Fix a stuck pixel on an LCD monitor

If you liked this instructable, then you'll probably like the other things on my site here... Voiding Warranties

UPDATE: This Instructable was on Engadget! http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/24/how-to-guide-details-fix-for-stuck-pixels/

I am going to show you how to fix a stuck pixel on your LCD monitor. Stuck pixels are really annoying and just plain look bad. Over the past few years I have had to fix SO many stuck pixels. It's not that hard to do and usually only takes a couple of minutes. Enjoy!

This will only work on LCD monitors, but this includes computer LCD monitors, laptop screens, cameras (the screen might have a hard protective shield over it that you will have to take off), and hand-held systems (will most likely have a hard protective shield). Does anybody know if this will work with an OLED screen? I think that it will, but I'm not positive.

Note: This will only fix stuck pixels. Not dead pixels or hot pixels. A dead pixel is when the pixel is always off. It is easiest to spot a dead pixel against a white background. The pixel will appear to be non existent. It will look darker than the stuck pixel in the image below. A hot pixel is when the pixel is always on. It is easiest to see against a dark background. The pixel will be bright white. A stuck pixel will usually the red, green, blue or yellow, but can also be a light black color (pictured below). A stuck pixel is caused by a manufacturing defect in which it leaves one or more sub-pixels permanently turned on or off.

By the way, the picture that I took is a bad example of a stuck pixel. Because it is black, one might think that it is actually a dead pixel but it is not. It just so happened that all of the sub-pixels in that pixel were permanently turned off. The next time I see a dead pixel on a computer that isn't black, I will update the picture because the current one is a bad example.

PS: This is my first Instructable so please be nice. :)

Step 1: Materials

There are three different methods that I know on how to fix a stuck pixel. Here are the materials you will need for each.

1st method, flashing different colors rapidly:
JSScreenfix.com has a great tool. This is their free java applet or you can download it below.

2nd method, applying pressure to pixel:
Damp paper towel
Small stylus or dull pencil. (I used an odd looking stylus from a board game)

3rd method, tapping the pixel:
Pen with cover on or another small, blunt object. (I used the back of the same stylus)

Comments

[MrJLatino]

Hi, i have a question: can stuck pixels be fixed if they are all in a straight line that comes down across the screen? I m trying all these methods on my IMAC but its not working. Can you help me out?

[PedroDaGr8]

As others have mentioned this is either a video card issue or bad/dying LCD column driver. The latter are not fixable (to the best of my knowledge.) while according to the poster above the former are a silent recall issue for the iMac.

[Einsteins Circuitry]

Can you describe it more? Is it a vertical or horizontal line, or is it a diagonal line? Is it a solid line, or is it a bunch of stuck pixels that just happen to be in a line-like shape? If it is a solid vertical, or horizontal line, then it is a faulty lcd, and there is nothing you can do. Also, is your iMac the newer one that is aluminum and black? If it is, than the display has a glass/plastic plate over the lcd making method 2 & 3 useless.

[Richard_[UK]]

I think he means like screen burn-in...

[animaster]

LCD's can't burn in, he just got a broken LCD screen

[underwhelmed]

Actually, he has a video card issue that is well known for iMacs. If you take it to an Apple store they will fix it for you.

[violentorchid]

I haven't really ever had a stuck pixel. Must be all the shaking and stuff. Treat you screen like an etch-a-sketch is what I got out of this.

[Power-Inside]

I heard someone say to try moving a magnet piece near the stuck pixel..

[scistone]

don't use a big one or you need to get a new coputer.

[doofusrocker]

i just named mine "Pete" and left him alone.

[Win Guy]

I have two named "Joe" and "Phil".

[rcguymike]

:A
@color 90
@color C0
@color A0
@color F0
@color 00
@goto A

much better colors, light blue, light red, light green, white, black, and repeat. This will use quite a bit of cpu because it is an endless loop executing as fast as the cpu can command it.

[SonOfaVermonter]

Thank you for using a mac, they are the best. As I'm sure you know

[Miles Tails Prower]

That is just your opinion. I think Macs are terrible. Overpriced with poor hardware and keyboards that give you RSI. Windows for the win, atleast for me. (Yes, I have used a mac with snow leopard so i know what i am talking about.)

[woodstockbirdy]

Their better for games but not so much other things.


GO APPLE

[CropJ]

for the sake of argument... go pc.

[www.microbike.ie]

I have both mac mini and 2 CPU 8cores Xeon self build they are both good for certain things

[wakojako]

I have a quad core windows PC.
After a few weeks it got slow, then snowballed over a few months until it completley crashed giving me "disk read errors".
BTW Ubuntu works fine and dosent give me errors, but I cant use it 'cos my wifi adapter isn't compatible. :(

[www.microbike.ie]

that is still only 4 cores I have 2 processors to run windows at acceptable speed :-)

[Sovereignty]

You can use the NDIS wrapper with the original Windows drivers to activate your Wireless. Linux, Windows, I'd even return to DOS before I used a Mac. Why someone would be 'proud' to own one is beyond me. Like being proud of riding the short bus.

[www.microbike.ie]

who is proud?

[shadowyblade]

yea! I have found someone besides me who realizes how pathetic Macs are!

[PaulMakesThings]

Right out of the box they already do everything they will ever do. This is a plus or minus depending on what you want.

[DylanDonohue]

actually, Ubuntu would be the best, being that it's free :)

[thepaul1993]

They are not so good if they get broken pixels.

[coolpizzadude]

I figured I would throw this link in, it's a stuck pixel remover program specially designed for psp's.

[ElvenChild]

dont forget to turn the device off first

[RecoiL]

I kinda pushed over a Coca Cola bottle on my display... it was closed, but the cap hit the screen slightly and left a mark of a dozen blue pixels... these methods work in my case as well, right ?

[irinewiri]

Hello

Here is a photo with my blue stuck pixel. Hope is useful...

Blue stuck pixel photo

[irinewiri]

P.S.: Maybe one would like to take patience downloading the original photo file by clicking the link under the normal photo, so the blue color and the texture of the screen pixels would be visible.

