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User profile for user: Dillendapp
Dillendapp Author
User level: Level 1
6 points

One single vertical line on screen

I have googled this problem but found only replies relating to people who have several lines on their screen. My macbook however has only one single blue/violet vertical line, running from the top to the bottom of the screen.

This is unlikely caused by overheating, as I had turned the laptop off overnight, yet the line was still there when I restarted the laptop.

Does anyone know where this comes from? What does it mean and what can I do to fix it?

Thank you in advance for your help with this.

Posted on Oct 18, 2022 4:02 AM

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User profile for user: HWTech
HWTech
User level: Level 9
60,284 points

Posted on Oct 18, 2022 4:30 PM

If this line appears all the time even during boot, then it is most likely a bad Display Assembly which will need to be repaired by Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.


You can confirm by taking a screenshot. If the screenshot does not show the line, then my diagnosis is confirmed. If viewing the screenshot on the same laptop, then make sure to move the picture slightly to the side to make sure the line exists or does not exist in the screenshot, or view it with another display or device.

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User profile for user: HWTech
HWTech
User level: Level 9
60,284 points

Oct 18, 2022 4:30 PM in response to Dillendapp

If this line appears all the time even during boot, then it is most likely a bad Display Assembly which will need to be repaired by Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider.


You can confirm by taking a screenshot. If the screenshot does not show the line, then my diagnosis is confirmed. If viewing the screenshot on the same laptop, then make sure to move the picture slightly to the side to make sure the line exists or does not exist in the screenshot, or view it with another display or device.

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User profile for user: HWTech
HWTech
User level: Level 9
60,284 points

Oct 19, 2022 7:15 AM in response to Dillendapp

I made no assumptions about when the issue began. Sometimes these lines can just occur from an LCD Panel or possibly a cable failure, and other times from accidental damage. Sometimes there is no way to tell what caused it.


It all depends on the failure. I've seen some displays work fine without any further degradation, while others the failure could get worse in some way. If it is just a single vertical line without any signs of horizontal lines or cracks in the LCD Panel (not the glass), then it may be fine for that length of time, but no guarantees it will be so.


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User profile for user: Dillendapp
Dillendapp Author
User level: Level 1
6 points

Oct 19, 2022 7:05 AM in response to HWTech

Thanks HWTech! The line does not appear in the screenshot.


Yet your answer ('a bad Display Assembly') assumes that it has been like this right from the beginning. I've had the laptop for over a year and a half and it only now appears. Could this still be for the same reason?


And on a second note: how urgent would you suggest me to fix this? Having the laptop repaired will take a couple of days during which I can't use it. Since I need the macbook for work, I'd like to do so during the Christmas holidays (in two months). Is there a risk of letting the screen this way for two months?


Thank you in advance for your feedback!

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One single vertical line on screen

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