swapnonil

Q: Greyish Smudge marks behind the glass screen.

I have a 21.5 iMac bought in November 2009.

There appears to be numerous greyish smudge marks behind the glass screen on the top left hand corner.

It was not apparent to me at first, but after I started using OMMWriter it became easily visible. I also tried placing a neutral white background like TextEdit and it was easily visible even then.

I have cleaned the screen on numerous occasions and it has not had any effect.

What should I do?

These spots are quite disturbing.

iMac 21.5, November 2009, Mac OS X (10.6.2)

Posted on Jan 15, 2010 10:55 AM

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Q: Greyish Smudge marks behind the glass screen.

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  • by balugsz,

    balugsz balugsz Jun 10, 2012 11:55 AM in response to shatkionix
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 10, 2012 11:55 AM in response to shatkionix

    i believe we are experiencing two different problems sir.
    most of us here is dealing with a smudge inside the glass/lcd

     

    your's on the other hand seems to be outsude, thus easy to clean using a cloth

  • by shatkionix,

    shatkionix shatkionix Jun 10, 2012 3:33 PM in response to balugsz
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 10, 2012 3:33 PM in response to balugsz

    dear balugsz, I am glad you have questioned my post, so that I can interact my experience which only was observed in a casual manner, with your knowledge base, and thus be productive in the process. Thanks for contesting and giving me a chance to contribute to this post. I can only try to prove something right if I can also be proven wrong.

     

    So as I said in my last post, the display was totally clean, when I started it, after a few minutes, the smudgy stains appeared inside the glass, and before I massaged the screen, I tried cleaning the outside with screen cleaning fluid, with no results. It was then out of despair that I started rubbing the screen with much more pressure using the microfiber cloth. It sound kind of weird, because it never happened to me before, but for some reason it worked.

     

    I read in this thread that some user have this stain appearing when the monitor warm up, and eventually goes away after it cools. Maybe the problem of smudge inside the glass can only be solved by internal cleaning, but their could be more than one cause for screen smudge, especially if the stain comes and goes depending on the operating conditions. Kind of bubble effect in the sandwich of the lcd and the protective glass.

  • by ksmout,

    ksmout ksmout Jun 11, 2012 8:24 PM in response to swapnonil
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 11, 2012 8:24 PM in response to swapnonil

    You can be happy that you have a good Apple-store close by.  I bought my iMac 27'inch in Charlotte, NC beginning of March 2010.  The grey spots started appearing about a month later and I thought the temperature of the computer was high.  I went to the Apple-store in Charlotte in August 2010 and complained about the problem, they started asking questions about the environment the iMac was in and if we were smoking in the room, as this was the cause they told me the problem accured because of the smoking, they told me they opened the computer but couldn't work on it because of the small dust particles in my computer.  I was very upset and so I decided that I better didn't pay for this extra guarantee after the one year guarantee was up, because they would never work on my computer because of the smoking.  So I can tell you that I'm very upset with the manner they treat customers in the Apple-stores in the USA, there is really something wrong with this model and they know about it, how can they treat people like they are to blame because they are smoking and then consider that they can not repair, why bother and buy an expensive guarantee and never get repairs because of the smoking.

    Just recently (june 2012), my son took my iMac to an Apple-retail store (not a real Apple-store) in Dusseldorf-Germany, because the problem is getting worse and it's not very nice to see these spots on such an expensive computer.  They told him that they know about this problem, but because I have no extra guarantee it would cost a lot of money.  My son, who's a very good customer in that store, told the story of the reactions in the USA and they laughed about it, they opened up the computer and there is no damage or anything caused due to smoking around the iMac.  They understood my reaction on not buying this 2-year extra guarantee and applied already for a repair under guarantee with Apple Germany. 

    I think guarantee issues in the USA are a joke and that guarantee matters in Europe are better taken care off.  I hope the retail-store get green light for repairing my computer under guarantee, but they are almost confident in this matter because it is an very common problem on the iMac's and nothing that's environmental related.

    You can imagine that I'm very upset with how this problem was taken care off in the USA.

    The USA is not very customer friendly and I think you're better off in a Apple-retail store in Europe, maybe you pay a bit more but at least they care about a good customer.

