Cannot adjust the brightness in Windows 10 1803

Anonymous
2018-05-12T01:25:19+00:00

I have a Dell L501X laptop with an i5-460m processor with Intel HD graphics first gen (driver 8.15.10.2900). After upgrading to Windows 10 vers. 1803 I've noticed that the brightness control is not working.  Because of this, I had to waste MY TIME and downgrade to ver 1709. Now I have to disable the windows update service in order to prevent the "feature upgrade". 

I contacted your support technicians and they told me that the brightness feature was removed in ver 1803. They always seem to be unprepared and they try simple tests that waste customer's time; in the end, I had to give up and downgrade to 1709... What's the point of having this mess MS???

Note: I tied to downgrade to Intel HD driver 2253 but it didn't help. 

Also, I tried to adjust the brightness from the Windows settings!!! I had been doing that for the last 2.5 years in Windows 10. Please share this message with the MS dev team so they can fix this bug in the upcoming KBs... of 1803!

DO NOT mark this post as SOLVED until a clear solution is posted!

Update: I discovered that if you disable the sensor service in services.msc the issue can be reproduced in v1709... It seems that MS has a bug with the sensor service in v 1803... hope this will help the MS dev team to fix in the next updates! We are MAKING PROGRESS!!!

UPDATE 2: changing the testfeaturecontrol to f810 from f800 in v1803 does not solve the issue. No progress, unfortunately!

UPDATE 3: Microsoft just released a KB4284835 for v1803 that addresses the brightness issues on certain laptops ... can someone confirm if the issue is resolved? The latest KB fixed the brightness issue!!! Thank you, Microsoft!

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Devices and drivers

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Anonymous
2018-06-09T13:58:12+00:00

Finally I have found a very clear situation, that explains all symptoms and why anyone has a solution that may work and may not!

First: Dell LX501X has two video adapters, primary Intel, secondary Nvidia GT 420M.

For Nvidia, DO NOT use WindowsUpdate Driver, because it corrupts Registry; use last driver available at Nvidia Site.

BUT this has no relevance for brightness problem, that is related to the Intel Video Adapter only!

Do not search for other versions of video Driver! Someone referred to version 2239 or other previous to 2900.

The problem is not driver version: it is OK the WindowsUpdate 8.15.10.2900; the problem is not the "FeatureTestControl" value: F800 found in 1709, remains unchanged in 1803 and is ok, no need to change it!

The problem is Windows kernel, and I explain why.

We all agree that in 1709 all works fine.

In 1803 brightness does not work, BUT, if I REINSTALL the SAME video driver ALREADY INSTALLED (forcing installation, even if the same version: it is possible, selecting "have a disk"), after this action, brightness WORKS FINE.

BUT, it works ONLY until NEXT BOOT: after next boot, the problem is present again.

So, in conclusion, to have brigthness working, I have to REINSTALL video driver AFTER EACH Pc power on!

Everyone, I think, must agree that this behaviour is a Windows Kernel Problem (in the area of variuos modules hierarchy linkage)!

It is a BUG that MUST be corrected BY Microsoft!

BE AWARE that brigthness, when works, works ONLY by means of keyboard Keys: the various Windows sliders have no effect; the situation is VERY CRAZY: moving the sliders, brigthness does not change; using keyboard Keys, sliders move according to...!

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  1. Anonymous
    2018-05-24T03:42:57+00:00

    I agree with you. I have exactly the same findings on my Dell L501X laptop

    I found several forums where they discuss the brightness issue on Intel4000/3000 in windows 10. I tried their suggestions but they did not work.  Maybe there is a setting in FeatureTestControl... I tried all the recommended suggestions for various Intel HD graphics without any luck... I cannot find a proper tutorial for FeatureTestControl, I think we are missing something here.

    https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows\_10-hardware-winpc/intel-hd-graphics-4000-and-windows-10-64bit/768697b3-0013-4e13-862c-bbdd03247275?auth=1

    http://leetcloud.blogspot.com/2014/10/windows-81-brightness-fix-intel-hd.html

    UPDATE: I found that FeatureControlTest value in Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\Class{4d36e968-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}\0000 isf810 in v1709 if i change that value the brightness doesn't wok anymore in v1709... can somebody test the f810 value in v1803???

    UPDATE 2: Tried the f810 in v1803 it doesn't work - don't waste your time. MS needs to fix this!

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-05-23T21:36:42+00:00

    my display driver is working property and it had the latest driver....your solution didn't work for me...

    today microsoft start to deliver KB4100403 update...now at this moment i'm downloading it, hope it fix this really annoying issue....

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-05-23T21:28:58+00:00

    THIS IS WHAT FIXED THE ISSUE FOR ME (Date: 23rd May 2018):

    1. I opened Device Manager. 
    2. Noticed that Display Adapters section was reporting problem (showing exclamation sign) for the "Intel HD Graphics 620". (This solution may work for other onboard graphics too).
    3. I right clicked on that and chose "Update driver" option. 
    4. On the pop-up window, I chose "Search automatically for updated driver software" option. 
    5. Windows searched and automatically installed the driver software over Internet and the Brightness Controls started working again immediately (without restarting the PC). 
    6. Device Manager also stopped reporting problem with Display Adapter.

    I hope this helps some of you if not all of you.

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  4. Anonymous
    2018-05-22T10:08:14+00:00

    Attention: what I said is wrong.

    Now I made more tests and this is the result.

    Versions 1709 and 1803 are IDENTICAL in behavior when any other video driver than Intel driver is operating (safe mode, recovery mode): brightnes remains at current level, UNLESS brigthness keyboard Keys are pressed: in this case brightness goes to its maximum value and changes no more.

    This is true, in both levels, also for "Microsoft Generic video driver".

    With Intel Driver (I consider only 8.15.10.2900 version, because previous versions show various bugs), brightness is changeable only in version 1709; in version 1803 the behavior is the same as Microsoft generic driver.

    There is a little, but catastrophic, difference, in 1803, between "normal" boot mode, and "safe or recovery" mode: brightness at startup in normal mode, instead to remain unchanged, is forced to maximum, in the same way one pressed the brightness keys.

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