# What the heck happened to my Presentation Mode? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 28, 2009, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-my-presentation-mode/497931 "2009-05-28T14:57:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2009, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-my-presentation-mode/497931/1 "2009-05-28T14:57:08Z")
I have a 17" Dell Precision, that I have connected to a 22" HP monitor. In normal use, I have presentation mode on so both the laptop screen and the HP monitor are on. (old eyes + lots of work with detailed maps = this solution) This morning, I start up and everything is a mess. I can use the display settings to see either of the two as my main monitor, but not both like I always have. In the display settings, there’s a box to click to extend my desktop to the external monitor, but all that does is show my desktop picture there, not the active screen. On this machine, **Fn+F8** is the presentation mode switch. I get that to tell me it’s showing both screens, but at the top of the dialogue box it still says presentation mode is off. Huh? ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-my-presentation-mode/497931/2 "2009-05-29T14:27:24Z")
Bump