Hooking up a separate monitor to my laptop

[Wolfcastle]

I am hooking up a separate monitor to my laptop, but not sure how to solve this problem?

The separate monitor's resolution is different from the laptops, so I can't do a clone on Nvidia's display control because both displays need to have the same resolution for the "clone" feature to work.

I can have dual displays by using one display as my primary laptop, but when I switch primary displays, the files on my desktop get rearranged.

Any way to keep the file arrangement the same on both displays?

I've got an HP dv8000t with Nvidia Go7600 video card (1440 res max) and using it with a wide screen 1680 res max.

 

[TheStu]

So wait... you want it set up so that you get the same stuff on both monitors, even though the external is larger?

If that is the case, then I am not totally sure what to offer you as advice... run the external at 1440*900?

 

[Wolfcastle]

Yeah that's what I'm looking to do. I have the files arranged so that both resolutions can handle them pretty easily, but they just arbitrarily rearrange the files when the display changes.