External monitor connected to laptop; connection upon reboot problems

I have a Compaq Presario CQ62-209WM Laptop and I have an issue that is probably not huge, but it is very annoying. I connect my laptop to an external monitor, pretty much all of the time. I use this monitor (a Dell E177fp) as my main display in an extended desktop form. I like using the external monitor as my main display, and it is very convenient to have two monitors, but unfortunately this same issue persists, and has been this way ever since I bought my computer: whenever I have my laptop plugged into the monitor and I reboot, my computer boots up, showing the Compaq BIOS screen on both screens as well as the starting windows screen on both screens. However, once it boots up to the Welcome screen, it shows the logon on my Main display, but then the monitor is disconnected. I then have to login, wait for Windows to load all its stuff up, then press the Windows key + P until it shows the "Extend" option. Then I have to go into the Screen Resolution settings and reset the external monitor as my main display. Now it's not like this is a huge problem, it's just that I have to do this EVERY time I reboot. So my question is, is there any way to make Windows 7 remember that the external monitor is the main display? It's just inconvenient to have to deal with this upon every reboot. Thanks in advance.

Has anyone found a solution to this yet?

Look for a utility to handle dual monitors. There are some out there.

Is there a specific one you had in mind?