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My Retina Display has stain damage, HELP!!!

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I dont know how it happened, but somehow my retina display got some weird clear-ish stain damage that is very noticable on a black background. I have tried to clean it with water and a micro fiber cloth like usual, but i think this is not something on top of the screen as much as it is something has like eaten away a part of the screen... I need help! what do i do to solve this aside from replacing the screen... if water and microfiber arent working, what else can i use? I am worried that windex or alcohol will excacerbae the problem, as i suspect it might have been alcohol that caused the problem in the first place, but im not sure... any insight, please? this is driving me nuts

MacBook Pro with Retina display

Posted on Apr 7, 2014 10:44 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jan 25, 2017 12:53 AM

UPDATE

January 24, 2017


To all staingate victims--


Apple has you covered. They know they f'd up big time so they are offering to fix the screens under their "quality program." No warranty needed. It was a manufacturer's defect that took them a while to figure out. Just visit an Apple Store, drop off your MacBook, and you'll have a new, stain-free screen in under a week.


I brought my MacBook Pro into the Manhattan Beach store on Saturday, no hassles. They estimated five business days but probably sooner than that. I have my work laptop in the meantime so it's not too inconvenient.


Hope this puts some of you at ease. Again, just bring your computer in to an Apple Store and they will take care of it free of charge.


Mark

1,596 replies

Nov 23, 2015 7:57 PM in response to Skarjuu

The coating will eventually come off, it gradually spreads overtime as you clean the screen. I am taking my MBPr 2013 and now my MBPr 2014 in for the 4th time to have the screen replaced. Each screen lasts about 8-10 months before the coating starts to come off. The first time I went to the genius bar they blamed me but as more people complain they are just offering a replacement free of charge.

I am super careful when opening the macbook and cleaning the screen, all I use is a microfibre cloth dampened with a little water.

For a supposedly premium product that I paid $4000 for in Australia it is pathetic effort by Apple. And a waste of time and inconvenience, an hour drive to the nearest store then being without my Macbook that I use everyday for Uni waiting for the repair!!!!! My wife uses my old 2009 MBP and she is not particularly kind to the screen and it is still in perfect condition, go figure!!!!

Dec 4, 2015 7:37 AM in response to jhm37

What are you talking about? All my $500-$1200 working fine for years and in perfect condition. And the expectation of this $2000 MBP is far from perfect ? The coats falling off after a year or so simply bad and I am so afraid to clean it at all. I have to blow the dust off with SDLR camera gears and I would't dare to wipe it with anything even the fine cloth came with the MBP. It is a stress to use. My coworker's 2014 MBP has some marks already but since it's a company working laptop she doesn't care. There are more people out there having the same issue and not reported. The fan also rattling like crazy ...Bbrrrrr........ entire day that I can hear from next cube.

Dec 10, 2015 1:35 PM in response to EEEdward

Well….. I have quite a story to tell, but its too long. After years of battling it out over this "Staingate" issue with my macbook I sold the poxy thing and got a NON-RETINA mid 2012 13 incher….. It's absolutely perfect!

Ok its a bit slower and a bit more chunky but NO problem whatsoever, had it for well over a year now.

I filled the thing with a Samsung SSD and 16 gb ram and it flys along quite nicely.

I guess the morel of the story is everything that glitters isn't gold, sometimes going back is going forward!!!!

Dec 18, 2015 4:01 AM in response to bradymott

Check this article out;

http://www.macrumors.com/2015/10/17/apple-mbp-ar-coating-quality-program-stainga te/


Apple has issued an internal notice about a new Quality Program that addresses anti-reflective coating issues on MacBook and MacBook Pro models with Retina displays, as confirmed by multiple sources. These issues include the anti-reflective coating on displays wearing off or delaminating under certain circumstances.


Apple will replace Retina displays on affected MacBook or MacBook Pro models for free within three years from the date of original purchase, or one year from October 16, 2015, whichever is longer. Affected customers that have already incurred out-of-warranty costs may be eligible for a refund through AppleCare support.


Affected customers can book an appointment with a Genius Bar or visit an Apple Authorized Service Provider to determine if their MacBook is eligible for coverage. Apple does not currently plan on announcing the Quality Program publicly on its support website, according to sources, but may contact some customers directly.

Dec 27, 2015 2:48 PM in response to milemin

Confirming my experience with this program. I brought my late-2013 MacBook Pro 15" to the Apple Store in Cambridge, UK where it was fully taken care of and repaired for free within two days in the middle of the Xmas period. Staff of the Genius Bar was very well informed about the problem, carried out some hardware checks and took care of the repair. There was some complication with the logic board which was also replaced for free and without further delay.

Congrats for the service and the customer care. The value of the repair would have been invoiced without this program at more than an $1,000. Apple is certainly confirming its excellence.

Dec 31, 2015 10:34 AM in response to Alain Joaris

I am hopeful that my devastation at finding that a tiny pinhead mark grew into a thin two inch "stain" by the camera, because I sought to remove the tiny mark from the screen will be allayed when I follow your example, Alain. 🙂

General observations: y late 2013 15" MacBook Pro has had its screen cleaned less than 10 times, is just over a year old, and rarely closed (I have a key and trackpad protector and cannot abide marks so avoid finger oils being transferred that way). It remains in one room, used as a desktop, I do not allow others to touch the screen (generally not it either- I am VERY "attached" to it and it brings out my OCD tendencies), and STILL it developed this mark (tonight of ALL days). I have to admit that I thought it was inside too, sort of a "bloom" from pressure...

I have watched https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mchm7jFTZwE which shows just how easy it is to do (I very lightly buffed with the screen cloth, thinking it was a tiny splash of something).

I have Googled and read up on it everywhere from https://www.facebook.com/groups/607572909386595 to here: http://www.macrumors.com/2015/10/17/apple-mbp-ar-coating-quality-program-stainga te

And, obviously, found this.

Thank you to everyone who posted their photos (I feel for you all- mine is nothing by comparison!) and their experiences. Hope you all get it resolved and wishing you all the best for 2016!

My Retina Display has stain damage, HELP!!!

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