Frequently asked questions

ActivInspire resource packs contain the images and objects in your Resource Browser folders.  The main Resource Pack that comes with the ActivInspire software is called ‘subjects.  This can be downloaded from Promethean Planet.

For detailed instructions on downloading and adding Resource Packs download the support file: Install Resource Pack

Hover over the lit globe or flame in the top left hand corner of the Activboard, don’t push the pen. The board will then beep and the calibration tool will start.

Windows

Click the ActivManager Icon in the system tray, and select “Calibrate” from the menu.

Mac Click the ActivManager Icon at the system bar at the top of your screen.   Select “Calibrate” from the menu.

Applicable To all Promethean Activboards Do not use abrasive powders, soap, detergents or petroleum based cleaners or solvents on the Activboard surface. We recommend a proprietary brand of dry-wipe marker board cleaner.

Water based cleaners containing ammonia, vinegar or citrus (e.g., glass and counter cleaners) that leave no residual film are acceptable as a second choice. Please check the contents on the container label prior to use or clean and test a small area before cleaning the entire surface.

Stubborn stains or accumulations from other contaminants such as fingerprint oil, dirt, dust or use of grease, pencil or permanent markers may require use of a detergent cleaner and a soft bristle brush. After such a cleaning it will be necessary to clean the surface two or more times with the approved whiteboard cleaner or denatured alcohol.

Scratches cannot be repaired or removed and will make ink and stain removal to that area difficult. Do not use metal brushes, scrapers or cleaning cloths whose prior use is questionable.

A polish with standard household spray polish will restore the smooth writing surface after cleaning.

The surface of the Activboard is made to very high standards of durability. In normal use you can expect satisfactory results every time with proper maintenance.

You may receive an error message when you do this depending on your organisation’s internet settings. For further assistance on running updates you can access this help file: Check for Latest Updates.pdf

When using the pen on a flipchart the cursor will either appear to constantly jump around to random locations, we call this Jumping; or when drawing, the cursor may infrequently jump to another point on the board or draw lines by itself, we call this Spiking. Sometimes it may be something we technically call Dropping Points where curves appear to be more jagged than they should be. Solution

First we would ask to reset the Activboard (turn it off at the power for 1 minute), and then attempt to use a different computer with it, if the problem continues to happen then it is related to the hardware, if it does not reoccur then the problem is software related, or due to the computer being used originally. In this instance, try updating the driver and software from our website and requesting that your IT technician update the computer and check that it is problem free. If the problem continued to happen then please try using a different Activpen, or try using the current pen on a different board. If it is isolated to the pen then please contact technical support with the Activboard serial number and we may be able to replace it under its warranty or offer further advice. If the problem continues then it may be environmental, this is very unlikely if it has never happened in the past, but move any large pieces of electrical equipment that have recently been placed near the board and restart it. Try connecting the board power to a different wall socket, preferably the same socket as the computer being used.

If the problem continues to happen, please contact Lambourne Consulting technical support with the serial number of the board, the driver version being used, and the detail you can get when right clicking the av icon that is near the clock in the bottom right hand corner of the computer screen, and choosing about from the menu. We may need to diagnose it further and resolve under the terms of your warranty.

Applicable To Any Windows laptop connecting to an external video display, such as a projector.

Information

Configuring RGB Analogue mode (Sanyo projectors): Press ‘Menu’ on the projector or your remote control, navigate to the input menu, choose ‘Computer 2′, then choose ‘RGB Analogue’ or ‘RGB’, not ‘RGB Scart’ or ‘RGB Composite’.

Applicable to Activboard + 2 systems. Sanyo projectors.

Solution

Most projectors have a ‘native’ resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels. For best results, please ensure that your computer’s screen resolution is set to this.

You can set the resolution in Windows by right clicking on the background of the desktop and select ‘Properties’. When the ‘Display Properties’ window appears, click on the Settings tab and you will find the ‘Screen Resolution’ slider on that page.

Solutions The whiteboard is blue when I connect my computer to it?

