Texas Instruments TI-Nspire Manual

Computer Link Software

ii
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License
Please see the complete license installed in C:\Program Files\TI
Education\TI-Nspire.
© 2008 Texas Instruments Incorporated
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their respective owners.

Contents
iii
Important Information................................................................... 2
Using the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software ....................5
Exploring handheld contents ....................................................... 7
Capturing screens from a handheld ........................................... 12
Backing up handheld documents on the computer .................. 17
Viewing handheld details ........................................................... 19
Updating the software and handheld OS .................................. 19
Texas Instruments Support and Service ...................................... 31
Index ......................................................................................33

iv

Using the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software 1
Using the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link
Software
The TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software lets you:
• Transfer documents between your computer and a TI-Nspire™
handheld.
• Capture images from a TI-Nspire™ handheld screen and use them in
TI-Nspire™ documents and computer documents.
• Make a backup of a handheld’s documents as a single file on your
computer and later restore the documents.
• Update the operating system (OS) software on a TI-Nspire™
handheld.
Opening the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software
1. Make sure you have connected a TI-Nspire™ handheld to your
computer.
Note: The TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software works with the
TI-Nspire™ handheld only. You cannot use it to communicate with
other TI handhelds, such as a TI-92 Plus. To communicate with those
handhelds, use the TI Connect™ software (version 1.6 or later)
instead of TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software.
2. Double-click the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software icon on
the desktop.
The software displays a list of connected handhelds and lets you
select one.
Note: You can communicate with only one handheld at a time.

2 Using the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software
3. If multiple handhelds are connected, click the handheld to which you
want to connect.
4. Click Select.
TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software displays the Explorer tab.
Selecting among multiple handhelds
You can switch to a different handheld anytime you are using TI-Nspire™
Computer Link Software.
1. Connect the handheld to the computer.

Using the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software 3
2. Click at the lower right corner of the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link
Software window.
3. Click the handheld name, and then click Select.
Exploring handheld contents
The Explorer tab in the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software lets you view
the contents of a connected handheld and transfer (copy) documents
between your computer and the handheld. You can also rename and
delete handheld documents.
À
Â
Á
Ã

4 Using the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software
ÀColumn headings – In the detail view, click a heading to sort the list.
Click again to reverse the order.
ÁFiles residing in the selected computer folder
ÂSplit bar – Drag up and down to show more or fewer files.
ÃDocuments residing in the selected handheld folder
Selecting the view format
Note: You can click the Refresh button anytime to refresh the file
and folder lists.
fClick View > Detail View or click to view details of the files and
to sort the list.
fClick View > List View or click to view a list of only the file
names.
fClick View > Show Folder View to show the structure of computer
and handheld folders in a separate pane on the left.
fClick View > Hide Folder View to hide the folder structure.
Viewing the contents of a handheld
1. If the Explorer is not visible, click the Explorer tab.
2. In the folder view, click any folder to show its contents in the right
list.
Before copying documents or folders to a handheld
• With the exception of .fig files created with Cabri II Plus and .edc files
created with LearningCheck™ Creator, TI-Nspire™ Computer Link
Software allows only TI-Nspire™ handheld documents to be copied to
a handheld. If you inadvertently try to copy other types of files, or a
folder containing other types of files, TI-Nspire™ Computer Link
Software notifies you and cancels the copy operation.
• When you copy a Cabri II Plus .fig file to the handheld, the file is
converted to a two-page TI-Nspire™ (.tns) document:
– The first page is a Graphs & Geometry page with converted
objects.
– The second page is a Notes page to let you know which
elements were not converted successfully.

Using the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software 5
• Only subfolders can reside within the Documents folder on the
handheld. You can copy files into those subfolders but not directly
into the Documents folder.
• When you copy a folder to the handheld, you must copy it to the
Documents folder. You cannot copy it to a subfolder.
• You can drag handheld files and folders only to locations within the
TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software application window. You cannot
drag them outside the window.
Copying documents by dragging
You can drag the mouse to copy documents between a handheld and the
computer or between two folders on the computer.
1. Click the document that you want to copy.
Note: You can select multiple documents by holding down the
Ctrl key (“key on the Macintosh®) and clicking each document.
2. Drag the selection, and drop it on the desired destination.
The selected items are copied to the destination.
Note: If a document of the same name already exists at the
destination, you are asked if you want to replace it.
Copying folders by dragging
You can drag to copy folders between a handheld and the computer.
1. Click the folder that you want to copy.
Note: You can select multiple folders by holding down Ctrl key
(“key on the Macintosh®) and clicking each folder.
2. Drag the selection, and drop it on the desired destination.
The selected items are copied to the destination.
Note: If a folder or document of the same name already exists at the
destination, you are asked if you want to replace it.

