I updated to windows 11 and now my brightness slider doesnt work. Its present but no change in brightness. Ive updated and reinstalled drivers etc but still nothing

Question

I updated to windows 11 and now my brightness slider doesnt work. Its present but no change in brightness. Ive updated and reinstalled drivers etc but still nothing

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I updated to Windows 11 and now my brightness slider isnt working. Its present but doesnt work. Ive tried updating drivers etc and reinstalling them. Do i just go back to windows 10... will that help

Nate Jackson 5 Reputation points

2025-12-03T10:11:02.58+00:00

So I have had the same problem for a week, but just solved it!

I don't know what system you have but I have Lenovo T470s with an Intel(R) i5-6300u CPU, an admittedly antiquated system at this point, but here is what I did.

I started with a bit of research. Apparently my laptop has integrated graphics processing on the CPU that are meant to be handled by an Intel(R) HD Graphics driver (Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 in my case.)

I then checked the "device manager>display adapters" and found that Windows had installed their "Microsoft Basic Display Adapter" by default.

After checking The Lenovo Support website i was able to find the driver intended for my laptop.

Downloaded, installed and we are in business!

I was cautioned to use safe mode to install, but that is only to disable any driver interference by only loading generic drivers, such as the Microsoft Basic Display Adapter, and since m system was already using this driver i didn't need to worry about it.

Check your manufacturer for their default display driver(s) installations for your device, check if the driver(s) currently running on your system may be in conflict with the appropriate (manufacturer recommended) driver(s), and download and install it/them, in safe mode if necessary or if you are unsure.

I hope this is helpful.

Let me know if it works for you!
Tom O 0 Reputation points

2025-12-06T13:03:41.82+00:00
After installing a recent Windows 11 update, my Dell Inspiron 5400 AIO lost the ability to adjust screen brightness. The brightness slider moves, but the backlight does not change. This issue has been reported by multiple Dell users after Windows 11 updates, including on the Inspiron 5400 AIO.

I have already:

• Reinstalled Windows 11 (twice)

• Updated BIOS, Intel graphics, Intel ME, and Dell OSD

• Verified no hardware faults via Dell diagnostics

The issue persists even on a clean installation, which strongly suggests a Windows 11 display driver or ACPI backlight control regression.

I am requesting:

Confirmation whether this regression is known

Whether a patch is pending

Whether Microsoft can provide a rollback path or hotfix
Kujer 0 Reputation points

2025-12-10T00:02:39.7033333+00:00

My computer was super laggy and slow when I tried to boot up any games. The brightness wasn't changing no matter what I did.

I have a Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7620 and like what Nate Jackson mentioned, I searched up the graphics driver compatible with my device. The moment it installed I was back to normal again! Hopefully Microsoft can patch these bugs but doing this manually should do the trick. Thanks a bunch!
Dick Visser 0 Reputation points

2026-07-01T20:52:05.1666667+00:00

I only updated the display adapter. After that, the brightness buttons worked as expected

2 answers

Your answer

Nate Jackson 5 Reputation points

2025-12-03T10:11:02.58+00:00

So I have had the same problem for a week, but just solved it!

I don't know what system you have but I have Lenovo T470s with an Intel(R) i5-6300u CPU, an admittedly antiquated system at this point, but here is what I did.

I started with a bit of research. Apparently my laptop has integrated graphics processing on the CPU that are meant to be handled by an Intel(R) HD Graphics driver (Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 in my case.)

I then checked the "device manager>display adapters" and found that Windows had installed their "Microsoft Basic Display Adapter" by default.

After checking The Lenovo Support website i was able to find the driver intended for my laptop.

Downloaded, installed and we are in business!

I was cautioned to use safe mode to install, but that is only to disable any driver interference by only loading generic drivers, such as the Microsoft Basic Display Adapter, and since m system was already using this driver i didn't need to worry about it.

Check your manufacturer for their default display driver(s) installations for your device, check if the driver(s) currently running on your system may be in conflict with the appropriate (manufacturer recommended) driver(s), and download and install it/them, in safe mode if necessary or if you are unsure.

I hope this is helpful.

Let me know if it works for you!
Tom O 0 Reputation points

2025-12-06T13:03:41.82+00:00

After installing a recent Windows 11 update, my Dell Inspiron 5400 AIO lost the ability to adjust screen brightness. The brightness slider moves, but the backlight does not change. This issue has been reported by multiple Dell users after Windows 11 updates, including on the Inspiron 5400 AIO.

I have already:

• Reinstalled Windows 11 (twice)

• Updated BIOS, Intel graphics, Intel ME, and Dell OSD

• Verified no hardware faults via Dell diagnostics

The issue persists even on a clean installation, which strongly suggests a Windows 11 display driver or ACPI backlight control regression.

I am requesting:

Confirmation whether this regression is known

Whether a patch is pending

Whether Microsoft can provide a rollback path or hotfix
Kujer 0 Reputation points

2025-12-10T00:02:39.7033333+00:00

My computer was super laggy and slow when I tried to boot up any games. The brightness wasn't changing no matter what I did.

I have a Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7620 and like what Nate Jackson mentioned, I searched up the graphics driver compatible with my device. The moment it installed I was back to normal again! Hopefully Microsoft can patch these bugs but doing this manually should do the trick. Thanks a bunch!
Dick Visser 0 Reputation points

2026-07-01T20:52:05.1666667+00:00

I only updated the display adapter. After that, the brightness buttons worked as expected

Answer 1

EmilyS726 262.3K Independent Advisor

Hello,

Can you share with me two screenshots please?

Go to Device Manager > Display Adapters, I would like to see what's listed.
Please type msinfo32.exe in the search on the taskbar and hit enter, then share a screenshot of the pop up.

Thanks!

Nate Jackson 5 Reputation points

2025-12-03T09:14:00.67+00:00

I have the same issue. It happened to me in win 10 also and i was able to find a fix. Unfortunately I don't remember how i managed it.

I am not exactly comfortable sharing my system info with a stranger.

Perhaps you could tell me what to look for in the requested screenshot locations though.

I have a Lenovo T470s with an Intel Core I5-6300u cpu if that helps. Update: Nvm, I FIXED IT! Thank you though, you gave me insight into the proper things to look for.

Answer 2

If your brightness slider is not functioning after upgrading to Windows 11, it could be due to compatibility issues with the drivers or settings related to adaptive brightness. Here are some steps you can take:

Check Display Settings: Ensure that the adaptive brightness feature is enabled in the Display settings. Sometimes, toggling this setting can resolve the issue.
Update Drivers: Although you mentioned you have updated and reinstalled drivers, ensure that you are using the latest drivers from the device manufacturer (OEM). Sometimes, drivers available through Windows Update may not be the most current.
Use the Correct Brightness Interface: Windows 11 uses different interfaces for brightness control. If your display driver exposes the DXGK_BRIGHTNESS_INTERFACE_3 interface, Windows should control brightness using nits values, which allows for smoother transitions. Make sure your driver supports this interface.
Rollback to Previous Drivers: If the issue persists, consider rolling back to a previous version of the driver that worked correctly before the upgrade.
Revert to Windows 10: If none of the above solutions work, reverting to Windows 10 might help, as it may restore the previous functionality of your brightness slider.

Before making any major changes like reverting to Windows 10, ensure you back up your data.

References: