X1 Gen 2 ? No Screen Brightness Controls!

I purchased this machine as a Christmas gift for my daughter (replacing a 15” Samsung Series 9), and it arrived a week before the holiday. I went to work installing various additional applications and updating the system before giving it to her (I’m an experienced, long term technical PC user). I ran the Lenovo driver update program and Windows update (it’s Windows 8.1, 64-bit OS) and was surprised that many new updates were downloaded and installed. I thought that a little strange given the machine was just Built/Imaged and I would have thought the resident software and OS would be current. No matter, I proceeded to install various additional apps to complete the machines configuration. That include Office 365, Norton Internet Security (both purchased from Lenovo), True Image 2015, etc. Everything seemed to go fine, I liked the machine and as a final step I did a backup image of the system using “True Image 2015”, it was now ready for Christmas.

It wasn't a day after my daughter started to get familiar with the new system she told me she couldn't adjust screen brightness using the “Adaptive Keyboard” function keys…..say what. I looked it over and not only didn't the function keys work, but the standard Windows brightness controls were completely missing! Those controls are the pop-up options you have when hovering over the system tray power icon, in the power plans configurations screens, etc., all were missing in action!

So now I start Troubleshooting and Hacking around for an answer. Going to Lenovo’s support driver download page, I check the Version numbers of the critical applications (BIOS, Intel HD Graphics 4000 drivers, Hot Key, Adaptive Keyboard, Power Management drivers, etc.) and all seem to be current on the system. I of course ran the Lenovo system scans, driver updates, etc. and all those return no problems with everything being current.

Next I call Lenovo’s Technical Support phone number and started the dialog with a “Technician”. They suggest I run the “TVSC” program again (Lenovo’s System scan utility) and see if the version was current (it was) and if any updates were needed (no problems), check BIOS version etc.; all the things I had already cycled through. They assigned an Incident #, a Service Request # and a box was sent out to return the system to their Depot for diagnostics. They felt it was a hardware problem, but my instincts thought this looked like a driver problem rearing its ugly head after either one of the Lenovo or Windows updates; or both.

Since I’m currently waiting for the Depot Return packaging to arrive, I continued to work the issue. Checking various blogs, forums, etc. I came across numerous similar postings with “Screen Brightness Control” problems. I tried a couple of directions others had used and seem to have stumbled upon a solution matrix that has “solved the problem”! …….. at least currently, so here we go…..

1. In Device Manager, change the Intel HD 4000 driver to the “Microsoft Basic Display Adapter”. Go to Display Adapter, highlight the Intel Driver, select “Update Driver Software”, “Browse My Computer for driver software”, “Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer”, Select the “Microsoft Basic Display Adapter”, hit next and complete. Now reboot.

2. Use “Programs and Features” and uninstall the Intel HD 4000 Graphics drivers, reboot.

3. At this point the Windows 8.1 screen brightness controls were again visible, but still were not functioning (no doubt now….. the Intel driver was causing the problem).

4. Next I ran the current version of the Lenovo “Hot Key Feature Integration” driver update and rebooted.

5. Success…...well, so far. The “Adaptive Keyboard Brightness Controls” are now working and the standard Windows screen brightness controls are present and work as well.

6. Now the acid test…..to reinstall the Intel HD 4000 driver set. Instead of directly using the current downloaded driver set from Lenovo, I used Windows to install the correct Intel drivers. Device Manager, Display Adapter, highlight the “Microsoft Basic Display Adapter”, “Search automatically for updated driver software”, complete and reboot.

7. Mission accomplished! “Adaptive Brightness Functions Keys” are working again, “Windows 8.1 Brightness Controls” are there and functioning and the Intel HD 4000 display drivers are installed and functioning (checking the Windows installed version, it’s the same as the current version shown on the Lenovo download site).

8. After action. I created a restore point and ran another complete backup image using “True Image”. Knowing its some type of driver matrix problem doesn’t forego future problems, but at least at this point the system is running fine. I never allow any updates to be installed automatically, rather notification first, I look them over and decide to install or not. If I’m concerned with what’s proposed as updates, I’ll create a “Healthy System Snapshot” by creating a “Windows Restore Point” and making a “Complete backup image” before proceeding; better safe than hacking for a solution .

Hope my journey on solving this little problem may help others…….