brightness issue

Question

i am not able to adjust my screen brightness with the keyboard buttons and also the brightness adjusting option is disabled. What should I do?

Answer 1

Hi, good day!

• When was the last time it worked properly?
• Have you made any changes to your computer recently?

What is the exact make and model of your laptop?

Press Windows key+R to open Run then type: msinfo32

Press Enter

Please take a screenshot of the System Information window and post it in your next response. Note: Don't include any personal information or sensitive data as Microsoft Q&A is a public forum.

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Here are some of the steps you can try.

1. Please try a quick restart first
2. Roll back the graphics driver: If it all started after the update, you can try rolling back the graphics driver (right-click > Properties > Driver > Roll Back).
3. Update or reinstall your display drivers Open Device Manager > Display adapters, Right-click your graphics card and choose Update driver. If that doesn’t help, try Uninstall device and restart. Windows will reinstall a working version automatically.
4. Open Control Panel > Power Options > Change plan settings > Restore default settings.

I look forward to receiving your update and I'm willing to collaborate with you till we resolve the issue. Do keep me informed by clicking "Add comment" below.

Answer 2

Follow these steps in order on Windows 11:

1. Check the brightness slider in Settings
   1. Select Start > Settings > System > Display.
   2. Under Brightness, see if the Brightness slider is available and can be moved.
   3. If the slider is missing or grayed out and an external monitor is used, adjust brightness using the physical buttons on the monitor instead. The Windows slider will not appear for many external displays.
2. Try adjusting brightness from Quick Settings
   1. Select the Network or Speakers icon on the right side of the taskbar.
   2. Use the Brightness slider there to change brightness.
   3. If this works, the keyboard brightness keys may still be misconfigured at the hardware/driver level, but Windows brightness control is OK.
3. Update the display driver If the slider does not appear or is disabled on a laptop’s built‑in screen:
   1. In the search box on the taskbar, type Device Manager, then select Device Manager.
   2. Expand Display adapters.
   3. Right‑click the display adapter listed and select Update driver.
   4. Follow the instructions to update the driver.
   5. After updating, restart the PC and check the brightness slider and keyboard keys again.
4. Check automatic brightness/content settings
   1. Go to Start > Settings > System > Display.
   2. Select Brightness.
   3. If available, toggle brightness automatically when lighting changes off and on once.
   4. If Change brightness based on content is present, set it as needed (for example, Off or On battery only) and then try the brightness slider again.
5. If using an HDR‑capable laptop display If brightness looks wrong or stuck after restart or sleep on an HDR‑capable laptop:
   1. Go to Settings > System > Display.
   2. Move the Brightness slider slightly; even a small change can restore the expected brightness level.

If the brightness slider is still disabled on a laptop’s built‑in display after updating the display driver and restarting, contact the device manufacturer for a newer graphics/firmware update, as driver issues are a common cause of disabled brightness controls.

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References:

• Change display brightness and color in Windows
• HDR settings in Windows
• Display brightness control
• Adaptive brightness and contrast on Surface devices
• Screen brightness changes and you cannot adjust the screen brightness after you resume a laptop from sleep mode in Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2
• Automatic brightness option is disabled unexpectedly after you switch between PC settings pages in Windows
• My laptop no longer adjusts screen brightness - Microsoft Q&A
• how to update display drivers - Microsoft Q&A