How I fixed the colored vertical lines on my Mac Powerbook G4 17"

Hello all,

I know that many people with a Powerbook G4 17" are suffering from the colored vertical line problem on their displays. This is were a pixel wide vertical line of color (yellow, green, purple, red, and/or blue) randomly appears on the laptop's display, usually between 24-36 months after purchase. This is also known on various internet forums as the "bridget riley effect" -- named after a painter whose art looks very similar to this effect. Many, if not all, of the laptops that suffer from this defect are 17" displays and have a serial number that starts with W8. Mine starts with W85; you can check yours by looking underneath the battery. It usually starts off as just one line, then two, then a few months pass and before you know it your screen looks like this:

This is my screen two years after the first line showed up, which was two and half years after getting it in December of 2005. Not so pretty. And completely useless without an external display, kind of killing the purpose of a Laptop. As a film editor I needed my screen to see the images and more importantly I needed it to be mobile. There's not always a screen to plug into.

I tried getting Apple to fix the problem, but apparently they're just ignoring the fact that almost all the laptops that came from this certain factory in Thailand (indicated by the serial number starting with W8) have failing displays. They delete threads and forums on their website, and try to censor and ignore the problem as much as they can. Unless some huge media blitz happens, or there is some kind of legitimate lawsuit, I highly doubt they ever will do anything about it, and you can't really blame them. They are a big business and addressing this problem with cost them potentially millions in repairs and tarnish their reputation as a quality manufacturer, and Apple's biggest commodity is its reputation. It ***** that Apple allowed this kind of thing to happen, but as things stand right now, it would be a poor business decision to fix it.

So, fellow vertical line sufferers, AKA the W8 club, my advice to you is stop holding out hope that they will pay for your screen to be fixed and get it done yourself! If you do it right you can get it done for between $60-$99. Here's how I did it.

First off, know that this is a hardware problem. There is no setting in system preferences you can change that will make the lines go away. There are failing physical parts in your computer to blame and they need to be replaced.

Second, in order to keep things as cheap as possible, you are going to replace the parts. It's actually pretty easy.

Thirdly, you are going to need a whole new display. I thought maybe if I replaced the display data cable (the cable that runs from the computer under the key board to the back of the screen) it might solve the problem very cheaply, since a brand new one only costs about $9 online. I took the computer apart, replaced the cable, but the display did not change at all. So the problem is the screen, not the cable. I needed a whole new screen, however, a brand spanking new one can cost between $350-$600. So I went on eBay, typed in my computer, and looked for computers that were being sold for "parts" or "repair." These are usually much cheaper because they are not working computers, but you don't need the computer to work, you just need the display to work. If you do this, make sure you read the descriptions. If there's any mention of display problems, move on and keep looking. You don't want to replace the display only to have the lines show up all over again a few months down the line. They wont always give you the serial number, but obviously try to stay away from serial numbers that start with W8. I found a used Powerbook being sold for parts for $63. It didn't have RAM, or a Hard-drive, or screws to keep the keyboard on, but the display apparently had no issues. With shipping and handling it cost me $94 total and three days to get it. The serial number started with V7. I'm sure with a little patience and vigilance, you can find something just as cheap or even cheaper.

NOTE: Some powerbooks have High-Res display screens, so make sure you know which screen yours has so you know which to look for.

Now, how to actually replace the display. I used an awesome website called ifixit.com. They give you detailed easy-to-follow instructions with photographs. I'll let them give you the nitty gritty of how to replace the display. Here is the actual How-to guide I used:

http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Installing-PowerBook-G4-Aluminum-17-Inch-1-1-67-GHz- Display/258/1

The only tools you really need are a small phillips head screwdriver and a T6 and T8 Torx screwdriver (they are starred on the end, as oppose to crossed like the end of a phillips head). They say you need a "spudger" but I didn't. You can get these at any hardware or auto-parts store. Return them when your done if you are really on a budget, but you might want to take more part from this new computer in the future, so your call. You'll need to print out the instructions first, or use another computer to follow them since you obviously can't use your Powerbook. Find a flat, well-lit work space, preferably near a TV so you don't get bored while working, and use the how-to guide to switch the old display with the new one. It only took me a couple of hours to finish the whole thing, and I didn't have to pay a repair man hundreds. My display works perfectly now! It's so nice to be have the mobility of a laptop again (especially since the computer i got off of eBay came with a battery that can actually hold a charge).

NOTE: There are a bunch of screws and a few small parts that will need to be taken out while replacing the display, and its important they all go back in their proper spots. So I highly recommend you take a long piece of tape, loop it, and stick it flat onto the side of your work space. As you take out each screw or small part, stick them in order to the tape. This way nothing gets lost and when you work backwards to put your computer back together you'll always know which screw or small part is next in line and which one the how-to guide is referring to.

I really hope this helps people with this problem. This seems to be the only solution. And for less than $100 bucks, I think its worth it, especially since you now have back up parts for any other part of your computer that might fail in the future. My disc drive stopped working recently so I'm replacing it with the one that came with the computer I got off eBay; a $90 part. I tried to make this as easy-to-follow, practical, and comprehensive as I could -- for as cheap as I could. GOOD LUCK!!!

-R