Screen Dims drastically on Surface Pro 7+. Unable to view icons or writing.

McPhie, Curtis 0 Reputation points
2026-09-03T16:33:50.9633333+00:00

Screen Dims down to a point of being unable to view contents on screen. Is there a Keyboard Short cut that will allow for the screen to return to a viewable state.

Surface | Surface Pro | Display and screen
0 comments

2 answers

Sort by: Oldest
Most helpful Newest Oldest

  1. AI answer

    2026-09-03T16:34:06.1533333+00:00

    Try these keyboard shortcuts first:

    1. Windows logo key + Ctrl + Shift + B to reset the graphics driver. This can help if the screen has gone very dim or appears black.
    2. Windows logo key + P to cycle display/project modes in case the display mode changed.
    3. Ctrl + Alt + Del to bring up the security screen, which can help wake the display.

    If the screen becomes viewable again, check these settings to stop it happening repeatedly:

    1. Go to Start > Settings > System > Display.
    2. Open Brightness.
    3. Set Change brightness based on content to Off.
    4. If available, look for Change brightness automatically when lighting changes and turn it off.

    On Surface devices, adaptive brightness and contrast can change brightness based on what is on screen. Turning Change brightness based on content to Off disables that behavior. Connecting the Surface to power can also temporarily disable this feature.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

  2. S.Sengupta 32,366 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2026-09-04T00:48:18.6133333+00:00

    Fn + Del → 🔆 Increase screen brightness

    Fn + Backspace → 🔅 Decrease screen brightness

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.