G73JH - Disable built-in display permanently when using HDMI monitor?

I've had a G73JH since late 2010. In 2012 the screen started flashing grey and colors and turning on and off chaotically. Since then, I've used the laptop connected to a television as an external monitor through HDMI. As I don't need the portability I needed when I got the machine in the first place, I actually prefer this and it's a good middle ground until I built a replacement desktop.

I recently swapped out the television I was using for a slightly larger one, still connected through HDMI. The problem is the laptop's built in display had a maximum resolution of 1600x900, while I use 1776x1000 as the desktop resolution on the television. Anytime I turn the television/monitor off, the laptop sees the HDMI signal drop and switches display to the built-in display - which doesn't really work. It also switches the desktop to a lower resolution, so when I return to my desk and turn the TV on, everything on screen is scrambled around.

This didn't happen with the TVI switched from. When I turned off that TV the laptop just seemed to accept *not having a display.* I'd return and turn it on later and everything would be just as I left it. I can't figure out what's different about this new TV or what I might've done years ago to fix this issue in the first place.

I can "disable" the built in display by closing the laptop's lid, but if I try to game in clamshell mode the rig heats up the point it eventually puts itself into emergency hibernation.

Is there anyway to have the laptop just *not see* the built in display as a device? nothing in device manager seems to do it, and I can't find a video setting in Windows or in Catalyst Control Center that does what I want. I didn't see anything helpful in the BIOS, either.

At the very least, doe anybody know where the physical switch that tells the computer the lid is closed is located on this model? If I can't solve this technologically I'd just glue the thing down or something so that the computer *thinks* the lid is always closed and it'll always ignore the built in LCD.

 

You can disable the internal one in the driver control panel. You should set the res to the native of the TV.

 

Do you mean Device Manager? What would I disable there to achieve what I'm looking for? I've tried disabling "Generic PnP Monitor" but it doesn't actually do anything to either display. Is there a different device I should be disabling?

 

Have you looked through the settings in Catalyst control center, I think that is what Meaker had in mind ?

 

Yes, you can select which display is primary and any to disable in the graphics driver control panel.

 

Could you show me where in Catalyst that option is? I feel like I've looked through every single page two or three times and haven't found anything related. Maybe we have different versions of Catalyst Control Panel? I have 2014.0417.2226.38446.

There's some basic options under "Common Display Tasks" to set the HDMI TV as the monitor, but as soon as I turn the TV off it tries to switch back to the internal screen, so it's only disabling it temporarily.

 

http://i.stack.imgur.com/XSjCp.png

Does not work?

 

Unfortunately, no. When I hit "Disable" it shuts off the built in display like I want, but as soon as I shut the TV off, it automatically re-enables it.

 

And when you plug the TV back in?

 

When I turn the TV back on it switched back to the TV just fine, but since they're at different resolutions everything on the TV is scrambled around and jumbled.

 

You could remove the cable to the LCD I suppose.