Display dims to 25% on battery

Display dims to 25% on battery - faulty?

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AP - 15 May 2007 23:30 GMT

Just got a new hp/compaq laptop and I'm amazed by the drop in display
brightness when it goes to battery - ie, when you pull the power lead out.
My old Thinkpad used to drop - to, I guess, 60 or 70%, but this one seems to
drop down to 25% or something. Really dim. Is this normal? Have I got a dud?
Or am I being really dumb in not knowing what to do about it? I've tried the
Help section and got nowhere. I've tried the display and power sections with
no success. Am I missing something obvious? Or might I have bought a pup?
All advice much appreciated.

Alan

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Frank Slootweg - 16 May 2007 15:54 GMT

> Just got a new hp/compaq laptop and I'm amazed by the drop in display
> brightness when it goes to battery - ie, when you pull the power lead out.
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> Alan

You don't specify a model, but my HP OmniBook vt6200 remembers
*seperate* brightness settings for on-power and on-battery.

I just tried this while I was on power: Increase brightness to maximum
(fn+f2), unplug power -> brightness drops considerably (to the
*remembered* on-battery level), increase brighness *again* (i.e. now
while on-battery), brightness is as bright as the maximum on-power
brighness.

Hope this helps.

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AP - 16 May 2007 15:56 GMT

Many thanks for your response - much appreciated. I don't suppose you know
any way to reset the 'remembered' settings? My old computer had a ac/battery
'brightness ratio' of perhaps 100/75 - if I could duplicate that on the new
one, that would be ideal (I don't need the thing to run at full brightness
on battery...just usable brightness.)

Thanks again.

>> Just got a new hp/compaq laptop and I'm amazed by the drop in display
>> brightness when it goes to battery - ie, when you pull the power lead
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
>
> Hope this helps.

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Frank Slootweg - 16 May 2007 18:28 GMT

> Many thanks for your response - much appreciated. I don't suppose you know
> any way to reset the 'remembered' settings? My old computer had a ac/battery
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> Thanks again.

Just set the brightness the way you like it and it will be remembered.
I.e. run on (mains) power -> set brightness, then run on battery and set
brightness. These two (on-power/on-battery) brightness settings will be
remembered. I.e. there is no difference between "reset" and "set".
"reset" is just set it to what you want.

> >> Just got a new hp/compaq laptop and I'm amazed by the drop in display
> >> brightness when it goes to battery - ie, when you pull the power lead
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
> >
> > Hope this helps.

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AP - 17 May 2007 11:16 GMT

Many thanks Frank. I guess now the real Homer question: how do I 'set
brightness'? I've been trying to find this in the help, display, power,
screensaver and god knows what other sections...but without success. (I'm on
XP, by the way - sorry, should've said.) Thanks again. Alan.

>> Many thanks for your response - much appreciated. I don't suppose you
>> know
[quoted text clipped - 45 lines]
>> >
>> > Hope this helps.

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Ben Myers - 17 May 2007 14:25 GMT

I'm not familiar with your model of HP, but the motherboard BIOS is where the
screen brightness gets set for most notebook computers. There are two
settings, one for brightness when running on battery and one when running on
line power.

You would think that there would be something in the Control Panel Power or
Display settings, but there is not for good reason. Screen brightness is not
exactly a standardized feature in the design of the BIOS, so the notebook
manufacturer would have to provide a custom driver to control brightness. Most
of them do not want to spend the money to develop and support a Windows driver.

... Ben Myers

>Many thanks Frank. I guess now the real Homer question: how do I 'set
>brightness'? I've been trying to find this in the help, display, power,
[quoted text clipped - 49 lines]
>>> >
>>> > Hope this helps.

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AP - 17 May 2007 15:40 GMT

Interesting....sounds to me like someone at HP screwed up. As a default, I'd
guess they should set this ratio at perhaps 100/75 (AC/batt); mine's more
like 100/25. Sounds like the BIOS needs resetting; not a job I'm keen to
take on with a brand new machine...

Thanks for your help - much appreciated.

Alan.

