Multiple Displays from laptop help needed

[boc4life]

I'm attempting to hook up an LCD TV/monitor through a VGA cable to my laptop. I've gotten the monitor to display the same thing as my laptop's display, but my efforts thus far to extend the desktop onto the monitor have failed.

I continually go into display properties, click on the second monitor, change the settings so it will be active and the desktop will extend onto the second monitor. Upon clicking the Apply button, though, these changes keep resetting. The second display fades into a "Not Active" setting, the Extend Desktop onto this monitor box becomes unchecked, and the Use This Device As My Primary Display fades away and becomes unclickable.

When I click Identify in the Display Properties window, the number 1 pops up on both the monitor display and my laptop's display.

Is there anyone here who thinks they can help me out with this?

[goldtoes]

on your laptop keyboard, there should be a Fn or Function key.

look for another key that shows a picture of a monitor in the same color as your function key (usually located on the F1, F2, etc keys). pressing the Fn key and this "monitor" key will change your display modes.

try this. not sure if it will work, but give it a try.