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Chapter 18 Giving a Presentation In This Chapter ᮣ Preparing for your presentation ᮣ Using PowerPoint ᮣ Connecting to the video projector ᮣ Using handy PowerPoint keyboard shortcuts I suppose that, for the longest time, the main reason to lug around a laptop was to give one of those infamous video presentations. You’ve been there. You’re in a darkened room. Warm. Too little sleep from the night before. A “presenter” talking in a droning monotone. Dull, lifeless information. Soon, you’re starting to nod off. Try not to snore (or drool). Because of the close relationship between laptops and presentations, I thought I’d throw in one more chapter just to brush up and review on the subject. ߜ These days, it’s often not necessary to bring a laptop to a presentation. Merely having the presentation files on a CD-R is enough. ߜ Some handheld devices can be used to “drive” the video projectors that give presentations. Setting Things Up I suppose that the most nerve-wracking part about giving a presentation is ensuring that everything works. When you get everything working correctly, the speech itself should go smoothly, right? Even when well prepared, few folks enjoy speaking before a large group, especially a group of business folk who are used to — and are often unimpressed by — computer presentations. In most circumstances, you’re allowed to set up your laptop and run through a test to ensure that everything works before giving your presentation to an audience. A technician might be available and even do everything to set up for you. That’s great. But it still doesn’t make the situation any less nerve-wracking. Creating the presentation Before you leave and hit the road with your dog and pony show, you must first create your presentation. The program of choice for doing this is Microsoft’s PowerPoint, which can be purchased as an individual program or as part of the Office suite of applications. PowerPoint creates documents generically referred to as slide shows. Each slide can contain text, graphics, pictures, or some combination of each. You can add animations and sound effects, plus interesting fades and transitions between the slides. All in all, PowerPoint is a fairly easy program to figure out and fun to use with enjoyable results. That may not make the subject matter more enthralling, but just keep in mind that creating your presentation isn’t the worst job in the world. ߜ PowerPoint must be installed on your laptop. ߜ Microsoft does offer a PowerPoint viewer program, which lets you play, but not edit, PowerPoint presentations. This allows you to see a presen- tation even when you don’t have PowerPoint (for example, if the laptop you’re using doesn’t have PowerPoint installed). This viewer program can be obtained from the Microsoft Web site ( www.microsoft.com) in the Downloads area. ߜ PowerPoint is fairly easy to figure out, though you can find tutorials for it, as well as a few good books and references. ߜ One trick I’ve used to keep the presentation from getting too boring is to engage the audience during the show. Ask questions or have the audi- ence fill in the blanks. Not only can that make the show more lively, but it also helps keep people awake and on their toes. ߜ Indeed, it’s a good idea to complete the presentation before you leave. Even so, I’m one of many folks who work on presentations up until the minute that they’re given! ߜ Yes, it is an excellent idea to create a backup copy of your presentation on a CD-R. That way, should you lose the laptop, or suddenly discover an incompatibility, you can use the CD-R with someone else’s computer to deliver the talk. 270 Part IV: On the Road Again ߜ You might also consider running the Microsoft Office Pack and Go Wizard on your presentation, moving it into a portable format as a sec- ondary backup. The Pack and Go format can be easily read by other computers in case something happens to your laptop. Hooking up to the video projector For a small presentation, showing the PowerPoint slide show on your laptop screen, sitting at the end of a table, is perfectly fine. Most of the time, how- ever, you’ll be connecting your laptop to a video projector. The video projec- tor works like a giant monitor, displaying its image on a large screen at the end of a meeting room or convention hall. The hook-up process is easier than it seems. In the best-case scenario, a help- ful technician is there to assist you, and the connection is made and con- firmed in advance. But even when there is no technician, you can generally figure things out: Connect your laptop’s external video connector to the video projector. You can use either the S-video or external monitor port. You’ll probably also need to connect your laptop’s audio-out port to the pro- jector or to the location’s sound system as well. After connecting the laptop to the video projector, check the image. In some cases, you’ll see your laptop’s display on the video projector and not the laptop’s screen. That’s great. You’re set to go. There are other times when the video projector acts as the laptop’s second monitor. The laptop shows the regular laptop screen, but the presentation appears on the video projector. (That’s just PowerPoint being smart.) You can confirm if your laptop has this ability by opening the Control Panel’s Display Properties dialog box and clicking on the Settings tab. If you see the second blank monitor there (as in Figure 18-1), then the laptop is automati- cally configured to use the external monitor. You’re ready to go. What I usually do is get the PowerPoint slide show all set up, displayed on the screen, and ready to go. Then I close my laptop’s lid, putting it into Stand By mode, and leave it up on the dais. When I’m ready to go, I step up, open the laptop’s lid, and when it comes to life, the presentation is right there on the video projector’s display and ready to go. ߜ Sometimes the video projector is provided at the scene. ߜ Sometimes you have to bring your own video projector. They’re not cheap, but they’re small and portable. 