> I'm not familiar with your model of HP, but the motherboard BIOS is where
> the
[quoted text clipped - 77 lines]
>>>> >
>>>> > Hope this helps.

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craigm - 17 May 2007 16:34 GMT

> Interesting....sounds to me like someone at HP screwed up. As a default,
> I'd guess they should set this ratio at perhaps 100/75 (AC/batt); mine's
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Alan.

Have you tried adjusting the brightness from the keyboard?

craigm

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AP - 17 May 2007 17:04 GMT

I've tried - I was recommended Fn+f2 - nada. (Needless to say the thing came
only with a 'Getting Started' guide - 'bout as much meat as a vegans'
convention...)

>> Interesting....sounds to me like someone at HP screwed up. As a default,
>> I'd guess they should set this ratio at perhaps 100/75 (AC/batt); mine's
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> craigm

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craigm - 17 May 2007 17:34 GMT

> I've tried - I was recommended Fn+f2 - nada. (Needless to say the thing
> came only with a 'Getting Started' guide - 'bout as much meat as a vegans'
> convention...)

You don't say what model you have - that would be useful.

On my notebook Fn+f7 and Fn+f8 are the brightness. Fn+f2 is the printer.

craigm

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Frank Slootweg - 18 May 2007 14:58 GMT

> > I've tried - I was recommended Fn+f2 - nada. (Needless to say the thing
> > came only with a 'Getting Started' guide - 'bout as much meat as a vegans'
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> On my notebook Fn+f7 and Fn+f8 are the brightness. Fn+f2 is the printer.

Indeed.

AP, *look* at the symbols on the keys. While the *specific keys* might
be different on different models (mine is fn+f1 and fn+f2, but my wife's
is like craig's, fn+f7 and fn+f8), the *symbols on the keys* are
(probably) the same, i.e. a small sun with an up/down arrow, i.e. "sun
up" is increase brightness, "sun down" is decrease brightness. Not
really rocket science :-) and AFAIK it *is* in the Getting Started
guide.

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AP - 18 May 2007 15:47 GMT

Apologies - I'd assumed these things were standardised. The model's nx 6325.
I shall indeed check the symbols. (When I get home...I'm at work right now).
Many thanks. Oh incidentally, unless I'm completely blind, it *isn't* in the
getting started guide. The nearest you get is that the Fn key does things
when combined with others - what others, and what they do, is not described.

>> > I've tried - I was recommended Fn+f2 - nada. (Needless to say the thing
>> > came only with a 'Getting Started' guide - 'bout as much meat as a
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> really rocket science :-) and AFAIK it *is* in the Getting Started
> guide.

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craigm - 18 May 2007 18:44 GMT

> Apologies - I'd assumed these things were standardised. The model's nx
> 6325. I shall indeed check the symbols. (When I get home...I'm at work
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>> really rocket science :-) and AFAIK it *is* in the Getting Started
>> guide.

Try this link (it is a long one, you may have to cut and paste).

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/CoreRedirect.jsp?redirectReason
=DocIndexPDF&prodSeriesId=1849082&targetPage=http%3A%2F%2Fh20000.www2.hp.com%2Fb
c%2Fdocs%2Fsupport%2FSupportManual%2Fc00730264%2Fc00730264.pdf

It was found on this page.

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/DocumentIndex.jsp?contentType=S
upportManual&lang=en&cc=us&docIndexId=179111&taskId=101&prodTypeId=321957&prodSe
riesId=1849082

craigm

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AP - 21 May 2007 11:14 GMT

Thanks very much Craig - I shall print off a copy and read it. There is, it
turns out, no problem with the machine - once you chaps flagged up the Fn+
facility, it was obvious. Perhaps I should've known that. But I didn't. Not
had much experience with laptops. And I can confirm there's nothing directly
on it in the Getting Started guide. Personally I think that's a bit daft,
but either way, many thanks for your help. Alan.

>> Apologies - I'd assumed these things were standardised. The model's nx
>> 6325. I shall indeed check the symbols. (When I get home...I'm at work
[quoted text clipped - 33 lines]
>
> craigm

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