Can a laptop "auto-detect" an external (2nd) monit

My boss wants his laptop (Sony VAIO) to automatically use his big monitor as a second monitor everytime he plugs his laptop into his dock. He doesn't want to have to manually do it every time he docks it. He uses Windows XP Pro. Is there a setting that allows this to happen? I didn't think there was one.

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RTmarc

When the laptop is in the dock and both monitors are hooked up and on, go into display properties and make the second monitor the primary. That should do it.

BeaverC32

Is the big monitor normally connected to a PC, or is it used solely with the laptop? If it is exclusively for the laptop:

1) Connect the monitor directly to the docking station.
2) On the laptop, Right-click the desktop | Properties | Settings. Position the monitor icons to reflect the physical setup. Ensure your laptop is the primary monitor.

Zoomer

It's used solely as the 2nd monitor for the laptop. The thing is, he doesn't want to go into display properties every time he re-docks his laptop. He wants it to configure the other monitor automatically. Can Windows do this or do I need a 3rd party prog?

BeaverC32

You will only have to configure the display properties once.

Zoomer

Yeah, I only that you would have to configure it once too. But every morning brings his laptop back he has to go into display properties to configure the 2nd monitor again. Maybe it's the dock?

dynamik

Does the laptop have any key combinations that toggle monitor settings? He might just be able to hit a couple of keys to get it going again. I notice that mine won't automatically go out to the other monitor when I connect it if it started up without being connected.

RTmarc

Zoomer wrote:

Yeah, I only that you would have to configure it once too. But every morning brings his laptop back he has to go into display properties to configure the 2nd monitor again. Maybe it's the dock?

The external monitor has to be set as the primary for it to do what you are wanting.

BeaverC32

The external monitor has to be set as the primary for it to do what you are wanting.

I didn't think you could set the external monitor as the primary when using a laptop (at least I couldn't -- the option was grayed out). Anyway, I have my laptop as the primary and can do what he is asking with no problem.

RTmarc

BeaverC32 wrote:

The external monitor has to be set as the primary for it to do what you are wanting.

I didn't think you could set the external monitor as the primary when using a laptop (at least I couldn't -- the option was grayed out). Anyway, I have my laptop as the primary and can do what he is asking with no problem.

As long as you have a secondary monitor plugged in, and turned on, you should be able to do it. This is exactly how I set up the laptops for my CEO, CFO, and CIO.

nanga

on the desktop....
right click
properties
settings
then select the 2nd monitor on the Diplay menu
now select the Extend the windows desktop onto this monitor.
apply

this will allow both the laptop and ext monitor