Vista - Help with setting up dual screen

Hi all, I am new to this site and recently got a new laptop with a ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics video card. The laptop is a HP Pavilion dv5z with one plug in for the monitor, which I bought through HP. In placing the order I told the HP rep that I will be hooking up dual monitor screens and the rep mentioned that laptop will support dual screens as long as I get a Y splitter cable.

I plugged both monitors into the Y splitter and than into the HP docking station. I figured I was ready to roll. Unfortunately, one image is displayed on laptop screen and the image shown on extended screen is on both dual screens. Ultimately I want the main screen on my left monitor and extended screen on my right monitor and not use the laptop screen for home office use.

I have tried resolving issue using Catalyst Control Center, but as a newbie I failed miserably. Does the ATI Radeon HD 3200 video card support dual monitors with the configuration I described? If so, would someone give me a play by play to make this happen. Please let me know if you need addtional info re:my setup.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Welcome to the forums ranger.
Unfortunately theres nothing we can do, you see, think of what you are doing like connecting a scart lead to a splitter box and plugging 2 scart leads from that splitter box to 2 other televisions, you get the same picture as you would on the original device, all you have done is copied the original screen to two other monitors.
there is still a way to get multiple monitors but one of your monitors has to be your laptop screen...
Sorry.

Bummer, thanks for the response, do you know if the ATI 3450 graphics card supports dual screens, if so is it hard to replace a video card in a laptop, also what are my possible work arounds to get dual screens on my current config or should I just send the laptop back to HP.

If the HD 3200 has an HDMI port, you could use a HDMI>DVI converter (if the external monitor has a DVI port) to extend (sepereate) your desktop across two screens.

Unfortunately all a y-splitter does is split one signal source into two, so as you've discovered, you'll only have clone mode.

As for installing a new card, you should with the manufacturers specs to see if one could actually be added. The HD 3200 is an on board device I believe.

And as ranger said, one of the screens will be the laptop screen.