Issues with your Computer or Laptop Screen? What can be the Cause?

We get regular calls regarding issues with screens. This can be physical issues such as cracks, visual problems such as dim or dark screens or flickering, changes of colouring.

Dirt

Depending on the screen type and material, they can be like magnets for dirt and dust. Even if the user makes sure that there is no food or drinks consumed in front of the device, there will always be particles of dirt and dust floating around in the air which will eventually sit down on the screen. Sometimes dirt can make the screen look like it has dead or malfunctioning pixels. It’s worth wiping over the screen on a regular basis with a lint-free cloth, to remove any build-up of dust and grease on your screen. A build-up of dirt can also make the screen look a lot less colourful than it actually is and can also affect touchscreen capability if the screen has that feature.

Pixel Defects

These can include dead, bright, or malfunctioning pixels. Pixel defects are often found in LCD monitors, older laptops, and PC’s. Sometimes new devices may happen to have dead pixels and every company has different policies in the event of this. Some companies might only take the device back if there is a certain number of dead pixels, whilst others will take it back even if there is only one bad pixel. Pixels that do not light up are considered dead and there is nothing that can fix them. These can be hard to spot if they are close to the edges of the screen. Sometimes pixels can also get stuck, which means that a single pixel fails to update when all other ones around it have done so. Often this can be solved by flashing the screen with multiple colours, like a video on YouTube that changes colours rapidly.

Fuzzy or Blurry Picture

Sometimes due to an accident, hardware or software malfunction the screen can become fuzzy or blurry and make the device unusable. Even if the issues are not that bad and it is still usable, it can be very bad for your sight and provide a massive distraction. If it is a software issue, most of the time the problem should be solved by updating the display drives or the operating software. If that doesn’t solve the problem, then most likely it is a deeper issue and will require an engineer to look at it.

Screen Brightness

LCD and plasma screens can fade or dim after a while and not be as bright as they were to start with. Sometimes, laptops dim the brightness of the screen to preserve energy or depending on the time of day to protect your eyes, so check your settings before assuming it is faulty!

Other screen faults

Faulty graphics card, loose cables or physical damage can cause vertical and horizontal lines running through the screen or the colours to change. It often makes the device impossible to use and the only way to solve this problem would be by getting the faulty part replaced.

The screen may also go completely black or just display the faintest of images or a low backlight. Again, this is usually a faulty component, either a cable, the screen itself or the inverter. It is usually possible to replace these items.

One way to check if it is an issue with the laptop itself or just the screen is to connect an external monitor and see if the display appears normally. On a PC, make sure the cables to the monitor are securely seated and screwed in where possible (especially with VGA or DVI cables). Check that neither end of the cables contain any bent pins.

All of these issues can be very frustrating as they can hinder your efficiency, especially if it is your work device. It can be also unhealthy for your eyes if the screen tends to flicker or you have to strain them to try and read what is on the screen.

If you are suffering from problems with your laptop or PC display, our experienced team of engineers can solve these issues for you, please contact us for a no-obligation chat!