Lines, Spots, Shadows or Yellow Tint on Your Laptop Screen: What Each Means and How to Fix It

Lines, spots, shadows and odd colors on a laptop or monitor screen have two very different families of cause, and one quick test tells you which one you have.

1. Take a screenshot (Windows + Print Screen on Windows, Shift + Command + 3 on a Mac) and open it. Or plug the laptop into an external monitor or TV.
2. If the line, spot or tint shows up in the screenshot or on the external monitor, the problem is software, the graphics driver or a setting. This is usually free to fix.
3. If the screenshot and the external monitor look clean but the built-in screen still shows the problem, the fault is in the panel, the backlight or the display cable. That is hardware, and it usually needs a repair.

Most of the fixes below follow from that one test. If the screen is fully black instead, see our laptop black screen guide. If the picture flickers with lines, our answer on laptop screen flickering lines covers that case.

• The screenshot test separates software from hardware. A screenshot captures what the graphics system is sending, not what the panel is showing. A problem that is not in the screenshot is on the panel side.
• Lines that move, change or vanish when you flex the lid often point to a loose or worn display cable. Lines that stay fixed and never change usually mean a damaged panel.
• Black spots and dark patches that stay put are usually dead pixels or pressure damage to the panel. They do not heal.
• A yellow, green or pink tint is very often a setting (Night light or a color profile) or a driver. It is the cheapest symptom to fix.
• Glowing patches around the edges (backlight bleed) are common on LCD screens and are often a manufacturing trait rather than a fault, unless they are new or getting worse.
• Burn-in only happens on OLED screens. Temporary image retention can fade; permanent burn-in cannot be reversed.
• Do not press on the screen to "fix" a spot or line. Pressure usually makes it worse.

A line on the screen is the most common complaint, and the direction and behavior of the line tell you a lot.

Black line on a laptop screen or a monitor

A single thin black line (vertical or horizontal) that never moves, even after a restart and even on the BIOS screen, is usually a failed row or column of the panel, or a damaged connection inside the panel. This applies to an HP, Dell, Lenovo, ASUS or Acer laptop alike, and also to a black line in a standalone monitor. It is a hardware fault.

Vertical lines vs horizontal lines

• Vertical colored lines (red, green, blue, white or black bars) are typically a panel or panel-driver fault, or a failing display cable.
• Horizontal lines that flicker or roll are more often a cable, a graphics driver or a refresh rate problem.
• Lines that appear only after the laptop warms up or only at certain lid angles point to a worn display cable at the hinge.

Step-by-step: what to try

1. Run the screenshot or external monitor test from the top of this page. If the lines are in the screenshot or on the external monitor, do steps 2 to 4. If not, skip to step 5.
2. Restart the graphics driver: press Windows + Ctrl + Shift + B. You should hear a beep and see a flicker.
3. Update the display driver: right-click Start, open Device Manager, expand Display adapters, right-click your graphics device and choose Update driver. Also install the latest graphics driver from your laptop maker's support page for your exact model.
4. Roll the driver back if the lines started right after an update: in the same window, open the device's Properties, then the Driver tab, then Roll Back Driver (if the button is available).
5. Test the built-in hardware. On a Dell, turn the laptop off, hold D, press the power button and keep holding D until solid colors appear. On an HP, tap Esc at startup, then F2 for HP PC Hardware Diagnostics. On a Mac, run Apple Diagnostics (see the HP and Mac section below). Lines that show in these tests are not a Windows problem.
6. Flex the lid gently. Open and close it slowly while watching the lines. If they change or disappear at a certain angle, the display cable is the likely cause, which is usually a smaller repair than a new panel.

MacBook Pro black lines at the bottom of the screen (or a lit-up "stage light" effect along the bottom edge) is a known pattern on some older MacBook Pro models and has been tied to the display backlight and its cable. Apple has run service programs for some models. Run Apple Diagnostics first, then check Apple's service program pages with your serial number. Do not assume your model is covered without checking.

Repair or replace: a line that survives the external monitor test almost always means a panel or cable repair. If the laptop is several years old and the panel quote is a large share of what the laptop is worth, replacing the laptop may make more sense (see the last section).

A black spot on a laptop screen (including a black spot on a Chromebook screen, or black dots on a monitor) can come from a few different things. Work out which kind it is first.