  • by fvd,

    fvd fvd Jun 12, 2012 10:48 AM in response to ksmout
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jun 12, 2012 10:48 AM in response to ksmout

    To me this sounds very strange for an Apple response to a guarantee. I am not saying at all that it didn't happen, but if it did, the Apple Store and the workers there should be reported at once--even now. I have never heard of a case where Apple has refused to deal with a product under its guarantee structure, and, to the contrary, I have heard that products have been replaced in whole or in part.

     

    It is true, and it is the reason for this thread, that Apple personnel may not know the causes or solutions for certain problems so that they replace parts that may not need replacing. But, then again, I have never heard of Apple stores refusing to deal with customer issues of machines under a warranty.

     

    While I am far from being a big Apple fan (and this thread has something to do with that), I would be careful about making the generalizations that you are making about American Apple stores v. European .

     

    Also, while your son got service for his problem under the guarantee in Germany, it remains to be seen if the solution he got ends his problem. The real issue in this thread is that despite the many solutions that people have gotten under the warranty guarantee, often the root problem with their machines has not been solved. The real proof of the pudding will be in the coming days, weeks and even months . . . whether there is or isn't a recurrence of the problem. If there is a recurrence as seems possible, I would imagine that your son will go again to have his computer serviced, as many people have here, and possibly rejoin this Apple thread.

  • by IanSn,

    IanSn IanSn Jun 12, 2012 12:07 PM in response to fvd
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 12, 2012 12:07 PM in response to fvd

    fvd, I can confirm that this does happen.

     

    My screen staining began before my initial 90 days were up.

    It was not environmental - my machine is kept in dust-free (as far as is possible) clean office conditions. No smoking.

     

    I was told that this issue was not covered and I would have to pay to have it repaired at a local Apple reseller.

    (I was one of the first people to post on this thread.)

     

    I had already purchased AppleCare.

     

    As the machine was clearly faulty long before the statutory guarantee expired I was expecting a replacement - as is usual in this country (UK) by law - but no.

     

    I've already expressed my opinion about Apple "customer service" and the obsessive legalese so I wont go on...

  • by llanslez,

    llanslez llanslez Jun 22, 2012 8:50 AM in response to swapnonil
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 22, 2012 8:50 AM in response to swapnonil

    I think i've experienced the same issue so thought of contributing. Attached photo is how mine looked like. iMac 24-inch early 2009. Still under AppleCare, expiring end of this month so that makes my iMac 3 years old. Initially the smudges started top left of the screen (i think around 6 months back) then it spreaded larger towards the centre.

     

    Anyway, last week i've sent it to an Apple's Authorized Service centre (a 3rd party provider but where they actually repair Macs on site itself not those Apple centres that have to send the Mac elsewhere for repair), and they completely replaced the LCD, free of charge under AppleCare. They quoted "faulty lcd" so i'm not sure to what extent this problem is actually "cleanable" dirt/stain rather than actual LCD problem. It could be that it is cleanable but the guy just took the easy way out, as he can charge Apple for his work - i don't know,, but i don't mind new LCD so let it be.

     

    Problem is my applecare will expire this month so if the problem reoccur i guess i might have to be adventerous and do what most of the posters here have done i.e. take off the LCD to try clean it up.

     

    Cheers.

    llanslez, UK.

    IMG_6528_screen smudge.JPG

  • by Iain MacDonald1,

    Iain MacDonald1 Iain MacDonald1 Jun 22, 2012 10:00 AM in response to llanslez
    Level 2 (409 points)
    iPad
    Jun 22, 2012 10:00 AM in response to llanslez

    That is exactly like mine llanslez. It comes and goes, but was recently even sharper and more distinct than in that shot. I've actually had a positive outcome with Apple - they have agreed to cover the cost of repair even though I didn't have AppleCare and it is one year out of warranty. So IanSN - I can't believe they wouldn't cover yours under warranty! I don't know if you have looked at any repair yet, although if you were one of the first people to post in the thread you may well have, and it may be that since then Apple have had to at least acknowledge the issue internally and deal with complaints on a case by case basis.

  • by John Hall,

    John Hall John Hall Jun 22, 2012 12:10 PM in response to swapnonil
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jun 22, 2012 12:10 PM in response to swapnonil

    I have to say the smudge marks were annoying, but my local Apple Store gave me no issues fixing my screen. As soon as the tech booted up my computer he could see them, and started the repair process. It was worth the trip packing it up and being without it for 5 days to not have that distraction of always looking to see if it was getting worse. Who knows, maybe Apple got some bad screens from someone (Samsung) and are now eating it to make everyone happy until they are out of the wild. Hope it dosen't come back...

