Originally Posted by ranger9268

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.

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.