Normal work on a computer assumes dynamic mixing of colors on the monitor, so it is quite difficult to notice their obvious discrepancy. But sometimes for some time you can observe a one-color screen, on which all its flaws are clearly visible – dirt, dust, spots of unknown origin.
As a rule, these contaminants are easily removed by wiping using a special cleaning liquid. If after such a general cleaning on the monitor there are dots that differ from the surrounding colors, we can assume that these are dead pixels. Today we will tell our readers how dangerous it is and whether it is possible to fight it on our own.
How to tell if a pixel is defective
Although the term “pixel” itself has been heard by everyone, many PC users are not aware of what it is. A pixel is the smallest part of an image displayed as a small dot. The higher the screen resolution, the more pixels it has. A pixel is geometrically indivisible, but it actually consists of three subpixels from the RGB palette, which is enough to display all imaginable colors and shades.
Do you know what a dead pixel looks like on a monitor ? As a single point that stands out from the surrounding pixels. For example, on a pure white or black screen it looks like a single red, blue, green point (its color can also be any combination of two colors – purple, brown, turquoise). However, a purely black color is also possible, which is very difficult to notice against a dark background. If all three subpixels are inactive, the color will be white.
In all described cases, the restoration of the pixel chromaticity is possible, although not guaranteed.
Black pixels are generally considered dead and unrecoverable. If there are many of them and they interfere with the normal perception of information, the monitor must be replaced.
Usually, dead pixels are looked for on a white background, when the monitor is under warranty, it can be replaced. But not always – the existing GOST allows the presence of a certain number of dead pixels.
Stuck pixels are called intermediate varieties – these are dots with one or more missing subpixels that may glow with a steady light or flicker. Dead pixels are “cured” by software or mechanical methods, which we will discuss below.
How to check your PC / laptop monitor for dead pixels
The easiest and least reliable way is to visually assess the state of the screen. The fact is that it will not be possible to paint the entire monitor with a solid color with ordinary programs, you can capture a significant area of space, but not the whole one.
The Windows status bar is almost always visible, if the application is deployed to full screen, then it has its own frames, which cannot be removed.
Fortunately, there are countless special programs that color the entire screen and make it relatively easy to spot diverging points. Many of them are able to independently identify dead pixels. In addition to ready-made programs, some online resources provide the same services, so ordinary users should not have any special problems with checking the monitor for dead pixels.
A typical service allows you to perform, in addition to searching for dead pixels, check the backlight lamp of a laptop or computer monitor , evaluate its color rendition, test for readability of texts, etc. In other words, such programs and resources will not be superfluous, so you definitely need to have them installed on hard disk or bookmarked.
ATTENTION. Monitors are different, analog and digital, the latter can have a matrix of different types. Therefore, the program you use to check the screen for the absence / presence of dead pixels and other defects must be universal and be able to test monitors of all types.
Recovery methods
If, as a result of the check, it turns out that faulty pixels are present, you need to try to fix the problem yourself. Fortunately, in some cases this is quite possible. Distinguish between software and hardware methods for correcting monitor defects.
Programmatic way
It is nominally considered software, in fact it is a combination of software and hardware methods. It consists in using a technology that allows the change of adjacent pixels at a very high speed. As part of this process, a powerful stream of energy with a high frequency enters the subpixel, which makes it possible to revive the “dead” pixel. According to statistics, when using this technology, it is possible to “resurrect” about 60-80% of non-working pixels.
However, this method does not always help, and you need to be prepared for the fact that it will take a lot of time to restore one point. If the method turns out to be ineffectual, you should not despair either: there are many other similar techniques, often very sophisticated, that allow you to achieve what you want.
For example, you can try to change the operating parameters of such programs (frequency of energy impulses, program runtime, etc.).
If the previously restored pixel “died” again, which often happens in hot weather, the repeated procedure in many cases is again effective, although not always.
Let’s consider how to treat dead pixels on a desktop computer monitor using the programBad Crystal. It is paid, but users have the opportunity to use a 30-day trial version, albeit with incomplete functionality. To get around this obstacle, look for the old version of the program with the index 2.6 – it is also shareware: after about a minute of use, the main program window will be grayed out. But there is a clever way to restore Bad Crystal to normal. To do this, simply move the program window aside by simply holding down the mouse button. Use any heavy object of suitable size for this (for example, a mug). In this case, the monitor will not be shaded. But you can also find a pill for the program so as not to suffer with such manipulations. This method is illegal, but effective. The main thing is not to pick up malicious code along with the pill.
