Take a good look at your notebook computer screen. Do you find some tiny dark spots? You could have dead pixels. One of the most expensive parts of your notebook computer is the LCD screen.
LCD's are highly sensitive and any amount of pressure, touching or handling may damage it. As such, dead pixels aren't an uncommon thing. Apparently, some degree of dead pixels is to be expected. Still if you have a lot of them, it would be classified as a defective screen. So, how do you determine if you have dead pixels?
Before we go there, make sure it's not just dust. Clean your screen first. The best way to do that is to use a soft cotton cloth - no rags or paper towel as they can scratch your screen easily. Moisten the cloth with plain old water and wipe the screen gently.
Side note: I've also tried maintaining my screen dust free with a Swiffer Duster. These are inexpensive, very soft and they pick up the dirt not just re-distribute it. It has worked well. Of course, this will not take care of smudges or dried on dirt. So you'll still have to use the cotton cloth and water combo sometimes.
Once you've cleaned it, you can run a quick check with a free software called Dead Pixel Buddy. It's basically a very simple file that will rotate your screen through all the basic colors. This way you can tell if a pixel on your screen is not displaying properly. One tip, you might want to get a help of a friend. Two sets of eyes are better than one especially since pixels tend to be miniscule.
You can also do a low tech way by changing your desktop's background color to black, white, red, green blue and yellow, checking the screen each time you change the colors. This is of course not fool proof especially if you have tons of icons on your desktop but it's a good 'backup' check if you don't have Internet access to download the file or whatever the case may be.
If you do find dead pixels, don't panic yet, as mentioned earlier, a small amount of dead pixels could be inevitable but if you have a lot of them and your notebook computer is still under warranty, this may be a good time to call up the manufacturer and ask for assistance.
Related Resources:
5 Days To A Healthier Notebook Computer
http://www.notebook-computer-infocenter.com/5days-to-a-healthier-notebook.html
Dead Pixel Buddy
http://www.laptopshowcase.co.uk/downloads.php?id=1
Lynn Chan helps new owners learn proper notebook care and use. Take care of your investment, find out how at http://www.notebook-computer-infocenter.com
A cheap ink cartridge is sometimes the only way that... Read More
Used laptop computers are everywhere these days. How can you... Read More
All picture tubes, whether monochrome or color type are identified... Read More
When Quality is the Target, but not the Result, what... Read More
Take a good look at your notebook computer screen. Do... Read More
When bought personal DVD player, the very next thing to... Read More
In May 2005 U.S hardware history was made.This was the... Read More
IntroductionThis document explains topics relating to wireless networks. The main... Read More
Protecting Against A Power Surge:Your computer is an expensive investment;... Read More
A recent Tech Tip covered the basics of selecting a... Read More
Soon the human brain will be completely interfaced with the... Read More
You just poured hours upon hours into a lengthy research... Read More
Let's take a moment to think about the topic of... Read More
Are you captivated by the stunning Case Mods you've seen... Read More
IBM boasts a very large array of older and newer... Read More
Ever wonder where all the cool gadgets come from? Ever... Read More
When you work in an office, it's important to lock... Read More
Samsung laser toner is just as popular as its Hewlett-Packard... Read More
It's no big secret that printer companies like HP and... Read More
Getting a new PC is exciting and a pain. It's... Read More
Cheap laptop computers are coming to a store near you.... Read More
DVD is an optical disc storage media format that can... Read More
Do You Feel Used by Computers?A look at second-user computer... Read More
If you are tight on budget, go for Inkjet Printer.... Read More
This is the first article in the Understanding Your Computer... Read More
When it comes to sales of technology products over the... Read More
From throwing our unnecessary files, to defragmenting, from partitions to... Read More
Surge Suppressors ? A First Line of DefenseAll home theater... Read More
Are you tired of laying wires through your house, creeping... Read More
We've all been there. You're in the middle of printing... Read More
For years, I smugly prided myself as a non-fax machine... Read More
Should you buy an extended warranty with your laptop? You... Read More
This article focuses on frequently asked questions by buyers of... Read More
Whether you are crunching figures at a front office job... Read More
If you are tight on budget, go for Inkjet Printer.... Read More
All capacitors have a certain amount of resistance to the... Read More
So you bought a new computer but you don't have... Read More
If you are like most student's, money isn't exactly growing... Read More
Have you ever come across power problem where once you... Read More
We have finally advanced to a time when technology can... Read More
We live in an area that has begun to... Read More
Well, we've all seen the advert, but that's not what... Read More
The data on your hard drive is the most critical... Read More
Many technicians are confused on how to really read a... Read More
Used laptop computers are everywhere these days. How can you... Read More
Our corporate intranet is a non-framed environment with both Lotus... Read More
I came across quite a number of questions about electronic... Read More
Why are there faint areas or gaps in my print... Read More
The following is a list of tips to help safeguard... Read More
Samsung laser toner is just as popular as its Hewlett-Packard... Read More
Have you noticed that laptop computers are beginning to dictate... Read More
With all the wheeling and dealing that seems to take... Read More
When buying a new computer, or upgrading your monitor, you... Read More
Take a good look at your notebook computer screen. Do... Read More
Switch mode power supply contain some large filter capacitors that... Read More
If you've been looking to upgrade your computer video card... Read More
We've all been there. You're in the middle of printing... Read More
Laptop Notebook ? Your Portable OfficeIn much of today's business... Read More
Keeping Shipping Costs DownWhen shopping for inkjet printer cartridges online... Read More
There is a great need for preventive maintenance in correctional... Read More
Hewlett-Packard is, along with Brother and Samsung, one of the... Read More
EEPROM stands for Electrical Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory and... Read More
Dell offers a full line of refurbished laptops on their... Read More
The notebook computer is coming of age. For the first... Read More
Laser toner refills can be expensive. Over the life of... Read More
So you finally have that new laptop you have been... Read More
Computer Hardware |