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Computer Keyboards
Turn On the Keyboard Light on an HP Pavilion: Guide and Troubleshooting Co-authored by Kyle Smith Reviewed by Stan Kats
Last Updated: October 4, 2024 Fact Checked
X
This article was reviewed by Stan Kats and by wikiHow staff writer, Kyle Smith. Stan Kats is a Professional Technologist and the COO and Chief Technologist for The STG IT Consulting Group in West Hollywood, California. Stan provides comprehensive technology solutions to businesses through managed IT services, and for individuals through his consumer service business, Stan's Tech Garage. Stan holds a BA in International Relations from The University of Southern California. He began his career working in the Fortune 500 IT world. Stan founded his companies to offer an enterprise-level of expertise for small businesses and individuals. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,191,325 times.
Explore this Article Turning on the Light Troubleshooting Common Issues Troubleshooting with a Hard Reboot Expert Q&A Video Tips and Warnings Related Articles References
Make your keyboard light up to see the keys in a dark room. This wikiHow teaches you how to turn on the keyboard backlight on an HP Pavilion laptop. You can usually turn on the backlight by pressing a specific "function" key such as "F5" on your computer's keyboard. If your Pavilion laptop has a backlight that refuses to turn on, you may be able to reset the backlight by changing a BIOS setting or performing a hard reboot.
Things You Should Know
Your laptop model might need to be charged a certain amount to turn on the keyboard backlight.
Press the keyboard backlight key to increase the brightness. You might need to press and hold the Fn key while pressing the backlight key.
If your backlight won’t turn on or stay on, change the “Action Keys Mode” or timeout setting in BIOS.
If your keyboard backlight isn’t working, hard reboot your HP laptop by removing the external battery while the computer is powered down.
Steps
Method 1 Method 1 of 3:
Turning on the Light
1 Plug your computer into its charger. In some cases, your computer's keyboard backlight may not turn on if your computer isn't charged past a certain point while off the charger. You can solve this problem by plugging your computer into its charger.
2 Find the "Backlight" key. The "Backlight" key is always one of the function keys (typically F5) at the top of your keyboard. It has a symbol resembling three dots on it.[1]XResearch source Advertisement
3 Press the "Backlight" key a few times. If your computer's keyboard is set to use the function keys' hardware features when pressed, this will cycle through your keyboard's brightness settings. You should see the keyboard's backlight dim and brighten accordingly.[2]XResearch source
If nothing happens when you press the "Backlight" key, proceed to the next step.
4 Try using the "Backlight" key while holding Fn. You'll find the Fn key in the lower-left side of the keyboard. If you couldn't turn on the backlight in the last step, holding the Fn key while pressing the "Backlight" button will cause your computer to use the key to change the backlight's brightness.[3]XResearch source
You may have to press the "Backlight" key a few times while holding down Fn to cycle through all of the brightness options.
5 Make sure that your HP Pavilion has a keyboard backlight. Not all HP Pavilion laptops have backlit keyboards. If you've been unable to find the option to turn on the backlight thus far, check your computer's manual or online documentation to determine whether or not your keyboard has a backlight.
Advertisement Method 2 Method 2 of 3:
Troubleshooting Common Issues
1 If you can’t find the backlight key in the usual laptop location, check the entire keyboard. There are a few different places it might be.[4]XResearch source
Start at the function row. The backlight key might be on F5, F4, or F11.
If your function row is combined with other system buttons (e.g. backlight, volume, pause), you might need to turn off fn lock to access the backlight key. Press fn + the fn lock key to turn it off. The fn lock key usually looks like a lock with “fn” inside of it.
Some laptops might place the backlight key in a column on the right side of the keyboard.
2 If nothing happens when you press the backlight key, check your BIOS settings. You may need to enable Action Keys Mode for the backlight to work:[5]XResearch source
Enter BIOS.
Select BIOS Setup or BIOS Setup Utility in the menu options.
Press the arrow keys to go to the “System Configuration” tab.
Move the selection to Action Keys Mode.
Use the right or left arrow key to change Action Keys Mode to Enabled.
