsultant, has created a series of ActivTips. They areshort videos that show you how to use the ActivInspiresoftware. The videos are available onhttp://prometheanplanet.com Choose ProfessionalDevelopment, then ActivTips. There are a variety of shortvideos on such topics as containers, tools, captions, etc.*Download lessons and/or flipcharts from Promethean Planet– Interactive Whiteboard Community at:http://www.prometheanplanet.com(requires users to create a free account and log in name)13How can I clean my Activboard?It is very important to use only non-abrasivewhiteboard cleaning products to clean you Activboard.The most common dry erase board cleaners areacceptable as well as Mr. Clean Magic Erasers to cleanaccidental permanent marker smudges. To erase a dryeraser smudge, try marking over it with a dry erasemarker. Then, wipe it clean using Expo cleaner. Pledgehousehold cleaner can be used on theboard to smooth scratches and preventthe pen from screeching when writing onthe board. All liquid cleaners should besprayed on a cloth, not directly on theboard.2

When Importing a ResourcePack, Do I Choose My Resourcesor Shared Resources?When importing a resource pack, importto SHARED RESOURCES. Importing toyour “My Resources”, installs theresource pack on your c:drive. Importingto your “Shared Resources”, installs theresource to your My Documents.When using the Activpen on a flipchart, whydoes the cursor appear to constantly jumparound to random locations, jump to anotherpoint on the board or draw lines by itself?If you get lines on the board when the penis touching its surface, this is an indicationof a term Promethean calls “spiking”.Spiking looks similar to an EKG. When thecursor jumps to random locations on theboard this is an indication of a termPromethean calls “jumping.”Power the board off and on again. Touch the pen to theboard. If the problem persists, attempt to use a differentcomputer. If the problem continues, then the problem issoftware related. In this instance, try to uninstallActivdriver through Add/Remove Programs. ReinstallActivInspire from www.prometheanplanet.comKeyboard ShortcutsF1 - Show helpF2 - Switches between design mode andpresentation modeF3 - Opens the express pollF5 - displays full screen - no tool barsF6 - annotates over the desktopF7 – SpellcheckerF8 - Opens page browserF9 - Opens property browserF10 - Opens action browserF11 - Opens the dashboardF12 - Opens www.prometheanplanet.comWhere can I get additional help with myPromethean Board?Call Promethean 1-888-652-2848If the problem continues, then the problem is related to thehardware. Try using a different Activpen. If the problemstill occurs, call Promethean at 1-888-652-2848Visit Promethean’s ld.comwww.prometheankb.com (knowledge base)312