Laptop has gone dim ...

July 17, 2006 7:28 AM

I left my HP/Compaq laptop in my work bag an un-air conditioned part of the house during the 90-degree weekend. I can't imagine that it was under sustained temperatures any higher than 85 deg., give or take the high humidity. This morning, the screen is ultra-dim. Is this likely to be an effect of the heat?
posted by blueshammer to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)

I don't know about laptops, but I left my cell phone in my car once during a 95 degree F day, and the screen was very dim. I turned it off and cooled it down. The screen was normal when I restarted it.
posted by muddgirl at 7:37 AM on July 17, 2006

Is it dim on power (i.e. plugged into wall outlet) or battery? They use less power on battery by dimming the screen. Just a thought...I know my HP also has buttons (on power or battery) using the FN key to increase or decrease the brightness of the screen. You may want to try that and see.

I have not had an issue like this when leaving mine in heat, but I have had such an issue with the cell phone (it was an LED phone though, not LCD like the laptop).

Good luck!
posted by criticman at 7:41 AM on July 17, 2006

85 - 90 degrees doesn't seem hot at all
posted by reverendX at 7:45 AM on July 17, 2006

LCD's are indeed ambient temperature sensitive. Hopefully, letting it stand in a cooler environment for a couple hours solved your problem.
posted by baylink at 8:08 AM on July 17, 2006

baylink is right. had the same problem with a bike computer i left out in the sun over the weekend.
posted by lester at 8:11 AM on July 17, 2006