My desktop suddenly started looking noticeably dimmer and the colors seem gray or washed out. I'm using a desktop computer with a separate monitor, so I can't adjust brightness through laptop-style controls. At the same time, my wallpaper disappeared and became solid black, although the desktop icons were still visible. Restarting the computer restored the wallpaper, but the dim-looking display remains. What could be causing this, and how can I fix it?
3 Answers
Look in your display settings and turn off Night light or any automatic brightness feature. Night light can make the whole screen look unusually washed out or tinted. You can also check Device Manager under Monitors to make sure the monitor hasn’t been disabled.
Since this is a separate monitor, check the monitor’s own on-screen menu. Brightness and contrast are usually controlled with buttons or a joystick on the monitor, and a stray button press or brief power interruption may have changed them. It’s also worth unplugging and reconnecting the display cable in case the connection is loose.
The black wallpaper is probably a Windows desktop-shell or background setting issue rather than a monitor failure. Right-click the desktop, open Personalize, go to Background, and make sure an image is selected. If it is selected but the desktop is still black, open Task Manager, find Windows Explorer, and choose Restart. That reloads the desktop and can restore the wallpaper.
Restarting brought the wallpaper back, but the screen still looks gray and less bright. I’ll check the monitor controls and cable next.