Problems with external monitor and docking station

Hi

I have a Dell Latitude D520 laptop with a Dell port replicator, with an
external CRT monitor plugged into the port replicator. Most of the time
I use the laptop standalone, i.e. not connected to the port replicator.
However, whenever I do dock the laptop into the port replicator, it
switched to the external monitor, even though the external monitor is
switched off at the time!!! I then have to turn on my external monitor
simply in order to be able to see my screen, then press Fn+F8 in order
to switch it back to using my laptop's screen, and then turn the
external monitor off again. This is bonkers. Is there any fix for this
weird bug, other than disconnecting the external monitor from the
docking station entirely, except when actually using the monitor (which
I object to having to do on principle, because the whole point of having
a point replicator was so I wouldn't have to connect and disconnect cables)?

Dave

On 16/09/2013 22:32, Dave Rado wrote:
Hi

I have a Dell Latitude D520 laptop with a Dell port replicator, with an
external CRT monitor plugged into the port replicator. Most of the time
I use the laptop standalone, i.e. not connected to the port replicator.
However, whenever I do dock the laptop into the port replicator, it
switched to the external monitor, even though the external monitor is
switched off at the time!!! I then have to turn on my external monitor
simply in order to be able to see my screen, then press Fn+F8 in order
to switch it back to using my laptop's screen, and then turn the
external monitor off again. This is bonkers. Is there any fix for this
weird bug, other than disconnecting the external monitor from the
docking station entirely, except when actually using the monitor (which
I object to having to do on principle, because the whole point of having
a point replicator was so I wouldn't have to connect and disconnect
cables)?

Dave

Just to clarify further: if I hibernate the machine while it is docked,
and while it is using the laptop's display, and if I then resume from
hibernation, I don't get the above problem. That's the only situation I
am aware of in which I don't get the problem, though.