dim screen Imac mid 2011 el Capitan

25 Jan 2022 20:33:47

Eric Jervis

When I started up today the screen was about half as bright as usual. I restarted with the same result, so I started up again on Mountain Lion, still dim; restarted on El Cap same result, which made things very difficult to watch. However, I attended a Zoom meeting on which the screen was now normal brightness. The meeting has now finished and the normal brightness is still there.
Any ideas anyone?

Re: dim screen Imac mid 2011 el Capitan

25 Jan 2022 21:36:48

Tony Still

Presumably you've tried the brightness control in System Preferences (on the Apple menu) in the displays section?

Re: dim screen Imac mid 2011 el Capitan

26 Jan 2022 10:23:24

Eric Jervis

No, but I was hoping that there was such a thing! Hmm, I've had a look but it must be lurking somewhere and wearing a mask.....

Re: dim screen Imac mid 2011 el Capitan

26 Jan 2022 10:56:06

Drew McFarlane

System Preferences > Displays > Brightness.

Re: dim screen Imac mid 2011 el Capitan

26 Jan 2022 11:36:49

Eric Jervis

AHA! I've twigged it, silly me for trying to find it on my Mini.....
Thank you Tony and Drew, it is set to maximum brightness, but that doesn't explain why it would choose to alter its own settings willy nilly; I'll wait for it to happen again and check system prefs immediately. I suspect a hardware problem though, gulp.

Re: dim screen Imac mid 2011 el Capitan

26 Jan 2022 11:46:37

Douglas Cheney

You also have on the keyboard F1 and F2 for altering the screen brightness

Re: dim screen Imac mid 2011 el Capitan

27 Jan 2022 10:11:29

Eric Jervis

Thanks Doug, I'll give that a try!

Re: dim screen Imac mid 2011 el Capitan

27 Jan 2022 17:36:37

Tony Still

As to how it happened, Doug may have put his finger on it (!).

Re: dim screen Imac mid 2011 el Capitan

28 Jan 2022 10:31:49

Eric Jervis

Ooo, Tony, you are a one!

Re: dim screen Imac mid 2011 el Capitan

28 Jan 2022 13:03:27

Eleanor Spenceley

This is a well known problem in IT support teams, they call it a 'PEBCAK' type error. (Ducking quickly for cover :-)

Re: dim screen Imac mid 2011 el Capitan

28 Jan 2022 14:30:20

Eric Jervis

hee hee hee

Re: dim screen Imac mid 2011 el Capitan

29 Jan 2022 09:04:16

Euan Williams

dimity | ˈdɪmɪti |
noun [mass noun ]
a hard-wearing cotton fabric woven with stripes or checks: a nightcap in white dimity edged with lace | [as modifier ] : gay dimity curtains.
ORIGIN
late Middle English: from Italian dimito or medieval Latin dimitum, from Greek dimitos, from di- ‘twice’ + mitos ‘warp thread’; the origin of the final -y is unknown.

Re: dim screen Imac mid 2011 el Capitan

29 Jan 2022 12:13:02

Drew McFarlane

PEBCAK

Stands for Problem Exists Between Chair and Keyboard.

Re: dim screen Imac mid 2011 el Capitan

30 Jan 2022 10:24:13

Eric Jervis

Y oh Y oh Y.....

Re: dim screen Imac mid 2011 el Capitan

30 Jan 2022 18:57:53

Eric Jervis

just happened again - system prefs - displays - it had reset itself to dim - unchecked 'automatically adjust brightness' - wait and see......(fingers crossed)