Function key for Brightness not working in Windows 11/10

There are different ways to change the screen brightness, but the easiest way is to use the function keys. PCs of different brands have different function keys to control screen brightness. In this article, we will see what you should do if the Function key for brightness is not working on your Windows 11/10 computer.

Why isn’t my Brightness button working on Windows 11?

There can be many reasons why our brightness button is not working on Windows 11. The main cause of the problem is a corrupted driver. If your monitor and display drivers are corrupted, you will experience this problem. Another cause is the problem with your keyboard. Either your keyboard is damaged or its driver has malfunctioned.

Function key for brightness is not working in Windows 11/10

If the Function key for brightness is not working in Windows 11/10, the solutions provided below will help you.

1. Use the Fn key too
2. Run the appropriate troubleshooters
3. Make sure that the Generic PnP Monitor driver is enabled
4. Roll back or reinstall your keyboard driver
5. Uninstall and reinstall your Display driver
6. Uninstall the recent Windows Update
7. Install Microsoft Basic Display Adapter

Let’s see all these fixes in detail.

Can’t change screen brightness in Windows 11/10

1] Use the Fn key too

On a computer, more than one task is assigned to some Function keys. For example, on my laptop, the function key F2 is used to lower the screen brightness. But in general, the F2 function key is used to rename the files and folders on Windows computers. Hence, to manage dual tasks on a single-function key, an additional Fn key is provided on the keyboard and laptops. In my case, if I press the F2 key without pressing the Fn key, it lowers the screen brightness but if I press it along with the Fn key, it performs the basic task, like renaming the files and folders.

If your laptop has an Fn key, press it with and without the function key you use to control the screen brightness.

Read: How to change Function key behavior in Dell laptops

2] Run the appropriate troubleshooters

If the Fn key does not work or if your PC does not have the Fn key, the problem might be associated with your keyboard. If you have another keyboard, use it and see if it helps. We also suggest you run the following troubleshooter:

• Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter
• Keyboard Troubleshooter

The Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter is not available in Windows 11/10 Settings. Therefore, you have to use the Command Prompt to launch the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter.

3] Make sure that the Generic PnP Monitor driver is enabled

The Generic PnP driver tells the Windows operating system about the monitor connected to your computer. It is installed on both laptops and desktops. It is responsible for controlling the brightness of your display. If you disable this driver, you will not be able to change your screen brightness. Even moving the screen brightness control slider in Settings will not work after disabling this driver. Such an issue also occurs if this driver gets corrupted.

Check if this driver is enabled or not. Follow the steps written below:

• Open the Device Manager.
• Expand the Monitors branch.
• Right-click on the driver and click Enable device. The Enable device option is available only if the driver is disabled.

After enabling the Monitor driver, the problem should be fixed. If the Generic PnP Monitor driver shows a yellow warning sign, the problem is with your Monitor driver. Maybe it is corrupted. In this case, uninstalling and reinstalling the driver will help. Right-click on the Monitor driver and select Uninstall device. After uninstalling the driver, restart your computer. Windows will automatically detect the hardware changes when you restart your computer and install the missing driver.

4] Roll back or reinstall your keyboard driver

The problem might also be associated with your keyboard driver. First, roll back your keyboard driver. If this does not help or the Roll back option is greyed out, uninstall your keyboard driver and install it again. The following steps will guide you on this:

• Open the Device Manager.
• Expand the Keyboards branch.
• Right-click on your keyboard driver and select Uninstall device.
• Restart your computer.

After restarting the computer, the issue should get fixed. If the problem still persists, download the latest version of your keyboard driver from the manufacturer’s website and install it in compatibility mode. To do so, follow the steps written below:

• Right-click on the installer file and select Properties.
• Go to the Compatibility tab.
• Select the “Run this program in compatibility mode for” checkbox.
• Select Windows 8 in the drop-down.
• Click Apply and then click OK.

This should help.

5] Uninstall and reinstall your Display driver

The problem may also be related to your display driver. Uninstall and reinstall your display driver by using the method explained below:

1. Download the latest version of your display driver from the manufacturer’s website.
2. Install Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) and use it to completely remove your display driver.
3. Install the display driver using the installer file you downloaded in step 1 above.

6] Uninstall the recent Windows Update

Some users experienced the problem after updating their systems. Sometimes, installing Windows Updates causes problems on a computer. In this case, users can uninstall that problematic Windows Update. Uninstall the recent Windows Update if this is the case with you. This should fix the problem.

7] Install Microsoft Basic Display Adapter

Installing the Microsoft Basic Display Adapter has helped many users. Hence, it should also work for you. Go through the following instructions:

• Open the Device Manager.
• Expand the Display adapters branch.
• Right-click on your display driver and click Update driver.
• Click Browse my computer for drivers.
• Now, click Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.
• Select Microsoft Basic Display Adapter.
• Click Next and follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver.

Related: Function (Fn) keys not working on Windows laptop

How do I adjust brightness without Fn key?

In Windows 11/10, there are different ways to control brightness. If you do not want to use the Fn key, you can use the Windows 11/10 Settings app or Quick Settings menu. You can also use the Windows Mobility Center to change the brightness of your screen. You can launch Windows Mobility Center either from the Windows Search or from the Control Panel/ In addition to this; you can also use free brightness-controlling software.

Read next: Fix Display connection might be limited error on Windows.