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Why Is My Dell XPS Keyboard Backlight Not Working?

Why Is My Dell XPS Keyboard Backlight Not Working?

Whenever you have a laptop, one of the most notable things you will see is the Keyboard. A new keyboard is always fun to use, but one thing we don’t focus on a lot is the backlight situation. It’s important to have a keyboard with appropriate backlighting so you can keep using it even when you are in the dark. However, there are lots of reasons behind the keyboard backlight not working when using a Dell XPS.

When your Dell XPS is not working, this is usually because of a power setting that switches the lights off after a certain period. You may also have changed the setting for the backlights using hotkeys, but you can change it back at any time. The Windows Mobility Center is also a place you can go to adjust the brightness of keyboard lights on a Dell machine. 

If you want to learn about enabling or disabling keyboard backlight or the mechanisms you need to troubleshoot, keep reading this article. We will go over all of these factors and a lot more in the world of keyboard backlight adjustments and settings. 

How to Enable Dell Keyboard Backlight Settings

The keys on your Dell XPS have a semi-transparent film. This enables them to shine when a light projects from behind them. This is useful as it makes them easier to see and allows you to use them in lower light conditions and at night. You can also change the brightness of the light behind the keys as you need. Most keyboards that build into laptops come with a simple white light. 

However, gaming keyboards can have multicolor and varying color options to light up your keys while typing. When you change the settings on your Dell XPS to adjust the timeout, this can do a few things. For one, you can increase or decrease the amount of brightness. However, that is not all. You can also set the backlight to avoid timing out altogether, which means that as long as your computer is switched on, you can see the light behind your keys, even if you haven’t used it in a while.

Using Hotkeys

You can use the hotkeys on your laptop to adjust the backlights. Backlights respond to the settings on your computer by adjusting the function of the keyboard lights. Here are some basic rules: 

  1. The F10 key on your Keyboard (and, in some cases, the F6 key) can enable the Keyboard to switch on the light settings on your Dell XPS laptop. 
  2. There may also be an option to use the function key on your Keyboard. This is usually illuminated on your Keyboard. 
  3. In case there is no icon that can do this, you may not have an illuminated keyboard. 

Using keys to adjust backlight settings is one of the easiest and foremost ways to adjust settings on your Keyboard. 

Related: The 7 Best Keyboards with USB Passthrough

Using Windows Mobility Center

The Windows Mobility Center is where you can go to change the settings of your Keyboard. From here, you can set it, so the Keyboard’s lights are always switched on and not only when the Keyboard is in use. Here’s how to use the Windows Mobility Center to get your preferred results:

  1. Switch on the computer you want to work on.
  2. Launch the Quick Link menu using the Windows and X keys. 
  3. Choose the option Mobility Center from the list of options you see. 
  4. Now, you can see the keyboard brightness and improve the setting by sliding to either the left or the right.

You can now adjust the brightness according to what you like. 

How To Adjust Keyboard Settings

Now, if you want to change how long it takes for the keyboard light to time out, you can do this through another process. The steps for this process are all listed out below.

Install Backlight Driver

First and foremost, you need to install a driver to manage the backlight. This is the Dell Feature Enhancement Pack. Here’s how to install it:

  1. On your computer, open up the Dell resources page on a web browser.
  2. Enter the name of your Dell laptop model and search for the Driver.
  3. Search for Drivers and Downloads, and then look for this Driver. 
  4. Download and install the files onto your PC.
  5. Restart the computer so the Driver can come into effect.

Adjust Settings

Once the Driver is installed on your computer, you can now adjust settings. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. On your computer, run the Control Panel from the startup menu.
  2. Choose View By, and then select Category.
  3. Select the option Hardware and Sound.
  4. Then, click on Dell Keyboard Backlight Settings.
  5. Under Keyboard Properties, choose the tab named ‘Backlight.’
  6. Now, you can set the duration for ‘Turn off the backlight in..’ according to your requirements.
  7. Apply and save all of your changes. 

Troubleshooting Keyboard Issues

Let’s say you have been following all of the settings that we suggest in this article. However, if things have not been working out as you like, you can try this method to troubleshoot what is going wrong with your Keyboard:

  1. Press down on the Windows and the I key on your Keyboard.
  2. This will open up the Settings menu. From here, select ‘Update & Security.’ in the options that are listed above.
  3. Now, select the option ‘Troubleshoot’ in the menu.
  4. From here, select Keyboard under the option ‘Find and fix other problems.’
  5. Now, click ‘Run the troubleshooter’ to scan and detect problems. 
  6. The computer will recommend ways to fix the problem that you can apply by following the instructions on the screen. 

Conclusion

Now, with the idea of adjusting your keyboard backlight, you can solve all of the keyboard problems you will ever see on your Dell XPS. We hope you will now have your issues taken care of when using the Dell laptop in the dark!