[killbox]

>PS: Beetlegossip suggested that you could also go into Notepad in >Windows >and then create a batch file and write this, > :>A >@color 0f >@color f0 >@goto A name that something like test.bat and then run it, hit alt+enter to make it full screen, this is not as good as the color option but it does make it flicker white and black.

[beetlegossip]

If you wanted a change in colors you could put something like, @color 53 @color 35 @color 23 @color 32 The possibilities are endless in a bat file! PS: You should see if the same thing works on a mac

[anomdebus]

(this is XP or later, I think; tested on XP)
:A
@set /a tx=%RANDOM% %% 16
@if %tx% LSS 10 (@set x=%tx%) ELSE if %tx% EQU 10 (@set x=A) ELSE if %tx% EQU 11 (@set x=B) ELSE if %tx% EQU 12 (@set x=C) ELSE if %tx% EQU 13 (@set x=D) ELSE if %tx% EQU 14 (@set x=E) ELSE if %tx% EQU 15 (@set x=F )
@set /a ty=%RANDOM% %% 16
@if %ty% LSS 10 (@set y=%ty%) ELSE if %ty% EQU 10 (@set y=A) ELSE if %ty% EQU 11 (@set y=B) ELSE if %ty% EQU 12 (@set y=C) ELSE if %ty% EQU 13 (@set y=D) ELSE if %ty% EQU 14 (@set y=E) ELSE if %ty% EQU 15 (@set y=F )
@color %x%%y%
@goto A

[drresearch]

Just curious, what would something equivalent be in the linux bash?

[anomdebus]

Ok, you got me there.. The syntax is easier, but I don't know of a built in command to change the colors of an xterm via the command line..

I did modify a script to give a similar effect, though (comments from original):

#!/usr/bin/perl
# $XTermId: 256colors.pl,v 1.3 2006/09/29 21:49:03 tom Exp $
# $XFree86: xc/programs/xterm/vttests/256colors.pl,v 1.1 1999/07/11 08:49:54 dawes Exp $
#
# This uses 33 print-lines on an 80-column display.  Printing the numbers in
# hexadecimal would make it compact enough for 24x80, but less readable.

$|=1;
while (1) {
        for ($bg = 0; $bg < 256; $bg++) {
                # print "\x1b[9;1H\x1b[2J";
                for ($fg = 0; $fg < 256; $fg++) {
                        print "\x1b[48;5;${bg}m\x1b[38;5;${fg}m";
                        printf "%03.3d/%03.3d ", $fg, $bg;
                }
        }
}

[beetlegossip]

what the heck is that? I'm not going to try that unless i know what it does so could you please explain what exactly it does? I don't want to mess up my computer ha ha.

[anomdebus]

first get a random number less than 16 (%RANDOM% gives a larger number than we can use, so get the remainder from dividing by 16). Then we need to convert that number to hex, there is no direct way, so I use a if/else tree to convert numbers 10-15 to A-F. Do the same for another variable. Use those two variables to set the colors Wash, rinse, repeat. I did this mainly because I am not so familiar w/ batch programming, though I am familiar with shell scripting (unixy). I learned: set /a (set with arithmetic) %RANDOM% % works comparisons are stupidly named in batch

[beetlegossip]

Ahh alright so that's not a batch file then is it? i haven't tried it yet

[anomdebus]

It is a batch file, bourne shell would not drive one to claw at one's eyes. I also forgot to mention that '%%' is translated to '%' in execution; since '%' is the variable symbol, you need to tell it to be a literal '%'. Also, the effect looks nicer (?) when there is text on the screen so you can get the two color effect.

[N1CK4ND0]

its just an overcomplicated version

[torma616]

one more question... what numbers do the colors go up to? ex: @color XX

[DSAdzionator]

The colours system in Batch doesn't work like that.
It is a combination of two digits put together like XX representing background and text, respectively.

0 = Black 8 = Grey
1 = Blue 9 = Light Blue
2 = Green A = Light Green
3 = D. Turquoise B = Turquoise
4 = Red C = Light Red
5 = Purple D = Light Purple
6 = Yellow E = Light Yellow
7 = White F = Bright White

[TiLt]

I'm guessing that there would be about 88 (11-99) and as for vista running the best on a mac, I would guess that it wouldn't be classified as a mac once you put vista on it. But in reality so long as the machine meets the specks.

[Aslai]

open Command Prompt, and type in either: help color color /? then read.

[beetlegossip]

um I Have absolutely no idea lol

[torma616]

When I tried to make the .bat file, it didn't work. When i clicked run, the cmd prompt window opened and then closed, i didn't have enough time to do anything. Do you know why?

[Sovereignty]

Type the cmd command in Run... Hit enter and the terminal will stay open.

[N1CK4ND0]

you might have copied extra text. a letter or 2 extra can sometimes cause the program to exit

[Shynobi]

i think what u have to do is run the batch file from a command promt window. open command promt->type in start "name of batch file with the .bat at the end"->press enter and it should work ps. when u put batch file name don't use quotes

[beetlegossip]

Perhaps you have an existing .bat file that has corrupted the earlier data? If not try recreating the .bat file. I suggest something simple like :A @color 0f @color f0 @color 0f @color f0 @goto A Then save the file as a .bat on your desktop which I am sure you know how to do. If this doesn't work then I have no idea what to do. After all I am only in 10th grade... Still learning about stuff

[iLikeCoolStuf]

and vista?

[Swert]

that would have taken me like an hour to write something similar in java, thats pretty amazing.

[torma616]

cool...im in 9th grade

[zpersichetti]

cool...im in 7th grade

[iLikeCoolStuf]

me 2 !!!

[Kulawend]

cool...im in 12th grade

[Tomcat94]

cool..im in 8th grade.

[computer_guy]

it's all getting out of hand now.

[Tomcat94]

cool... it's all getting out of hand.

[animaster]

cool.. cool..

[maxib123]

cool its all over now

[computer_guy]

Really getting out of hand.... wait.... im just continuing the chain reaction... great....

[torma616]

Nevermind...i found out why. You need to type "@goto A" at the end for it to work!