• A tiny black dot, about one pixel across: a dead pixel. It stays black on every color background.
• A larger dark patch or blotch that grows over time: usually pressure or impact damage to the LCD layers, or liquid getting in. It tends to spread and does not recover.
• A dark spot that moves when you wipe the screen: dust, a smudge or a speck on the glass. Clean first.
• Dark spots around a crack: physical damage. The screen needs replacing.

What to try

1. Turn the laptop off and clean the screen with a slightly damp, lint-free microfiber cloth. Do not spray liquid directly on the screen. Check whether the spot is still there.
2. Run the screenshot or external monitor test. A spot that is not in the screenshot and not on the external monitor is a fault in the panel.
3. Display a solid white background (open a blank white page full screen) and look closely. A dead pixel shows as a single black point. A stuck pixel is lit in one color instead.
4. Do not rub, press or "massage" the spot. Pressing on a dark patch is a common way to make it bigger. Pixel-fixing videos can sometimes help a stuck pixel but will not revive a truly dead pixel or a pressure patch.

Repair or replace: one or two dead pixels are often cosmetic and many people live with them. A spot that grows, multiple spots, or spots together with lines usually mean a panel replacement. Check your warranty, since policies on dead pixels vary by brand and model.

A white spot on a screen, bright spots on a screen, or an LCD white spot that shows best on a dark background is typically one of these:

• A stuck or hot pixel: a single point that is stuck on white or on a color.
• A bright blotch: a soft, cloudy bright area, often called mura. It can come from uneven backlight layers or from pressure on the panel.
• Small bright dots near an edge or across the screen: often a displaced reflector or diffuser layer in the backlight, or an LED fault.
• A pressure mark: a bright spot where something pressed on the lid, such as a pen or charger in a tight bag.

What to try

1. Show a solid black full-screen image in a dim room. This makes white spots and bright blotches easy to see.
2. Run the screenshot or external monitor test. A spot that is not on the external monitor is a panel fault.
3. Think about pressure. Was the laptop closed on something or carried in a tight bag? Pressure marks sometimes soften over a few days but often do not.
4. Take a clear photo on a black background, to use for a warranty claim or repair quote.

Repair or replace: backlight and pressure-related white spots are inside the panel and cannot be fixed by cleaning. The fix is a new panel.

A shadow on a laptop screen or a monitor shadow problem usually looks like a dark band, a dim corner or an uneven brightness patch, often most visible when the screen shows dark content.

• Backlight bleed (screen bleeding): light leaking around the edges of an LCD panel, most visible on a black screen in a dim room. Some bleed is a normal trait of LCDs, though a severe amount can be a defect.
• Clouding or mura: uneven bright or dark blotches across the screen caused by the backlight layers or by pressure.
• A dark shadow on one side or at the bottom: may be a backlight LED strip or cable failing, which tends to get worse over time.
• A shadow that follows the image: that is ghosting or image retention, not backlight bleed.

How to fix screen bleeding on a laptop

True backlight bleed cannot be fixed with a setting. You can reduce how noticeable it is:

1. Lower the brightness and use a lighter wallpaper or theme, which hides edge glow.
2. Check the lid and bezel. A lid that was pushed in, or a screen that was reassembled too tightly after a repair, can cause new pressure bleed. If it appeared after a fall or a repair, say so when you talk to the repair shop.
3. Run the screenshot or external monitor test to make sure it is not a software effect such as adaptive brightness or a graphics driver setting dimming part of the screen.
4. If the shadow is new or spreading, have the panel looked at. A shadow that grows can mean a failing backlight.

Repair or replace: if the bleed was there from day one, check the warranty or return policy. If it is getting worse, expect a panel or backlight repair.

A computer screen yellow tint, a monitor yellow tint, a green laptop screen or general computer screen discoloration is the symptom where the cause is most often free to fix. Work down this list.

