Here are some answers to frequently asked questions that might help you. If you don't see the answer to your general, technical, or audio-visual related question, please call CCNMTL or send us an email.

General Questions

Reserve the classroom. Check the schedule and fill out the request form. When will confirm your reservation. Report technical problems. Call the CCNMTL help desk at 854-9058 — there is a campus phone outside of the classroom. The room is supported between 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM on weekdays. Learn how to use the equipment and software in the EDC. Contact the CCNMTL help desk to set up a personal training session at ccnmtl-digclass@columbia.edu or at (212) 854-9058. We also have a list of recommended PDF files from the SMART Tech website.

My students will be giving presentations. Can I arrange for them to be trained to use the equipment?
Our main focus at CCNMTL is to support faculty and instructors in the EDC. However, at a faculty member's request, we will provide demonstrations for students on the equipment.

Can I use my notebook/tablet PC with the SMART Board?
Yes — the SMART Board can be hooked up to an external PC or Mac laptop; this includes video, data line, Ethernet, power, and speaker cables. You can connect a PC or a Mac laptop. (For a Mac laptop, you may need a DVI-to-VGA converter, which should have come with your laptop.) If you wish to use the touch screen capabilities of the SMART Board with your laptop, you will have to install the SMART Board Software. You can download the software for free from the SMART tech website. However, if you only want to use the SMART Board display with your computer, you will not need to download any special software. Once your laptop is properly connected, switch the source on the SMART Board. The source button is located on the dashboard , and the laptop is the middle setting. You may also have to change your laptop settings for your screen to display. We highly recommend practicing the setup before your presentation. Please contact us for assistance in using your laptop with the SMART Board.

You can also connect your laptop to the SMART Board using software called LinQ. It is free to download from the SMART Tech website and very easy to use. Contact the CCNMTL helpdesk for a demonstration or assistance.

I have software that I would really like to use during class. Can I install it on the SMART Board?
If you have a licensed copy of the software, we can install it on the SMART Board computer and uninstall it when the class has ended. The license must be dedicated to the SMART Board and not shared with other machines. Please contact the CCNMTL Help desk if you would like to install software.

The computer is asking me to log in. What is the user name and password?
If you have just restarted the computer and you are on the log-in screen, click on the CCNMTL user. There is no password. If you have just wakened the computer up from sleep and it asks for a login to unlock the computer, the user name is ccnmtl. Leave the password field blank and click OK. This should unlock the computer.

You can save files on a diskette, writable CD, or flash memory device. You can also upload files to your CourseWorks Web site (See CourseWorks Guides for more information) and download them to the SMART Board computer, or you can email the files to yourself and access your mail on the SMART Board using CubMail or any other Web-based email account.

I have files on my home/office computer. How can I view these files on the SMART Board? How can I move files from the SMART Board to my own computer?
You can save the files on a CD-R or CD-RW disk. You can upload/download the files to/from your CourseWorks Web site [CourseWorks FAQ]. You can also email attachments to yourself and download the attachments to the computer using Cubmail or any other web-based email account.

Technical troubleshooting
It is difficult to click on icons and links using the touch screen. The cursor seems to be pointing somewhere else. How do I orient the screen to align the mouse pointer with the touch screen?
In the Quick Icon tray in Windows XP (this is located in the lower right hand corner where the date and time are), double-click on the SMART Board icon. It is a little square with a white screen and a red line. This will open the SMART control center just above the Quick Icon tray. Click on the "Orient" button. The screen will become beige with various targets. Carefully select the center of each target with your finger or a SMART Board pen. This will align the cursor on the screen and make it easier to click on icons and links.

The SMART Board touch screen is black or it is displaying a blue screen that says "No Source Signal".
If the screen is black, make sure that the SMART Board monitor is on. The power button is the right-

The power button is located on the bottom-right hand corner of the computer.

The SMART Board power button is located on the right of the dashboard. The green light indicates that the power is on.

most button on the dashboard. Also check that the SMART Board is plugged into the wall. If you are receiving the "No Source Selected Message", tap on the touch screen to wake up the computer. If this does not work, check that the proper source is selected on the SMART Board. The desktop source is the top source button. If the proper source is selected, check that the computer is turned on. The power light on the computer should be green. If the computer’s power light is flashing green or orange then it is asleep. Press the power button once and tap on the touch screen, this should wake up the computer. If there is no light, the computer is turned off; turn on the computer by pressing the power button.

The keyboard or mouse is not working.
The keyboard and mouse are wireless and connect using a radio frequency. Sometimes they lose their connection to the base, so you may need to reconnect them or change the channel.

Connecting the keyboard:
The base to the keyboard is located in the SMART Board cabinet. It is blue with a grey antenna. To reconnect the keyboard to the base, hold down the "Learn" button on the base for 2 seconds until a green LED pulses rapidly. On the keyboard hold down the "Teach" button. Then try to type. If this does not correct the problem, the batteries in the keyboard may need to be replaced. Please call the CCNMTL Help Desk at (212) 854-9058.

Connecting the Mouse:
The mouse base is the recharging cradle located to the right of the SMART Board monitor on the shelf. First, try changing the channel button on the bottom of the mouse. If this does not work, press the connect button on the bottom of the mouse and on the front of the base. If the mouse still does not respond, leave it in the cradle so the battery can charge. It is also possible that the batteries have run out. Please call CCNMTL and let us know that you are experiencing problems with the mouse.

Audio-Visual

How do I adjust the volume on the SMART Board?
If you are listening to media on the computer, there are three places where the volume can be adjusted: the Windows XP volume control panel, the application volume control, and the volume control on the SMART Board dashboard. It is helpful to check the volume in all three places.
Windows XP Volume Control panel: You can access the control panel by double-clicking on the speaker icon located in the Quick start icon tray in the lower right hand corner of the task bar. The main volume (or WAV balance) is usually what you would adjust. If you have no sound at all, make sure that the Mute All box is not checked.

Most applications also have their own volume control. Look for a slide bar with a speaker icon. You can adjust the volume using this slide bar.

The SMART Board's volume control is located to the left of the dashboard.

The SMART Board also has a volume control on the dashboard. If the volume is not muted on the computer (see the paragraph on XP volume control), you can adjust the volume using the up and down buttons on the dashboard. You must press the button repeatedly -- holding it down will not adjust the volume. How do I display DVD or VHS video on the SMART board?

• To view a DVD, you can either use the DVD drive in the computer or the external DVD drive. To use the external DVD player, turn on the DVD player and then switch the source to S-Video using the projector remote. The remote is located in the SMART Board cabinet.
• To display a VHS tape, turn on the VCR located in the SMART Board cabinet. Switch the Audio Visual Source using the "source select" button on the dashboard. It is the bottom source; you can now play the tape.
• To return to the SMART Board computer, switch the source back to RGB.