Here is what you need to do to fix Windows 10 brightness not working on various laptops from HP, Lenovo, Dell, or other manufacturers. By “brightness not working in Windows 10,” we imply that the brightness slider is not available, or brightness keys do not work (brightness not changing).
Fixing HP Laptop Brightness Not Working
This part of the article applies to all Windows laptops, not just HP. The main thing you need to know about fixing broken brightness sliders in Windows 10 is that display drivers are the most common reason users have issues with changing brightness.
- Go to your laptop manufacturer’s website and find the list of drivers specifically for your model. The best way to ensure that is to use your serial number.
- Download chipset, display, ACPI, and power management drivers. Install them, then restart your computer. Also, update your graphics driver, but download the latest release from the Nvidia, AMD, or Intel website because the drivers’ laptop manufacturers offer on their websites are often outdated.
- Alternatively, you can download all available drivers (the best option, but it will take a little longer). Tip: Back up Windows drivers to ensure you have a working copy of all drivers without any issues. A backup will let you recover proper drivers with just a few clicks.
- After installing all available drivers, press Win + X and select Device Manager.
- Expand the Monitors entry and make sure there are no exclamation points next to your monitor. If there is an exclamation point, right-click the monitor and select Enable Device.
- If that did not help, right-click your monitor and select Disable device. After that, right-click it again and select Enable Device. Note that the screen will flash once or twice after doing that.
Fixing Brightness Keys Not Working on a Windows Laptop
Every Windows laptop has a dedicated set of keys for managing brightness. If they do not work, there are a few things you can do:
- Try pressing the brightness keys without additional buttons. If that did not work, press the Fn + Brightness key. Most likely, your laptop requires pressing the Fn button to access media keys (volume, brightness, etc).
- It is also possible that the Fn key is not working properly in Windows 10. In such a case, we have a dedicated article for troubleshooting. Follow the steps described there to fix the Fn key.
How to Fix Windows 10 Brightness Not Working on a Monitor?
PC monitors usually have dedicated hardware keys for controlling brightness and do not rely on software. Still, some manufacturers provide dedicated hardware that allows changing the brightness on a monitor using convenient sliders in Windows. Go to your monitor manufacturer’s website and check whether it offers such software. Alternatively, you can try downloading third-party software from Microsoft Store, but there is no guarantee it will help you fix Windows 10 brightness not working.
Also, note that Windows 10 brightness might not work if you use the wrong display. For example, DVI-D instead of DisplayPort of HDMI.
That is how you fix Windows 10 brightness not working on a laptop or monitor.
