Display Settings not showing up when external monitor is attached (External Monitor not displaying)

I have a View Sonic external monitor and an Apple Laptop configuration. The monitor was working for a while as an extended desktop of the laptop. However, I wanted the extended desktop to show everything as the main window when my laptop was closed. When the laptop was closed the external display showed static. I thought it was a hertz issue so I lowered the hertz on the external display to 60. Then closed the lap top again. (Still static on the external display). So I made the external display the main display and the laptop the secondary display. Then I closed the laptop again -- static on the display. Eventually I wanted to flip the laptop back to the main display, but now when I connect the external display the nothing renders on the display (no static just no picture). And to make matters worse when I go to change the display settings the display dialog doesn't appear on the lap top display when the external monitor is connected as the external monitor is considered the main display. I cannot figure out how to fiddle with the display settings to get the displays to mirror each other given I cannot access the settings dialog. Any ideas how I can solve this by moving the display dialog to the secondary display?