Anytime there is an issue like this, it is almost always the PC which is the issue. It could be that HDMI Hot Plug is not turned on within the projector's menu system, or may not even be available.

Hot plug detection will recognize the laptop when it is plugged in and initiates the HDMI video communications between the projector and the laptop.

I can't imagine a situation when this really shouldn't just work, but I've seen from my laptop some issue with hot plug not working, and in those cases I sometimes have to manually tell my laptop to start broadcasting video.

With a Dell, I press Function+F8 and it gives me options to mirror my display, or extend my display, or just use the external display.

So, you want to be sure that your laptop is properly outputting video and sees the external display as an option.

A big issue is when a external display (projector or monitor) is not automatically detected, that end users don't know how to configure their laptops to connect to that external monitor manually.

So, watch these videos, and see if that is of any use (it may not be)...

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=connect+external+monitor+to+laptop+windows+10+

It is also entirely possible that the projector's HDMI is not working properly and is just busted. Hey, it happens. HDMI has a finite lifetime of use as do projectors, so it may have just gone bye-bye.

*sigh*

Let me know.

Thanks for the replies and help with this.

I've just returned from a 4 day class.
I found out a couple things:

1. I LOVE keeping the projector on during lunch and not worrying about having to reset it up or if it will work or not. Happy to know that that won't trash my projector.

2. I believe that it's my Windows 365 that's causing the problem. There were a few times when I was setting up in the mornings that it didn't work and after opening and closing my PPT program it would connect and show on the screen. Gotta be that.