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Any way around a broken function key?

  • 24-10-2010 11:28pm
    #1
    Agrigo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13 ✭


    Ok so ill start by saying sorry. I know this has nothing to do with broadband but its the closest I could find.

    Basically the "Fn" key may have gotten some bbq sauce into it, but long story short its boned along with some other keys. Now I went out and bought a new keyboard which would be all fine and dandy but due to it not having a "fn" the screen is still stuck in low lighting mode!

    I have heard I can change this through the bios but I have no idea how to do that at all! anyone have any ideas that dont involve buying a new laptop or keyboard? the make and modle is a dell inspiron 1501.

    Thanks for any help you can offer! :)


Comments

  • #2
    jor el
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,713 ✭✭✭✭jor el


    Agrigo wrote: »
    Ok so ill start by saying sorry. I know this has nothing to do with broadband but its the closest I could find.

    Moved to the Laptops Forum.


  • #3
    whitesands
    Closed Accounts Posts: 326 ✭✭whitesands


    Not a fix but a possible workaround, I don't know if there is an Fn key on the virtual keyboard in programs-accessories-accessability-on screen keyboard ???

    I'm on a PC so can't check.


  • #4
    squod
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,704 ✭✭✭squod


    Agrigo wrote: »
    Ok so ill start by saying sorry. I know this has nothing to do with broadband but its the closest I could find.

    Basically the "Fn" key may have gotten some bbq sauce into it, but long story short its boned along with some other keys. Now I went out and bought a new keyboard which would be all fine and dandy but due to it not having a "fn" the screen is still stuck in low lighting mode!

    I have heard I can change this through the bios but I have no idea how to do that at all! anyone have any ideas that dont involve buying a new laptop or keyboard? the make and modle is a dell inspiron 1501.

    Thanks for any help you can offer! :)


    You're sure it's stuck in low lighting mode? Not a broken backlight? Have you tried to right click on the desktop and see if the video card/ chip can adjust brightness settings in the video driver control panel.


  • #5
    Agrigo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13 ✭Agrigo


    ya its deffo the function key.

    When I unplug the laptop the back light goes to full brightness! trying to use the dell quick-set to tell the laptop that it should be on full light when plugged in does not seem to work either. I ust to just press fn + up and adjust it that way but not anymore :(

    Also the on screen keyboard does not have the function key either in it, but thanks for thinking outside the box! :)

    Thanks for the move to laptop... I must be blind and not have seen it ^^

    Thanks for the help, keep it coming =]


  • #6
    Agrigo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13 ✭Agrigo


    squod wrote: »
    You're sure it's stuck in low lighting mode? Not a broken backlight? Have you tried to right click on the desktop and see if the video card/ chip can adjust brightness settings in the video driver control panel.

    sorry just noticed the second part there :) i can adjust the gamma and the brightness through the driver controll panel (ATI). But the actual backlight i can not do there :(


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  • #7
    Knasher
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,370 ✭✭✭Knasher


    You're right, you can change it through the bios. On my old laptop, which is also a Dell, you can change the brightness by going into the BIOS during the POST stage (which is right after you boot) by pressing alt+f2. It may be a different key or key combination, but it should tell you on the post screen. After that just look through the settings to get to the brightness setting. Alt+p changes the pages on my laptop.

    Failing that if you have the Dell software that came with your laptop installed you may be able to change the setting from inside that. I think it was called quickset but I can't check as I have linux on mine.


  • #8
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 93,596 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    yeah check the BIOS for settings as for dell's you can usually use the scroll lock on an external keyboard as Fn


  • #9
    Agrigo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13 ✭Agrigo


    Knasher wrote: »
    You're right, you can change it through the bios. On my old laptop, which is also a Dell, you can change the brightness by going into the BIOS during the POST stage (which is right after you boot) by pressing alt+f2. It may be a different key or key combination, but it should tell you on the post screen. After that just look through the settings to get to the brightness setting. Alt+p changes the pages on my laptop.

    Failing that if you have the Dell software that came with your laptop installed you may be able to change the setting from inside that. I think it was called quickset but I can't check as I have linux on mine.

    I have tried the bios but there is no real option for display! im not too sure if you are talking about a different bios (post one?) but i have no idea how to access any other one bar mashing f2 while booting :S

    Thanks for thinking tho, ill keep trying pressing alt as well as f2 :)

    Brian


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