# Laptop Monitor Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 30, 2008, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-monitor-question/458197 "2008-07-30T03:47:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-monitor-question/458197/1 "2008-07-30T03:47:59Z")
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??? ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-monitor-question/458197/2 "2008-07-30T04:44:42Z")
You could plug in a USB keyboard and use the Up key on that. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-monitor-question/458197/3 "2008-07-30T11:36:58Z")
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) ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-monitor-question/458197/4 "2008-07-30T13:40:45Z")
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. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-monitor-question/458197/5 "2008-07-30T14:20:59Z")
[QUOTE=Santo Rugger] That’s kind of what I was thinking, **groman** , but I don’t know how to get into the BIOS? [/QUOTE] 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”, “\” or “F10” at a particular time during the POST. Sometimes you have to press a manufacturer specified button first like “[Tab]”. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-monitor-question/458197/6 "2008-07-30T16:52:26Z")
Dell is F2. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-monitor-question/458197/7 "2008-07-30T17:15:56Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2008, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-monitor-question/458197/8 "2008-07-31T05:04:48Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2008, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-monitor-question/458197/9 "2008-07-31T05:14:15Z")
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.