How can i use an external monitor as my primary monitor for my laptop?

Question

I tried it once, connected a LCD monitor to my laptop, and it worked. the problem is, all i see on the external monitor is my wallpaper. No icons, task bars, mouse pointer, everything but my wallpaper. I tried changing the settings on Control Panel>Appearances and Themes>Display>Settings but the "Use this device as the primary monitor" check box is disabled. Do i need to install any drivers or install programs?

Oh, by the way, my laptop's video card is Nvidia GeForce 7200 Go.

Answer 1

I have had a lot of problems with Nvidia GeForce 7200  driver. I would reinstall this driver...  

Answer 2

- Depending on your keyboard shortcut.  Your operation manual should say how to do it.

Answer 3

Have you tried toggling your Function Keys (FN) for the Monitor display.  To do this hold down the FN key on your keyboard and find the corresponding key on the key board.  There will be a tiny picture of a couple of monitors on the key.  On my IBM thinkpad it is F7.  Generally there are 3 toggle settings:  

1.  Laptop monitor is on

2.  Laptop Monitor is off and your external monitor is on

3.  Both are on

I hope this helps.