Function keys and W7

[Sigurd]

I have been trying Windows 7 on my laptop and when I tried using it with a video projector, while it worked, I was unable to get the Function F5 key to work - the one that toggles the display between laptop screen/external screen or both. All I could get was the video projector image and a black screen on the laptop.
Is this a W7 quirk or my laptop? It worked OK with XP. I see similar problems reported elsewhere on this forum but this is slightly different.
The laptop is a Toshiba Portege.

 

[mickey megabyte]

Hi sigurd, welcome to sevenforums - the place to be,

have you looked at this tutorial?

 

[Sigurd]

Thanks Mickey.

I was aware of the various routines (in XP & Vista) which could be called by name in the Start bar if you knew about them and most were unlikely to be used by the average user. However it does seem odd to disable a basic keyboard function and require the user to run a special routine to achieve the aims of the function key.

I am an experienced user so knew how to go about finding the answer (in this case using a forum, it being the quickest ) but how would the average user find out. If they got as far as reading the manual, all they would get is "Press the function key and F5". When that didn't work, they'd probably be stuck.

Or is this just a temporary situation in the RC version?

 

[FZ21Z]

I've lost use of that particular key, and my Fn + & - for brightness control, but I know that's a direct result of not using the Sony/NVIDIA graphics driver, as any other driver that I do use also removes my use of S-Video, even under Vista, so could be that?

 

[antt]

Try WinKey + P it is the new toggle screens utility baked into windows 7. works remarkably well, just like alt-tab.

 

[Sigurd]

I think I am maybe commenting too early! The same sort of issues cropped up originally with Vista - new (to computing) users were happy with it; old XP hands complained Microsoft had moved things they had used for years. I have the same problem with my wife.

 

[Sigurd]

The tutorial gets round the screen selection issue, but as my laptop (Toshiba Portege) doesn't have a WinKey, how can I get access to all the other function key actions?

 

[Brink]

Hello Sigurd,

You can use step 2 in the tutorial to open it instead.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Sigurd]

Sorry - I don't seem to have made myself clear. I know I can switch displays that way. I was wondering how to access all the other function keys - brightness, volume, etc.

Also, in respect of the display selection, as I used to find switching between laptop display, projected display or both useful during presentations, this more clumsy approach seems a retrograde step.

 

[Brink]

Ah, ok. I blieve you are referring to the Windows Mobility Center.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/6549-windows-mobility-center-open-use.html

and

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/6557-presentation-settings-turn-off.html

 

[Sigurd]

That's the beastie! Thanks.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Sigurd.