lap top screen going dark

Hi,
I have a Compaq lap top, Windows XP, every once in awhile it would do this but this time I can't get it back to not doing it.....sometimes when I turn my lap top on the screen is dark, not black, I can still see it but it's really dark, but if I un plug it it get's bright like it should be. i used to be able to unplug it turn it off then plug it back in and turn it on and it be fine, but that didn't work this time (and like 20 more times!!) Anyone have any suggestions on what this problem can be???

thanks, Rhonda

 

In my expert opinion (im not an expert by the way). I belive your brightness settings must be turned down when it is plugged in, there is more than likely a function key on your lap top that has a picuture of a sun or something of that sort to indicate brightness adjustment. You just hold down your Fn (Function)key on your key board and press the key that has the Sun picture and an up arrow on it until the screen brightens up (lap tops have keys that have extra functions on it like little writing above what the key should be). As for my brightness control on my lap top it is found on the up and down arrows on the key pad. This seems to me to be the problem because your plugged in and un-plugged modes have differnt power settings, so when its plugged in the brightness could be maxed out and on the un-plugged setting the brightness could be turned way down. And make sure to adjust your brightness setting when the screen is dark not when its already bright (not sure if you would figure that one out). Ill check out how to adjust your brightness without using the function key and hopefully i can find it soon. But i'll leave you with this for now incase you get this post right away.

Ok I looked at a Compaq Laptop and it looks like on most of them the keys that control your brightness are your F9 and F10, but i did see one that its controlled from F8 and F9. So you would just hold down the little Fn key on the bottom row of your keyboard and press the corresponding button with the picture of the sun and up arrow until the screen gets brighter.

Alast if your are at a loss and cannot find this key here is a site that shows you pictures of those keys and a little bit of an explanation
Brightness Explenation