How do i duplicate my laptop screen onto TV?

[kevin]

My problem is that i have hooked up my dell laptop running xp to my tv and the tv just had a black screen, when i hooked jakes laptop to the tv (which is identicle to mine except it has vista), it worked and he had a duplicate image of hes laptop shown on the tv.

So i went to control panel and dispaly and picked the option "extend my windows onto this desktop" on the second screen and the tv instead acted as an additional desktop for me to drag windows over to INSTEAD of duplicating my screen which is what i wanted.

Now is there something i have to reconfigure or download in order for my laptop to duplicate its screen onto the tv?

its a dell laptop inspiron 1520

[Harv]

you should have a function key setting that tells your lappy to display the monitor output on either the laptop screen the external screen or both at the same time and multiple presses of the function key combo swaps between modes. Its not a windows functions its your actual lappy.