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I have a column of red pixels (one pixel wide) that is always red (unless I'm looking at something white) on my laptop LCD screen.

I read on Wikipedia about TAB faults: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_pixel#TAB_Faults

But that says the entire column would be dead, not constantly showing a red color like my monitor is doing.

Any ideas what's going on? Is it a TAB fault? Is there any solution to this problem?

(PS: This happens on the BIOS as well, so this isn't a software/OS issue)

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2 Answers 2

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You can sometimes get rid of these by rubbing at the top or bottom of the screen nearby the column, however it is random and I would say only temporarily fixes it at best.

If your laptop is still in warranty, I would see if they can replace it as it is easy to prove that it is a manufacturing problem.

There is no easy way to fix this, my method of squeezing works about 30-40% of the time, and it is by no means a good fix.

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  • Okay for some odd reason, don't know when this happened because I wasn't paying attention and was getting used to the red line, but it apparently disappeared and I've restarted the machine a few times and it's working just fine. I did nothing to it, it just fixed itself (in a way I'm glad, but I don't like magic fixes like that). I just bought this computer a couple of months ago and that's why I was worried about it starting to fail so soon. Hopefully it stays in shape and doesn't do that again. Thanks for your suggestions, though, and if it happens again I'll definitely use your methods!
    – user18806
    Dec 3, 2009 at 21:28
  • Okay it came back. I remember reading somewhere that temperature could be an issue. It just dropped in temperature today so maybe it has to do with that. Maybe after it warms up it will start working again. I hope I don't have to send this in for repairs because I don't really have time for that with all I do. Your squeezing method didn't seem to do anything. I might just deal with the red column forever :/. I'll keep you posted on the status of everything.
    – user18806
    Dec 4, 2009 at 2:28
  • Interesting turn of events. When I squeeze at the bottom, about 8 or so lines start showing up as yellow/red/green in the same area. I just tried squeezing all over the bottom and that is the old place things turn up. What do you make of that?
    – user18806
    Dec 4, 2009 at 2:31
  • I would say that if squeezing changes any columns, it 100% shows that the problem is faulty/loose connections within the LCD panel itself. Again, what I said does not always work - and when it does, it is just a work around at best. Your best bet (unfortunately) is to get the manufacturer to replace. Dec 4, 2009 at 3:08
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You probably have a variant of example 2 on this page: Laptop has bad video on the LCD screen. What is wrong?

alt text

This sort of thing is caused by a problem somewhere in the circuit that is common to the whole column of pixels. Could be a bad contact, shorted/broken connection, or a broken driver. If it's something simple, like a dirty connector or a cold solder joint, there might be a chance it can be repaired. If it's a blown driver, then it could be much harder to fix without replacing the whole LCD.

If pushing or flexing the screen or the ribbon connector makes the display change temporarily, then that's a good sign that it's a bad connection causing the issue.

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  • Exactly right. The one with the Windows XP startup screen looks identical but it's only one column and it's red instead of blue/white.
    – user18806
    Dec 4, 2009 at 2:29

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