6 Using the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software
Copying documents and folders by pasting
You can use the clipboard to copy documents and folders. If you want to
move an item instead, copy it and then delete the original.
1. Click the document or folder to be copied.
Note: You can select multiple items by holding down the Ctrl key
(“key on the Macintosh®) and clicking each item.
2. Click Edit > Copy to copy the selected items to the clipboard.
3. Click a folder to select it as the destination.
4. Click Edit > Paste.
Explorer copies the items to the destination folder.
Note: If the destination already contains a document with the same
name as the one you are copying, you can choose to either replace the
existing document or cancel.
Canceling a transfer in progress
As long as the File Transfer window is displayed, you can cancel a
transfer. Only the files that have not already been transferred are
canceled.
fIn the File Transfer window, click Cancel.
Creating a new folder on the handheld
You can create a new folder within the Documents folder on the
handheld. You cannot create a folder within a subfolder on the
handheld.
1. Click the handheld name in the TI-Nspire™ File Browser.
2. Click File > New folder.
TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software creates a folder named New
Folder and selects the name so you can edit it.

Using the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software 7
3. Type a name for the new folder and press Enter.
Renaming documents and folders on a handheld
Note: TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software does not let you change a
document’s file name extension.
1. Click the document or folder name and then click File > Rename.
A border appears around the name to show that you can edit it.
2. Type the new name and press Enter.
Deleting documents on a handheld
When you delete a document, it is permanently deleted and cannot be
recovered.
fClick the document name and then click File > Delete.
Before deleting the document, Explorer asks you to confirm that you
want to delete it.
Notes:
• You can select multiple documents to delete by holding down the
Ctrl key (“key on the Macintosh®) and clicking each document.
When you click Delete, Explorer deletes all the selected documents.
• You cannot delete files on the computer.
Deleting a folder on a handheld
When you delete a folder, the folder and all documents within it are
permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.
fClick the folder name and then click File > Delete.
Before deleting the folder, Explorer asks you to confirm that you
want to delete it.
Notes:
• You can select multiple folders to delete by holding down the
Ctrl key (“key on the Macintosh®) and clicking each folder. When
you click Delete, Explorer deletes all the selected folders.

8 Using the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software
• You cannot delete the Documents folder on the handheld.
• You cannot delete folders on the computer.
Capturing screens from a handheld
The Screen Capture tab lets you capture images of the screen from a
connected TI-Nspire™ handheld. You can then resize the images, add or
remove a border, copy them into documents, or save them as image files
on your computer.
ÀScreen Capture tab
ÁScreen Capture toolbar
ÂCaptured handheld screens (in thumbnail view)
A border is automatically added to each screen, but you can remove it.
The size of a captured screen is 326 pixels wide by 246 pixels high, with or
without a border.
Capturing a screen
1. Make sure the handheld is turned on and properly connected to your
computer.
2. On the handheld, display the screen that you want to capture.
3. Click the Screen Capture tab in the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link
Software window.
À ÂÁ

Using the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software 9
4. Click File > Take screenshot or click .
The Screen Capture window shows the captured image.
Note: If you most recently removed the border from a screen, new
screens appear without a border. If you most recently added a border to
a screen, new screens appear with a border.
Viewing thumbnails of captured screens
You can view screens individually or as a group of images, called
thumbnails. A reference name is displayed under each image. The
thumbnail view also lets you select multiple screen images for copying,
saving, and so on.

10 Using the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software
fTo view screens as thumbnails, click View > Thumbnails or click
.
fTo view screens individually, click View > Single Screen or click .
Selecting multiple screens
Selecting multiple screens lets you quickly apply a modification to all of
them. For example, you can select several screens and then resize them or
remove their borders.
1. If necessary, click to display the thumbnail view.
2. Use one of the following methods to select the screens.
• Click Edit > Select All or press Ctrl+A(“+Aon the Macintosh®)
to select all the captured screens.
• Click the first image that you want to select, and then hold
down Ctrl (“on the Macintosh®) as you click each additional
image.
• Select a range of images by clicking the first image in the range,
holding down Shift, and clicking the last image in the range.
Resizing screens
You can save a larger or smaller version of a screen image by zooming in
or out before you save it.

Using the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software 11
fTo display a larger screen image, click View > Zoom In or click .
fTo display a smaller screen image, click View > Zoom Out or click
.
Adding or removing a border
The toolbar button for adding or removing a border toggles between
add and remove depending on whether the selected image
contains a border.
Note: If you most recently removed the border from a screen, new
screens appear without a border. If you most recently added a border to
a screen, new screens appear with a border.
1. Click the screen capture image to select it.
2. Click Edit > Remove Border or click to remove the border.
– or –
Click Edit > Add Border or click to add a border.
Adding or removing a border from a group of images
1. Click View > Thumbnails or click .
2. Select the group of images. You can either:
• Click the first image you want to select, and then hold down Ctrl
(“on the Macintosh®) as you click each additional image.
• Select a range of images by clicking the first image in the range,
holding down Shift, and clicking the last image in the range.
3. Click Edit > Remove Border or click to remove the border.
– or –
Click Edit > Add Border or click to add a border.
Navigating among screen images
fTo view the previous screen image, click View > Previous Screen or
click .

