How to fix a Windows PC when the screen brightness can’t be adjusted



windows PC screen brightness not changing

From time to time, you might encounter some issues on your Windows PC; settings not taking effect being one of such issues. In this guide, the focus will be on the screen brightness failing to adjust despite you varying the brightness settings.

How important is screen brightness?

If you are a frequent user of your PC then the screen brightness setting is one you shouldn’t joke with. Set it too high and it messes with your eyes plus it drains your battery much faster (see https://www.hovatek.com/blog/how-to-make-a-laptop-pcs-battery-last-longer/). Set it too low and you’ll have to strain your eyes to read plus it’ll degrade some visual effects.

How do I adjust screen brightness on a Windows PC?

  • Press the Windows button or launch the Start menu
  • Search for Control panel and launch it
  • Select Hardware and Sound
  • Click Power Options
  • A faster method is to right-click the battery icon at the bottom-right corner of the screen and select Power Options
  • Select the power profile under “Choose or customize a power plan”
  • Adjust the screen brightness at the bottom; slide left to reduce and right to increase.

Why wont my screen brightness change despite all my efforts?

Possible reasons your screen brightness fails to adjust despite your changing the level are:

  • Missing, incompatible or corrupted graphics drivers: If you recently upgraded your OS or haven’t upgraded your drivers in ages then this might be the problem.
  • Installed power manager / assistant: An installed power manager might be clashing with or blocking your power settings
  • Corrupted OS / system files: The OS might be corrupted or have encountered a temporary error

How do I make the screen brightness changeable again?

Consider the following fixes:

  • Download and install graphics drivers for your exact PC model and present OS (you could check your PC manufacturer’s website)
  • Uninstall / disable any installed / running power manager or assistant application
  • Restart the PC
  • Consider doing a system restore (see https://www.hovatek.com/blog/how-to-do-a-system-restore-on-a-pc/ )

Why does my screen go brighter or dimmer whenever I connect to or disconnect from a power source?

The power profile your PC runs on should automatically vary with its charging state. It’ll should enter Power saver mode (characterized by a dimmer screen) when not charging and Balanced or High performance mode (characterized by a brighter screen) when charging.

Hovatek….just a button away!



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