[beetlegossip]

Oh ok then that would've been the problem that i would've thought of eventually =)

[drresearch]

Hi everyone,

My problem is the following, since quite some time I have two horizontal lines crossing my monitor, they are there even when the "Check Signal Cable" screen is being displayed (so it's not the VGA connection). I got a bit tired of them now, does anyone know what it could be, are they stuck pixels, dead pixels, what? And can it be fixed? In some parts, the pixels seem to be white, in others, black, and one area also some different colors. I decided to give a try to the jscreen fix thing, but when I open it, there are NO flashing colors in the popup window. My monitor model is Samsung SyncMaster 710N (LCD 17"), if that helps.

Thanks in advance.

[zack247]

how could i do this on my mp3 player? i think i have multiple stuck pixels... they are scrambled around in a 1 cm-ish area. they are all yellow, and i want to figure out how to fix it...

please help! i don't want to take it apart, and i don't have the receipt anymore!

[Einsteins Circuitry]

 It depends on how the mp3 player is built.  If it has a display which isn't covered by any clear plastic than you can simply follow the steps above.  If it there is a clear plastic over the display (which is highly likely) than the only way to fix it would be to take it apart.  What mp3 player do you have?

[zack247]

its a trek stor i.beat emo. i only got it half a year ago, so its pretty annoying to find out it has stuck pixels on it. and im not sure if it would be worth it to take it in

[zack247]

forget about this. its no longer with us anymore :(

[bowmaster]

What happened?

[zack247]

I dont know, first, the music started glitching up, so i plugged it in so i could find out if it was the files or the mp4 player, and my computer told me it was corrupted. the strange thing is, the repair warranty had JUST run out.

now i am going to have to pay $40 for a new mp4 player!

[bbby_snydr]

if you still have it, you may be able to format it in windows, and just put the music and stuff back on it. It has happened to me before, and formatting fixed the problem.

[zack247]

i still have it but t doesn't register in windows much. windows says its corrupted and cannot be accessed. but you may be onto something with the formatting... althought i have already gotten a new one (aka a palm zire 31) perhaps i can use it as a hard drive in my project... or  i can use it as a backup... so many possibilities...

[zack247]

snydr you are a LIFESAVER! it worked, and now the thing works just as it should! i have to thank you, for showing me the way to REVIVE my trekstor! if only i could repay you...

[bbby_snydr]

Having helped you is more than enough repayment.

[Robby Bob]

You people do know that even on a Mac, you can do that batch file, all you need is to have Boot Camp set up so that you can use Windows on it.

[arhodes18]

 ya, but why would you want to run windows on Mac anyways :-P

[fearme36]

Because, as my boss would say it, "It might make windows accidentally work"

[zack247]

in opinion, i say windows is better than mac. almostany application on the internet is designed for WINDOWS, not mac

[geoslim13]

ya but without the protection of mac!  linux is the inbetween.

[cotton]

 obviosly your clue less mac has viruses too linux is above both its not hackable easly its free beuitiful and fast btw no viruses as soon as one pops up its killed XD

[geoslim13]

I know that but Mac has better protection than Windows.  I tried putting Ubuntu on a laptop of mine and couldnt connect it to the internet

[zack247]

i would use linux or windows over mac any day. im thinking of installing ubuntu on the next computer i build. or should i get linux instead? opinions?

[solariphus]

Ubuntu IS Linux, or at least a distribution of it.
I use Ubuntu 9.10 on my laptop, and will never use anything but Ubuntu again.
Easy to use, free, fast, beautiful, perfect.
If you haven't freed yourself from the evil clutches of Microsoft/Apple, do so ASAP.

[zack247]

you know what? i WILL. i have a 1gb mp4 player sitting in front of me, if i can find a damn small linux download i am going to get it!

[solariphus]

The 9.10 .iso is about 670mb, so that should be plenty. Good luck!

[zack247]

i found out on pendrivelinux.com (not .org) that puppy linux can be run off of a usb. so i got it, and another program to install it to the usb, and since it was just 105mb, i installed it to a 128 mb flash drive from staples. but i am having some problems. hopefully someone can help? i have my bios on my mobo set to boot from a usb device, but:
1: it doesn't boot, the usb is getting power, but it isn't booting the os
2: the usb device isn't recognized in the bios. there is a section where it shows whether a usb bootable device is installed, and it's name. but it just says "not installed" i want to boot solely off of a usb thumb drive, (for my project, it's too small for a hdd, and laptop hdd's and adapters are really expensive) but i cant get it to work. help?

[arhodes18]

 haha, that is AMAZING!

[qwertyboy]

because macs have the hardware to run windows fast. osx is bloated with things to keep you from getting into the system files

[Robby Bob]

...To do things like the flashing colors program.

[nutsandbolts_64]

the lcd monitor here didn't have any stuck pixels when we first got it. now it's got stuck pixels everywhere on the edges of the screen! ill point it out.: upper left, upper right, lower left, lower right, one-third of the right side and one-third of the lower side. it's a lot right!

[Razentsu]

I think I have a stuck pixel, but I am not completely sure it is a stuck pixel. The pixel is red and it looks like half of the pixel, the left half, is a very dark blue. They don't show up at all when the screen is black or any dark color, but they show up easily on white.

The colors of the pixels seem to change too with the background. When the background is red, the dark blue half disappears and the screen looks perfect; and when the screen is green, the pixel is black and shows up very clearly. The red can get darker and the blue seems to be able to change colors depending on the background.

I've tried tapping and massaging, but they don't seem to work. I have tried the flickering colors method, but only for a short period of time.

Einsteins Circuitry, or anybody else that can help, do you think this is a stuck pixel or something different?

The problem is with my LCD TV.

[Einsteins Circuitry]

 That sounds like a stuck pixel, but I'm not sure.  I would try leaving the flashing color on for a little bit longer, and maybe applying a little pressure to the pixel as you do so.  The combination of techniques might be more effective.

[kierano]

Lol - I was about to do this (the JScreenFix applet doesn't want to run for some reason), and just the pressure of holding a piece of toilet paper to the screen fixed the pixel.

Thanks, though.