So, the program was successfully downloaded, installed, treated. We launch. The first thing to do is to decide on the type of device, the screen of which we are going to test and treat. This can be a computer monitor, laptop, tablet, smartphone, or plasma TV.
The technology for working with different devices differs. In the case of a smartphone, the video file will automatically adjust to the maximum resolution format. This file will need to be played several times in a loop. For a game console, the launch algorithm is similar.
If you need to treat the plasma panel, write the finished video with the required resolution to the USB flash drive. In our case, select the “Computer Monitor” item.
To open an additional menu, place the mouse cursor in the upper part of the program window. 4 modes will appear: Common Clearing Monitor (CCM), Personal Protection Monitor (PPM), System Modified Function (SMF), Complex Force Volume (CFV).
If you are using the free version of the program, you will only be able to use two functions – CCM and PPM. The rest are available only in the professional version and are characterized by the best non-working pixel recovery rates. The default mode is CCM.
So, we figured it out, let’s move on to practice. To start the algorithm for recovering dead pixels, press the “Launch” button and shift the working area of the program so that the dead pixels are inside. We watch the process for about 10 minutes, see the result. If it is negative, you can try to increase the speed of the algorithm, for which you need to press the hidden button “Speed Up”. It is located in the upper left corner of the ad Crystal and appears on hover. Such conspiracy is not protection from illegal users, the developers simply tried not to clog the interface of the program designed to perform such a specific task.
After 10-15 minutes of work, we look at the results again. If a point with an incorrect color rendition remains, the last thing you can do is increase the program speed to the maximum and set a longer time interval. Usually such violence against a pixel bears fruit, but it can take a long time. There are cases when the point “came to life” after 10 hours
As for the PPM mode, it is designed to prevent pixels from falling asleep, and it must be run with a certain regularity. The recommended value is at least monthly. This mode is harmful to the eyes as it often changes colors on the monitor screen. Therefore, you need to use the function outside of working hours, when you are not sitting at the computer. However, the duration of the procedure is short, by default – 30 seconds.
The second example of a program that can do the same, but in a completely different way is JScreenFix. Strictly speaking, this is not a program in the classical sense of the term. Rather, it is an application written in Java, and the Java package must also be installed on the PC for it to work correctly.
The latest version of the program is paid, but it will not be difficult to find the latest free version with almost the same functionality on file hosting services.
Let’s start with the fact that JScreenFix can independently detect non-working points on the monitor. To do this, after launching the application, press the “Locale” button, the inner area of the window will turn black, and this window will need to be swept across the entire screen, capturing its entire area. This should be done slowly so that the algorithm has time to analyze all the pixels in the range.
But when the “Full Screen” mode is selected, the search for dead pixels will be performed in automatic mode, although this may take a long time.
If checking the display of a laptop or PC for dead pixels is absolutely free, then their recovery cannot be called such, so in this aspect JScreenFix and Bad Crystal are similar. If you wish, you can find a cure for such a shareware utility, and the recovery algorithm itself can be found on the developer’s website – there are training videos there. Of course, the resolution of your monitor may not match the one used in the example, but this is not a big deal – download the video to your computer and view it with any player with a suitable resolution. Pixel recovery is possible on TVs, smartphones, and other devices with a plasma screen.
ATTENTION. The function of disabling dead pixels on a laptop, PC or smartphone is launched by the Fix Stuck Pixels button, and although the program promises that this is enough for 10 minutes, in reality everything lasts much longer, especially if there are a lot of dead pixels. So it’s better to run the function at night.
Mechanical way to recover dead pixels
As you already know, the effectiveness of programmed treatment is far from 100%, so it is possible that this method did not give positive results. Then you should try a procedure called mechanical restoration of dead pixels.
Its essence lies in pressing on the problem area of the screen . Of course, not with your finger – you can use a cotton swab or soft cloth. The monitor is massaged with such force that after pressing, streaks remain on the screen, which should disappear after a second. If you overdo it, you can damage the glass – it is fragile in monitors and TVs, owners of smartphones know about this.
Wipe can be carried out on the switched off monitor. You can act on the defective area of the screen in another way – by clicking on it with your fingernail, again without fanaticism.
If it was not possible to remove the dead pixels mechanically, you can use the last available tool – try to combine both methods at the same time, mechanical and software. In other words, start the program, turn on the recovery mode and at the same time start “massaging” the area of the screen with defective dots for 10-15 minutes, leaving the program running for about 6-10 hours after that.
