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How to turn on the keyboard backlight on a Samsung laptop. Turning on the backlight on a Lenovo laptop

Every laptop owner who has ever worked on it at night knows how important the backlight on the keyboard is. But not everyone understands how to make this function work. Consider various options for turning on the backlight on laptops from the most popular manufacturers (Asus, Lenovo, HP, Sony Vaio, Acer, MS, DellI and Samsung).

Function keys

This method of turning on the backlight is the most common. You must simultaneously press the FN function key and one of the keys in the range from F1 to F12 (the icon indicates the keyboard backlight on it) or the space bar. For example, on an Asus N76V laptop, the backlight is turned on by a combination of the numbers FN and F5, and turned off by a combination of FN and F3. On Lenovo Z500, users need to press FN and spacebar at the same time to activate this feature.

Separate button

The keyboards of some devices have a separate key responsible for turning on the backlight. For example, in MSI GE70, this button is located in the upper left corner.

How to make a keyboard backlight on a laptop

In devices that do not have this function, users can make external lighting for the keyboard and screen by themselves. For this you need:

  • buy a couple of cheap Chinese LEDs and place them on or above a table;
  • find any USB device (for example, an old, unnecessary mouse) and unsolder the USB cable from it. Thus, on the one hand, the cable will have a USB Male and on the other, protruding wires;
  • purchase pull-down resistors to make the voltage of the USB cable match the voltage of the LEDs;
  • find a thing that will act as a container for the hardware part (you can use an old laptop fan or even a matchbox);
  • bring inside a homemade container of LEDs with wires and protruding from the USB cable, and then connect them;
  • Plug USB Mail into the laptop connector.

Users who do not want to feel like the heroes of the Crazy Hands show can simply purchase external lighting in the store. The cost of such devices does not exceed 1000 rubles.

  • Initially, the user needs to understand if his laptop has a backlight function. To do this, you can go to the official website of the manufacturer, select the required device model and see if this option is mentioned in the technical specifications.
  • If the backlight does not work, do not immediately blame the laptop for defects. Maybe the driver just wasn't installed. Usually they are downloaded from the official website of the device manufacturer.
  • You can adjust the brightness of the keyboard keys. For example, in Sony Vaio laptops, this can be done by going to the VAIO Control Center section through the Start menu, and in MSI devices, by pressing the plus and minus buttons located on the additional keyboard.

How to turn off the keyboard backlight on a laptop? Keyboard backlighting is a useful feature that allows you to type even in complete darkness. The cost of a keyboard with this feature depends on the manufacturer of the device, additional features and other innovations.

For most of these gadgets, it is not at all necessary to install drivers and other programs. Before buying, be sure to make sure that both the English and Russian layouts are highlighted. It is very simple to do this - just turn on the backlight and see what is highlighted.

Unlike personal computers, which can be purchased separately with a backlit keyboard, it is difficult to find an additional accessory for a laptop. Some manufacturers offer backlit keyboards for laptops, such a device can be purchased and replaced at a service center.

Before dealing with the problem of turning on the keyboard backlight, you need to make sure that it is available at all in your laptop model. Accordingly, if the computer is not equipped with this accessory, then you will have nothing to turn on.

Please read the specifications of your notebook carefully to make sure that this feature is available. Usually, keyboard backlighting is indicated in the instructions that come with the laptop.

Turning on the backlight is easy - just press the Fn key along with another key. Which? It depends on your laptop model. The easiest way to determine the right key is to visually inspect the function keys (F1-F12). It is there that the manufacturer of the equipment applies additional symbols.

As a rule, turning on / off the backlight of the keyboard is indicated by a pattern in the form of a light bulb and keys or something similar. If you did not find such a picture, then you can do a search using simple manipulations: press Fn and the keys from F1 to F12 alternately until the backlight starts working.

It is very important that these presses do not activate other laptop options, such as going to sleep, turning off the display, and so on. Important! If you accidentally turned on a function you don’t need, then you can turn it off with the same key combination - the main thing is not to press everything in a row.

If the above method did not give any results, but you know for sure that your laptop is equipped with backlit keys, then you can use other key combinations. In this case, the following combinations can help you: Fn along with F6 and pressing the right arrow, or press Fn along with the spacebar.

If this does not help, then your laptop model either has a faulty backlight, or it does not exist at all. To find out for sure about this, we recommend consulting a laptop manufacturer's service center or a laptop repair specialist.

The article describes how to turn on and off the backlight of the ASUS laptop keyboard.

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Most of the older laptops do not have a backlit keyboard, which is a big drawback, since at night, users have to look for a brighter place for full-fledged work.