[tinkerC]

 I have a few things to say. One, I had replaced my LCD monitor on my laptop to one with a fixed backlight. I had a little green dot that would not go away.... I pressed on the stuck pixel for about three second with my finger, and now I can't find the little green dot anywhere! Thanks for the 'ible.

[Hycro]

I tried the flashing colours, and it did nothing, then I tried this method, it did nothing, then I thought what if I just lightly pushed on it instead of tapped, and pushed successively harder?? and it worked perfectly!! Thank you for the information! I finally got rid of the "blue dot of mystery"

[bwpatton1]

Cool, I just got a laptop for my birthday and it has a "Red dot of mystery"          :( soo annoying, I might have to try this.....hmm........

[pclover]

scroll up and down on pic wit flashing lights its cool

[dzhang]

I tapped my monitor and then my stuck red pixel went away, but after awhile it just came back in around the same spot, so I'm pretty sure its the same one. Is there something wrong with my monitor? Sometimes when I tap it, it kinda flickers red, black, but it stays.

[Einsteins Circuitry]

I would try using the color flashing technique while you tap the pixel.

[trebornerdnoc]

does this work on lcd TV's mine has a bunch of dark green and blue lines going from the top about 3 inches down could this fix it

[Einsteins Circuitry]

Yes, this should work on your LCD TV.

[Ben.land101]

you can always go onto paint and hold ctrl and i . it worked on my stuck pixel.

[dzhang]

Hey, I found a stuck pixel on mine, heres a pic, its red. It only appears on black or darker backgrounds, and is totally invisible on white. That means its a stuck pixel, right?

[Einsteins Circuitry]

Yes, if the pixel is red, it is a stuck pixel. Good luck on fixing it!

[dzhang]

Hey, it worked, I tapped it a few times with the end of a paintbrush and it just disappeared, looks like my picture didn't upload, heres my pixel from before

[arduinoe]

eeeeeeeewwww its a mac lol

[Chromatica]

I AGREE

[arduinoe]

linux for the win

[Chromatica]

eh kinda xp or 7(windows)

[E-R-IC]

vista lasts longer but crashes, and mac is way to unfamiliar.

[Chromatica]

I totally agree but if you notice I didn't say vista

[arduinoe]

meh i have an xp pc , but most of them run linux at least its xp and not nt , milenium or worse , vista

[srhadaham]

Just wondering since you appear to be a hater have you ever actually given vista a try, and i don't mean a quick glance over. If so i would love to hear why you think vista is worse (btw i feel everyone is entitled to their opinions and won't argue with you either way)

[E-R-IC]

i actualy havn't my vista crash yet, the only problem is that if an action takes to long, i cancels it

[red-king]

i never had a problem with vista either. i don't know what everyone is getting on with. meh. i'm using windows 7 RC now anyway.

[arduinoe]

i have a sarurday job in a computer shop and i know every in and out of vista . I dont like it because there is absolutely no reason it needs at least 1 gb of ram other than greed , there is no reason it needs sucha powerfull processor to run well , its a bit like the health and safety rubbish , in an attempt to make vista more friendly , easier to use and harder to mess up they have absoultely ruined what could have been a good os , and besides ive always thought an os should be free or near to.

[Einsteins Circuitry]

I'm upgrading my MBP to windows 7 as soon as it comes out so that I can triple boot Snow Leopard, Windows 7, and Ubuntu.

[arduinoe]

good boy :) , but 7 is already out in beta , its good but i prfer xp

[zack247]

yeah, its best to stick with something familiar. i have known windows all my life, and when i saw mac, all i had to say was "WTF?? this looks more like a colorful kids toy than a computer!" (actual words)

[endolith]

"PS: If you don't already know, this will obviously only work on LCD monitors." Should be the first sentence in the Instructable; not the last.

[wenpherd]

"PS: If you don't already know, this will obviously only work on LCD monitors." Should be the first sentence in the Instructable; not the last.

[iLikeCoolStuf]

twice ???/

[arduinoe]

third times the charm

[CaffeineHouse]

hurrr.. DS's have LCD screens in them too.

[DavidRobertson]

that reminds me. Mine has a stuck pixel.

[tanmanknex]

look at my post further up.

[endolith]

DSes?

[Einsteins Circuitry]

Good idea. I'm changing it right now...

[geodez]

the computer version of pimple-popping.

[computer_guy]

T.T it didn't work I tried all the methods. That is one stubborn stuck pixel.

[f0ll0wm3]

THANK YOU!!!!!!

[reiterstahl]

trying...

[jcmonteiro]

I am glad to say that it worked to me. I have a brand new laptop which had a cyan stuck pixel. I tried the first method and didn't work. After that I tried applying some pressure to the stuck pixel and it simply gone away. I am very happy. Thank for the help.

[byaspan]

I have a purple looking pixel that is visible on a white background. It also appears as a darker blue on a blue background and black on a green background. Is this s stuck pixel? Everything I'm reading says it will be visible on a black background. Mine is invisible on a black background (and also a red one). The java applet didn't appear to fix it. Any suggestions?

[Kulawend]

I tried the Java app, then I tried a few other programs, then I pushed, taped, and massaged my screen. I still have a stuck pixel, cyan in color and it annoys the hell out of me because It's a brand new screen and I expect my new electronics to work perfect. Is there any other methods I can use to fix this dumb thing?

[Einsteins Circuitry]

Unfortunately, I don't know of any other methods. If it's brand new though, you might be able to exchange it for one that doesn't have a stuck pixel. BTW, what type of display is it (glossy or matte).

[Kulawend]

It's matte.

[Einsteins Circuitry]

Ok. I was asking because some glossy displays have a layer if plastic over them which would prevent you from using the last 2 methods.

[Kulawend]

Well I got the momentary discoloration when I put pressure on the screen so I'm pretty sure I was doing it right, it's just not fixing the problem. One thing I noticed about the stuck pixel is that it can change to white, but it cant change to black or any other colors besides the one it's stuck on.

[blugyblug]

Heh, I have a red stuck pixel somewhere, but I cant be botehred to fix it-.- Its not that annoying is it..?

[Einsteins Circuitry]

If you don't normally notice it, and you have to intentionally search for it to find it, than it my not be worth fixing. However, a lot of people have OCD about stuck pixels. It's up to you whether you fix it or not.

