Laptop Monitor Question

The up button on my Dell Inspiron is broken, so I can’t turn the brightness up (using Fn + up). I’ve explored Control Panel, and can’t find out how to turn it up in Power Options or Display, or anywhere else I thought to look in there. I had to turn it down all the way because I hurt my eye the other day, and now I can’t turn it up. Thanks in advance!

ETA: I posted to a thread in November suggesting to somebody else that they could find the setting by right-clicking the battery icon on the taskbar, but it doesn’t seem to be showing up???

You could plug in a USB keyboard and use the Up key on that.

Some BIOS setups will allow you to modify brightness using +/- keys on one of the pages (Usually in some Power Settings -> Display part of the BIOS setup)

That’s kind of what I was thinking, groman, but I don’t know how to get into the BIOS?

Askance, I had that idea last night, but I ran into two problems. First, my roommate’s keyboard wasn’t USB, and second, it doesn’t have a function key. If I can’t get into the BIOS tonight, maybe I’ll take it to a buddy’s and see if I can use the Fn key on the laptop and the up key on the keyboard at the same time.

This is so lame. :frowning:

When you boot up, before any of that “Starting Windows” starts, you should see either a POST (Power On Self Test) or more likely a manufacturer’s logo. Depending on the manufacturer, that screen usually provides instructions on how to get into the BIOS. Frankly, I don’t remember how to do it on a Dell, even though I have one at home :smack: . Typically it’s either pressing “F2”, “<Del>” or “F10” at a particular time during the POST. Sometimes you have to press a manufacturer specified button first like “[Tab]”.

Dell is F2.

Will it be pretty self evident what needs to be done to a user who is highly computer literate on the user interface level, but not on a BIOS/programming level?

I was thinking you’d use the Fn key on the laptop and the Up key on the external keyboard. If the laptop isn’t too new it ought to have a PS2 keyboard port still.

Hmm, I bought my laptop almost exactly two years ago (when school started).

Thanks for the help, guys! Once I got into the BIOS it was really simple.