How to enable and disable the keyboard backlight on an ASUS laptop

But now in many new laptops you can find keyboard backlighting, however, not all owners of these mobile computers can figure out how to turn on such a backlight. Therefore, in this review, we will talk about how to turn on and off the keyboard backlight on laptops, for example, from the company " Asus».

How to enable and disable keyboard backlight on Asus laptops?

In order to learn how to turn on the backlight on a laptop keyboard, study our instructions more closely. Notebook users are most likely already familiar with the keyboards of their mobile computers and, for example, know where the key is located on them. fn.

True, not every one of them is aware of what exactly this key is needed for. Key fn on laptop keyboards, when pressed together with other keys, it serves to execute any commands: enable or disable the keyboard, turn off the monitor, change the keyboard layout, enable / disable the sound.

To turn the backlight on and off, this key in combination with others can also work. The thing is that you need to know exactly which key combinations should be typed on your laptop model to carry out certain commands. All such information can be read in the laptop instructions (if there is none, you need to visit the official website of the laptop manufacturer and download the instructions there).

But if suddenly the method described above does not work, for example, you cannot find a manual for using the keyboard of your laptop, then we will resort to finding the correct on / off keyboard backlight on laptops from " Asus».

How to turn on / off the keyboard backlight on Asus laptops if there is no instruction?

The first duty we will need to choose a keyboard shortcut that could work in this case. Try pressing all the top buttons from F1 before F12. By the way, on the additional keys you can see various symbols indicating that this or that key is intended for a specific operation: adjusting the sound, adjusting the brightness, and other laptop functions. It is absolutely possible that the inclusion of the keyboard backlight will be located somewhere here.

So, if you do not know how to turn on the keyboard backlight on a laptop " Asus”, do not be afraid to experiment a little. Hold down the key fn and alternately press the keys from the top row, as well as any other keys that are additional. For more accuracy, look on the additional keys for a keyboard pattern, which is usually a designation of the backlight on / off function.

By the way, during your experiment, you can also “run into” the wrong key combination and, for example, turn off the monitor. Don't panic in this case. Just dial the same combination again, returning everything to its place, and do the same in the future.

How to enable/disable keyboard backlight on ASUS laptop

Now let's look at cases where you don't have any pointers on the keys, you don't know which combination to type, and you don't succeed. Then we will act in other ways, trying to find the right option. To do this, press the button again. fn and together with it alternately press on F5, arrow keys and space bar.

If none of the above methods helped you, then most likely your laptop does not have a keyboard backlight function, or some keys simply do not function. Of course, you can buy a new laptop, or take the old one to the workshop, but if you have financial problems, then we will resort to the alternative keyboard backlight method.

How to highlight a laptop keyboard in alternative ways?

You can also illuminate the keyboards of a laptop (or computer) at night using external devices, for example, using LEDs.

How to enable/disable keyboard backlight on ASUS laptop

LEDs need to be connected to USB connectors, which laptops have several pieces. And it is best to use at least a couple of LEDs on both sides of the keyboard so that the lighting is optimal.

By the way, the LEDs do not have to be connected to different USB ports. It has been experimentally verified that up to 25 diodes can be connected to one USB connector of a laptop, so you still have a large margin. True, you need to be able to create a parallel connection, and if you cannot do this, then you will have to turn to the help of specialists.

Video: ASUS N56JK laptop keyboard backlight

To date, new laptop models being released already have a keyboard backlight function, this is a very convenient and useful feature in a laptop. Those who have to or who like to work at night or in not very good lighting will feel especially comfortable with this function. With a backlight, you do not need to strain your eyesight to see one or another character on the keyboard. There are several ways to turn on the keyboard backlight on a laptop, the differences are only in models or manufacturers. You can also create your own keyboard backlight.

By the way, I have repeatedly observed this device in online stores and what is nice, it is not expensive. I also want to point out that backlighting in budget laptops is rare but it's worth checking them all out.

Turning on the backlight

First of all, you need to determine if your laptop has a keyboard backlight function. If there is such a function, then turning on the backlight is not difficult. Each manufacturer puts special symbols on the keys, additional keys with symbols on F1 - F12.

In order to turn on the backlight on the keyboard, you must press the Fn key and hold down another additional key, which may be different for different models - you can experiment by pressing F1 - F12. You can try these combinations: Fn - F5 / Fn - F6 / Fn - space (space) / Fn - right arrow.

The only thing to consider when pressing additional keys is that when they are pressed, various other functions can be activated. For example, sleep mode, turn off Wi-Fi, or turn off the monitor. To disable / enable these functions, you need to press the same key combination again.

In the image below, you can see how to turn on the keyboard backlight on an HP laptop:

There is another way to turn on the keyboard backlight on a laptop if your laptop does not have such a function. You can design the backlight yourself - this is an external backlight.

How to make outdoor lighting

I found the instructions below on the Internet, if someone wants to do needlework, then this is for you.

