Best way to clone the desktop on a external and a laptop monitor thathave different resolutions

We have a couple of HP 2510p (internal display resolution 1280x800)
and I wonder which is the best way to use an external monitor with it.
I’d like to use a 20” wide monitor (resolution 1680x1050) and clone
the desktop.
I can easily set the whole thing up but the problems begin after the
2510p has been un-docked. If I put it in the docking station and start
it with the lid closed then Windows Vista doesn’t recognize that I
have an external monitor connected to the dock. It doesn’t even see
the laptops internal monitor and so it sets 1280x800 on the external
20”.
If I instead dock and start the laptop with the lid open then it works
fine. I can also almost every time close the lid after I logon and the
20” keeps the correct resolution.
There is then more problems if I un-dock as the laptop sleeps,
hibernates or if it is shut off. Every time I try something else the
computer sets the monitor resolutions differently it seems. Of course
that’s not quite true but as I get more and more frustrated the
computer does more and more stupid things.

So for I’ve so far found these ways to controlling the two monitors
and their resolutions;
- Vistas built-in
- Vistas normal Display Settings (looks as in XP)
- Windows Mobility Center
- The keyboard shortcut function+F4
- The graphics cards driver software “Intel Graphics Media Accelerator
Driver for Mobile”

All these fight about being the one controlling the monitors as far as
I can tell. And to this I guess one can also add the projector feature
in Windows Mobility Center… frustrating to say the least.

On Jun 2, 2:36 pm, perbauer <perba...@gmail.com> wrote:
-- cut --
> frustrating to say the least.

Nothing? Doesn't anyone have any thoughts on this?
Do you perhaps have another brand that handles external monitors
better then HP does?