  • by IanSn,

    IanSn IanSn Jun 22, 2012 2:10 PM in response to Iain MacDonald1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 22, 2012 2:10 PM in response to Iain MacDonald1

    @Iain

     

    Yes, it does seem to be that there hasn't been a coherence about this.

     

    Certainly no-one I've spoken to since January 2010 was prepared to fix it without a charge yet others on here have had different responses.

     

    However, I have now been contacted by Apple and the machine is going in for repair as soon as I can slot it in.

     

    The notion that its 'environmental' still stands though, which is the main contentious issue here. (If true there should be a disclaimer for household use with the product.)

     

    If the screen is only 'cleaned', which is what was suggested, I fear the issue could return very quickly.

     

    I'm hoping for the best!

     

    IanS

  • by Iain MacDonald1,

    Iain MacDonald1 Iain MacDonald1 Jun 22, 2012 2:37 PM in response to IanSn
    Level 2 (409 points)
    iPad
    Jun 22, 2012 2:37 PM in response to IanSn

    Glad to hear you're getting it sorted at last. Have you just lived with it for a good while, and heard back from Apple out of the blue? Hopefully this means it's reached such a level that they may be getting close to having to acknowledge it.

     

    It will be interesting to see if it reoccurs - the issue may be the LCD panel, or from what I've read on here the fault may be inherent in the design that prevents dust from ventilating well enough meaning it gets in behind the panel.

  • by azRieL_ThaNe,

    azRieL_ThaNe azRieL_ThaNe Jun 22, 2012 5:38 PM in response to balugsz
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jun 22, 2012 5:38 PM in response to balugsz

    I don't get the "smudge" marks per se, but mine is more like annoying grey dots in different areas of the glass panel. at first it was just one..now there are several of them. I didn't notice them until I pulled up Pages or anything with a white or light colored background. They're extremely annoying when I use Photoshop. I haven't gone to the closest approved service center yet, but I am going there today.

  • by IanSn,

    IanSn IanSn Jun 22, 2012 6:05 PM in response to Iain MacDonald1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 22, 2012 6:05 PM in response to Iain MacDonald1

    Iain,

    yes, and yes to your questions

    Out of the blue insofar as it was in response to my recent post on here.

     

    I don't mind if there is no public acknowledgement of the issue (in fact I hardly expect that, to be cynically realistic), so long as the folks who bought the machines get dealt with fairly. I hope that is going to be the case.

     

    LCD: in either case there's a fault.

  • by Brassboy ,

    Brassboy Brassboy Jun 24, 2012 4:49 PM in response to swapnonil
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 24, 2012 4:49 PM in response to swapnonil

    Hi guys I hope this helps I have a 21.5" iMac purchased early 2010 I had some grey dots/ smudges appear on the screen about a year ago and didn't think much of but they got worse so today I took it back to my local apple store and they are going to replace the screen free of charge the guy in the store explained it was a common fault and would be done even though I don't have apple care and my warranty has run out so if you are having this issue take it back to your local store they will do it free of charge

    Hope this helps

  • by bertp_imac,

    bertp_imac bertp_imac Jul 1, 2012 8:43 AM in response to swapnonil
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 1, 2012 8:43 AM in response to swapnonil

    Got the same issue in my mid 2011 iMac 27".

     

    Apple NL wont fix it because its 14 months old, cant believe the poor service for a product of €1800!

     

    stof_imac.jpg

  • by iSayuSay,

    iSayuSay iSayuSay Jul 1, 2012 8:49 AM in response to bertp_imac
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 1, 2012 8:49 AM in response to bertp_imac

    Your best bet would be swallow the cost and paid for screen replacement. And then sell the iMac. Hard lesson learned you should've bought AppleCare in the first place. Lucky for me the smudge appeared on my iMac within the first year so I had time to think and decide AppleCare is a must. Remember this problem comes back even after screen replacement.

     

    I doubt my next computer would be an iMac again, too problematic. But for the moment I'd like to use until couple months before AppleCare expires and sell it afterwards.

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