Subscribe by EmailHOW TO: Fix a stuck pixel on an LCD screen
August 6, 2007 by Geeks are Sexy | 29 comments
For those of you who have been using LCD monitors for years, you probably know that stuck pixels are an unfortunate reality of these fantastic space-saving devices.
If you’ve never had to deal with stuck pixels, you have to know that these little screen defects are usually caused by malfunctioning transistors or an uneven distribution of the LCD liquid inside the display. Fortunately, this problem can usually be fixed.
Here are four techniques that can help you get those stuck pixels in working order again. Please note: these techniques won’t fix dead pixels. Stuck pixels can be identified by their unchanging color, usually red, blue, green or white. Dead pixels have no light coming through them; they are simply black.
1- The pixel-fixing software method.
A few software solutions exist out there that will try to re-activate stuck pixels. Here are a few free ones:
- UDPixel: Free application that rapidly changes all pixels located around a stuck one. Just keep it running for a few hours and see if this eliminates your problem.
- JScreenFix: Web-based application that turns all pixels on and off about 60 times per second.
2- The pressure method.
- Start by turning off your monitor.
- Find a pen that has a rounded, dull end and get a slightly damp cloth to protect your screen.
- Fold your cloth in two so that you do not puncture it accidentally. You don’t want to scratch your precious screen, do you?
- Put the cloth in front of the stuck pixel and start applying slight pressure on it with your pen. Do not put pressure anywhere else than on the defective pixel, or you may break additional ones.
- Continue applying pressure, and turn your monitor on.
- Remove the pen from the screen, and voilà! The stuck pixel should be gone.
3- The rubbing method.
This one is easy; just gently rub the defective pixel with one of your fingers, and hope that this will reset it.
4- The tapping method.
- First, display a completely black picture on your screen. The display has to be turned on for this to work.
- Use a small pointed object that has a dull, rounded end and gently tap on the stuck pixel until it starts working again. You’ll know if you are applying enough pressure if you are seeing a small, white glow each time you hit the screen.
- Display a white picture to verify that you haven’t broken additional pixels.
Please note that none of these methods are guaranteed to work, so you employ them at your own risk. Unfortunately, LCD manufacturers will not replace your display because you have a few stuck or dead pixels on it. It takes much more than that to convince them to ship you a replacement unit, and unfortunately, by the time your display will be damaged enough to get a free one, your warranty will have expired.
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Thanks for sharing something useful!
how long it stays fixed because it worked for me 2.
Thnks for the info dude!
I have also had luck with wiping the screen with a cloth. It takes it away. But if you wipe it the other direction it can bring it back. Probably some kind of static problem. If it has worked on one screen, it might work on others.
Something that I found out this week. I thought I had a dead pixel. Turned out it was a speck of dirt, NOT the bad pixel I thought it was. How this screen gets that dirty in so short of time is beyond me.
from looking at your photo it makes sence to me….are you sure you dont have a chicken bone stuck to it?
I have one single bright white pixel, and none of these offered solutions have solved the puzzle. is it ‘dead’?
No necessarily.. these solutions do not always work.. sometimes, there’s simply nothing you can do to correct the situation. Sorry about that :(
[...] is no sure-fire method for fixing stuck pixels, but technology site [Geeks are Sexy] offers a few suggestions that may very well solve your pixel problem. Tips include software solutions, as well as touching, tapping, and applying pressure to the [...]
Big Thx, The pressure method did the job for me ,i had a stuck red pixel and now its gone ;)
Grtz
[...] some darn funny You Tube videos. I discovered how to repair a scratched DVD using a banana, and how to fix a stuck pixel on an LCD screen. And I wouldn’t be the crime fighting superhero I am today without my homemade infrared [...]
great tip~! the thing is annoying me already.
Make sure its not white-out before you go massaging pixels 8-).
it worked for me how long it stay like that i mean fixed is it permanent or no or does came back?
It’s probably going to be permanent… If it’s not, be sure to come back and tell us about it!
UNBELIEVABLE!
Thanx Guys! I’ve found a stuck pixel on my 22″ wide tft, i was really angry and sad. I’ve tried Jscreen for an half an hour, then UDPixel, and this runs for half an hour too, but the stuck pixel wouldn’t vanish. After that i’ve put a rubber coaster on my LCD, and gently pushed it with a capsule-ended key. AND VOILÁ, the dead pixel is history…
:)))
a green pixel had appeared right in the middle of the screen just 2 days after i purchased it… when i called the shop where i bought it from immediately told me that they wouldn’t issue a replacement just for one pixel, it would need at least 5 of em :( I tried just rubbing it and it worked fine… occasionally it reappears, however i just rub it a bit and it goes back again for a couple of months.
iv seen a lighter method the reason being that it melts the pixel that is stuck learn from my stupidity never attempt this it does not have pretty results
For about a week I’ve had what I guess is a stuck pixel (a little bright green dot) that you can only really see when the screen is dark. I’ve tried the above methods and nada. When I turn it off for an hour or so and turn it back on it will be gone, but come back within around 10-20 minutes of being on. Any other suggestions?
I had the same problem with my brand new Toshiba A300. I tested the software method… and no luck. However, the pressure and tapping methods helped. Applying pressure and turning the screen off and on worked immediately. Sometimes it reappears but a light tapping on the problem area restarts the pixel and it doesn’t come back for a long time.
CSWOOD, I suggest you do the same if it comes back on your screen (the tapping method)
Man, u’re the guy.
It’s works fine! The pressure method.
I’m very happy now!
Thank you very much!
I had a stuck green pixel and i got rid of it in 5 minutes.
I tried jscreen and other color swithcing tools – didn`t work
What worked: With your monitor ON set a fullscreen black picture (anything black) and apply pressure or tap with a sharp pen until you can see white around it. Several times and it will go away
Hi everybody,
If a lcd display have an white stain in the center.How could I remove it?. Because the LCD is black completely when is off.
Had a stuck green pixels from few days at my LCD.Tried JScreenFix-did not work.The rubbing method worked for me-for less than 10 seconds got rid of annoying green stuck pixel in the middle if monitor.Thank you
The tapping method (finger nail-style) took away 5-6 dark pixels but one red still remains, going to try the programs now.
Thanks!
Have tried JScreenFix now. The first 5 minutes didn’t give any result so i started thinking it might not work. Then i remembered that i had read elsewhere that the computer should be run on the highest resolution possible, so i did that and tried again, 3 min later it was a gonner! *happy*
thank you so much, i just bought a great new monitor, and it had a stuck green pixel dead center, i couldn’t use it without being mad, tried the pressure off and on method, worked the 3rd time, so don’t give up and THANK YOU FOR THE HELP!!!
I have a defect pixel on my 3-day old MacBook Pro. It’s black on red background and seemingly green on white background. Does that mean it’s a stuck or a dead pixel? I just wanna know whether it’s worth it trying to fix it or not…
…After thinking about it, I guess that it means that the screen has a dead red sub-pixel. In that way, I would get a black dot on red background and a G+B=light blue dot on white background. Well, that kinda sucks:-(