You’re trying to get some work done or watch a movie, but your laptop screen is either blindingly bright or frustratingly dim. You press the brightness keys on your keyboard, but nothing happens. It’s a common and annoying problem that can leave you feeling stuck. The good news is that this issue is almost always fixable, and you don’t need to be a tech expert to solve it.
Check Your Power Settings
Sometimes, the solution is hiding in your power plan settings. To save battery life, Windows can automatically dim your screen. Plug in your laptop and see if the brightness controls start working again. You can also check your power options by going to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options and clicking on “Change plan settings” for your active plan. Ensure the brightness settings aren’t set to a low value or configured to dim automatically.
Update Your Display Driver
The most common culprit for broken brightness controls is an outdated, corrupt, or missing display driver. This is the software that lets your operating system talk to your screen. To update it, right-click the Start button and select Device Manager. Expand the “Display adapters” section, right-click on your display driver, and select “Update driver.” Choose to search automatically for updated driver software. After it installs, restart your laptop to see if this resolves the issue.
Reinstall the Monitor Driver
This is a less-known trick that often works wonders. Back in Device Manager, look for and expand the “Monitors” section. Right-click on the “Generic PnP Monitor” or similar listing and select “Uninstall device.” Restart your computer. Windows will automatically detect the monitor and reinstall the correct driver upon startup, which can reset the brightness functionality.
When the Hardware is the Issue
If you’ve tried all the software fixes and the problem persists, it’s worth considering the physical buttons. Are the brightness keys (usually the F1 or F2 keys) physically stuck or damaged? Also, some laptops require you to hold a “Function” (Fn) key while pressing the brightness key. Make sure you’re using the correct key combination.
Not being able to adjust your screen’s brightness is a hassle, but it’s rarely a permanent problem. By methodically checking your power settings, updating key drivers, and ensuring your keyboard is functioning correctly, you can usually restore control and get back to comfortable computing in no time.
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