Same Display on Two Monitors

[CatChase]

Hello. If this is not the correct sub-forum, please move it.

I have two monitors: both work fine. However, somehow, while attempting to
get the external monitor to display and not the laptop's monitor, I ended up
with an extended view of the desktop on both. Laptop is Vista Home Edition.

I followed the link to set up Dualview, but there wasn't anything in there
to tell me how to reverse it. (aaaaaarrrrrrghhhh)
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/learnmore/multimonitor.mspx

I don't need the desktop to be extended across both monitors. I simply want
the external monitor to display the same thing as my laptop or have the
laptop monitor be blank. I need an external monitor, because the screen on
the laptop is cracked.

My laptop is a Toshiba Satellite and within one week of buying it at Best
Buy, the screen cracked. (It was in a metal laptop case and did not sustain
any trauma, so there is no reason for it to have cracked. Best Buy basically
told me to stuff it and tried to charge me for an estimate when I brought it
in for other problems with it. Toshiba has yet to respond to my letter about
the problem.)

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

What do you see when you disconnect the external monitor? Can you do that
to force the laptop to only use the laptop's screen? If you can get back to
that configuration you can probably work forward again to set things up the
way you want.

I would have used this newsgroup for the question you have too.

 

[Dwarf]

Hi CatChase,

A number of pointers. Firstly, if you have a browse through the newsgroups,
you will see numerous posts by people who are not at all happy with the
service provided by Best Buy. Secondly, your contract is with Best Buy - you
paid your money to them and not to Toshiba so it is only right that should
take the matter up with them and, if necessary, it is THEY who should take it
up with Toshiba. Thirdly, you have already stated in your post that the
laptop has not suffered any physical trauma, and, therefore, this would
appear to be an inherent defect present when you bought it and which
manifested itself when you switched your laptop on and off due it heating up
and cooling down (which all electrical and electronic appliances do when they
are turned on and off). You need to take it back to Best Buy and not be
fobbed off by them as previously. If necessary, get your local Trading
Standards involved (or the equivalent body for where you reside).
Dwarf

 

[CatChase]

Dwarf: I did that. I brought it to Best Buy and it was refused. I was told
that I did something to the monitor and therefore the warranty/guarantee was
void. This was within seven days of purchase. I was very satisfied with
Best Buy prior to this and would be satisfied again if someone took the
responsibility for the malfunction of the laptop. As for Toshiba, I wrote
the letter after Best Buy refused to honor the warranty and told me it was a
Toshiba problem.

The Dell laptop that was in the same case travelled through Iraq for a year,
was blown up at least once in the HumV my son was driving, and the Dell is
undamaged and still works. The darn thing is five years old! It runs just
as well as it did when purchased and has NO damage at all.

So, sitting in the case in a car that was on a jack in a garage could not
have caused the screen to crack. I do believe it was because of heating up
and cooling down. This laptop gets very hot when I am using it.

So, I know Best Buy can be a good store, but I was treated very poorly over
this and all I wanted was a replacement laptop. There were still nine in
stock and it would have been easy for the manager to simply switch the laptop
for a new one.

 

[CatChase]

Colin,

If I turn off the laptop and disconnect the external monitor, the laptop
monitor kicks in. So, I suppose that's what I wanted it to do originally,
but got confused because of the dualview thing (I ended up with the screen
being divided between the two monitors). I still would like to have both
displays work at the same time with the exact same display image, but having
just one is acceptable and cost-effective.

Once I reconnect the external monitor, the laptop starts up using its
monitor, then switches to the external.

Thank you for your help.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

What I had in mind was to change the display properties while the second
monitor is offline by using video adaptor's software suite (I assume Toshiba
installs such software in addition to what's available in Personalization).

 

[Curious]

Check the user manual for your laptop. With HP laptops all you have to do
is push the fn key and the F4 key to change the display from your laptop to
a connected monitor or to have both being displayed.

 

[CatChase]

I used Function + F5. It set it back to having both monitors display the
exact same thing.

woo hooooooo

 

[CatChase]

Function + F5 on my laptop. It worked!

woo hoooooooo

 

[CatChase]

There's no video adaptor software suite. I just wanted to know how to set it
back to its original settings. Before I mushed things, both monitors had the
same exact display. I really should let the professionals do the job.