To do this, you will need - + 5V power from the USB - connector and a white LED. Plug into the USB power connector. However, given that the LED has a voltage of 3.5V, and the LED current is 0.02A, and a 1.5V damping resistor is required, the additional resistor has a resistance of 1.5V / 0.02A - this is 75 Ohm. Since the USB connector delivers up to 0.5A, 25 LEDs can be powered from it, but it is imperative to control the current consumed by the LEDs, since the difference of 18 - 20 MA shortens the life of the LED.

After checking the external backlight you made and the brightness of its glow, if you need to increase the brightness of the keyboard backlight, you can connect another LED in parallel with the same resistor. The required current must be set by selecting a resistor. The backlight made by your hands is ready, you can install it and start working on a backlit laptop.

My opinion, of course, is better to order a ready-made backlight, as it is cheap.

Can be turned on and off using keyboard shortcuts. For example, to enable it on the Lenovo ThinkPad T series, you need to use the Fn + Space keys. Many laptop users often ask if Windows 10 has a dedicated setting to adjust brightness. The answer is yes and no.

Setting the color of the backlight on the laptop keyboard.

Not all laptops have backlit keyboards. To check if your laptop has a backlit keyboard, go to the support page on the developer's website or refer to the instructions for the device. Find the right model and its parameters, and then check the specifications of your laptop. You can also determine the presence of such a possibility visually - carefully examine the additional function keys on the device. Usually they are marked with symbols of a different color on the F1-F12 buttons or on the arrows. In most cases, to use advanced hotkey functions, you must also hold down the Fn (Function) button, if available.

How to turn on the backlight

Unfortunately, Windows 10 does not have built-in components for customizing button illumination. But some major manufacturers offer their own software to change the default button lighting settings. For example, Dell on Windows 10 offers settings for turning on the keyboard backlight, adjusting brightness, auto-off after 5, 10, 30, 60, 300 seconds of inactivity. To view all settings, Dell users need to open the Keyboard Properties setting and then go to the Backlight tab.

Asus and Acer

Turning on the backlight on an Asus laptop is carried out in a couple of clicks. To start:

  1. Make sure the feature is enabled in the BIOS.
  2. Make sure you have updated your drivers (enter your model number and install the keyboard driver).

When the light sensor is active, the ASUS button diodes will automatically turn on/off the LED according to the environment. For manual settings, most Asus laptops use Fn + F4 (to turn on the backlight and increase its brightness) and Fn + F3 (to decrease the brightness and turn off the diodes completely). If the Acer laptop keyboard backlight is not working, use the Fn + F9 key combination, or the dedicated keyboard backlight button located on the left.

Sony and Lenovo

Sony also offers options for standard keyboard brightness settings on some of its models. To see the settings, you need to open the VAIO Control Center, and then click "Keyboard" and "Mouse" - "Keyboard Lighting". Here you can configure the software to automatically turn on or turn off the diodes based on ambient light. Like Dell, Sony also offers the ability to automatically turn off the diodes after keyboard inactivity. To disable the feature, uncheck the box next to the "Enable Backlight in Low Light" button. Here you can also set the automatic mode and the time interval - 10 s, 30 s, 1 minute or "Do not turn off". Lenovo does not open new horizons for the use of diodes. Turning on the keyboard backlight on a Lenovo laptop is quite simple - using the Fn + Space key combination. That is, when you press Fn + Space once, the driver will turn on the backlight at medium brightness. Pressing Fn+Space will increase the brightness. Pressing the hotkey again will turn off the keyboard backlight completely.

HP

On the road at night or at a presentation in a dark room, it can be quite difficult to see the laptop keyboard. To avoid such annoyances, choose HP Pavilion models with under-keyboard backlighting that illuminates every key. The highlight character is usually displayed on the left side of a space. If this feature is enabled, you will not have to turn on the light to type a letter or other text. Depending on the laptop model, diodes can be activated in several ways:

  1. Turn on the laptop and press the "F5" or "F12" key (depending on the model).
  2. Locate the "Fn" key next to the Windows button on the lower left side of the keyboard. Press the spacebar while holding Fn to turn on the backlight.
  3. Press the key light button if your laptop model has one. A dedicated backlight button is marked with three dots in a horizontal line (found on dv6-2022er, dv6-3250us and other dv6 series notebooks).

If none of the combinations worked, check the entire row of function keys. The desired key may be located elsewhere. If still nothing happens, check your BIOS settings. To do this, in the BIOS, select BIOS Setup or BIOS Setup Utility, and then use the arrow keys to navigate to the System Setup tab. Be sure to enable Action Keys Mode (set to Enabled) if it is disabled.

