Startup with external monitor - background only. Please help.

Hey all,

The screen on my MBP is broken and I have it hooked up to an HDTV right now. I am trying to reformat, so I put the install disc in and restarted. I could see everything on the HDTV fine, but once it restarted the HDTV is only acting as an external monitor (I can not see anything except the space sky purple background) and my mouse is able to move off that screen and onto the laptop screen (I can see it behind the broken screen). I have read around that FN + F7 mirrors the two, but it is not working for me. I don't want the HDTV to act as an external monitor but to copy what is shown on my laptop screen. Can anyone give a suggestion? I can't do anything off the laptop as I can not see the screen. Is there a shortcut?

This request is urgent and any help is greatly appreciated.

Best,
Trevor

This is one method i have used. To do this you need another working Mac. Connect the broken mac to the other Mac with firewire < never tried it with USB so not sure if it will work > and the ext monitor to the working Mac. Power on broken Mac and hold T key for say 30 secs if u cannot see firewire symbol come up on broken screen. Then power on Good Mac and hold option key until both HD's show as available to boot off and select the HD from broken Mac.
Then go to Sys Prefs > Displays > Arrangement and drag the menu bar to Ext monitor.
Then shut it all down and connect Ext Monitor to Broken Mac and power up and the primary should show up on Ext Monitor.