dual monitor setup on laptop w/ docking station

[ksnpc]

Hi,

I'm trying to set up dual monitors for a laptop user. The laptop (running xp) is docked and I have two monitors hooked to the docking station. However, when the computer starts, it looks like it has extended the desktop beyond the area of the monitors so that I can't see the taskbar, or anything. Even the login screen doesn't show up in the viewable area. If I undock the laptop, I can use dual monitors - one the laptop screen and either of the other monitors. The user insists the docking station is necessary so I need to figure out how to make it work. Could anyone give me guidance on what kind of stuff to check? Is it possible that the laptop screen itself is causing a conflict even when it's docked?

Thanks,
Shauna

 

[Miata94C]

Have you checked the video settings while docked? Try disabling the Laptop monitor and strictly using the secondary output to the docking station. This should tell you if the laptop monitor is causing a problem. You could try setting the secondary monitor as the Primary display first, then dock the laptop and see what you get. That way you don't have to disble the laptop display. And when they boot the system without the docking station the laptop display should work fine, unless they try to watch a video on the laptop. Then they would have to re-set the laptop as the Primary display. Hope this is clear as mud. Sorry if it is more confusing than helpful.