The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Fn Brightness Keys not working

    Discussion in 'HP' started by Aiden1945, Dec 30, 2007.

  1. Aiden1945

    Aiden1945 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    77
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    I use Windows XP (HP 6710b with x3100) and there is no way I can make the brightness keys (Fn + F9 & F10) work. I know there was a bug with an older version of QuickLauch Buttons drivers and that there's also a problem with new Intel drivers released for X3100.

    The fact is that I've tried almost everything. I always do fresh installs of Windows XP from a license I own (despite HP fully supports XP and gave me a downgrade to XP from Vista for free). Installing the right (bug free) driver combination HP advices only works until I reboot, downloading the Intel driver from his own page and not installing any quicklaunch driver dones not work neither...

    I tried every combination possible, and always installing a fresh Windows wihtout any old driver or HP preloaded driver. Even without installing any driver (quicklaunuch buttons or Intel x31000), brightness keys don't work. They stop working when login screen loads in the Windows XP startup. Brightness keys work fine in Linux, Vista, BIOS setup screen...

    Please help me. It's a shame I cannot control the brightness of my laptop in Windows XP and HP support does not help me. It's been TWO MONTHS since i first told HP what the problem is and they just ignore all the users with a well known problem.
     
    Aiden1945, Dec 30, 2007
    #1
  2. cabral

    cabral Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    179
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    interesting...I have the same problem in XP. Just go to vista if possible I have tried many drivers with no luck.
     
    cabral, Dec 30, 2007
    #2
  3. Aiden1945

    Aiden1945 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    77
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    The problem is I have to use Windows XP, because some apps I need don't work in Vista. I don't like Vista anyway.

    Btw, I tried Windows 2000 (all XP drivers work in 2000 too) and the same problem remains. Is there some kind of universal digital OSD control? A third party program to control the brightness by hardware the way Fn keys do.
     
    Aiden1945, Dec 30, 2007
    #3
  4. tumnasgt

    tumnasgt Notebook Evangelist

    Reputations:
    80
    Messages:
    635
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Try using the downgrade disc they gave you, they might have put some extra drivers on the Windows disc, and if not, they should be on the driver disc. As HP says that it will work with XP and gave you a downgrade disc, give them a call if you still can't work it out.
     
    tumnasgt, Dec 30, 2007
    #4
  5. Aiden1945

    Aiden1945 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    77
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    I tried that too. I have 4 discs. HP gives you 2 clean (no bloatware or drivers) OS instalation discs (Vista and XP) and 2 drivers discs.

    You install the OS and then run the driver disc wich installs every driver needed. The system is ok, but the problem remains no matter what you do.
     
    Aiden1945, Dec 30, 2007
    #5
  6. Aiden1945

    Aiden1945 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    77
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
     
    Aiden1945, Jan 1, 2008
    #6
  7. Teraforce

    Teraforce Flying through life

    Reputations:
    3,055
    Messages:
    1,023
    Likes Received:
    114
    Trophy Points:
    81
    Do you have any Logitech devices (external keyboards/mice)? The Logitech SetPoint software has been known to disable the brightness controls on HP notebooks. Therefore, if you have SetPoint installed, uninstall it, and your brightness controls should start working again.
     
    Teraforce, Jan 1, 2008
    #7
  8. Aiden1945

    Aiden1945 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    77
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    I don't have any mouse, I just use the touchpad. Anyway, I tried a lot of clean installations and brightness control NEVER worked.
     
    Aiden1945, Jan 2, 2008
    #8
  9. mujjuman

    mujjuman Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    80
    Messages:
    1,071
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    56
    wow no idea why its not working. because you dont need drivers for those buttons to work
     
    mujjuman, Jan 3, 2008
    #9
  10. Aiden1945

    Aiden1945 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    77
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    I know. I don't understand how they have screw it that way, because fn+f3 (sleep) or fn+f4 (second monitor) always work anyway.
     
    Aiden1945, Jan 3, 2008
    #10
  11. RobbyG

    RobbyG Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    That's weird.. I have a DV6628 with XP and it works fine here.. but my keys are F7 and F8 for screen brightness.
     
    RobbyG, Jan 4, 2008
    #11
  12. Aiden1945

    Aiden1945 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    77
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    The trick is that when I suspend the laptop I get a few seconds to use the brightness keys. So if I want to change britness levels I just have to suspend/resume the computer.
     
    Aiden1945, Jan 5, 2008
    #12
  13. Aiden1945

    Aiden1945 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    77
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
     
    Aiden1945, Jan 9, 2008
    #13
  14. Teraforce

    Teraforce Flying through life

    Reputations:
    3,055
    Messages:
    1,023
    Likes Received:
    114
    Trophy Points:
    81
    And wouldn't you know it, my brigtness controls stopped working too, along with fn+f8 (battery status) and fn+f4 (internal/external monitor switching). Uninstalling HP Quick Launch buttons did the trick, but now the info center and presentation buttons no longer work....and HP no longer offers the HP quick Launch buttons software on their website....

    Unless I've suggested this before, I would try re-installing HP Quick Launch buttons, but since HP no longer offers the software on their website, this isn't possible.

    You can always just uninstall HP Quick Launch like I did, if you're willing to lose the HP Info center and Presentation mode button functionality.
     
    Teraforce, Jan 9, 2008
    #14
  15. ginigma

    ginigma Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    Mine stopped working after applying some patches; either the BIOS upgrade or the QP upgrade/security fix. I haven't had the time to troubleshoot yet.
     
    ginigma, Jan 9, 2008
    #15
  16. parvo99

    parvo99 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I just had the same problem. Except, my brightness was max on battery power, and low when plugged in. Anyways, I went into the BIOS, and reset to default, and the brightness keys started working again.
     
    parvo99, Jan 11, 2008
    #16
  17. Aiden1945

    Aiden1945 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    77
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
     
    Aiden1945, Jan 13, 2008
    #17
  18. parvo99

    parvo99 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    resetting the default BIOS settings didn't work?
     
    parvo99, Jan 17, 2008
    #18
  19. Nocturnal310

    Nocturnal310 Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    792
    Messages:
    2,708
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    resetting to default BIOS didnt work for me...

    HELP HELP!
     
    Nocturnal310, Jan 18, 2008
    #19
  20. weasler7

    weasler7 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    35
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    I installed the latest version of quick launch and it worked.
     
    weasler7, Jan 18, 2008
    #20
  21. Nocturnal310

    Nocturnal310 Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    792
    Messages:
    2,708
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    and where to get the latest version? ..pls give me the link
     
    Nocturnal310, Jan 18, 2008
    #21
  22. weasler7

    weasler7 Notebook Enthusiast

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    35
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    weasler7, Jan 19, 2008
    #22
  23. Aiden1945

    Aiden1945 Notebook Geek

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    77
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    15
    uuuuuuuuuuup
     
    Aiden1945, Jan 24, 2008
    #23
  24. tpass

    tpass Newbie

    Reputations:
    0
    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    5
    I also had this same problem with a 6710b after doing a fresh install of XP. It was only after installing the quick launch software that it finally worked. (SP38341.exe)

    Incidentally, this also was the last remaining item in device manager that was showing up before as an unknown device.
     
    tpass, Apr 17, 2008
    #24