HP NC8430 - getting full display brightness on battery power?

[mysticfm]

I've got a new HP Compaq NC8430, and so far I like it very much. However, I cannot figure out how to get the display to run at full power and intensity when I'm running on battery power. I've used the Windows Power Options successfully (I think) to force the CPU to run at full speed on battery, but the display still stays in its "battery dim" mode no matter what I do. Am I looking in the wrong place? Isn't this supposed to be configurable on most laptops these days? (Other guys with whom I have meetings seem to be able to get their notebook displays to be nice and bright on battery power ... different modes, though.)

Yes, I know this would deplete the battery more quickly. I just want to be able to select this during meetings, when the machine won't need to run for very long in that mode, so that people can see reasonably well. I can't find anything about it in the HP documentation (other than talking about the Power Options dialog for processor power).

 

[imported_zippo]

I'm not an expert but the HP DV5000T that I have does the same thing as does my compaq. I just increase the brightness using the fn+f8 key (fucntion plus F8 key). Works for me.

 

[mysticfm]

On my NC8430, fn+F8 just brings up the Battery tab of the Power Options dialog. (The F8 key has a little blue battery symbol on it to reinforce this.) fn+f10 increases the brightness, but when it is maxed out the screen still is far dimmer on battery than when on external power ... so dim, in fact, that someone looking over my shoulder while it was on battery questioned me as to why it was so dim. Whereas on external power it is fine, so I don't think there is anything actually wrong with it.

So are you suggesting there's no way to tell the display on these machines not to run with less power when on battery (unlike the processor, where one can control this)?

 

[Marmion]

I have an nx8220, and as far as I know, you can't get the screen on battery power to be as bright as it is plugged in. I'm guessing you've tried enabling/disabling the light sensor aswell? (fn+f11 on my laptop, which is basically the same as yours bar the serial port and specs).

 

[mysticfm]

Originally posted by: Marmion
I have an nx8220, and as far as I know, you can't get the screen on battery power to be as bright as it is plugged in. I'm guessing you've tried enabling/disabling the light sensor aswell? (fn+f11 on my laptop).

Yep, same control here ... and I have indeed ended up disabling the ambient light sensor in an effort to get the display as bright as possible on battery. Even after that, it still wasn't nearly as bright as when on external A/C, unfortunately (as you've confirmed).

If anyone knows for certain if this is in any other way adjustable to be as bright on battery as on A/C, please buzz in. But I'm beginning to get the feeling that the answer is "can't be done", which is unfortunate. Guess I may have to start dragging my A/C adapter into the conference room.

(I do absolutely love this notebook, though, outside of this one annoyance.)

 

[Aussie D]

FIXED!!! I have the HP Compaq 6910p and had the same problem. To fix this problem you need to boot the computer while on battery power then just keep pressing the "increase brightness" button (function F10) until it finishes opening windows. From then on the screen will be full bright when you are on battery power. Hope this helps.