3 If the backlight stays on briefly, try changing the timeout setting. This can be found in BIOS.[6]XResearch source
Enter BIOS.
Press the arrow keys to go to the Advanced tab.
Move the selection to Built-in Device Options and press Enter to open the menu.
Move the selection to Backlit keyboard timeout.
Press Space to open the timeout settings.
Select Never to stop the backlight from turning off.
Advertisement Method 3 Method 3 of 3:
Troubleshooting with a Hard Reboot
1 Make sure your HP Pavilion has a removable battery. You can "hard reboot" your HP computer to solve potential hardware issues with the backlight, but doing so requires you to remove the laptop's battery.
While you can technically remove the battery on sealed versions of the HP Pavilion, doing so requires you to remove the keyboard and several sensitive components before you can remove the battery, and thus is not recommended.
2 Remove any cables or USB items from your computer. This includes the charger cable, USB flash drives, speakers, and so on.
3 Turn off the computer. To do so:
Click the Start icon.
Click Power .
Click Shut down in the pop-up window.
4 Remove the computer's battery. As long as your computer has a removable battery, you can do this by following these instructions:
Flip the computer over so that its bottom is facing up.
Push and hold inward the switches on the battery compartment.
Pull the battery cover away from the laptop.
Pull the battery out of the laptop, making sure to store the battery on a soft, dry surface (e.g., a towel).
5 Hold down the "Power" button for 20 seconds. This will cause any residual power left in the computer to discharge.
6 Put back the battery and close its compartment. At this point, you're ready to turn back on your computer.
Plug your computer back into its charger if your computer was low on power before you performed the hard reboot.
7 Turn back on your computer. Press the computer's "Power" button to do so. Your computer will boot up like usual.
8 Try turning on the backlight. Now that you've performed a hard reboot on your computer, you should be able to cycle through the brightness settings for your keyboard.
9 Use your backlit keyboard. Once you've set your keyboard brightness to your prefered level, you're ready to start typing!
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Expert Q&A
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Question where does laptop keyboard backlight come from?; screen or below keyboard? Kyle Smith wikiHow Technology Writer Kyle Smith is a wikiHow Technology Writer, learning and sharing information about the latest technology. He has presented his research at multiple engineering conferences and is the writer and editor of hundreds of online electronics repair guides. Kyle received a BS in Industrial Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Kyle Smith wikiHow Technology Writer Expert Answer Laptop keyboard backlights are typically lit from underneath. The letters and symbols on the keys will usually be semi-transparent to allow light to come through. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 2 Helpful 1
Question I have a HP pavilion dv5-1120us entertainment notebook PC. How can I make the keyboard light up? the lethal weapon Community Answer HP pavilion dv5-1120 does not provide you with keypad LED lighting. If you want to light it up you will have to buy an external LED light. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 10 Helpful 56
Question How do I turn on my keyboard lighting HP Pavilion x360? Community Answer Power on your HP Pavilion and press the "F5" or "F12" key to turn on the keyboard backlight, depending on your mode. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 130 Helpful 53
See more answers Ask a Question 200 characters left Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Submit Advertisement
Video
Tips
Repairing a broken keyboard backlight usually requires input from a professional. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 3
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement
Warnings
If your computer's backlight is broken or burned out, you'll need to have it replaced. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 2
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Reviewed by: Stan Kats Professional Technologist This article was reviewed by Stan Kats and by wikiHow staff writer, Kyle Smith. Stan Kats is a Professional Technologist and the COO and Chief Technologist for The STG IT Consulting Group in West Hollywood, California. Stan provides comprehensive technology solutions to businesses through managed IT services, and for individuals through his consumer service business, Stan's Tech Garage. Stan holds a BA in International Relations from The University of Southern California. He began his career working in the Fortune 500 IT world. Stan founded his companies to offer an enterprise-level of expertise for small businesses and individuals. This article has been viewed 1,191,325 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 13Updated: October 4, 2024 Views: 1,191,325 Categories: Computer Keyboards In other languages Portuguese German Spanish Indonesian Arabic Russian Italian Chinese Thai Vietnamese Hindi Dutch Korean Turkish French Japanese
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Reviewed by: Stan Kats Professional Technologist This article was reviewed by Stan Kats and by wikiHow staff writer, Kyle Smith. Stan Kats is a Professional Technologist and the COO and Chief Technologist for The STG IT Consulting Group in West Hollywood, California. Stan provides comprehensive technology solutions to businesses through managed IT services, and for individuals through his consumer service business, Stan's Tech Garage. Stan holds a BA in International Relations from The University of Southern California. He began his career working in the Fortune 500 IT world. Stan founded his companies to offer an enterprise-level of expertise for small businesses and individuals. This article has been viewed 1,191,325 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 13 Updated: October 4, 2024 Views: 1,191,325 Categories: Computer Keyboards In other languages Portuguese German Spanish Indonesian Arabic Russian Italian Chinese Thai Vietnamese Hindi Dutch Korean Turkish French Japanese 
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1 Plug your computer into its charger. In some cases, your computer's keyboard backlight may not turn on if your computer isn't charged past a certain point while off the charger. You can solve this problem by plugging your computer into its charger. 
