CF-19 MK1 and W7 Video Drivers and dim screen issues

Here is an odd one...

As many of you know, I am working through drivers issues after installing W7 on a CF-19C6GAXVM MK1.

First problem: Dim screen. Now as it is a Toughbook, I wouldn't think much on this. Except I SWEAR after the initial default W7 setup, it was MUCH brighter. I have tried to install the video drivers unsuccessfully. It seems like it is just turned down 3 maybe 4 steps. Hotkeys (FN +) and front panel keys are both working and show the same levels (turned up all the way).

This could simply be my imagination. But it has been nagging at me all day. First thing I though after loading this thing up was "Holy crap this is a bright screen!" Now, not so much. Sure, I could simply be loosing the backlight. It has been on near 16-18hrs a day now for the past week as I have been working through things and setting it all up.

Next: (pulled directly from my thread) Trying to install Video Drivers gets me the classic "os not compatible" warning. But, "Display Adapter" was already updated via the Intel updater. Monitor is a Digital Flat Panel, Microsoft generic. Everything is working, so should not sure I should poke this hornets nest further. Thoughts anyone???

It seems to have gotten dim, after one of my reboots today while things were updating. In fact that almost seems like it was after updating the video driver with the Intel Update... Hard to say as I went from a very bright office this morning, to a dim back area about the time it seemed to have gotten dim itself (no not one of the later models with a light sensor).

 

Anyone, anyone, Bueller, Bueller, Bueller?

I am positive this screen is dimmer than it was.... I have had no luck getting any of the Panasonic drivers to load that will support this platform and W7. Still, video otherwise seems fine.

I am wondering if it the screen brightness was not fully turned up when the key programs were setup, and in the process it got confused as to what the brightest setting is. It is annoying enough, I think I am reloadign it, again, just to see. If so, going to throw the XP .iso at it first and Update the BIOS.

I did accidentally use a different W7 .iso this round than I used for the first shot. It was a lot smaller (by over a GB) than the one I used the first time. A quick explanation of this is the last one was just a 32 bit and the previous one has 32 and 64 versions.

 

:hi2:

Okay I am POSITIVE now that it got whacked. I just loaded XP onto it. I can't change the screen brightness yet (no drivers or anything loaded and TONS of unknown devices). But sitting next to each other the CF-19 is NOTICEABLY brighter.

I suspect I know what did it too... Panasonic Dashboard for W7.

 

Think about the energy/power saving options in W7, just saying...

 

I think that is likely what happened. Dashboard interfaces with all of that too. I never got it actually working though... And not getting it working, makes it an even bigger suspect! I was taking detailed notes as I went along, but once things started going south I gave up on them.