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Q: MacBook Air Display Issue - Half Darker, Half Lighter

Have a fairly strange problem where the screen still works fine and all other aspects of the MacBook Air seem to work fine however the screen is divided vertically exactly in half with the left hand side of the screen a darker shade than the right hand side of the screen.

Normal use isn't affected but adjusting photos is a bit of a nightmare.

Anyone else experiencing this or know anything about it?

I'm running 10.6.7.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

MacBook Air 11.6" 4GB 128GB 1.6Ghz Core 2 Duo, Mac OS X (10.6.7), http://www.photoswarm.com

Posted on Mar 22, 2011 4:07 AM

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Q: MacBook Air Display Issue - Half Darker, Half Lighter

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  • by MakhAir,

    MakhAir MakhAir Mar 23, 2011 12:11 AM in response to MainEvent
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    Mar 23, 2011 12:11 AM in response to MainEvent
    Thanks for this post. I'm currently having the same problem and not quite sure how to address it. This appeared last night approximately GMT 20:00 hours. I was using the computer the whole day and had it on sleep for 40mins.

    Similarly, normal use wasn't affected, however I restarted the MacBook Air and noticed the divide halfway down the display; the left side is a few shades darker.

    I'm on an OS X 10.6.6.

    I too would greatly appreciate any help on this.
  • by helping_hand,

    helping_hand helping_hand Mar 27, 2011 4:55 PM in response to MainEvent
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    Mar 27, 2011 4:55 PM in response to MainEvent
    Add a 3rd person to the count with this issue.
  • by Alain FONTAINE,

    Alain FONTAINE Alain FONTAINE Apr 3, 2011 9:21 AM in response to helping_hand
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    Apr 3, 2011 9:21 AM in response to helping_hand
    Same issue, appeared this afternoon.
    Tried resetting PRAM and SMC, no effect.
  • by alsyli,

    alsyli alsyli Apr 5, 2011 2:19 PM in response to MainEvent
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    Apr 5, 2011 2:19 PM in response to MainEvent
    Also having the exact same issue. I've had the computer for about 3 months but have only noticed it the past 2 weeks or so....
  • by Ice0Tea,

    Ice0Tea Ice0Tea Apr 8, 2011 8:27 AM in response to MainEvent
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    Apr 8, 2011 8:27 AM in response to MainEvent
    I have the same issue. Just recognized this afternoon.

    Is it hardware or software problem?
  • by Alain FONTAINE,

    Alain FONTAINE Alain FONTAINE Apr 9, 2011 2:41 AM in response to MainEvent
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    Apr 9, 2011 2:41 AM in response to MainEvent
    Should be a hardware problem, as it appears as soon as the screen lights up when the MBA is turned on, before the system starts loading.

    Took my MBA to the genius bar this morning, they ran basic diagnostic tests that did not find anything wrong with the screen nor the motherboard, but they kept it anyway to replace the screen...

    Will update this when I get it back.
  • by c00ni,

    c00ni c00ni Apr 11, 2011 4:16 AM in response to MainEvent
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    Apr 11, 2011 4:16 AM in response to MainEvent
    I also noticed this a few days ago.

    Mine is darker on the left side, perfectly vertical delineation, just a fraction to the left of the camera.
    It happens at all levels of backlight, most noticeable with greys (specifically try a 30% grey if you know how to generate one)

    This is def. a hardware issue and I'll be booking in to the genius bar soon. It happens during boot, in MacOS and in BootCamp'ed Windows.
    I've just realised that flexing the screen (very slightly... like if you open/close the lid holding just the top left or right corner) can induce it / rid of it.

    Here is a photo I just took showing the problem:
    http://img821.imageshack.us/i/macair.jpg/

    This is the image that was supposed to be shown:
    http://img199.imageshack.us/i/macairissue.png/
  • by Alain FONTAINE,

    Alain FONTAINE Alain FONTAINE Apr 11, 2011 12:10 PM in response to Alain FONTAINE
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    Apr 11, 2011 12:10 PM in response to Alain FONTAINE
    Genius changed the screen (under warranty), problem is gone.
  • by c00ni,

    c00ni c00ni May 10, 2011 5:35 PM in response to c00ni
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    May 10, 2011 5:35 PM in response to c00ni

    Finally got around to getting the screen replaced under warranty.

    Still don't know the exact cause but oh well.

  • by standhsv,

    standhsv standhsv May 12, 2011 9:13 AM in response to MainEvent
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    May 12, 2011 9:13 AM in response to MainEvent

    My 13" Late 2010 Macbook Air just started doing this about a week ago.  Guess I will have to make a trip to the Genius Bar.  Thanks for the post.  Helps to know I am not the only one with this problem.  Spent a fair amount of time trying to fix this on my own.

  • by c00ni,

    c00ni c00ni May 12, 2011 3:02 PM in response to standhsv
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    May 12, 2011 3:02 PM in response to standhsv

    I just hope this thread doesn't grow to be several pages long. I don't fancy having to take in my MacBook every few months

  • by bA YO,

    bA YO bA YO May 16, 2011 4:27 PM in response to MainEvent
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    May 16, 2011 4:27 PM in response to MainEvent

    The same problem happened to me today.

     

    I'm living in Brazil and there is no Apple store here. Too sad.

  • by da kurtoglu,

    da kurtoglu da kurtoglu May 25, 2011 12:00 AM in response to MainEvent
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    May 25, 2011 12:00 AM in response to MainEvent

    same problem here.. took me a while to locate this thread.. will see how apple can handle this in turkey!

  • by Beachu,

    Beachu Beachu Jun 6, 2011 1:45 PM in response to MainEvent
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    Jun 6, 2011 1:45 PM in response to MainEvent

    Hi here from Madrid - Spain. In 23 February, more than three months ago,  I have bought my new MacBook Air 11" - 128 Gb - 4 Gb Ram - 1,6 Ghz , I have bought it in Refurbished area. Five days after begins suddenly to have issue screen : fine vertical line just crossing exactly from the middle of isight crossing symetric and just down. Right side slightly darker and flickering than left side. I have reinstall system , PRAM reinstalled , and freeze two times when I have tried to run hardware test. Istat Pro app tests that fans are exhausted. Run test hard disk appears numbers and numbers of permis wrong...

    Apple send back to me the money, with out too much questions. They recognised in our phone conversation , that there is problems with screen on MBA, not only this specific problem just in the middle line and darker area, as others screen problems with lines, flickering etc.

    No I am thinking again in buy another MacBook Air 11' , so I need it, but I am not sure if this issue is not still resolved. My surprise becomes when I see your thread with EXACTLY same issue I had three months ago.

    I have see often of issues appears on equipments with special acomodation as 1,6 Ghz ´4 Gb Ram and 128 Gb HD... What happens? I have bought as refurbished on Apple Store web. I have not confidence on new one so far as I have see on others  threads about screen problems on MBA, that usually replacements has same issue once and once again...I think is hardware logic board or similar. I am suspicious that perhaps Apple could be selling in refurbished store area all the bad hardware from replacements... Too much similar problems for same laptop, any case too expensive to have issues since months with out real solution

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