connecting laptop (broken screen) to external monitor - problems (clone desktop?)

[heyyo]

hi guys.

im having problems cloning the desktop onto the external monitor. my laptop screen is broken, but i can see some bits. i have managed to load up the display settings in vista and drag it to the "monitor" screen for a better view, but when i can't find anyway in making the "monitor" the primary screen - it doesn't let me select the option (its faded black)

I can drag items from the my laptop monitor with great difficuklty over to the "monitor" so it does recognise it...but it doesn't show the desktop. (it just extends the screen - so i can move my mouse cursor and drag items onto it)

is there a function on the keyboard (F4+(Has monitor icon) and anything else which i could try which will replicate the laptop desktop monitor onto the external monitor...

the video graphics software i have installed is ATI 1400

[Rob]

Somehow you need to tell the graphics card thath the monitor is your primary screen, or at least tell the card that it's to display the same stuff on the monitor as the lappy screen. If the two are operating at different resolutions then the latter is a challenge.

Try right clicking on the monitor screen, check settings, and see what options you get.

[Acathla]

Can't you do Function+F4 to switch modes (my laptop its Function+F7 but if your F4 has the monitor icon try that).

Also, you might find it useful to drag a window over to the 'second' display, press Alt+Space then M then press the Right Arrow key once and your mouse has control over the window. You can move it over to your 'second' display.

[popper]

i see Acathla got in there as i was replying and outlined the basics,

this might also be useful....
on all laptops that have VGA connectors, there should be a key combination you can use to make the LCD also mirror to the VGA port, however as you say its hard to work with as it stands at the moment if you cant find that key combination.

assuming windows is running,the trick is if you can get a second app to the VGA monitor is to force the primary diplay to that instead.

simple way is to guess the windows bar at the bottom left click and grag it to the VGA sreen , then you have set the primary to the VGA....

another way is to start tightVNC server and have that autostart, then use another PC to log into it and you can setup your options and mess around al you like until it works as you want on the VGA port.

the best option is still trying to find the right key combinations to just mirror the LCD though.

its usually holding down the FN key and in my case F5 but you can try all the F keys with that FN key down and you may get lucky, look up the exact option for your model on the net OC is always a good idea, the user PDF manual usually has these options in it...

[heyyo]

STRANGE. i also connected an svideo cable and restarted laptop and i think this enforced it to display the desktop on my vga monitor. (i removed s-video) working fine...

bit strange working from a big screen, but hey cheaper then fixing my laptop screen