How to Detect Bad Pixels on a Monitor

Changing the desktop's wallpaper helps identify bad pixels.

Often "bad" pixels will appear on a computer monitor. These pixels stay the same color no matter what you pull up on the screen, and are called "stuck" or "dead" pixels. This happens when color cells have an issue due to a small internal problem, including LCD liquid not being distributed properly or simply because of age. These pixels can be easily identified by changing the desktop background to black and white. These colors help the bad pixels stick out so you can identify their location and take steps to remove them.

Instructions

Detecting Bad Pixels

1. Open your computer's desktop.

2. Right-click anywhere on the desktop. A drop-down menu will appear. Click "Personalize."

3. Change the wallpaper to a solid black color and click "OK" to return to the desktop.

4. Search the screen for any white dots that stick out on the background. These will be the bad pixels.

5. Right-click anywhere on the desktop again and select "Personalize."

6. Select a solid white background and click "OK."

7. Search the screen for any dots. They could be black, red, green or blue. These are the bad pixels.

Removing Bad Pixels

1. Download a pixel-fixing software. These programs play a loop of bright colors on your screen, which causes pixels to readjust. Recommended programs are JScreenFix, Stuck Pixel Sweeper and and UDPixel.

2. Open the flashing image in a new window.

3. Close the window after an hour has passed.

References

• Dark Vision Hardware: How to Check LCD Displays for Dead Pixels
• Geeks Are Sexy: How To: Fix Stuck Pixel on an LCD Screen

Resources

• Source Forge: Stuck Pixel Sweeper
• JScreenFix: JScreenFix - Fix Stuck Pixels and iImage Persistence
• UDPixel: UDPixel - udpix.free.fr