Brightness Adjustment Not Working in Windows

Sometimes, being unable to adjust the screen brightness in Windows can become an issue for various reasons. This can be inconvenient, especially if you’re working in dim or bright lighting conditions. In this guide, we’ll look at the primary causes and offer solutions to help you quickly and effectively resolve the issue.

Possible Causes of Brightness Adjustment Issues

  • Graphics driver issues – often, the inability to change brightness is related to incorrect or outdated graphics drivers.
  • System errors after updates – some Windows updates can cause certain features, including brightness adjustment, to malfunction.
  • Power settings – power settings may impose limitations on adjusting brightness.
  • Motherboard or BIOS issues – in some cases, the BIOS or an outdated version can impact the display's functionality.

Solutions to the Brightness Adjustment Issue

1. Update or Reinstall the Graphics Driver

Incorrectly functioning or outdated graphics drivers often cause this issue. To update the driver:

  1. Open Device Manager (via Start menu or Win+X shortcut).
  2. Find the Display adapters section and select your graphics card.
  3. Right-click and select Update driver.
  4. Choose Search automatically for updated driver software.

If updating doesn’t help, try uninstalling the driver and reinstalling it from your graphics card manufacturer's official website (e.g., NVIDIA, AMD, Intel).

2. Check Power Settings

Some power settings may impact brightness adjustment capability:

  1. Go to Control Panel > Power Options.
  2. Click on Change plan settings next to your selected plan.
  3. Ensure that screen settings allow for brightness adjustment.

3. Restart the Graphics Driver Using a Shortcut

Sometimes, simply restarting the driver can restore brightness adjustment functionality:

Press Win + Ctrl + Shift + B. This combination will reset the graphics driver, causing the screen to briefly go black.

4. Update or Restore Windows

If the issue started after a Windows update, it could be due to system errors:

  1. Go to Settings > Update & Security > View update history.
  2. If the latest update caused issues, try uninstalling it or performing a system restore.

5. Check BIOS Settings

Sometimes, an outdated BIOS version can cause brightness adjustment issues. If you’re familiar with the process, you can update the BIOS by following instructions from your motherboard manufacturer’s website. Be cautious when making any BIOS changes.