laptop screen size

[slicendice5]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to be posting this question, but here goes.

i have an acer aspire laptop (its about 4-5 years old already) and when I use my function key to supply feed to a VGA source (ie projector or TV) my screen size increases. I have the same resolution but the desktop doesn't fit on my screen and my icons are a jumbled. I can change the resolution to fix the problem, but when I switch back to just my laptop screen the screen goes back to normal size making everything way too small again.

Is there a way to fix this? or perhaps is there another way to hook up a second screen or something without using my function keys to activate it?

thanks.

[Carbon Dudeoxide]

Have a look at setting up dual monitors, instead of mirroring your display onto the second screen.

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/organization/twomonitors.aspx