Powerpoint 97 or 2003 flickers on screen
Dan
We have a Dell Inspiron 9200 notebook running WinXP Pro w/SP2. Each time we
toggle the external monitor device by pressing Fn+F8 (doesn't matter if a
monitor or projector is plugged in), our PowerPoint file view will expand to
400% and the images will flicker. Tried changing to 100% or other settings,
it will not. Found out this happened to PowerPoint 97, 2003 and also to Word
2002. With Word, the file view mode will change to 500%.
Notebook BIOS upgraded, video card drivers upgraded, motherboard, video
adapter and even the LCD screen replaced but same problem. This tells me it
is a software problem. Can someone help please?
Echo S
monitor/projector are set to the same thing -- probably 1024x768 is a good
one to try.
Also, what happens to the display with any non-Office programs?
--
Echo [MS PPT MVP]
http://www.echosvoice.com
"Dan" <D...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F4493AC7-A474-4374...@microsoft.com...
Dan
seemed to work fine. Pls note that we don't even need to attach any external
device to receive this problem. We just need to press Fn+F8 which is to
toggle to an external device or to have both external and the LCD display
activated to see this problem.
Austin Myers
including the projector? Office simply sees a projector as a monitor.)
Austin Myers
MS PowerPoint MVP Team
PowerPoint Video and PowerPoint Sound Solutions www.pfcmedia.com
"Dan" <D...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:6300331C-F1E6-40C4...@microsoft.com...
Dan
function key combination to activate an external device or activate both
external and internal display. There is no need to attach any external
device to the laptop. By pressing the Fn+F8 (function + F8) key, which is
the function key combination to activate an external device for Dell laptops,
the problem will occur. i.e. whether I attach or not attach an external
monitor or projector, the problem will occur.
Austin Myers
> Pls read my post carefully.
Pls read my responce. <g>
> If you understand laptops, usually there is a
> function key combination to activate an external device or activate both
> external and internal display.
And when it does this it changes operating modes in the video sub-system.
It is NOT like simply switching from one to the other.
> There is no need to attach any external
> device to the laptop. By pressing the Fn+F8 (function + F8) key, which is
> the function key combination to activate an external device for Dell
laptops,
> the problem will occur. i.e. whether I attach or not attach an external
> monitor or projector, the problem will occur.
One more time, what do you have these monitors resolution set to? It is (on
my Dell lappie) quite possible to set the resolution of the display (1024 x
768 to match the LCD) to one setting and have a completely different setting
(2048 x 1536 in my case) for my attached monitor.
Dan
from 1024x768 ro its highest resolution and also set the external video the
same. Same thing. The Dell technician spent quite a bit of time with me on
the phone setting all kinds of video settings and we both gave up. My next
step is to reformat the HD and install WinXP Pro from scratch.
Steve Rindsberg
> Thks for your reply. The laptop is a wide screen LCD display. I have set it
> from 1024x768 ro its highest resolution and also set the external video the
> same. Same thing. The Dell technician spent quite a bit of time with me on
> the phone setting all kinds of video settings and we both gave up. My next
> step is to reformat the HD and install WinXP Pro from scratch.
One thing to check before you do that ... does this occur with all
presentations, even plain blank ones with just a white b/g and a little title
text?
-----------------------------------------
Steve Rindsberg, PPT MVP
PPT FAQ: www.pptfaq.com
PPTools: www.pptools.com
================================================
Dan
occurred, to solve it is to reboot the laptop.
Steve Rindsberg
> Yes, even new blank presentation will do that. Once this flickering
> occurred, to solve it is to reboot the laptop.
OK, thanks. That eliminates a conflict/beat-pattern between the presentation's
graphics and video refresh/video resolution.
The only other think I can think of offhand is a bit of bad memory that's only
getting hit when PowerPoint is used in dual monitor mode. Do you have any
diagnostic software that can give both video and regular memory a good thrashing
.. er ... testing?
Dan
and LCD display have all been replaced, as well as their drivers and BIOS
been upgraded. I have a feeling PowerPoint97 and Office 2002 are conflcting
but I can't be certain. The laptop is not in the office but away with my CEO
on business trips so I can't really troubleshoot now. Once it is back and I
can get the problem solved, I will post it here.
** Note that once the laptop is rebooted, the problem goes away until Fn+F8
is activated.
"Steve Rindsberg" wrote:
> In article <279AAEEC-6BB8-4C10...@microsoft.com>, Dan wrote:
> > Yes, even new blank presentation will do that. Once this flickering
> > occurred, to solve it is to reboot the laptop.
>
> OK, thanks. That eliminates a conflict/beat-pattern between the presentation's
> graphics and video refresh/video resolution.
>
> The only other think I can think of offhand is a bit of bad memory that's only
> getting hit when PowerPoint is used in dual monitor mode. Do you have any
> diagnostic software that can give both video and regular memory a good thrashing
> ... er ... testing?
Steve Rindsberg
> Well, like I've mentioned in my previous post, the motherboard, video card
> and LCD display have all been replaced, as well as their drivers and BIOS
> been upgraded. I have a feeling PowerPoint97 and Office 2002 are conflcting
> but I can't be certain.
That doesn't completely lock out the possibility a bad memory problem but it sure does
slam the door and prop a sofa up agin it. ;-)
Are both versions of PPT installed on the same computer?
That in itself shouldn't be a problem, so long as 97 was installed first, then 2002,
and that they were installed to different folders.
I say "shouldn't be" but not "isn't" though. Its' hard to tell what weird little
intercations (that's a portmanteuvian combo of interactions and altercations I just
made up and kinda like) between varous versions and video/bios/etc.
Hmm. If it comes right down to it, I'd still not reformat. Maybe uninstall 2002 then
97 then run a registry cleaner (search www.pptfaq.com for a ref) and then reinstall in
oldest-first order and run a test at each step.