[Swert]

You think this will work for a ds, psp, ipod, zune, or any portable device? Or are all of those LEDs...

[Kulawend]

It works on any device with an LCD screen.

[Kulawend]

An LED is not a screen, it's a light.

[la-main]

ermm i know how it works with the psp i have a portal on it called "vista rc2" the pixelfixer on the portal works i testet it

[Einsteins Circuitry]

Cool. Thanks for the tip...

[cwid]

my zen has a big column of black and one little line across it because the a few of the little tiny connectors that connect the screen are broken off..

[Einsteins Circuitry]

Maybe... It will work for the DS touch screen, but since the top screen of the DS has a hard plastic cover over it, the only method that would work is the first one. But you would have to find some homebrew application for the DS that flashed the colors. Since the Zune and the iPod both have a hard protective plastic over the LCD screen, the last 2 methods wouldn't work, unless you took apart your iPod. Flashing the colors might work though. I could make a movie of the flashing colors that you could put on your iPod / Zune. As for other devices, it depends. If there is a hard protective plastic over the screen, than the only way that will work is flashing the colors. Someone had suggested a simple way to fix your camera display by pointing your camera at a strobe light. One last note. Stuck pixels will usually disappear over time, but that can take years.

[DSAdzionator]

You could use the video idea on the DS if you had a "homebrew device" such as a R4, AceKard or Cyclo. You would then convert the video to DPG and play it in Moonshell. Or DSV and play in DSV Player.

[maneshcs]

Hey buddy.. cool.. It worked with me.. :) thanks............

[Einsteins Circuitry]

Awesome. Just out of curiosity, which method did you use that worked?

[Marble of Doom]

Great 'ible. Unfortunately after trying everything I still wasn't able to fix the stuck pixels on my iMac G4. Tapping, pressure, the java applet, a combination of all of them at the same time nothing worked. The pixels are on the mid-right of my screen and are BRIGHT red. Very annoying. Any other suggestions?

[Einsteins Circuitry]

Unfortunately, some pixels just can't be fixed. I don't know of any other methods, but google is your friend.

[krizzz]

So, at this point I fixed my monitor! Thank you so much, I had 4 hot, blue pixels on one of my monitors and they've been annoying me for 4 years. Now they're gone and I can't believe that. Thanks a tone!!!!

[Einsteins Circuitry]

Great! I'm glad it worked.

[Bartboy]

Works well with Ipod.

[Einsteins Circuitry]

That's good... Which one?

[Bartboy]

Video, and the push method.

[=SMART=]

Whoop i have the same Mac as you ,

[Sandisk1duo]

ugh! i got a stuck LINE and this doesn't work

[Einsteins Circuitry]

If it is a straight line, then one of the transistors at the top or bottom of your monitor failed. Unfortunately there is no way to fix this, except to replace the actual LCD screen, or just get a whole new monitor! :-( However, the transistor could just have gotten disconnected because of a faulty connection. Try putting pressure on the case around where the straight line is. This can sometimes correct the problem by reconnecting the transistor, but you would need to keep constant pressure there.

[Sandisk1duo]

Its probably not just a transistor, its probably one pin of a micro controller.

[manmelvin]

How do you create a batch file???

[MrFairlady]

in notepad, type in the batch command, and then save it as whateveryounamedit.bat

[Einsteins Circuitry]

I'm not sure. I use a Mac, but Beetlegossip can probably tell you. Try sending him a message.

PS: Sorry about the late reply, I didn't see your comment until earlier today.

[beff50]

i myself am not much of a mac fan, but i will use them if i need to.

[eggman]

wait, i see a flaw... its a mac

[blacksmith1234]

if you have ever used a mac you would know that if it dosent run an apple OS its not a computer NO EXCEPTIONS (except linux =3 )

[macmaniac]

how could you. Kill the non-believer!! sorry. i love macs and hate microsoft

[Derin]

MACS STINK KILL THE MAC LOVER

[Ganoderma]

doesn't everyone hate Microsoft :) I mean, we all know windows is bad but we have no choice then to use it if you want to play games or something

[thermoelectric]

NO microsoft is soo cool then Linux mac is soooooo boring

[darth2o]

There is nothing wrong with Macs. The best computer to run Vista is actually a Mac. YEAH!!!

[Swert]

That's not true. Macs are just held to a higher standard than PCs simply because PCs have no standard. You can make a way better PC than a Mac. But the Mac OS is better, but it lacks in third party support.

[adamthiede]

Why would you want to run vista anyway... Leopard, or even Tiger (what i have) Is SO much better!

[Derin]

leopard was caught red handed

[MrPumpernickel]

I don't know if being able to run a flawed and bloated OS is something to be proud about :P

[weretater]

Yeah Vista really sucks, but what can i say? I'm not even running on an authentic version of Windows (I have XPTE). I just may have to do this once i get my tri-wing screw driver I ordered so I can fix my DS.

[WilderLust]

uummm... correction! the fastest name brand computer to run Vista is a Mac. i have been building my own computers for over 20 years and have consistently blown away any name brand computer every year. for the price you cannot beat a well made computer that you put together yourself.

cheers
WL

[djtrailmixxx]

Correct, and if you compare a Dual Xeon Mac Pro to like some Emachines piece of garbage, yeah, I can see what the outcome would be when using Vista. It's funny how many Mac fanatics (not all users, I use one at work) believe that BS. It's been proven time and time again that on the SAME Mac hardware the the PC version of a dual platform app, I.E. Photoshop That App performs better on the Windows platform that is installed on said box............Nuff Said!

[bishopdante]

Oh yeah, and by the way i'm rocking i7 in my 17 inch macbook pro, and if I start doing crazy stuff to a photoshop file which measures 10,000 pixels square, it doesn't even bring up bars. At first I thought it must be broken, it was that fast.

I'm not sure that speed is actually an argument, I'd need to upgrade my reflexes to get my work done faster.

[bishopdante]

well, I did rather notice that the Adobe stuff stinks on OSX rather a lot.

Photoshop particularly ran a hell of a lot slower than it should. Compared to a true OSX program like Pixelmator, the performance difference was scary.