271 Chapter 18: Giving a Presentation ߜ Be sure to pack an extra bulb if you’re using your own video projector. You want to be able to replace a burned out bulb quickly, and those bulbs aren’t easy to find. ߜ Some laptops sport a special function (Fn) key on the keyboard, used to activate the external video port. You may need to press this key to switch the display over to the video projector. ߜ Some laptops may have dual video built in, allowing you to use the video projector as a second monitor. To confirm this, open the Display Properties dialog box and click on the Settings tab. There should already be a second monitor configured (refer to Figure 18-1). If so, you’re set and ready to go. PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts Worthy of Knowing Here are a few keys you can use in PowerPoint to help save your rear in times of panic and dread. Keys to display the next slide: ߜ Spacebar ߜ Enter Figure 18-1: This laptop is ready to make presen- tations. 272 Part IV: On the Road Again ߜ N ߜ Down-arrow key ߜ Right-arrow key Keys to redisplay the previous slide (or to back up through an animation sequence): ߜ Up-arrow key ߜ Left-arrow key ߜ P ߜ Backspace Keys to display a blank screen in the middle of the presentation: ߜ B (black screen) ߜ . period (black screen) ߜ W (white screen) ߜ , comma (white screen) Keys to cancel the show: ߜ Esc ߜ - (hyphen) Keys to hide the pointer and navigation box: ߜ A ߜ = (equal sign) 273 Chapter 18: Giving a Presentation 274 Part IV: On the Road Again Part V Troubleshooting In this part . . . W hat? Trouble? With a computer? I’m shocked! It’s sad, but trouble follows a computer around like a dog follows a little kid with a dripping ice cream cone. In fact, I would venture to guess that there has been more infor- mation written about computers and what can go wrong with them than there is information written about the uni- versal topic of parenting. (The 1991 manual listing all the error codes possible for the old MS-DOS 5.0 was over 500 pages long!) The two chapters in this brief section cover laptop trouble- shooting, as well as the topic of upgrading and repairing your laptop. For more information on the subject, I recom- mend my book Troubleshooting Your PC For Dummies, which goes into far more detail than I can cover here. Chapter 19 Major Trouble and General Solutions In This Chapter ᮣ Understanding computer trouble ᮣ Restarting Windows to fix things ᮣ Using System Restore ᮣ Setting a restore point ᮣ Restoring your system ᮣ Using Safe Mode to find problems ᮣ Fixing common problems E very computer is different. Not every laptop has the same hardware, the same size hard drive, memory capacity, and other options. Multiply that by the many combinations of computer software out there, and then multiply that by the number of potential configurations for the software. If you can picture that, then you can understand how everyone’s computer can be so unique. And any effort to list all the potential problems for anyone’s com- puter would be futile. Rather than do a specific problem list with solutions, I decided to take a more general course in this chapter. Here, you find some advice about avoiding problems in the first place, followed by some sure-fire general solutions, and also some preventive measures you should take. Soothing Words of Support for the Computer Weary Generally, one good reason why your computer is having problems is that something has changed. It may seem obvious; I mean, duh! The thing doesn’t work any more! But it’s usually some change that took place before the trouble started that is to blame. Computers are really a house of cards waiting to collapse at the slightest whiff of error. It’s amazing that they run well at all. Adding new hardware, new software, or changing an existing configuration can lead to trouble. So the question you need to ask when trouble comes is simple: What has changed recently? Anything new? Think back a few days. Chances are good that whatever you’ve added to the computer, whatever you’ve changed or modified, is the cause of the error. Reversing the change often fixes things. ߜ Changing or modifying your data files (such as Word documents, MP3s, or JPEGs) is not the type of change referred to in this section. No, chang- ing or modifying programs or parts of the Windows operating system is what can lead to trouble. ߜ When you know the trouble is related to a specific hardware or software change, contact the hardware or software developer on the Internet. Look up the Web page’s support section and see if any of your issues are mentioned or solutions offered. ߜ Removing or undoing the change often fixes things. Also refer to the section, “The Miracle of System Restore,” later in this chapter. The Universal Quick Fix Sometimes computers just act weird. There may be nothing wrong, though I refer to the syndrome as “tired RAM.” The solution, as well as the first thing you should try at the hint of trouble, is to restart Windows. Often times, restarting Windows unclogs the drain and allows your computer to work properly once again. At the least, it’s worth a try. See Chapter 4 for information on restarting Windows. 