I need to get my secondary monitor back to duplicating the primary monitor.

[jim.mar]

I friend gava me a laptop that has a broken monitor display.  The circuits went up in smoke and the screen is black.   However, it does have a rear VGA output connector so I connected it to a remote flat screen monitor and it worked just fine.   With one exception.   The display did not fit the monitor.   So, while I was fiddling around tying to adjust the display , I did something wrong    and now the monitor is working as a secondary display ( I know "STUPID"    ).  It has a nice background picture but I can not use it to work with the operating system.   (Windows XP)  Can anybody tell me how to get the monitor back to working as the primary display ? ? 

[Geek-9pm]

Yes, you can get it back. Try to boot t in safe mode. It should work in sage mode. Then create a new user account. You will need this to help you get the feel of it. The new user should default to the duplication mode.
Also, does your laptop have a blue F key to select external  monitor.? on mine it is the Fn+F8 ti turn on/off the external VGA.
Didi you read something like this?
Dual monitor setup  - Microsoft

Here is one of many You Tube videos  about dual monitors.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddrBGpRYlQ0

This also can help:

Code: [Select]

Win+↑ Maximize the current window
Win+↓ If the current window is maximized, restore it; if the current window is restored, minimize it
Win+← Dock the current window to the left half of the screen
*If it is already docked left, it is moved to the right half of the screen
*If it is already docked right, it is restored to its original size
Win+→ Dock the current window to the right half of the screen
*If it is already docked right, it is moved to the left half of the screen
*If it is already docked left, it is restored to its original size
Win+Shift+← Move current window to the left monitor (with dual monitors)
Win+Shift+→ Move current window to the right monitor (with dual monitors)
Win+Home Minimize all but the current window
Win+Space Peek at the desktop
Win+[Plus sign] Zoom in
Win+[Minus sign] Zoom out
Win+P Open the projection menu (generally used for laptops connected to projectors)
Alt+P In Explorer, show/hide the preview pane
Taskbar Modifiers (New in Windows 7)

Shift+Click Open a new instance of the program
Ctrl+Click Cycle between windows in a group
Middle Click Open a new instance of the program
Ctrl+Shift+Click Open a new instance of the program as Administrator
Shift+Right-Click Show window menusource: http://productivity.ben61a.com/windows/windows-7-shortcut-keys.php
Hope this helps.

[jim.mar]

Thank you Geek:  I was able to boot up in the SAFE mode and selected "Enable VGA" and it came up properly for me to use the monitor as a primary one.    Thanks again

[jim.mar]

Well I guess that I am still in trouble.   After I shut down the machine and reboot, I still cannot use the display unless I shut down again and try to boot in the safe mode each time.   And I am not always successful at that.  gets to be a pain.      I will keep looking for ways to get out of this situation.

[Geek-9pm]

did you create a new user? The new user will default to duplicate.

[patio]

I think what you may have failed to do is when you make the change in the BIOS you need to select "Press F10 to save changes and exit"...
If you don't do this it works for the current session only and when you re-boot the BIOS goes back to default settings...

[jim.mar]

PATIO:  Thanks for the response, I was not able to bring up the BIOS. i pressed F2 while starting up and maybe the BIOS came up  on the prmary screen (which dooesn't work) but I couldn't see it.  I don't know how to do bringup the BIOS once operating system is running.
GEEK: (Thank you too) So I booted once more to SAFE mode, using "Enable VGA".  Then I created a new user and deleted the old user account, making myself the only manager.    Then I shut down using the START button (vs just holding the ON button for 5 seconds) but when I started up again, it came up with the external monitor as the secondary monitor.  So I am back to where I started.         I am in a quandary 

P.S. I don't get to work on this machine too often so please excuse my slow response to all  of your suggestions..