Not-so SMART board

One of the most common requests for support at AC involves SMARTboards, and the SMART Notebook software. Here's some troubleshooting items to help you.

"There's no image on the projector"

1. Check that the projector is on


2. Check that the projector is on the correct source (input). This is usually "Computer 1", but in some cases may be "HDMI". Although many projectors are different, look for the button labeled "Source" or "Input"


3. Check that the adapter is securely connected to your computer. A quick way to tell is by clicking on the AirPlay menu bar icon and seeing what the mirroring state is.

[caption id="attachment_520" align="alignnone" width="287"] A connected display[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_519" align="alignnone" width="211"] A disconnected display[/caption]

"The image on my projector is just a blank desktop"

Toggle mirroring on or off. The keyboard shortcut is Command-F1 (F1 is located just the the right of the ESC key)

"My SMARTboard pens are not working" or "My SMARTboard is not responding to touch"

1. Ensure that the USB cable is connected between your computer and the SMARTboard. A red or green light on the SMARTboard bezel (600 series boards) or on the pen tray (800 series boards) will illuminate when connected and powered on.


2. If the light is red, try running the connection wizard. You can find this by launching SMART Settings from the SMART Menu bar icon, or by searching for SMART Settings in Spotlight Search


3. If the connection wizard doesn't resolve the problem, or if the light is flashing green, the SMART software needs to be manually restarted. Launch Activity Monitor (use Spotlight Search), and scan through the list for anything in red. Force it to stop with the "X" button at the top of the screen. Then run step 2 above again.