1. Turn off Night light (Windows). Open Settings, then System, then Display, then Night light, and switch it off or lower the strength. Night light warms the screen on purpose and can look strongly yellow. On a Mac, check Night Shift and True Tone in the Displays settings.
2. Check apps like f.lux or a manufacturer "eye care" or "low blue light" mode. These can tint the screen even when Night light is off. Close or uninstall them to test.
3. Reset the color profile. Search Start for Color Management, open the Devices tab, and check whether a custom profile is set as the default for your display. If you do not know why it is there, switch back to the standard sRGB profile. Also check any color settings in the graphics control panel (Intel, NVIDIA or AMD).
4. Update or roll back the display driver (Device Manager, then Display adapters). A bad driver can shift colors or cause a green or pink cast.
5. Run the screenshot or external monitor test. If the tint is in the screenshot or on the external monitor, it is a software setting. If it is only on the built-in screen, move on.
6. Suspect the display cable. A loose or worn cable can make the whole screen go green, pink or washed out, or lose one color. A tint that changes when you flex the lid is a strong sign.

A yellow tint that shows only on the built-in screen, is not affected by Night light and also appears on the BIOS screen, usually means the panel's backlight or film layers have aged. That is hardware, and it is fixed by a panel or backlight replacement.

Why is my laptop screen green? A green tint that is also on the external monitor points to the graphics driver. A green tint that goes away on an external monitor and shows in the BIOS on the laptop screen points to the cable or panel.

Laptop screen burn-in is a risk mainly on OLED screens, which are used in some premium laptops and a growing number of monitors. Ordinary LCD screens do not burn in, although they can show temporary image retention (a faint ghost that fades).

• Image retention: a faint outline of a static image (a taskbar, a logo, a menu) that fades after you show other content or leave the screen off for a while. This is temporary.
• Burn-in: a permanent faint outline of the taskbar, a toolbar or an app layout, visible on gray or white backgrounds. It cannot be reversed.

Check and reduce it

1. Show a solid mid-gray or white background and look for faint outlines. If they fade within minutes, it is retention.
2. Let the screen sleep when you step away. Set a shorter screen timeout in Settings, System, Power.
3. Use a dark theme and let the taskbar auto-hide, so bright static elements do not sit in one place for hours.
4. Use a screen saver or changing wallpaper if static content stays up for long periods.
5. Use any OLED care or pixel refresh option your laptop maker provides (check the manual or the maker's app), and follow the maker's guidance on how often.

Repair or replace: permanent burn-in cannot be repaired. Only a new panel removes it, and OLED panels are typically expensive to replace. Check the warranty, since coverage of burn-in varies by manufacturer.

For HP laptop screen issues such as lines, flicker, dim patches or colors that look wrong, HP gives you a quick way to tell hardware from software:

1. Turn the laptop on and tap Esc repeatedly until the Startup Menu appears.
2. Press F2 to open HP PC Hardware Diagnostics (UEFI). On some models the menu names or keys differ, so follow the on-screen prompts.
3. Run the component tests, and the display or video test if one is listed.
4. If the lines, spots or tint appear on the Startup Menu or in the diagnostics screen, the problem is hardware. If everything looks normal there, the cause is Windows, the driver or a setting.

Also do a hard reset (unplug the charger and everything else, hold the power button for about 15 seconds on a sealed-battery model) and update the graphics driver and BIOS from HP's support page for your exact model before booking a repair.

Dell: the built-in LCD self test shows solid colors that make lines, spots and tints easy to see. With the laptop off, hold D, press the power button, and keep holding D until the colors appear. Lenovo, ASUS and Acer have their own diagnostics, usually reached by a key at startup. Check the user guide for your model.

MacBook: run Apple Diagnostics. On an Apple silicon Mac, shut down, then press and hold the power button until the startup options appear, and press Command + D. On an Intel Mac, turn it on and hold D as it starts. Note any reference codes and look them up on Apple's page.

The price of a new laptop panel varies a lot by model, brand and who does the work. As rough, hedged guidance only: a common non-touch laptop panel plus labor typically lands somewhere in the low hundreds of dollars, while MacBook displays, touchscreens, high-refresh gaming panels and OLED panels typically cost noticeably more. Get a written quote for your exact model.

If you are not sure which family of cause you have, describe the symptom in the chat and ask a computer expert. They can walk you through the screenshot test and read the results with you. For a second screen that will not show a picture at all, see second monitor not detected in Windows.

• Set your display for night time in Windows (Night light) (Microsoft Support)
• Dell LCD Built-In Self-Test (BIST) (Dell Support)
• Use Apple Diagnostics on your Mac (Apple Support)