Dual Monitor Configuration Confusing

Question

So my external monitor is on the LEFT, and my MacBook is on the right.

I want the laptop to be the main screen i.e. the one with the menu bar on the top, and my application bar on the bottom.

I can only get this setup, but I have to scroll to the right on my laptop to get the mouse cursor on the external monitor (it should be scrolling to the left of my laptop since the monitor is on the left).

What am I missing here?

Whenever I move the main screen to the right of the external monitor screen in the display setup, the external monitor becomes the 'main' screen.

SORRY, I meant to say the dock, not the menu bar. The doc is always on the ext. monitor.

Ok so what's happending is, my dock is on the left hand side of the screen, so the external monitor pulls the dock on to it. If I put the dock on the bottom, it is placed correctly on my laptop's screen.

Answer 1

The dock will only go to the left side of the leftmost monitor or the right side of the rightmost monitor, or the bottom of the monitor with your menu bar.

If you want the dock to be on your laptop screen, you must rearrange your monitors using System Preferences -> Displays -> Arrangement to make your external monitor to the right of your laptop monitor.

You could use DragThing as a Dock replacement and pin it where you want…

Answer 2

Go to System Preferences -> Displays -> Arrangement. Drag the thin white bar to the monitor you want the menu bar to be on.

Answer 3

In System Preferences -> Displays -> Arrangement, you can rearrange the position of your screens. Drag the represented screen (grab the blue rectangle and drag it). You can also drag the menu bar (but that's for changing which screen you want to be the "main" one).