This is because all of the Adobe stuff was written for an OS that was discontinued a decade ago, and written in C++. Adobe's stuff was even written using Metrowerks, which was also discontinued.

I remember the days when you couldn't get Photoshop on the PC, apple made Adobe what they are today.

_____

I am pleased to report that on the OSX platform, now the adobe apps have been rewritten using something fresh, they actually use the GPU as they should (which they didn't used to), and it's all much less ancient (no more spinning 1-bit 16 pixel watch icon cursor).

I can also report that Flash still sucks for OSX.

_____


OSX is not Mac. It's NeXT. And that stuff leaves your shoddy windows BS in the dust with a true NIX runtime, (not Linux counterfeit), Protected Memory, and a platform-independent system which will allow apple to rapidly migrate to any future hardware architecture they fancy.

This is not apple of the stripey logo, this is something else.

I'm not 100% sure I like it that way, especially the admin jail potential, but y'know, Mac is a serious platform these days, and if you have any critical faculties whatsoever, then you've got to like OSX.

I've run all the MS operating systems in my studio since 1990. I've also run most of the major Linuxes.

Windows is a pit of vipers and shoddiness of heart.

Linux is screamingly fast, but a bit ugly, and certainly not free from buggy behaviour. I reckon that you have to be well into stripping that stuff down, it's not suitable for a casual user yet. But when it gets there, it'll be what I'm using.

[dbecker6]

you are correct Sir! My fav is my AMD Athlon single core 3700,Zalman, 4 GB Ram, Asus A8n-SLI Deluxe, 2 W/D Raptors, OCD'to 3.2 SWEET!

[timotat]

Now hold my good man, you have not heard my argument!
Ahem
Bill Gates. Steve Jobs. Binary. Computer Babble. Cthulu. Steampunk. 10010101011, Dancing Russian Bears.

Stuff That up your pipe and smoke it, my good man!

[Grmgunner]

are you an amd fanatic or are you willing to go to intel every now and then? if yes then your a good man!! i like both really it all depends on watcha wana do ya kno?

[WilderLust]

well... actually there is much more to performance than the CPU. focusing on the CPU only is like buying a ford pinto with a formula engine... you still got a pinto! the type of ram, the mb, the bios, the hd, the gc and many more things are very critical. another often overlooked item is the lowly power supply. too many cheapos messing machines more than most people realize. that is not even mentioning the applications you are looking at. a game machine will not necessarily be a good choice for a development machine or a business machine. just as a formula car would not be very useful for driving around town. anyway... the only thing apple hardware has going for it is that people are willing to pay more for them so they can use better hardware and still make money. people have nickel and dimed the PC makers for decades and have driven them to build chap machines then we complain that they don't have as high a performance. guess what folks... there is no free lunch... you get what you pay for... if you do your homework! i used to tell my student this would happen. when a society becomes so selfish as to not care about the consequences of its greed the fabric of society disintegrates. this goes way beyond computers of course... but i digress! cheers :-)

[rocketman221]

the only way to get a good computer is to build it yourself

[djtrailmixxx]

EXACTLY!!!! For example: I have all of my storage on an enterprise class raid controller that costs over $400 alone. Quality does cost you money, thats the way it works. More money doesn't mean something is actually better, testing and experience determine that.

[Grmgunner]

indeed i've heard stories of people buying underpowered PSU's and having artifacts on their screen as well as having lacking cpu speeds as well as the clocking of ram being way out of whack. im writing an instructable on building/buying parts for a custom built pc and i've been working on it for weeks because i want it to cover all the fields that can make or break a PC and as you know there are a LOT of things to make good decisions on or else its going to be crap. so obviously this is gona be long. any thoughts on this topic?

[WilderLust]

For a long time i have resisted doing what you are set to do. There are several problems with it. one is that the information becomes out dated very fast. the other is that as i mentioned before, depending on a host of requirements you would create a very different machine. the best way is to teach people how to differentiate between different products but this takes equipment that most do not have. i used to teach a hardware class when i thought at the U but that took a whole semester. an instructable would be huge! you might break it down to components... how to choose a hard drive... or how to choose a power supply and so on... this will take a lot of work and with respect with things like power supply you need a scope to really test it out. the "under power" ps doesn't usually brown out, it gets really dirty. most cheap ps already have a very dirty output. yes switching ps is not as clean as a regular one but still this does not mean you want irratic power. this wreaks havoc on the faster, high end components of today. besides the errors the life of electronic equipment is directly proportional to the quality of power they get. oh... here i go again! you see why i don't want to do instructables?! it would take soooo much time and there are all kinds of things i want to do more :-) still if you want a second eye on your instructable i can help a little i guess... ig you want to do a good job i would do one component at a time. get into the specs and really explain things. most people only look at one or two specs and miss out on the rest which often make a difference. just my 2 cents. cheers :-)

[Grmgunner]

Thanks for the comments i was considering breaking it down into component by component but i haven't been writing on this thing in ages I've been busy with Christmas and family and dealing with their seizure inducing PC's. I may just drop the instructables idea and just hang around the forums more often.

If your ever bored and are wanting something to do drop by the forums @ www.tech-forums.net/pc/ and create yourself and account we always welcome more techies to the bunch =D my screen name on the forums is DawnOfDoom. and thanks again =D

[radiobath]

I know it's been a while since you've commented on this instructable, but if you still would like to create your own instructable on building a PC, I would love you forever if you do. I think one of the hardest things about building a PC is figuring out which pieces aren't as important as others depending entirely on what you're going to use it for. Also, you should add in an afterthoughts section at the end to make sure you don't completely screw up your computer. Which antivirus programs are good and/or free, which programs to use that have more security than the defaults (Internet Explorer), lists of obvious things that one should avoid but most don't... You know, that stuff. I know people that can build a beast of a machine, but they use AOL as a browser and think that P2P programs are virus-free.