12 Using the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software
fTo view the next screen image, click View > Next Screen or click
.
Saving captured screens as computer files
You can save captured screens on your computer in TIF, GIF, or JPEG
formats. The screens are saved in your My Documents folder unless you
specify a different location to save them. All screens are saved at the size
they are currently displayed.
1. Select the captured screen or screens that you want to save.
2. Click File > Save Screen or click .
3. In the dialog box:
a) Navigate to the folder in which you want to store the screen
capture file.
b) Select the file type for the appropriate image format.
c) Type a file name. Use a name that describes the screen
image.
d) Click Save.
Notes:
• If you have previously saved the selected screen image, clicking File >
Save Screen or replaces the previous file. To save the file in a
different location, with a different name, or as a different file format,
you must click File > Save Screen As.
• To save all the images at once, click File > Save All Screens. When
you do this, you select the location to save the files in the Save All
window, but you do not specify file names. Each screen image is saved
with its default file name. If that name already exists, you’re
prompted whether to replace the existing file.
• If you have unsaved screen images when you exit the TI-Nspire™
Computer Link Software, you are prompted to save them. If you
choose to save the images, they are saved in your TI-Nspire/Screen
Captures folder.
Copying a screen image to a computer application by
dragging
1. Adjust the size of the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software window
and the window of the other application so that you can see both
windows on the computer screen.

Using the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software 13
2. In the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software window, click the
captured screen to select it.
3. Drag the screen from TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software and then
drop it into the other application.
Copying a screen image by pasting
You can copy and paste a captured screen into an application that allows
pasting images.
1. Click the captured screen to select it.
2. Press Ctrl+C (“+Con the Macintosh®) to copy the image to the
clipboard.
3. Click the other application at the point where you want to image to
appear.
4. Press Ctrl+V (“+Von the Macintosh®) to paste the image into the
application.
Backing up handheld documents on the computer
TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software lets you save all of a handheld’s
documents as a single backup file on your computer. You can create as
many backups as you like. You can later restore the documents to the
handheld.
Creating a one-click backup
When you use the one-click backup feature, TI-Nspire™ Computer Link
Software creates a backup file on the computer in your TI-Nspire/Backups
folder. The file name includes the year, month, day, hour, minute, and
seconds of the backup.
fClick Tools > One Click Backup.
A progress message is displayed during the backup process.
Creating a backup in a specified folder
Use this method if you want to specify the folder and file to be used for a
backup.
1. Click Tools > Backu p .
A dialog box is displayed to let you specify a backup file.

14 Using the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software
2. Browse to the folder where you want to create the backup file.
3. Type a name for the file, or click an existing backup file to replace it.
4. Click Save.
A progress message is displayed during the backup process.
Restoring handheld documents from a backup
1. Click Tools > Resto re.
A dialog box is displayed to let you select a backup file.
2. Browse to the folder that contains the backup file.
3. Click the backup file.
4. Click Restore.

Using the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software 15
A message is displayed to warn you that restoring replaces all
documents on the handheld.
5. Click OK to proceed with the restoration.
A progress message is displayed during the restoration.
If you cannot restore from a backup
In some cases, the device may not have enough memory for the restored
files. TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software detects this and gives you the
option of expanding the backup file into individual documents on your
computer. You can then selectively transfer documents to the device by
using ordinary copy and move options.
Viewing handheld details
TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software can display the following
information about your handheld:
• Handheld type and ID
• Operating System (OS) version
• Device ID
• Boot version
• Total storage capacity
• Space used
• Free space
• Battery status
To view handheld details:
1. Connect the handheld you want to view.
2. Open the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software.
3. Click Tools >Device Information.
The device information displays. You can use your mouse to
highlight and copy text.
Note: If you receive an error that says “Device is not responding,” check
to make sure the handheld is connected firmly and try again.
Updating the software and handheld OS
From your Help menu, you can perform a number of important tasks and
get useful information to help you use the product more productively.
You can:

16 Using the TI-Nspire™ Computer Link Software
• Register your product
• Check for updates to the software and OS (handheld OS updates are
available only in Connect-to-Class™ software and TI-Nspire™
Computer Link software)
• Download the latest guidebooks
• Visit knowledge sites on the Internet to improve your proficiency
with the product
• Check the current software version you’re using
You can download the latest TI-Nspire™ software or OS for the handheld
or for the desktop software. You can download software in any
TI-Nspire™ software. You can download the OS updates only in Connect-
to-Class™ software or TI-Nspire™ Computer Link software.
Note: Aside from viewing your current software version, you must be
connected to the Internet to perform any of these tasks. You do not need
to be connected to the Internet to view your current version of software
as shown in the About command.
The images shown in this section are representative of Help menus
available. They may vary, depending on the TI-Nspire™ software you use.
Registering your product
To register your product:
1. Start the desktop software. Make sure you have access to the
Internet.
2. Click Help >Register.