If the lighting is only active for a few seconds, you may need to set a timeout in the BIOS:

  • Reboot the laptop and immediately press F10 until the BIOS opens.
  • Then use the arrow keys to navigate to the Advanced tab.
  • Navigate to Built-in Device Options and press Enter.
  • Here, select the Backlight keyboard timeout.
  • Press the space bar to open settings, then select the desired delay.

IMPORTANT. If "Never" is selected, the diodes will be active all the time, which will lead to a rapid consumption of battery power.

If there is no such setting in the BIOS, the feature is most likely not supported. More detailed information can be obtained in the instruction manual or on the manufacturer's website for the laptop model. To adjust the brightness (if your laptop supports it), press the function button two or three times in succession. If that doesn't work, try pressing Fn along with the function key.

MacBook and Microsoft

All recent MacBook models automatically adjust brightness in low light using the built-in ambient light sensor. You can also configure settings manually using hotkeys. Settings to automatically turn off the diodes after a certain period of inactivity are located in the Boot Camp Control Panel. To open it, right-click the Boot Camp icon in the system tray and select Boot Camp Control Panel. Microsoft Surface users can use Alt+F2 to increase keyboard brightness and Alt+F1 to decrease it. Other popular manufacturers such as HP, Asus and Toshiba do not offer keyboard brightness settings.

Shutdown

When it comes to saving battery, one of the most effective methods is to turn off the device's keyboard backlight. This feature is a huge advantage of all portable gadgets. But, unfortunately, not all laptop models support it. Consider turning off the lights using the Microsoft Surface Pro as an example. Surface Pro has a built-in sensor that activates a diode under the buttons to make them stand out. As long as Surface is connected to a wall outlet, there will be no power consumption issues. But if it is running on battery power, activating the diodes will speed up the discharge of the battery several times!

IMPORTANT. The developers at Linus Tech Tips recently ran power-saving tests that showed that turning off the backlight extended battery life by about 16%.

Other useful battery saver settings:

  • Removal of peripherals, mouse and keyboard (20%-30% more battery life per charge).
  • Decrease display brightness by up to 50% (16% more battery life).

Lighting automatically turns on and off using a built-in sensor. There are also manual controls for the option, but older versions of the Surface keyboard may not have them. The first two keys next to Esc are the function buttons F1 and F2, which control the lighting on the device. If you just click on them, nothing will happen. More precisely, pressing F1 or F2 will not change the brightness of the backlight or turn it off / on. To access special features of the Surface keyboard, hold down Alt:

  • Increase brightness - Alt + F2.
  • Decrease brightness - Alt + F1.

If you want to squeeze the maximum battery life out of Surface, you will have to forego such "buns". Of course, in some situations, for example, at night, the backlight is simply necessary, so the manufacturer has provided for an increase or decrease in brightness.

How to change keyboard backlight color

Some laptop models are equipped with different colors. For example, Dell Latitude 14 Rugged 5414. The Latitude Rugged series has a backlit keyboard that can be manually configured. The following colors are provided:

  • White;
  • Red;
  • Green;
  • Blue.

Alternatively, System Setup (BIOS) can be used to configure the system to use the two installed secondary colors. To turn on/off diodes or adjust brightness settings:

  • To activate the switch, press Fn+F10 (if the Fn lock function is enabled, the Fn key is not needed).
  • The first use of the previous button combination turns on the lighting at minimum brightness.
  • Pressing the key combinations repeatedly cycles through the brightness settings to 25, 50, 75, and 100 percent.
  • Try several options to choose the right one or turn off the light under the keyboard completely.

To change the color of the diodes:

  • To view the available colors, press the Fn+C keys.
  • By default, white, red, green and blue are active. You can add up to two custom colors in System Setup (BIOS).

Setting the backlit keyboard in System Setup (BIOS):

  1. Turn off your laptop.
  2. Turn it on and when the Dell logo appears, press the F2 key several times to open the System Setup menu.
  3. From the System Setup menu, select RGB Keyboard Lighting. Here you can enable/disable the standard colors (white, red, green and blue).
  4. To set a custom RGB value, use the input fields on the right side of the screen.
  5. Click "Apply Changes" and "Exit" to close System Setup.

IMPORTANT. The keyboard has a Fn key lock feature. When activated, the secondary functions in the top row of keys become standard and no longer require the use of the Fn key. The Fn lock only affects the F1 to F12 buttons.

To lock Fn, press Fn+Esc. Other auxiliary function keys on the top row are not affected and require the use of the Fn key. To disable the lock, press Fn+Esc again. The function keys will return to their default actions.

Today, most mid-range and high-end laptops offer backlit keyboards. Backlit keyboards make typing in low light easier, especially for those who can't type touch. If you already have experience setting up keyboard backlighting on a laptop, share your impressions in the comments below this article.

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