[WilderLust]

lol... you want me to write a book?! i am actually getting ready to put together a new machine... the problem is that depending on what you want to do the design changes. i am building this one to be a decent gaming platform with good oc capability but not too expensive. i also want it to be stable and work with my video, music, circuits, and other office application needs. i am not going to buy is all at once but build the base and add later. i think the key is to put together general guidelines but i dont know if that would be helpful to anyone... i think secretly, people just want a solution just for them but dont what to do the research. the sources of information are on the web but it takes time to learn and experience is expensive to gain :-) i guess i wonder what people would want or find helpful... it will take a lot of time to make an instructable... i would want it to be worth the time and help people. maybe a forum here?

[radiobath]

Personally, I think what would be most helpful is stuff that you can't find on any old gaming forum. Anyone can tell you the top-of-the-line video card, and which one to get. But asking about motherboards, cooling systems and other things that do play a pretty big part--you get nowhere with them. I would've built my own PC years ago if I knew what exactly to look at on newegg.

[WilderLust]

now... if only we could afford this baby :-D

http://www.tomshardware.com/2008/02/21/video_intel_talks_about_skulltrail/

Cheers,
WL

[Einsteins Circuitry]

The whole part about vista being fastest on macs is kinda ironic isn't it? PS: I'm getting a mac-book for Christmas!

[adamthiede]

Congrats! You already have it by now, right? I wanna get the MacBook Air. Go to Apple-Macbook AirThe website and check it out!

[Einsteins Circuitry]

Sadly no. :( I was mistaken. I was going to but decided to try to save up some more for a MacBook Pro. The MacBook Air isn't enough for me. No Firewire or Ethernet! :(

[ramroids55]

"It's Not Ironic, It's Coincidental" Quote From Futurama =]

[tok2]

very ironic :)

[spleinman]

"I deny your reality, and substitute it with my own" quote from Mythbusters! PS thx for the help, I was able to fix my moniter, my dad was SOOO angry when he saw it, so I fixed it, and he's all happy again!

[GeeDeeKay]

Dude, it's, "I reject your reality, and substitute my own."

[spleinman]

meh, big diff...

[GeeDeeKay]

If you're going to quote someone, it helps if the quote is accurate. Not too big a diff, but a diff nonetheless. I'm just sayin'...

[joypad]

the batch file works

[zorro3355]

it dident work.mine is a line of truck pixel

[Einsteins Circuitry]

If it is a straight line, then one of the transistors at the top or bottom of your monitor failed. if one of the transistors has failed, then it will appear to be a different color. Unfortunately there is no way to fix this, except to replace the actual LCD screen, or just get a whole new monitor! :-( This has happened once to me before too.

[Rubber Binder]

That is probably a scratch then, if it looks kinda rainbow-like and is very thin it's a scratch.

[zorro3355]

no. it's a stright line of stuck pixel form the top to the bottom

[Rubber Binder]

I couldn't tell you what that is, but I don't think it's fixable.

[andrew101]

wow on rapidly flashing coulors pic scroll up and down it looks cool

[jamnoopers]

haha dizzying

[phoenix2099]

Ok, so i read this whole thing, and tried with no luck--- So my question is: Does this work on LCD HDTVs? I have a PS3 and got online with it, but couldn't get the applet to run. Oh and thanks for taking the time to do this!

[Einsteins Circuitry]

Yes... This should work on most LCD HDTVs. The only LCD screens that the pressure methods won't work on are the kind that have a glossy finish as they usually have some sort of protective coating. I am not sure about the PS3. You might have to try hooking up your TV to your computer. My friend has a PS3 so I will ask him if he knows any way to run the applet on the PS3.

[beetlegossip]

You have a mac though so i doubt that would work for it. I am not familiar with macs

[Einsteins Circuitry]

You're talking about the bash file idea that you posted before right? If anyone wants I'll post how to do it with macs. PS: I'll put your bash file idea in the Instructable.

[beetlegossip]

I'm curious about having that done on a mac. it would be very interesting =)

[Einsteins Circuitry]

I think that it would be easiest to do it in Quartzcomposer. I think that making a shell script would be harder than just making an app or something that included a Quartz composer animation.

[beetlegossip]

lol What is a quartzcomposer?

[Einsteins Circuitry]

It is an application that allows you to make animations and other graphical things using the Quartz engine that is in mac OSX.

[beetlegossip]

Alright Thanks =) I have gained new knowledge on macs

[baduncadonk]

This was a great first instructable, LMJ. Thanks for sharing it!

[Einsteins Circuitry]

Thank you!

[beetlegossip]

You could also go onto Notepad in windows and then create a batch file. ex. :A @color 0f @color f0 @goto A

[hondagofast]

Hah! That unstuck the three pixels right in the middle of the screen on my laptop.

[beetlegossip]

Are you replying to my comment?

[Buster108]

but what if its a green vertical line?i tryed the changing color thing but it didnt work..can i still use the same technik as above but do it several times for each pixel?oh and btw very long ago it used to change color from time to time some times red and some times yellow but not anymore now its green can some1 help me get rid of tis stupid tingi its annojing....tanx

[waterppk]

One of the connections to the transistor on the top of the screen is damaged/broken. You can try squeezing (firmly) the monitor in that spot, this works better with laptop screens. You can usually squeeze it into making a better connection and it will restore itself and you may have to occasionally squeeze it to refix it. I had a friend with a laptop like this. There a millions of transistors printed on the LCD that make it work (read howstuffworks on LCD monitors if you want to understand how they work)

[kansasblazer]

I had a green vertical line too... Gently twist/tweak the monitor from right upper corner and left lower corner, and it should work.

[Einsteins Circuitry]

If that's the case, than it's probably a loose connection inside your monitor. If it's a problem with your lap-top screen, than it could either be a loose connection, or it could also be a logic-board problem. When you adjust the screen, it nudges the logic board's connections and usually fixes the problem momentarily. I have seen this problem in laptops many times before

[kansasblazer]

It was on my laptop, you're right.... but I haven't had any problems since I tweaked it.

[Gendreavus]

Just out of curiosity, would this also work on my DS phat? I've got at least three stuck pixels on my top screen and one on the touch screen...should I bother trying, or could I just hurt it?

[ryzellon]

I'd not recommend it just for stuck pixels, but you could open up the top shell and get in touch with the LCD under the plastic shield. You won't run into any of the specialty tri-wing screws, so you probably have all the necessary tools on hand.

