Can’t Adjust Brightness in Windows 11? Try These Fixes Now

Changing your screen brightness is supposed to be a simple thing, but sometimes the option doesn’t work in Windows 11. Let’s look at some ways to overcome the issue.

The problem with an error like this is that it is impossible to tell why exactly it has occurred. Anything can be wrong, from the display drivers to an internal Windows issue, so we need to try out multiple methods and see what works.

Fix 1: Restart Your Computer

We know you have heard this a lot, but it bears repeating – Windows 11 doesn’t really shut down your computer. Like ever.

Every time you hit the shutdown button, you’re just putting it in a sort of sleep mode. While this does make rebooting your PC faster, it also means that unless you manually Restart your PC, it is not getting a fresh start.

And when you are dealing with some weird bugs or glitches, a fresh start is exactly what you want to give to your computer. So before trying anything out, take a moment to restart your computer first.

Fix 2: Plug-in Your Laptop

This one is obviously only applicable to laptop computers, but that’s most PCs. And in most laptops, the brightness settings are tied to the power.

Not only do laptops have separate brightness profiles for when they are plugged in or running on battery, but they also tend to tone down the brightness during battery saver mode. This is why when your laptop’s charge starts dipping to a critical level, you will often notice brightness levels (and even performance) tanking as the system activates battery saver to try and conserve power.

So the first thing to do if you are unable to adjust the brightness on a laptop is to plug it in and see if that fixes things. Only when that doesn’t work should you move on to the other fixes.

Fix 3: Try All Methods of Adjusting Brightness in Windows

Let’s reviewsome waysto change the brightness in Windows 11. If you have not tried any of the methods here, give it a chance to see if one of them fixes the problem.

Method 1: Try the Dedicated Button

Most laptops (and even a few branded desktops) will have a pair of buttons for lowering or raising the brightness. These often override any other Windows setting and can be a great way of modifying the screen brightness when the normal methods don’t work.

Laptops aside, some external keyboards also have such features mapped to the Function Keys which you can trigger by holding the Fn buttons and pressing the dedicated key.

Method 2: Adjust Brightness From Settings

Physical buttons aside, there is always the option to adjust your brightness from Windows Settings. Note that both end up modifying the same setting, so you will see the position of this slider change when you hit the keyboard button too.

Fix 4: Disable Auto-Brightness

Windows 11 (and Windows 10 too) has an auto-brightness setting, supposed to set the screen brightness to appropriate levels based on the time of day and external luminosity. This normally disables the manual brightness adjustment, making it seem like the setting is broken.

The good news is that it is pretty easy to toggle on or off, and we suggest doing just that.

Keep in mind though that this feature is not available on every PC, since not every system will have the required sensors. Only the ability to change brightness based on content is available for all Windows 11 computers.

Fix 5: Update Graphics Drivers

If none of the methods before have worked, it’s time to dig deeper. There may be an issue with the drivers that run your display itself, andupdating themcan easily fix such bugs.Many call them display drivers or monitor drivers, but in truth, it is not your monitor that decides the drivers; it is your video card. Windows includes some generic drivers that can run any display, but it is always better toinstall the specific drivers meant for your device.

Fix 6: Install Windows Updates

Like any software, bugs can show up in an operating system like Windows as well. Windows Updates are designed to patch any such reported problems and add new features, ultimately making your system more stable over time.

By default, Windows Updates are supposed to be automatic, but many users often disable this auto-update due to internet restrictions or other reasons. When this continues, your PC can fall behind on critical updates, possibly causing errors like not being able to adjust brightness.

This is why whenever you run into any problem in Windows, a good step is toensure your PC is up-to-dateandinstall any pending Windows Updates.

Fix 7: Use System Restore

Windows Updates can fix many issues, but occasionally, they can also cause them. New features rolled out with an update can conflict with other software and settings on your PC, creating problems in your smoothly running system.

But that’s why we havethe System Restore utility. Using this setting you can roll back recent updates, restoring the system settings to their stable configuration.

Don’t worry – System Restore does not delete any files or other user data. It only restores the core system itself, leaving your applications untouched. And while you can alwayscreate manual System Restore points, the OS creates restore points for every major update as well.

Fix 8: Repair System Files

When your issue persists even after the drivers have been updated, the culprit might be the Windows system files themselves. Before you rush to reinstall Windows, know that you can easilyfix the system files using some built-in utilities.

SFC (System File Checker) is a command line utility that can scan the underlying system files and verify their integrity, restoring any corrupted or missing data from a backup Windows Image. Occasionally even the system image may be corrupted, which is why it is usually recommended to first run a DISM scan to verifyitsintegrity.

What’s the Best Way to Fix Brightness Adjustment Issues in Windows 11?

The advice of “Restart your PC” is a cliche, but for a very good reason – a lot of bugs disappear with a proper restart. It is only when that doesn’t work should you start looking for a fix.

Start with the simple things first; restarting the PC, trying the brightness adjustment keys on your keyboard, etc. After that come the more involved fixes like reinstalling drivers or Updating Windows.

If nothing else works the problem lies with your system files, so you should try using Windows Restore or scanning the PC with CHKDSK to restore the Windows system files to their correct configuration.

Levin Roy is a software engineer who loves writing about technology. Whether it is Windows tips-and-tricks or in-depth guides about application development, Levin uses his practical experience and technical skills to create articles that can help solve tricky problems.Read Levin’s Full Bio

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Can’t Adjust Brightness in Windows 11? Try These Fixes Now#

Fix 1: Restart Your Computer#

Fix 2: Plug-in Your Laptop#

Fix 3: Try All Methods of Adjusting Brightness in Windows#

Method 1: Try the Dedicated Button#

Method 2: Adjust Brightness From Settings#

Fix 4: Disable Auto-Brightness#

Fix 5: Update Graphics Drivers#

Fix 6: Install Windows Updates#

Fix 7: Use System Restore#

Fix 8: Repair System Files#

What’s the Best Way to Fix Brightness Adjustment Issues in Windows 11?#

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