Screen dimming after 20 seconds

jds020319 · 06 May 2021

This just started today, but my laptop screen dims every 20 seconds if I'm not doing anything. Doesn't matter if I'm gaming, watching a video or whatever, if there's no mouse movement or key strokes, the screen dims from it's highest to lowest setting without fail.

I've tried adjusting the power options, ensured that 'turn off display' and 'sleep' are set to 'never' for all settings, confirmed my drivers on my GPU are up to date, ran all Windows updates, checked the registry and confirmed that the brightness settings are set to %100... I'm at a complete loss as to why this is happening. What's even more strange is that nothing, that I'm aware of, updated today or yesterday, but the issue began as soon as I started my laptop this morning...

If anyone has any ideas or suggestions on how to stop this, I'd love to hear them.

idgat · 07 May 2021

Are there separate settings for the screen "outside" of the Windows power settings? Some screens offer settings for different usage - Standard, Dynamic, Video, etc. Check the device manual.

Make/model of laptop.

Check the Update history > Driver updates. Any recent firmware/display/video updates?

Try3 · 07 May 2021

I used to get this. I fixed it using

Add or Remove Dim display after from Power Options - TenForumsTutorials

Using the interface is a bit easier than setting the value using PowerCfg commands but, just for info, this is the relevant PowerCfg section. Settings these values to 0 stops that dimming.

Subgroup GUID: 7516b95f-f776-4464-8c53-06167f40cc99 (Display)

GUID Alias: SUB_VIDEO

Power Setting GUID: 17aaa29b-8b43-4b94-aafe-35f64daaf1ee (Dim display after)

GUID Alias: VIDEODIM

Minimum Possible Setting: 0x00000000

Maximum Possible Setting: 0xffffffff

Possible Settings increment: 0x00000001

Possible Settings units: Seconds

Current AC Power Setting Index: 0x00000000

Current DC Power Setting Index: 0x00000000

Denis

jds020319 · 07 May 2021

Try3 said:

I used to get this. I fixed it using

Add or Remove Dim display after from Power Options - TenForumsTutorials

Thanks, but I'd actually tried that before I posted here. I managed to figure it out this morning, though. I noticed it didn't dim the screen at the logon page after powering the computer on, so assumed it had to be a program launching when the PC starts. Looking through my startup applications, I noticed something called Tobii was running at the start; some sort of eye tracking thing. Disabled it and it's no longer dimming the screen!

Try3 · 07 May 2021

JDS,

I'm glad it is sorted out now.

If you do ever decide to investigate further [so you can make use of Tobii], I think it would be worthwhile checking the state of the PowerCfg results I coloured blue in my previous post both before & after Tobii starts.
- If all Tobii is doing is overwriting those entries when it starts up then you might be able to leave it on but automatically follow it up with a batch file to set those values back to 0 afterwards.

To get PowerCfg properties, I use this command [in a cmd or PS window, both can run it]

Code:

PowerCfg -qh >D:\Desktop\PowerProperties.txt

- You'd want to replace my D:\Desktop with the path to a convenient folder of your own choosing.
- The -qh switch lists all current power plan properties. Using the more standard switch -q omits 'hidden' power properties which can be misleading. The -qh switch was still not documented anywhere the last time I looked but has existed since Windows 7 if not earlier.
- PowerCfg - SS64

Denis

Try3 · 12 May 2021

You might also be interested in this link, posted by forum member Paul Black,
Get started with eye control - MSSupport

Denis