278 Part V: Troubleshooting [...]... confirm that System Restore is enabled by heeding these steps: 2 79 280 Part V: Troubleshooting 1 Open the Control Panel’s System icon Refer to Chapter 6 for more information on both the Control Panel and the System icon 2 Click the System Restore tab The System Restore information appears in the dialog box, as shown in Figure 19- 1 Figure 19- 1: System Restore control central 3 To activate System Restore,... Drivers and Services option in Step 3 ߜ For more information on the System Configuration Utility, refer to my book, Troubleshooting Your PC For Dummies (Wiley Publishing, Inc.) ߜ Another startup menu may appear on your laptop, one that gives you the option of starting a Windows Recovery Console Using that utility is also covered in my Troubleshooting Your PC For Dummies book, starting with the 2nd edition... be creating a restore point now?” ߜ Create a restore point before installing new hardware ߜ Create a restore point before removing hardware ߜ Create a restore point before adding or updating a new hardware driver ߜ Create a restore point before installing any programs that you download from the Internet ߜ Especially create a restore point before you decide to toil with network configurations That will... keep things compatible That can be expensive Still, upgrading can often be effortless The newer version of the application can boost your productivity The key is to be prepared for anything ߜ Before upgrading, set a system restore point That will help you recover things in case the upgrade doesn’t work properly Refer to Chapter 19 ߜ Upgrading is as easy as sticking the new program’s CD into your laptop’s... only for a few simple questions ߜ The hard part about upgrading is living with any unintended consequences An upgrade is a change to your laptop Sometimes changes aren’t good Refer to Chapter 19 ߜ You don’t need to uninstall the previous version of a program when installing an update The only exception is when you’re specifically advised to uninstall any older versions ߜ Refer to Chapter 6 for information... Chapter 6 for more information 2 Click the Automatic Updates tab Figure 20-1 illustrates the Automatic Updates tab 3 To activate automatic updates, select the proper option at the top of the dialog box 4 Choose other options in the dialog box, depending on how you wish to obtain, install, and be notified of new updates 5 Click OK Figure 20-1: The Automatic Updates tab in all its glory 291 292 Part V:... a handy method for adding more memory, do so! Memory chips are available far and wide, though my favorite place to shop for RAM is the online memory store at www.crucial.com The site has a configuration program that helps you select the exact memory you need It’s very handy, plus the memory chips come with good instructions on how to install them in your computer Some laptops allow for the hard drive... 299 300 Part VI: The Part of Tens 1 Open the System icon in the Control Panel Refer to Chapter 6 for more information 2 Click the Advanced tab 3 Click the Settings button in the Performance area Note that there are three Settings buttons on the Advanced tab Ensure that you click the right one 4 In the Performance Options dialog box, click the Advanced tab 5 Click the Change button in the Virtual memory... version of some program you already own For example, you upgrade from version 2.1 of a program to version 2.2 Specifically, that’s referred to as a minor upgrade From version 4.0 to version 5.0 is a major upgrade Update means to improve an existing program, but not change its version or release number For example, Microsoft routinely releases security updates for Windows These updates, or patches, are... today’s software is so advanced that even a program purchased back in the late 199 0s would still serve you well today Upgrading your software I recommend upgrading your software only when the newer version of the program offers features you need or fixes problems you have Otherwise, my motto is, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” 290 Part V: Troubleshooting I’m serious: You can avoid a lot of trouble by . there has been more infor- mation written about computers and what can go wrong with them than there is information written about the uni- versal topic of parenting. (The 199 1 manual listing all. repairing your laptop. For more information on the subject, I recom- mend my book Troubleshooting Your PC For Dummies, which goes into far more detail than I can cover here. Chapter 19 Major Trouble and General Solutions In. Chapter 6 for more information on both the Control Panel and the System icon. 2. Click the System Restore tab. The System Restore information appears in the dialog box, as shown in Figure 19- 1. 3.