[Einsteins Circuitry]

This might work on you touch screen, but it definitely won't work on your top screen of the DS. The top screen has a protective shield over it, so the only thing that might work for the top screen is using some home-brew app that flashes colors. I would be worried about trying it on the touch screen though. It is very sensitive to too much pressure, but again, you could also use a home-brew app that flashes colors to try to fix it. The only thing that I could suggest if it's really bothering you is to send it in to a repair shop. You could also try taking off the protective shield over the top screen, but you would have to be vary careful doing it. I tried it on my old DS, and found that it was just glued there, but be careful!

[tanmanknex]

DO NOT DO ANYTHING THAT WILL PUT PRESSURE ON THE TOP SCREEN!!! i dropped my ds and it hit the back of the top screen... it looked like it broke open because black liquid(or what looked like black liquid) began spilling over the top screen. it makes it almost impossible to see the screen without a strong external light AKA sunlight... i got a DS lite, but DO NOT DO ANYTHING TO THE TOP SCREEN!!! and in case you didn't get it the first two times, DO NOT DO ANYTHING TO THE TOP SCREEN!!!

[Einsteins Circuitry]

This can happen to any LCD display. When you crack an LCD display some liquid gets released out of the cracked glass / plastic. While some screens are more sensitive to others, as long as you are careful and use common sense while applying the pressure you'll be fine. Also, dropping the DS applies a lot more force than you should need to fix a stuck pixel. Applying a small amount of force to the DS screen with not hurt it.

[tanmanknex]

yeah, it was an accident.

[tanmanknex]

by over the top screen, i mean under the plastic, but over the display.

[Gendreavus]

Thanks! I'll probably end up just trading it in to Gamestop for a DS lite rather than hunt around for a likely expensive homebrew flashy thing...thanks again for the advice though!

[ozzfreak]

I couldn't get it to work for me, :(

[Einsteins Circuitry]

It won't always work. And even if you do get it to work, there is a 5% chance that it will happen again.

[beefviper]

37% of all statistics on the internet are made up. : )

[Dandymon]

IT WORKS!! IT WORKS IT WORKS IT WORKS! I understood why the pixel was stuck and have tried many a time to squeeze it back to normal with my finger to no avail. The idea of the stylus did it! precise pressure got a little scary but i didn't push too hard (much less than that of a drawing pin - about 1N of directed pressure) and it cleared. Super instructable... next the pixel in the middle of my Canon 350D... don't know if i'll be ready for that for a while. Thanks a bunch!

[Einsteins Circuitry]

I'm glad it worked! Good luck doing it to you Canon...

[!Andrew_Modder!]

ah! better than replacing a screen :-P! :-). actually on some monitors it comes with a button that like 'redoes your screen'. Like it resets all the pixels and wables everything on the screen around to fix it. idk, i have not seen them on screens for a while, but they still must make them :-\?.. -idk

[Davvik]

The don't make them in LCD screens, just the projection ones and it's called degaussing the screen (or removing all the inner static)

[Fwirt]

Actually, if you're talking about what I think you're talking about, that would be the degauss button that they build in to some CRT monitors? I've never seen one on LCD monitors though.

[silverpapermaker]

hey ya i have the nentendo ds lite and it has a touch screen with a pixel that is all jacked up i dont know if it is stuck dead or hot , help ps lol" stuck dead or hot"!

[Einsteins Circuitry]

is it black or white or just some other random color? If it's black than it's "dead", if it's white than it's "hot" and if it's a different color than it's "stuck". I think that this should work for a hot, as well as a stuck pixel.

[darth2o]

I think you mean "degauss".

[!Andrew_Modder!]

uhh.. ya i think. lol im not sure if they make them for many monitors now in days (havnt seen them lately...)

[midiwall]

Umm, that would be 'cause degaussing is the process of reducing an unwanted magnetic field - a process that doesn't have a lot of use in LCD technology. :)

ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degauss

[!Andrew_Modder!]

lol ya i went to wiki before i posted my last majigger. and i saw that they dont use it in LCD, atleast not much :-\.

[CaffeineHouse]

Not much? more like not at all. magnetic fields don't affect LCDs at all. try holding a magnet to an LCD monitor. nothing happens

[Einsteins Circuitry]

But they do use them in CRTs right?

[!Andrew_Modder!]

ya.

[technodude92]

CRT is where degaussing applies. this helps if you "accidentally" got a magnet too close to the screen. the link posted above has good information on the subject.

[midiwall]

Yeup... you need to degauss a CRT periodically in order to keep the colors true. By AM saying "...make them for many monitors now days" I figured he was talking about LCD/plasma panels.

[ll.13]

You're on engadget. ;o)

http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/24/how-to-guide-details-fix-for-stuck-pixels/

...and probably since on engadget on hundreds of other "YET ANOTHER" tech news websites......

[Einsteins Circuitry]

Yup! :D Kind of surprising isn't it?

[Jonny Appleseed]

my grandmother has a CRT moniter that does not have a degauss button, but you can degauss it by going into control panel and going into the moniter options

[Griobhtha]

Thanks for sharing this. I was able to correct my wife's laptop screen.

[gmjhowe]

Great instructable! i dont think im brave enuff to try the last one, but first two are worth trying!

[GorillazMiko]

cool, i have some pixels like this on my camera :'(

[Einsteins Circuitry]

It might not be a problem with you camera screen. It might actually be a defective pixel on the CCD on your camera

[wyrm]

Try taking a short video of a strobe light. It should work the same as the flashing-colors method above. Let us know whether that works, btw.

[AT]

Great to know this type of thing can be fixed. If it happens, I will give it a try. Why does the paper towel need to be damp?

[theRIAA]

it has paper fibers in it, they can scratch the screen when dry, but only if you rub it...

[Einsteins Circuitry]

Exactly...

[Weissensteinburg]

Great explanation..i'll be sure ro remember this if I ever get a stuck pixel. You might add a small explanation on what a stuck pixel is/how they are formed though.

[Einsteins Circuitry]

Good idea. I'm updating it right now.