Night Light setting in a Government hoteling office works at some stations but not others.

Question

I have been reading other forums about Night Light settings whom talk about drivers being the issue and possibly that is what is going on in my environment but perhaps someone out there has other ideas.

I work in a large hoteling style office, we have approx. 500 Hoteling stations with various configurations of monitors. Some have dual screens, others have larger curved screens. Unfortunately due to procurement practices there are different models of monitors both curved and dual stations, even different models of Universal Docking stations.

One of my staff members likes to use the Night Lite setting on her laptop, but she states that it does not work at all desks. We are part of a + 30000 employee organization so downloading software updates is not permitted. Anybody have any idea what might be the issue here? Any solutions?

Thanks!

***moved from Windows / Windows 11 / Settings***

Answer 1

Hello  Phil Tompkins，

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community forum.

The discrepancy in the Night Light setting working on some stations but not others could indeed be attributed to several factors. Here are a few potential causes and solutions to consider:

1. Driver Compatibility

Different monitors and docking stations might require specific drivers to fully support features like Night Light. Since your environment restricts downloading software updates, ensuring that all hardware has the latest approved drivers installed by your IT department is crucial.

2. Monitor Settings

Some monitors have their own built-in settings that might conflict with or override the Night Light settings coming from the operating system. Check if the problematic monitors have any settings related to blue light reduction or display modes that could interfere with Night Light.

3. Docking Station Firmware

Different models of universal docking stations might have different firmware versions that affect how they process display settings from the connected laptop. Ensure that all docking stations are updated to the latest firmware approved by your IT department.

4. Windows Night Light Settings

Verify that the Night Light settings are correctly configured on the laptops. Occasionally, the settings might not persist across different hardware configurations. Ensure that the Night Light is enabled and configured correctly.

5. Hardware Compatibility

Not all hardware might support the Night Light feature equally well. Ensure that the problematic stations are not using older or unsupported hardware that might not fully support this feature.

6. User Profile Settings

If the laptops are using different user profiles when docked at different stations (which might be uncommon but possible in some large organizations), ensure that the Night Light setting is enabled in all user profiles.

7. Group Policy Restrictions

In some large organizations, Group Policy settings might restrict certain features. Confirm with your IT department if there are any Group Policies that might be affecting the functionality of Night Light on certain docking stations or monitors.

Troubleshooting Steps:

1. Standardize Hardware: If possible, standardize the hardware as much as you can. This approach reduces the number of variables that could cause issues.
2. Check Driver and Firmware Versions: Verify that all laptops, docking stations, and monitors are using the latest approved drivers and firmware.
3. Verify Monitor Settings: Manually check the settings on the monitors that do not support Night Light to ensure there are no conflicting settings.
4. Contact IT Support: Engage with your IT support to see if there are any known issues or updates that can be pushed out to resolve this problem.
5. Test with Different Hardware: If a specific monitor or docking station model is causing issues, test the Night Light setting with different brands/models to see if the problem is hardware-specific.

By systematically addressing these potential causes, you should be able to pinpoint why the Night Light setting does not work consistently across all stations and find an appropriate solution. 

I hope the information above is helpful.

If you have any question or concern, please feel free to let us know.

Best Regards,

Haijian Shan