1% brightness after wake up from sleep

[vanwel]

Not sure how to describe it in one sentence, hence the odd topic title.

Sometimes when I open my macbook air 11, nothing seems to be happening. The screen appears to be staying completely black. However, I noticed that my volume buttons do make a sound when I press them. Looking up closed to the screen, I can actually see my desktop and everything on it, but it's like the screen is on 1% brightness. It seems completely black, but only when you look carefully from up close, you can actually see the desktop and windows on it. Closing the laptop and reopening than turns on the screen completely again. Does anyone else suffer from this problem?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

The screen is on, but the backlight is not on, as you can observe the same phenomenon when you turn the brightness down to zero, which in fact shuts off the backlight, but not the screen.
Have you tried pressing the F2 key in such instances?
Maybe this can help: Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)

 

[cbronfman]

Started happening recently

It's only within the last few weeks that I've noticed it, but when I wake the MBA (11.6" model) from sleep, the screen lightness is at about 25% (not as dark as yours, but very dimmed). As I set it in Preferences to 75%, I'm not sure why - perhaps it's a battery/energy saving (misguided) effort. Regardless, I just tap once or twice on the F2 key and the brightness is right where it should be. It sometimes seems to get even brighter as I type. Very odd.

 

[vanwel]

Thanks for the reactions. After a reinstall (wanted to do it anyway) I don't have the problem anymore.