Extend Windows display across laptop and external monitor

Stugots

I'm using my Dell laptop (Lattitude D410) in a docking station with an external LCD attached. I would like to make us of the laptop display to extend my desktop.

The display control panel shows both displays (external labelled as 1, laptop labelled as 2).

"Use this device as my primary monitor" is tagged and greyed out for the external, untagged for the laptop.

"Extend my Windows desktop" is tagged and greyed out for the external. If I tag this and hit 'apply' for the laptop, it just untags.

Also, the laptop display is stuck at 640 x 480 and changing it has no effect.

With these settings, I see the same output on both displays (though just a640x480 window on that output on the laptop).

If I hit 'identify' for the laptop display, nothing happens. If I hit 'identify' for the external display, I see '1' on both displays.

Any suggestions on what I can try? Is it even possible to do what I am attmepting to do without a dual output graphics card?

8T8

6480x480 doesn't sound right for the laptop model you specify are the graphics card drivers installed for the Intel GMA 900 ?

Download these drivers & attempt to install them if all goes well let us know and we will see if we can get the multi display going.

Stugots

8T8 wrote:

6480x480 doesn't sound right for the laptop model you specify are the graphics card drivers installed for the Intel GMA 900 ?

Download these drivers & attempt to install them if all goes well let us know and we will see if we can get the multi display going.

The laptop normally defaults to 1280x1024 when operating standalone and automatically switches to higher resolution when I'm using the external monitor. The 640 x 480 limitation arises when I try to use both simultaneously.

I'll try downloading the latest drivers and let you know if it has any effect.

Stugots

Looks promising - release notes for this version of the drivers say:


"Feature to enable changing the display mode from Dual Display Clone to Extended Desktop via the Windows Display Properties Settings"

Unfortunately the install fails with the following error message:

Error: The driver cannot be installed on this computer's manufacturer for further information. Setup will exit.

Any suggestions?

8T8

I've seen this before with Dell's it's some sort of OEM driver lock out, I don't know how to side step it maybe someone else does or Google will reveal how (I'll have a look myself).

The drivers that will work are the ones supplied directly by Dell if you go to the Dell support site & input the make & model of you laptop it will show all downloads and a possible updated display driver.

It is a little unusual for multi-monitor support to be broken or not even present in a shipping driver from Dell but the GMA900 isn't exactly state of the art either or paid much attention to.

Edit: Try these drivers instead & see what happens.

Stugots

Yes - I went to the Dell web site and got a slightly earleir verison of the drivers from there. It works! A couple fo glitches, but no road blocks.

Thanks all for your help!