Dual display keeps resetting?

[desert ashes]

My laptop was just reformatted after losing a fight to the kitten, and now I seem to be having problems with my dual display settings.  I've set them as they were before and it works fine until I close my laptop lid and then open it; when that happens the dual display settings go from "Extend these displays" to "Duplicate the main display."  Is there a setting somewhere I'm missing?  Before the reformat this didn't happen, and whenever the laptop lid opened the displays stayed extended. 

I'm using Windows 7 Ultimate on an Alienware M15X. 

(On a side note, my internet is also moving a lot slower than it did before, but there's been no change in provider/etc.)

[Syene]

Have you made sure all of your drivers, particularly video, Ethernet and/or wireless are up to date?

[desert ashes]

Yep.  That was done right after the reformat. :)

[Vekseid]

Don't have main displays : / Check your power settings, under 'when I close the lid', and see if 'do nothing' helps?

[desert ashes]

That's what I have it set on already.  =/ 

In addition, it seems like various settings just aren't sticking.  In a computer game the map never stays focused out; Java won't run without being downloaded every time after rebooting, and the touch pad stays active even though I have a wireless plugged in.  None of these happened before and as far as I know I have all the settings the same as before.  The big difference (and I should have mentioned this prior?) is that before I was just using Windows 7 and now I'm using Windows 7 Ultimate, which frankly I haven't really been able to tell any difference. >.>  Except, well, for this mess.

I'm on the thought line that it's somehow connected with Alienware maybe?  Another setting that's different, but one I can't figure out how to change, is that before the reformat I had their screen flashes disabled so that it wouldn't show when the monitors were connected  or mouse plugged in and etc., as opposed to now when it does.  Screen flashes are not the right word for it... so here's a screen shot: