MacBook restart required to detect external display

My MacBook started occasionally not detecting an external display, connected either with a VGA or Mini-DVI adapter, unless I restart. Obviously this is a major nuisance and a show stopper if I'm stepping up to give a presentation.
Any ideas?

What I did was choose the "Show display in menu bar" in system preferences under display. This allows me to click the display icon in the menu bar and pick detect displays. This brings up the external for me.

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    Message was edited by: Tyke Tyler
    Message was edited by: Tyke Tyler

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