How to Fix Brightness Slider Missing on Windows?

Not being able to change the brightness of your screen from the taskbar or the Notification Center is a big inconvenience for Windows 10 users, as they would alternatively have to search for brightness settings deep inside the Settings app each time they need to change the brightness of the screen.

If you are not able to find the option to change the brightness anywhere in your taskbar or the Notification Center, you’ve come to the right place as we have gathered several great methods to make sure you resolve this problem as soon as possible! The slider was apparently introduced in Feature Update 1903.

What Causes the Brightness Slider to Go Missing on Windows 10?

New Windows 10 updates often bring design changes to the taskbar and the Notification Center, but the brightness slider should still be available somewhere in that area. There are quite a few things which can cause it to go missing, and we have decided to list the most important causes for you to check out below:

Solution 1: Enable a Device in Device Manager

This simple method was suggested by a user on a forum, and many other users were able to benefit from this method even though it appears to be totally unrelated to the problem. The key is to enable the device you have under the Monitors section in Device Manager. Enabling this device should resolve the problem and return the brightness slider back to where it belongs!

1. Click the Start menu button, type “Device Manager” on your keyboard, and select the tool from the list of available results by clicking the first entry in the list. You can also tap the Windows Key + R key combo to bring up the Run box. Type in “devmgmt.msc” in the box and click OK to run it.

2. To properly perform this method, expand the Monitors section in Device Manager by clicking the arrow next to it, right-click on the only device you find there, and choose the Enable device option if available.

3. If it’s already enabled, choose the Properties option from the context menu instead and navigate to the Driver tab. Check to see if the Driver Provider is anyone but Microsoft (e.g., TeamViewer). If it is, click the Uninstall button in the same tab and confirm your choice in the next dialog box.
4. You can now go back to Device Manager and click Action from the top menu. Click the Scan for hardware changes option and it will check for devices without drivers and reinstall them automatically.

5. Confirm any dialogues or prompts which may ask you to confirm your choice and check to see if the brightness slider is still missing on Windows 10!

Solution 2: Update Your Graphics Card Driver

This is quite a straightforward way of resolving the problem, and it’s definitely something you should try immediately. Reinstalling the driver won’t do you any harm, and it’s recommended that you always have the latest drivers installed. Follow the steps below to perform a clean install of the latest NVIDIA driver.

1. Tap the Start menu button, type “Device Manager,” and select it from the list of available search results by clicking the first one. You can also utilize the Windows Key + R key combo to bring up the Run dialog. Type in “devmgmt.msc” in the dialog box and click OK to run it.

2. To install the video card driver you want to update on your computer, expand the Display adapters section, right-click on your graphics card, and choose Uninstall Device.

3. Confirm any pop-up dialogs or prompts which may ask you to confirm the uninstallation of the current graphics device driver and wait for the process to complete.
4. Look for your graphics card driver on NVIDIA’s or AMD’s website. Input the required information about the card and your operating system and click on Search or Submit.

5. A list of all available drivers should appear. Make sure you scroll down until you reach the required entry, click on its name, and then click the Download button. Save it to your computer, open it, and follow the instructions on-screen.
6. When you reach the Installation Options screen, choose the Custom (Advanced) option before clicking Next. You will be presented with a list of components to be installed. Check the box next to the Perform a clean installation option, click Next, and install the driver.

7. Check to see if the problem has been resolved and if the brightness slider is back!

Solution 3: Return the Brightness Setting to Quick Actions

It’s also possible that someone or something has removed the brightness management option from the Quick actions menu in the Notification Center. It’s very easy to bring back the brightness options simply by using the Windows 10 Settings app.

1. Search for Settings in the Start menu and click on the first result that pops up. You can also click directly on the cog button at the lower left part of the Start menu or use the Windows Key + I key combination.

2. Locate the System section at the bottom part of the Settings window and click on it. Navigate to the Notifications & actions tab and check under the Quick actions section.
3. Locate the Add or remove quick actions button below and click on it to open the list of all quick actions. Scroll down until you locate brightness and set the slider next to it to On.

4. Check to see if the problem has been resolved and if the brightness slider is back to where it belongs!

Solution 4: Update Windows to the Latest Version

The latest versions of Windows 10 seem to have resolved this problem for good, as long as it wasn’t caused by third-party programs. Updating your operating system to the latest version is always helpful when it comes to dealing with similar errors, and users have reported that the latest Windows 10 versions actually address this problem specifically.

1. Use the Windows Key + I key combination to open Settings on your Windows PC. Alternatively, you can search for “Settings” by using the search bar located at the taskbar.

2. Locate and open the “Update & security” section in the Settings. Stay in the Windows Update tab and click on the Check for updates button under the Update status to check whether there is a new version of Windows available.

3. If there is an update, Windows should install it immediately and you will be prompted to restart your computer afterward.

Note: If you have experienced this issue after updating your BIOS or making changes to the BIOS, it is recommended to reset your BIOS to factory defaults.