I have hooked up my laptop via external monitor to a projector using an s-video lead and an adapter at my laptop end. The picture does show up, but it looks like its been stretched vertically and only the middle of the screen is visible, the left and right sections of the display that should be showing the left and right sections of my laptop display are actually the middle stretched section tripled up, like three identical pains of glass next to each other. In addition to this, the picture itself is wonky, as if the lenses are out of line inside. Every line, text or edge to an image is repeated to either the left or right depending on which of the three sections its in. The second problem is there no matter what I attach it to, but I don't know what I'm doing wrong with my laptop. The projector resolution is 600x800, its not a new projector. My laptop is less than a year old and can handle HD in theory (the processor can't always, but the resolution is capable of showing high res images.) When I connect my laptop up to my tv, the same thing happens, but there are dozens of sections so small that i can barely work out any detail in any of them at all. My TV is not HD, its a normal lcd flat screen. If I can't fix this, I need to replace the item thats causing the problem... and I don't know what to replace.

Connecting an External Monitor or Data Projector
You can switch to an external monitor or data projector by two methods. 1. Connect the external monitor to the laptop's video port, power up the external monitor first and the laptop. The video information will automatically switch to the external monitor. 2. If you power up the laptop first then you can switch the video output to the external monitor by pressing the Fn key and one of the Function keys, depending upon your make and model laptop. You can also toggle between the external monitor or both LCD screen plus the external monitor or back to LCD screen only by pressing the Fn key plus one of the function key a few times. Here is a list of key combinations for some of the laptops :- IBM ThinkPad = Fn + F7 HP and Compaq = Fn + F4 Toshiba = Fn + F5 ASUS and Dell = Fn + F8

Connecting an External Monitor or Data Projector
You can switch to an external monitor or data projector by two methods. 1. Connect the external monitor to the laptop's video port, power up the external monitor first and the laptop. The video information will automatically switch to the external monitor. 2. If you power up the laptop first then you can switch the video output to the external monitor by pressing the Fn key and one of the Function keys, depending upon your make and model laptop. You can also toggle between the external monitor or both LCD screen plus the external monitor or back to LCD screen only by pressing the Fn key plus one of the function key a few times. Here is a list of key combinations for some of the laptops :- IBM ThinkPad = Fn + F7 HP and Compaq = Fn + F4 Toshiba = Fn + F5 Dell = Fn + F8

Connecting an External Monitor or Data Projector
You can switch to an external monitor or data projector by two methods. 1. Connect the external monitor to the laptop's video port, power up the external monitor first and the laptop. The video information will automatically switch to the external monitor. 2. If you power up the laptop first then you can switch the video output to the external monitor by pressing the Fn key and one of the Function keys, depending upon your make and model laptop. You can also toggle between the external monitor or both LCD screen plus the external monitor or back to LCD screen only by pressing the Fn key plus one of the function key a few times. Here is a list of key combinations for some of the laptops :- IBM ThinkPad = Fn + F7 HP and Compaq = Fn + F4 Toshiba = Fn + F5 Dell = Fn + F8

Connecting an External Monitor or Data Projector
You can switch to anexternal monitor or data projector by two methods.1. Connect the externalmonitor to the laptop's video port, power up the external monitor first and thelaptop. The video information will automatically switch to the externalmonitor.2. If you power up thelaptop first then you can switch the video output to the external monitor bypressing the Fn key and one of the Function keys, depending upon your make andmodel laptop. You can also toggle between the external monitor or both LCDscreen plus the external monitor or back to LCD screen only by pressing the Fnkey plus one of the function key. Here is a list of keycombinations for some of the laptops :-IBM ThinkPad = Fn + F7HP and Compaq = Fn + F4Toshiba = Fn + F5Dell = Fn + F8

Laptops have a video connector that you can attach an external monitor or data projector.
If you power up the external monitor or data projectorfirst before you boot up the laptop then the video signal will automatically switch to the external monitor or data projector.

The Acer One netbook has a mini-VGA port on its left side. Page 10 of Acer's QuickGuide shows the port as item 3 External display (VGA) port. But unfortunately, the description shown for it is incorrect.
From your description, your projector's lead likely has a mini-VGA connector on the end as pictured. The connector can simply be plugged into the mini-VGA port but there are no holes beside the port for screws so it would just be a friction fit which should be sufficiently secure for most puposes. The connector and port are mini-DB 15 male and female respectively and can only fit one-way. The port has the wide side of the D on top so you would have to turn the pictured connector over to be able to plug it into the port. Windows XP should be able to detect the projector via plug-and-play installing any display drivers if required. Page 8 of Acer's UserGuide describes Hotkey + Display toggle which switches display output between the display screen, external monitor (if connected) and both. Pressing + with the projector plugged in will bring up a window in the middle of the screen allowing the selection of internal display, external display, both, or a 800x600 VGA projector. If the display is on the projector, unplugging the cable should automatically revert display back to the internal screen. For VGA see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VGA_connector

Get an VGA cable and connect your external monitor to your laptop via a VGA port that is usually used for digital projectors. In this VGA port, you can initiate dual monitors.

Then look at your keyboard and look an icon in your function keys (F1 to F12) that looks like a pair of an LCD and a TV like this {LCD icon/ TV icon}. In most laptop keyboards, this is located in F4.

When found, and with the external monitor hooked to the laptop via VGA port using a VGA cable, press and hold down the FN key and press the function key where the icons described above is located. Example, FN + F4 to toggle a single and a dual monitor.

Give it a try.

Try the following:
Power up the projector first. With the laptop hooked up but not powered on once projector is warming up begin booting laptop. If there is still no display once its projector is fully warmed up and laptop booted you can try using the (fn) key with the laptop monitor switching function key usually F4 which switches the display monitor to show on external, external and laptop or just laptop. If this all fails try changing resolution of laptop to something that might be more projector friendly.
Let me know how you go.

You need to determine the fault first.
Can you determine exactly where the boom came from (the adapter or laptop)?
When you turn on your laptop does the LED lights indicating that there is power to the laptop and you can hear the hard drive spinning as well as the fan?
Do you know the power adapter is OK (you can test it with a multimeter)?
If the laptop is dead then the external monitor is of no use.

The laptop normally has a blue video output connector, usually on the back edge of the laptop where you can connect an external monitor or a data projector. When a monitor or projector is powered up first and then the laptop the display goes to the external video first. You can switch between the laptop screen and external video by clicking the blue Fn + F4 function keys.

If you connect a laptop projector or external monitor before you boot up your laptop, the video most likely will go directly to that external device. To have both the laptop LCD and projector you will need to press the Function key that has the monitor/laptop symbole (this key will be a dual function key and you will need to press the Fn key first and then the Function key with the monitor/laptop symbole. This Function can be any key between F3 and F12, it depends on the brand of the laptop.
When you press this key it will toggle between
LCD only
External monitor/projector only
or both LCD and external monitor/projector