Solved Problem with power settings

Have a Toshiba L550 laptop running an i5 core 8Gb RAM 7 Pro 64bit.

Now I noticed a thread somewhere the other day where someone had the same problem that I have in that the monitor goes really bright when I go on battery power and dims when I plug the power lead back in.

I have tried all the different settings in power options but to no avail.

Anyone got any suggestions please as it is becoming really annoying?

I had an identical problem with my Sony Vaio. Went into power plan settings and tried every combination. Nothing worked. Took my Vaio into a local authorized Sony repair facility. The tech shared the following with me:

1. Connect the lappy to AC power with no battery installed.

2. Set the screen brightness on AC power to the desired level using the Fn + F4 and Fn + F5 key combinations. (Your specific "F" keys to brighten/dim the screen may differ.)

3. Disconnect the computer from AC power. Install a fully charged battery.

4. Set the screen brightness on battery power to the desired level using the approrpiate "F" keys.

5. Once the brightness levels have been set for "AC - no battery" and "battery only", try switching between AC and battery to verify that these new default brightness settings have been saved.

No guarantees, John. But maybe it'll work for your Toshiba.

Thanks mate I have in the meantime been into my BIOS and although I changed nothing the power settings are back to bright on power and dim on battery.
However this is not the first time it has done this and I shall try your remedy next time. I just hope this machine is not on it's way out as I have had two consecutive Toshiba laptops that have been nothing but trouble and after I had pixel problems with a Toshiba monitor an definitely not going Toshiba ever again.

Notwithstanding just equipping it with 8GB RAM and a Crucial M4!

Come to think about it I am going to do what you have done anyway and see if that cures it permanently - thanks again for the heads up

Hiyya marsmimar mate I don't know what is going on with this machine but the brightness works in reverse either in Control Panel or the method you suggested.

My Fn +F6 is marked as the down brightness an the F7 the up and when set that way the Control panel shows both the power and battery brightness at the very lowest level. Some seriously weird stuff going on here it's bizarre to say the least.

But at least it is bright and I am not having to peer at the screen to make out stuff

This has happened since I fitted the SSD but I cannot for the life of me think that that has anything to do with it - could it?

That is very strange behavior. Found this Toshiba forum thread from July 2010 involving an L500 lappy. The solution was to enter BIOS and change Boot Speed from Fast to Normal. I have no idea why boot speed would affect screen brightness. But since an SSD is so much faster than a spinner and an SSD would make boot speeds faster . . .

Toshiba Support Forums: Satelitte L500-1ZP: Screen brightness ...

marsmimar said:

That is very strange behavior. Found this Toshiba forum thread from July 2010 involving an L500 lappy. The solution was to enter BIOS and change Boot Speed from Fast to Normal. I have no idea why boot speed would affect screen brightness. But since an SSD is so much faster than a spinner and an SSD would make boot speeds faster . . .

Toshiba Support Forums: Satelitte L500-1ZP: Screen brightness ...

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Mate I think you might have got it right there cos I know my boot in the BIOS is set to fast - I'll try changing it anyway and see what happens as the sound of a reinstall mentioned in that Toshy forum is not terribly appealing right now

Good luck, John. Doncha just love computers?

marsmimar said:

Good luck, John. Doncha just love computers?

Click to expand...

Yeah mate I do love them and you are a genius that fast / normal fix works!!

That's great news, John! Still wondering, though, what the relationship is between fast/normal boot and screen brightness. And why this is still an issue with Toshiba machines even after at least two years of people experiencing the problem. Guess it's just one of those mysteries of life.

BTW . . . I've been called many things in life . . . but genius has never been one of them.

Mate it is a Toshiba after all and after all the problems I have had with the two laptops and a monitor that I have owned nothing really surprises me.

Am never gong to but this brand again in fact you would have a job giving me one as I have had loads of problems with other Toshy laptops I have had to fix up for folks.

By the way you are what you are mate - genius - in my mind anyway