Why is my MacBook display behaving strangely?

Ahh! This same thing has been happening to me. I have no idea what's up. It's so weird.

Exact same issue! I'd describe it more as a fading cross-hatching that goes to white but I've noticed that it only happens when a certain portion of the back of my macbook is pressed and then the fading disappears and the display returns to normal when i press a different part. It's really odd!

Edit: I should also add that I've tried to take a screencapture of what happens, but the screencapture comes out normal.

Message was edited by: shayleyla

Mine cross-hatches too. It's really weird.

Here is an image of what happens: http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/7792/img0428ep.jpg

And it does stop when I tilt the display like the OP also says. My guess is that there's a problem with the display itself but does anyone know how to fix it? My mac's also out of warranty as well...

It's starting to become more frequent whenever the laptop is on my lap, any help would be greatly appreciated!

I started having the same problem today. I think, as someone mentioned, it's probably a problem with the connection to the monitor (and thus a hardware problem). The fact that the computer still responds to input normally and that screenshots don't capture the problem enforce this idea.

Since our computers are all likely out of warranty and the cost of repair would probably be needlessly expensive, I'm considering opening it up myself and seeing if I can just fix the connection.

Same thing happening to me - began about four weeks ago, two weeks after warranty expired. Has gotten to the point where it's difficult to use the computer - don't get through composing an e-mail before it starts to fade - now know that even though computer display is frozen, the keystrokes are still getting through, so be careful what keys you press trying to get it to pay attention!

I believe it's going to turn out to be a connection problem between the computer and the display in the hinge area. I found out yesterday that as it freezes, and I start to pick it up off my lap and put it aside, if I pick it up with my left hand near the lower left of the keyboard and my right hand behind the display, down low near then hinge, and pulling slightly towards me, this fixes it (for a while), and this is (for me) the most reliable way to wake it back up. I've seen references elsewhere to this being a simple problem where a connection is maintained with a black foam pad to provide pressure to the connection. I think the foam must degrade or lose resiliency (apparently at 12.5 months from purchase!) and there may be a simple solution available. When I figure it out for this particular model, I'll post my conclusions.

Mine is doing the same thing. At first it starts out as a few horizontal lines and my mouse is not functional. Then if I leave it the screen eventually fades to white/grey. In order to get it back I have to mess with tilting the lid back and forth until it comes back. It's getting annoying. It seems if it has been on for a whilethe more touchy it gets. I hope someone can give some insight. I hope it's a cable or something not a LCD replacement!! Thanks

I'm glad to find others people with the same issue, so to speak... I though I broke something.

The issue seems to happen more often when I'm not connected to a power source.

Has anyone gotten some feedback from Apple about this issue?

I'm seeing the same thing in the .jpg that someone posted on this thread and have found that I can reproduce it 100% when I wake my Macbook from sleep BEFORE the sleep light begins pulsing (i.e. right after I choose "Sleep" from the apple menu.) If I wait until the light starts pulsing, the screen looks fine on wake. It also occurs when I choose restart from the apple menu.

The problem also seems to happen when the Mac goes to sleep by itself from my power saving prefs so that when I return, the screen is useless and I have to shutdown with the Off button, then start it back up.

Same thing happened to my mac. Send it in to the apple store. What I did to resolve the problem was that I sent my Mac into a third-party company to replace the LCD and clutch cover. On closer inspection, the right hinge was broken, causing the clutch cover to break. This may or may not be a cause of the problem. Also check if the clutch cover has popped out a little and the Mac seems to be closing faster than usual.

Exactly the same thing happened to my MacBook Pro (15" 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo). But fortunately I wasn't out of warranty. They told my display and the main board were defective. Now mine works fine after the replacement. I have to advice you if you are also having the same problem, do NOT wait thinking you will find everything normal back again the next time you switch it on. At a first stage, the jammed display output lasts only for five to ten minutes and it may suddenly go back to normal. But the down time starts to grow rapidly within a week or so. I think the problem is not a simple loose connection in the hinge area as it appears to be. They told they have replaced my mainboard and the display

Getting the same problem on my white macbook and I've only had it for 10 months...Anybody found any solutions yet?