Trouble setting up my LCD monitor

[ZeeJustin]

I have a dell inspiron 8100 windows XP (laptop). I picked up my Dell lcd monitor today. After I first set up the monitor, the screen on the lcd monitor was the same exact image as the screen on my laptop monitor.

I right clicked the desktop, hit properties, and the display tab. I selected the second monitor (#2), and the box that said "use as my primary monitor" was (and still is) grayed out. I am of course trying to use the LCD monitor as my primary monitor, but this seems to be a no go.

I clicked on the box below that that said, "extend my windows desktop onto this monitor". When I did that, I basically set up a dual monitor thing where the laptop was the primary monitor, and the lcd monitor was kinda like an off-screen extention. If I dragged the mouse cursor, or say a poker table off the screen of my laptop monitor, it would appear on the lcd monitor. Unfortunatley, I couldn't maximize or minimize anything and have it stay on the lcd monitor, so it really was a pain.

I decided I would just leave the laptop on, and use the lcd monitor like I had it before, as just a copy of the laptop monitor, so I unchecked the box that said, "extend desktop onto this screen", and the lcd monitor went back. I now can't even get it back to how I had it at first (although I can get the dual monitor setup back).

I tried emailing customer support. There is a form to fill out that involves entering an order # or something. I copied the number down, filled in the rest of the information, hit submit, and it said I must enter the order number. I tried again to no avail.

I called customer support, and waited on hold for 20 minutes. They asked me for my service tag #. I asked where I could locate it. They asked for my service tag # again. I said, "hello", trying to figure out if I was speaking to a machine or not. "I'm sorry, but we are unable to assist you at this time." Click. GG.

(@#%)(#@IU)(J)(@#JK)#K9k0. I HATE THIS BULL-)(@#$()@U*#$)(@*$#)(*@)(.

WHY THE F*CK ARE MY NOOSE SEARCHES ON EBAY ONLY COMING UP WITH NECKLACES?!?!

Ok. I'm calm again.

-thanks in advance
-Justin Bonomo

[Jimbo]

For $18,780 I can send someone over in person to help. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Terry]

Click on “Identify” to determine which monitor is which.

You can’t “unclick” the grayed out box. If you want to change the primary monitor, select the other one, either in the drop box or by clicking the big 1 or 2 monitor icon, and check that box.

Note the part about dragging the monitor icons to match the physical arrangement of your monitors.

[rigoletto]

I suspects that when you change primary monitor in inherits the settings from the old primary which is probably set at a resolution or LCD monitor can't handle. Try changing settings before changing primary monitor!