Here's an easy fix:
start -> control panel -> display -> settings tab -> advanced -> GPU tab -> color correction rollout.
Set the "Apply color changes to:" dropdown to "overlay".
You should see a curve of some sort. What you want to see is a y=x line to show even distribution, not stressed contrast or brightness.
In order to accomplish a line, set the "color profile:" dropdown to "Advanced mode". This should automatically set the curve to a line.
If worse comes to worse, change it to a line yourself, but I honestly don't think it will come to that.