Smartboard keeps falling over

[zakthetech]

Hi Everyone

got called out to a classroom today where the smartboard wasnot working and for once it actually appears to be a smartboard issue.....

I have replaced the PC due to there old one running slow and smartboard constantly freezing on it and when the user goes to use the smartboard the led goes green when you pick up the pen and start writing then within a few seconds begins blinking red and the writing stops.

Sofar i have:
Reinstalled Smartboard and Drivers
Replaced Smartboard Cable
Swapped out all pens.

and still not working

Any ideas anyone...

Many thanks



Z

[soveryapt]

Screw it to the wall properly? (sorry I couldn't resist with the falling over comment!)

Erm, what version of the drivers are you using for it? Have you tried downloading the latest ones instead of simply reinstalling your existing ones. I know it shouldn't make the difference, but it did on a couple I have here a bit back.

[zakthetech]

Screw it to the wall properly? (sorry I couldn't resist with the falling over comment!)

Erm, what version of the drivers are you using for it? Have you tried downloading the latest ones instead of simply reinstalling your existing ones. I know it shouldn't make the difference, but it did on a couple I have here a bit back.

lol will get out another roll of gaffer tape for the securing to the wall.

we are using version 10 of the drivers (the latest one) hence i am puzzled about it.
may head back there this afternoon and re try smartboard driver install again (just in case)

[TheFopp]

We had a similar issue when we swapped out the old PCs to new PCs. Found that changing the USB cable sorted it out. The new PCs mustn't have been chucking out quite as much power through the USB ports and as the cables were at least 5m long (even though the distance between pc and smartboard was no more that 2m) they weren't holding the connection. Swapped to shorter cables and it worked.

[farmerste]

we have a number of portable microphones, that charge up using the usb, if you plug in a flat one, it effectively causes the smartboard to go red/dead, so it sounds a bit like that sort of issue. also check any power settings you can that relate to power saving anywhere on the motherboard etc.

[witch]

Yes, same thing here - although in my case I just changed the cable for a different one - not even shorter, and now it works!

[K.C.Leblanc]

If the above don't work it might be worth trying a powered USB hub.

[enjay]

Which USB port are you connected to? I've found that sometimes the front ones don't kick out enough juice to run Science's data loggers, stands to reason the same could apply to a board.

Also, look at the power management settings, as the USB ports could be going to sleep- happens here with RM EcoQuiet PCs and USB mice.

[LukeC]

We've found if its using a serial sometimes it does this so we have change the cables to USB. If you have promethean software on as well with a serial cable it also highlights the problem more.

[soveryapt]

How can you get bad karma for making a joke about them falling over??

(to expand a litte) ..

Just got to one of my schools to find out that I have a Smartboard that doesn't want to play now (done all the drivers and things .. it's like I've got bad Karma for making a joke about them falling over) ..

[naturalbornchaos]

I've had issue with one user and Powerpoint. Not sure if is the same issue you are having. When she was trying to write on a PP presentation on the Smartboard, there was a 3-5 second delay before the "ink" would show up (if it did at all). To make a long story short, I rolled back to an older verision of the Notebook software and it works fine. I've got a post about it on this forum somewhere.

[pwds]

There are multiple subversions of ten, and we had huge problems with those shipped with the board until we downloaded updates from the internet- do check the website for the latest release.

I'd also be looking at anything else connected to the computer via USB like portable HDD that may be drawing power from the hub, also any power management settings.

Powered hub may be a cheap troubleshooter.