I have a Samsung or Lenovo Notebook with Intel HD Graphics. Why Can't I Adjust the Brightness of the Display?

Problem

Some models of older notebook do not allow you to adjust the display brightness if you use an updated Intel HD Graphics Video driver. This means that the following functionality doesn't work:

Automatic reduction of screen brightness to save energy, when disconnecting the AC mains supply.
Automatic brightness reduction depending on ambient light level (certain applicable models only)
The ability to adjust the screen brightness manually depending on personal preference, using the function keys.

This behaviour has been seen in Lenovo and Samsung models and may apply to others. It mainly applies to systems that use Sandybridge CPUs (Intel HD Graphics HD 2000 / HD 3000) and Ivybridge CPUs (Intel HD Graphics HD 2500 / HD 4000).

Cause

This issue is caused by a manufacturer customisation of the video system. If you install the older, manufacturer provided original video driver and the functionality returns, then you may be affected by this issue. If you have upgraded your video driver, or perhaps upgraded operating system and have automatically received a later video driver, and the problem appears, then again, you are likely affected by this issue.

For example:

Samsung NP400B4C-A01UK

Latest Provided Samsung Reference Video Driver: Intel HD4000 Graphics Driver 8.15.10.2712 for Windows 7 64bit

Upgrading to a newer Windows 7 driver from Intel stops the brightness adjustment functionality from working.
Reverting to either the Samsung 8.15.10.2712 driver or the 8.15.10.2712 driver from Intel directly restores the functionality.
Upgrading to Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 and using the latest Intel Video Driver (either from Microsoft or from Intel) will again stop the brightness adjustment functionality from working.

Resolutions

Please follow the steps below to resolve this problem:

1/ Check your notebook's manufacturer's website for an updated video driver for your model and operating system.

2/ Or, check to see if there is an updated Onscreen Display or Hotkey Utility for your model and the new operating system.

In the case of the example Samsung NP400B4C, neither of these apply. There are no newer video drivers available for Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 which provide this functionality. The Samsung Easy Settings program from Windows 8 can be installed on Windows 8.1 or Windows 10, but does not provide this functionality.

3/ We have a third alternative resolution which involves a registry fix. This has been tested on Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 on both Samsung and Lenovo machines.

Note: This registry fix has been tested on a limited number of models and situations. Please thoroughly test that this registry fix solves your problems and meets your user's needs before deploying it on a wide scale.

Download the file attached
Extract the .REG file and double click to install it onto the target system.
Reboot the system.
Test that when you disconnect the AC mains adapter, that the screen dims automatically. If it does not, check your Power Plan that it is configured correctly.
Test that the brightness hotkeys function. If it does not, and the onscreen Windows brightness indicator graphic does not appear, you may need to reinstall the Video driver using the full package from the Intel website, then reapply the fix again, reboot, and re-test.
If the Windows provided graphics indicator does appear and the brightness level does not adjust, ensure you rebooted the system after applying the fix.
If the fix stil does not appear to work, try the alternative registry file, reboot and re-test.

Please also note that if you reinstall or upgrade the video driver in the future, you will need to reapply the fix. If you are managing multiple users in a domain environment, you may wish to deploy the registry settings as part of computer settings group policy.

This fix works by changing the value of "FeatureTestControl" to 0000f048 in several places in the registry.

4/ As a final option, try using the Microsoft Basic Display Adapter driver instead of the updated Intel HD Graphics display driver. However, note that video performance is likely to be reduced and the system may even have less battery runtime as it may consume more energy.

Steps

Applies to:

Third Party Branded Notebooks with 2nd or 3rd Generation Intel Core Processors, using Intel HD Graphics.