Using Extended Desktop in Presentations (Windows)

Presenters sometimes reduce the impact of their presentation when they show their audience the contents of their computer before or in between presentations. You can avoid this by using Extended Desktop.

Extended Desktop, one of the options under Windows' Multiple Display, is a feature that allows your computer to adjust for multiple display configuration (e.g., you have your regular laptop monitor and it is also connected to an LCD projector). It will be available only when your computer is connected to another display device, like an LCD Projector or another monitor.

For this post, I will provide steps on how to do this in Windows 7 or 8 with Microsoft PowerPoint and LibreOffice Impress. I will provide the steps for Ubuntu and LibreOffice as soon as I get my Ubuntu laptop back (somebody borrowed it).

To minimize what the audience can see when you use projector with your laptop, you have to:

1. Configure your operating system to use Extended Desktop; and
2. Configure your presentation software to show the presentation in the LCD projector while it shows your computer contents and control in your laptop (or desktop) monitor.

For the first procedure, it is easy. Connect first your laptop to the LCD projector. If you are using Windows 7:

1. Click Start, then go to Control Panel, and then, clicking Adjust screen resolution under Appearance and Personalization.
2. Click the drop-down list next to Multiple displays, click Extend these displays, and then click OK.

You may have to adjust settings depending on your LCD Projector's display capacity (i.e., lumens number).

As a shortcut, you can right-click on your desktop, and follow the menus like below:

(Click the image to enlarge)

For Windows 8, once you connect the LCD projector, it should immediately detect it and provide you options. Just make sure to configure it that the extended desktop is for the LCD projector and you retain the control of the software in your laptop. 

When you use Extended Desktop, either output device (i.e., LCD Projector and the laptop monitor) can become the main display, which is where the desktop shows the Start button, while the Extended Desktop shows, usually, a blank extension of your desktop wallpaper. Make sure that the main display is on your laptop and the extended desktop is the display of the LCD Projector. 

After configuring your computer for Extended Desktop, you now have to configure your presentation software to show the presentation in the extended desktop while showing you controls in your laptop monitor. Microsoft PowerPoint calls this Presenter View.

Configuring Microsoft PowerPoint to Show in the Extended Desktop

To do this in PowerPoint, go to the Slideshow tab, then check "Use Presenter View." Make sure to choose the appropriate display where PowerPoint will show the presentation.

(Click the image to enlarge)

Using Presentation View in Extended Desktop configuration is not only about looking smart during presentations. The configuration also allows you to make changes to the presentation file without stopping presentation, because the Presentation View allows you to edit the file even though you are showing it to your audience. This is because you can switch between windows in your laptop but the audience can only see the shown PowerPoint presentation. 

Of course, when you connect your computer to an LCD projector, make sure that your desktop wallpaper is presentable.

Configuring LibreOffice Impress to Show in the Extended Desktop

If you use LibreOffice Impress, you have to configure the similar function by clicking "Slide Show" then select "Slide Show Settings."

(Click the image to enlarge)

In the section "Multiple Displays," make sure to select the appropriate display (LCD Projector).

(Click the image to enlarge)

If you feel adventurous and you use an Android smartphone, I also recommend you use a bluetooth remote control application like this one. (I will write about this app later)

Please do comment if you need clarifications.