2 Find the "Backlight" key. The "Backlight" key is always one of the function keys (typically F5) at the top of your keyboard. It has a symbol resembling three dots on it.[1] Advertisement 
3 Press the "Backlight" key a few times. If your computer's keyboard is set to use the function keys' hardware features when pressed, this will cycle through your keyboard's brightness settings. You should see the keyboard's backlight dim and brighten accordingly.[2] 
4 Try using the "Backlight" key while holding Fn. You'll find the Fn key in the lower-left side of the keyboard. If you couldn't turn on the backlight in the last step, holding the Fn key while pressing the "Backlight" button will cause your computer to use the key to change the backlight's brightness.[3] 
5 Make sure that your HP Pavilion has a keyboard backlight. Not all HP Pavilion laptops have backlit keyboards. If you've been unable to find the option to turn on the backlight thus far, check your computer's manual or online documentation to determine whether or not your keyboard has a backlight. Advertisement 
1 If you can’t find the backlight key in the usual laptop location, check the entire keyboard. There are a few different places it might be.[4] 
2 If nothing happens when you press the backlight key, check your BIOS settings. You may need to enable Action Keys Mode for the backlight to work:[5] 
3 If the backlight stays on briefly, try changing the timeout setting. This can be found in BIOS.[6] 
1 Make sure your HP Pavilion has a removable battery. You can "hard reboot" your HP computer to solve potential hardware issues with the backlight, but doing so requires you to remove the laptop's battery. 
2 Remove any cables or USB items from your computer. This includes the charger cable, USB flash drives, speakers, and so on. 
3 Turn off the computer. To do so: 
icon.
.
4 Remove the computer's battery. As long as your computer has a removable battery, you can do this by following these instructions: 
5 Hold down the "Power" button for 20 seconds. This will cause any residual power left in the computer to discharge. 
6 Put back the battery and close its compartment. At this point, you're ready to turn back on your computer. 
7 Turn back on your computer. Press the computer's "Power" button to do so. Your computer will boot up like usual. 
8 Try turning on the backlight. Now that you've performed a hard reboot on your computer, you should be able to cycle through the brightness settings for your keyboard. 
9 Use your backlit keyboard. Once you've set your keyboard brightness to your prefered level, you're ready to start typing! Advertisement 
Kyle Smith wikiHow Technology Writer Kyle Smith is a wikiHow Technology Writer, learning and sharing information about the latest technology. He has presented his research at multiple engineering conferences and is the writer and editor of hundreds of online electronics repair guides. Kyle received a BS in Industrial Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. 
the lethal weapon Community Answer HP pavilion dv5-1120 does not provide you with keypad LED lighting. If you want to light it up you will have to buy an external LED light. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 10 Helpful 56 
Community Answer Power on your HP Pavilion and press the "F5" or "F12" key to turn on the keyboard backlight, depending on your mode. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 130 Helpful 53 
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