How to Control the Brightness of Your Computer With Windows
Click the Power Options button in your System Tray., Click the "Adjust screen brightness" link., Adjust the slider at the bottom., Click the Start menu and type .devmgmt.msc., Expand the "Monitors" category., Right-click on your monitor in the list...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Click the Power Options button in your System Tray.
The icon looks like a battery.
This will only be present if you are using a laptop.
If the Power Options button is not there and you are using a laptop, open the Control Panel from the Start menu and select "Power Options".
Desktop computers do not have a brightness slider as brightness is considered a power saving option for laptop batteries.
Click here for tips on lowering your desktop brightness. -
Step 2: Click the "Adjust screen brightness" link.
This will open the Power Options window.
Click here if you don't have this option when you click the Power Options button. , This will adjust the brightness of your screen.
Low brightness will extend your battery life. , Press ↵ Enter to open the Device Manager.
This controls all of the hardware installed on your computer.
Your brightness slider disappeared because something happened to the software, or "driver"
that controls your monitor. , You will see a list of different categories, including "Disk drives"
"Display adapters"
"Keyboards" and more.
Click the arrow next to "Monitors" to expand it. , Chances are you only have one monitor listed.
If you have two or more, detach any additional monitors that are connected to your laptop first. ,, Check the "Delete the driver software for this device" box that appears in the new window and click OK to confirm. , This only take a moment.
Once the driver has uninstalled, your Device Manager list will refresh, and you will notice that the "Monitor" category is gone. , This is a small square button with a picture of a magnifying glass in front of a computer.
Clicking this button will scan your system for newly installed hardware (or in your case, hardware with no driver installed). , Once the Device Manager scans for changes, it will automatically reinstall the basic Microsoft driver for your monitor.
This should re-enable the brightness slider. , This may not be necessary for your changes to take effect, but can't hurt and may save you a step later. , Once your computer reboots, click the Power Options button in the System Tray to find your restored brightness options.
If you still don't have a brightness slider, your graphics adapter may not support it.
You can try updating the drivers for your graphics adapter, or try the workaround in the next section. , f.lux is a free program that automatically adjusts the color temperature based on the time of day and lighting in your room.
This can make your display much easier on the eyes during late-night computing sessions. f.lux is not recommended for graphics designers or others who rely on extremely accurate colors. , This will run through the basic configuration of f.lux. , f.lux uses your location to automatically transition the colors on your screen when the sun goes up and down in your area. , Telling f.lux what kind of lighting you have allows it to match the colors on your screen so that they mimic the lighting in the room.
This makes the screen much less harsh at night, but normal during the day. , This is usually the easiest way to fix most errors that may occur with f.lux.
Click here for detailed instructions on updating your drivers. -
Step 3: Adjust the slider at the bottom.
-
Step 4: Click the Start menu and type .devmgmt.msc.
-
Step 5: Expand the "Monitors" category.
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Step 6: Right-click on your monitor in the list and select "Properties".
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Step 7: Click the .Driver tab.
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Step 8: Click the .Uninstall button.
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Step 9: Wait for the driver to uninstall.
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Step 10: Click the "Scan for hardware changes" button at the top of the Device Manager.
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Step 11: Verify that your monitor appears back on the list.
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Step 12: Reboot your computer.
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Step 13: Try adjusting your brightness.
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Step 14: Download the f.lux software.
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Step 15: Double-click the setup file after downloading.
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Step 16: Select your location.
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Step 17: Select your room lighting.
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Step 18: Update your graphics card drivers if f.lux is not working properly.
Detailed Guide
The icon looks like a battery.
This will only be present if you are using a laptop.
If the Power Options button is not there and you are using a laptop, open the Control Panel from the Start menu and select "Power Options".
Desktop computers do not have a brightness slider as brightness is considered a power saving option for laptop batteries.
Click here for tips on lowering your desktop brightness.
This will open the Power Options window.
Click here if you don't have this option when you click the Power Options button. , This will adjust the brightness of your screen.
Low brightness will extend your battery life. , Press ↵ Enter to open the Device Manager.
This controls all of the hardware installed on your computer.
Your brightness slider disappeared because something happened to the software, or "driver"
that controls your monitor. , You will see a list of different categories, including "Disk drives"
"Display adapters"
"Keyboards" and more.
Click the arrow next to "Monitors" to expand it. , Chances are you only have one monitor listed.
If you have two or more, detach any additional monitors that are connected to your laptop first. ,, Check the "Delete the driver software for this device" box that appears in the new window and click OK to confirm. , This only take a moment.
Once the driver has uninstalled, your Device Manager list will refresh, and you will notice that the "Monitor" category is gone. , This is a small square button with a picture of a magnifying glass in front of a computer.
Clicking this button will scan your system for newly installed hardware (or in your case, hardware with no driver installed). , Once the Device Manager scans for changes, it will automatically reinstall the basic Microsoft driver for your monitor.
This should re-enable the brightness slider. , This may not be necessary for your changes to take effect, but can't hurt and may save you a step later. , Once your computer reboots, click the Power Options button in the System Tray to find your restored brightness options.
If you still don't have a brightness slider, your graphics adapter may not support it.
You can try updating the drivers for your graphics adapter, or try the workaround in the next section. , f.lux is a free program that automatically adjusts the color temperature based on the time of day and lighting in your room.
This can make your display much easier on the eyes during late-night computing sessions. f.lux is not recommended for graphics designers or others who rely on extremely accurate colors. , This will run through the basic configuration of f.lux. , f.lux uses your location to automatically transition the colors on your screen when the sun goes up and down in your area. , Telling f.lux what kind of lighting you have allows it to match the colors on your screen so that they mimic the lighting in the room.
This makes the screen much less harsh at night, but normal during the day. , This is usually the easiest way to fix most errors that may occur with f.lux.
Click here for detailed instructions on updating your drivers.
About the Author
Thomas Howard
Writer and educator with a focus on practical DIY projects knowledge.
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