11" MBA: Brightness goes to full on startup

[Siderz]

When I start it up, the brightness goes to full while it loads a bit, then when it gets close to the password screen, the brightness goes to my desired level.

Any idea why this happens? It's really annoying when you're in a dimly lit room, I have to look away from it.

11" MBA 2011:

• 1.6GHz i5
• 128GB SSD
• 4GB RAM
• EDIT: Mountain Lion 10.8.3

EDIT: Also, I don't remember this happening in Lion, only since I updated to Mountain Lion, and I think it was a little while after updating to ML.

 

[Mrbobb]

Am guessing the screen setting is not bios-level, but OSX-level, and until OSX loads fully, it doesn't kick in. If so, nothing can be done. Don't boot it in the dark, let it go sleep instead like tons of other people, look away while it's booting like when fighter pilots shoot a missile. If it hurts, don't raise your arm like that. ^)

 

[Siderz]

Am guessing the screen setting is not bios-level, but OSX-level, and until OSX loads fully, it doesn't kick in. If so, nothing can be done. Don't boot it in the dark, let it go sleep instead like tons of other people, look away while it's booting like when fighter pilots shoot a missile. If it hurts, don't raise your arm like that. ^)

Yeah, that's what I assume, that it's default and can't really be changed, but this is the only Mac I've used that has had this problem. My current iMac doesn't do this. Also I edited my original post to include the OS, if that's any help.

Also what's annoying is, whenever it loads to the desktop, a Finder window opens. This has never happened on my old iMac nor new iMac, I remember using some older iMacs and it would happen (I think they set it to by default) but other than that, it's only my MBA that does it. I remember searching about it and people had the same problem, everybody answering said that if this didn't happen, it wouldn't run correctly, I think either the person asking was confused, or the people answering were confused (Finder always opens at startup, but not all machines have the Finder window open). It's a bit irritating.

I would leave the MBA on all the time, but since I've got my iMac, I don't use the MBA as often, so if I just close it, and leave it, it may be 2 weeks before I use it again, and the battery will drain completely. I'm one of those people who likes to turn their devices off, except my iPhone, that stays on all the time.

 

[peleh]

Mine does that, I use the jet pilot technique already mentioned...

 

[DisplacedMic]

file this one under white-people problems but i totally get your frustration
i would just keep it on sleep.

 

[B...]

Just for fun )), try a PRAM and SMC reset.

 

[Siderz]

Just for fun )), try a PRAM and SMC reset.

I think that that may have been what caused the problem in the first place, can't quite remember. I remember my MacBook would every so often just decide to 'pass out' (I'd be in the middle of just browsing and it'd just go to sleep mode, as if it is passing out). Doing the PRAM/SMC resets helped that a bit, but it still happens.

And I dread to do any more of those resets! I sit there holding whatever buttons for whatever amount of time and wonder "Wait...is it working? Hmm...", and wonder if I should try again.

 

[Boyd01]

I use my MBA with an external monitor at home and turn the built-in screen brightness all the way down to zero. When I restart, the built-in screen comes back on at full brightness and stays that way unless I manually turn it back off.

Now I can understand why it would default to being on at startup. But after I login and the external screen is active, seems like it should remember my preference.

No big deal, just a minor nitpick. Most of the time I use sleep instead of shutdown and that works fine.

 

[Siderz]

I use my MBA with an external monitor at home and turn the built-in screen brightness all the way down to zero. When I restart, the built-in screen comes back on at full brightness and stays that way unless I manually turn it back off.

If you're turning the brightness all the way down and not using the MacBook display, then you might find it easier to just close the display - http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3131

However, this won't be possible if you're using the MacBook's built in keyboard/mouse.

 

[Boyd01]

Sure, I'm well aware of "clamshell mode" but I don't like it. With the lid closed, the fans kick into high gear quite often. With the lid open, this almost never happens in my typical use.