This rectangular connector, often blue or black in colour, can be found in almost all of our training rooms. Short for Video Graphics Array, this connector is often found supplying images to our local Monitor screens or fed into a wall box.

We also provide a VGA cable on a small hook in nearly all of our rooms to allow you to connect your own device to the AV system. This is typically provided for laptops, where you'll find a matching female connector on the back or the side. 

 


For those wishing to connect more modern laptops or portable devices such as tablets or phones will use this cable as well where you can attach an adaptor on the end of it to connect to your device (the reception team have access spare one of each popular connector in each centre if you don't have one on you).


This cable is only capable of transporting the visual side of your device, so you'll need to connect the corresponding 3.5mm minijack cable if you wish to feed sound into the system too.


Once connected, you can push your respective VGA button on your room controller  (please refer to your specific room guide on where to find this) to bring up your device on the screen.


No Image on the Screen?

Here's a few things to check:



  • Is the cable/adaptor connected securely? Check to make sure nothing is loose and if available use the accompanying thumbscrews on the sides of the connector to ensure the cable is securely held in place.
  • If you've connected the VGA cable to a faceplate, ensure this side is connected securely too.
  • Is the cable in good condition? Run your fingers along the length of the cable rolling it between your thumb and forefinger. Does the image change in colour as your finger and thumb pass over it? If so, then the cable is damaged and will need to be replaced. Please contact the Reception or Blended Learning Team to request a replacement. 
  • Are you on the right source/input on the AV System? The options you are looking for will either say "VGA" or "Laptop" depending on your controller.
  • If you're on a Windows Laptop, are you definitely outputting down the cable? For Windows 7 users and up, try holding down the Windows Key (between Left Ctrl + Alt) and pressing the letter "P". A small menu should pop up (pictured below). If you wish to just show your laptop screen, press "Duplicate". If you wish to show a second image, like you would with dual monitors (useful if you have presenter notes), select "Extend".

    • Windows 7


    Windows 10


  • If you're on a Macbook, are you using the official Apple branded adaptors? Cheaper versions have been known to cause issues with Macbooks and will often not be picked up by our larger switching systems. Please speak to our reception team if you need to try an alternative adaptor. 
  • If the adaptor is fine, follow this article to check your display options. The terminology here follows similar rules as the Windows options with "Mirroring" giving the same result as "Duplicate" and "Extended Desktop" giving the same result as "Extend". Don't forget to press "Gather Windows" too to double check if your Mac has detected the AV system.

If you continue to experience issues after following these steps, please log a support ticket using the New Ticketnbsp;button above. For urgent support in training, please contact our reception team in your respective centre or call the number at the top or bottom of this page in their absence.