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Promethean ActivBoard Help Guide

last updated 10/7/2020

PrometheanActivBoard Help Guidelast updated 10/7/2020

The flame on my board is not lit, how do I make it work?

The board may not be turned on.


  1. Look on the left side of the board for the Stand By button.
  2. If the button is RED, the board is powered OFF.
    Press the button to turn the board on.
  3. If the button is GREEN, the board is powered ON.
    Follow the steps in the next section if your flame is not lit.

The board is not responding to touch or the pens, how do I fix this?

What do I do if my Promethean Board is not showing what is displayed on my laptop?

This issue occurs when you run a PowerPoint presentation in Slide Show view, there are 2 ways to correct it.


Step 1 - Correct the issue immediately.
Step 2 - Correct the issue forever.

I keep getting an error when I try to import a PowerPoint presentation into ActivInspire, how can I fix this?

Try one of these Promethean suggested workarounds:

  • Copy all slides within a PowerPoint file and paste them into a new PowerPoint file, resave.

  • Rename the PowerPoint file to something shorter and resave (such as test.ppt rather than test document 23.ppt)

  • Remove spaces from the PowerPoint file name.

  • Try saving the PowerPoint file to your desktop or a USB drive.

How do I change touch settings in ActivInspire?

  1. In ActivInspire, click on the File menu at the top left of the screen.
  2. Select Settings (near the bottom of the menu).
  3. The dialog box shown below will appear.
  4. Select Dual Mode ActivBoards from the left list.
  5. Make your choice from the Touch input handling list.
  6. Click the Done button.
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ActivPen & Touch Handling Options

  • Ignore Touch - The board will not read your finger at all. You will only be able to use the ActivPen to control the board.

  • Use Touch Instead of ActivPen - You will only be able to use your finger and the ActivPen will be ignored.

  • Treat as Select Tool - You will only be able to use your finger as the Select Tool, or the black arrow on your ActivInspire toolbar. This means you will be able to select objects and move them, but you won’t be able to draw or write with your finger. You also will not be able to perform advanced functions with your finger.

  • Touch and ActivPen - This means you will have full control over the board with both the ActivPen and with your finger. When this option is selected, your toolbox will change to the one shown in the image above. With this option you can use the ActivPen and the finger at the same time.

  • Touch or Stylus - With this option, the ActivPen and the finger cannot be used simultaneously. This option allows you to have up to 4 people at the board, each using their fingers to work the board. With Dual User enabled and this option selected, you can have up to 5 people at the board.

How do I write over existing PowerPoint presentations, websites, Word documents, PDFs, and more?

This video describes the Promethean ActivInspire Desktop Annotate feature which allows you to annotate over any file, webpage, or program.
ActivInspire - Desktop Annotate

How do I get my ActivSlate to work?