1. Check to make sure that the thick black cable (called a VGA cable) is connected between your board and your computer (if you have a Mac computer it will be connected to the white adaptor and that adaptor is connected to your computer). 2. Click on the Apple in the upper left corner of your screen and drag down to System Preferences. Click on Displays, click on Detect Displays. 3. If after clicking on Detect Displays, it still does not work, is there an Arrangement tab in the Display preferences? If yes, click on it and then put a checkmark in front of: Mirror Images. 4. If the above does not work, restart your computer, that is often the ticket. 5. If nothing above works, check to make sure that the big black cable (called a VGA cable) or the white adaptor (if you have a Mac) does not have a bent pin it it. This will prevent the computer from communicating with the projector. 6. If all the above solutions do not work, contact Promethean support.

1. Do not launch ActivStudio. 2. Click on the Apple in the upper left corner of your desktop, drag down to System Preferences. Under other, do you see an option for Activboard? If no, please contact Promethean Support. 3. If yes, click on ActivBoard and then click on Calibrate. With your pen at the board, complete the calibration process by clicking on the 5 X’s. If you cannot calibrate, borrow a pen from a neighbor to make sure it is not your pen that is the problem. 4. After calibrating, try to close the open window (the ActivBoard preference window) and try to move around some folders or open a file or folder. Does it work? If no, contact Promethean Support, you probably will need to have your driver (a piece of software used for the computer to communicate with the board) reinstalled.

1. Look at your ActivBoard. In the upper left corner is a flame that should be illuminated. If not, the electricity to your board is disconnected. If so, move on to the next hint.

2. Ensure that you have the USB cable (either white or gray, it is thin, and it looks the same at each end) connected from the terminal box on your wall to the computer USB port.

3. If the above it true, move the cable to a different USB port on your computer (all computers have more than one USB port). Does this work? 4. If none of the above fixed the problem, unplug the BOARD from electricity, count to 10 and plug it back in. Does it work now? 5. If no, borrow another USB cable from another teacher to make sure it is not the cable that is bad. Does it work now? 6. If no, call Promethean support.

1. Click on the Apple in the upper left corner of your monitor and drag down to System Preferences. Click on Displays. Click on the Color tab. 2. Choose another option in Display Profile, like Generic RGB Profile. Is there an improvement in the color of the images on your board? 3. If no, click on the Calibrate button and keep clicking Continue like you know what you are doing until you get to the little slider that you can move left to right. Experiment with this b/c it will improve the contract in your images. Finish this process and you will be happier.

1. On the new Sanyo projector remotes, you will see a button that says Keystone. Click on this and use the arrow keys to manipulate the image so that it looks more like a rectangle on the board. Is this better? 2. If no, you might have an older projector and you will have to click on the Menu button on the remote and look for the keystone adjustment. 3. If this still does not improve your issue, contact Promethean Support.

1. You need to uninstall and reinstall your driver for the Activboard. If you want to do it yourself, navigate to the ActivBoard application – Single click on your Desktop, click on the Go menu and drag down to Applications. Find the Promethean folder, then go into the ActivStudio 3 folder, double click on Activuninstall. Deselect all checkboxes except for Activboard Driver. Click Uninstall. 2. After the uninstall, you need to trash a file called: com.prometheanworld.activhardware.plist. To find this file, single click on your desktop, click on the Go menu and drag down to Home. Then click on the MacInstosh HD (left menu at top). Go into Library. Go into Preferences. You will find the file there. 3. Then you need to trash a file called: com.prometheanworld.activstudio3. To find this file, single click on your desktop, click on the Go menu and drag down to Home. Inside your Home directory, click on Library (not the same library as in step number 2), click on Preferences and you will find it there. Quite honestly, I would drag to the trash all of the .plist files that have the word promethean in the file name. 4. Restart your computer. 5. Go to Promethean Planet online where you will find the driver you now need to install. You need to log into Promethean Planet (which means you need to have an account and know your username and password). Go to Support and click on Sofware Upgrades. Click on ActivDrivers and install the latest Mac OSX Activboard Driver. 6. Restart your computer.