Dead pixel

[bgreenaway]

A dead pixel has appeared lower right in the display of my beloved Pangolin and is bugging the living crap out of me.. Any tips on how to get rid of it? Still under warranty.

[Thisislaw]

Well you could try this (http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2007/08/06/how-to-fix-a-stuck-pixel-on-an-lcd-screen/)
Not sure, never had one or had to try this. (Would avoid the pressure method)
It is unlikely you can return it. Most companies have a policy like "You must have X number of dead pixels for an exchange" etc.
Not sure what this number usually is but it is something like that.
Good luck.

[Eldera]

This thread has a lot of information that may help:

1185102

Note especially post 7 by thomasaaron. You need 6 dead pixels to be covered by S76, but maybe you have a stuck pixel instead and can fix it as described in some of the other posts.

Hope you get things worked out. Eldera

[robtg]

My Pangolin came factory-installed with 6 bright red stuck pixels. It's kind of annoying since I paid extra for 1680x1050 screen. I've tried all of the remedies found on various Internet sites but I'm afraid I'm just going to make things worse so I've learned to ignore it. Somehow poking at the screen with a sharp object doesn't sound like a good idea.

I wish someone in manufacturing had noticed it before the laptop shipped.

system76 does have a dead pixel policy but I think you need more than one to exchange your PC.

-Rob

[betrunkenaffe]

My Pangolin came factory-installed with 6 bright red stuck pixels. It's kind of annoying since I paid extra for 1680x1050 screen. I've tried all of the remedies found on various Internet sites but I'm afraid I'm just going to make things worse so I've learned to ignore it. Somehow poking at the screen with a sharp object doesn't sound like a good idea.

I wish someone in manufacturing had noticed it before the laptop shipped.

system76 does have a dead pixel policy but I think you need more than one to exchange your PC.

-Rob

You tried running:

http://www.jscreenfix.com/

Do it for like a half an hour and follow up with the massage technique, I tend to find that works for even the most annoyingly stuck pixel.

[robtg]

Betrunkenaffe: Thanks; yes I've been to that web site and run the Java app several times and for more than a half-hour. I've never tried it with the massage technique however; perhaps I'll try that. The technique that is documented (as much as you can believe anything you read on the Internet) to work the best is to put pressure on the pixel with the non-business end of something like a Sharpie pen. How much pressure can you put on an LCD screen without breaking something? I don't think I want to find out.

:D

[Eldera]

Robtg: See post

7470107

[betrunkenaffe]

Betrunkenaffe: Thanks; yes I've been to that web site and run the Java app several times and for more than a half-hour. I've never tried it with the massage technique however; perhaps I'll try that. The technique that is documented (as much as you can believe anything you read on the Internet) to work the best is to put pressure on the pixel with the non-business end of something like a Sharpie pen. How much pressure can you put on an LCD screen without breaking something? I don't think I want to find out.

:D

Lightly, it's almost like you just touch it a few times, don't go smashing the screen in.

[PatrickVogeli]

6 red pixels? Wow! I'd say that one would have been covered by warranty:

"Following the industry standard, System76 warrants a defective LCD display as having 6 or more bad pixels and will accept delivery of such a system within 30 days from the invoice date for a replacement."

http://system76.com/article_info.php?articles_id=15

[betrunkenaffe]

6 red pixels? Wow! I'd say that one would have been covered by warranty:

"Following the industry standard, System76 warrants a defective LCD display as having 6 or more bad pixels and will accept delivery of such a system within 30 days from the invoice date for a replacement."

http://system76.com/article_info.php?articles_id=15

Is a stuck pixel considered a "bad" pixel? Once it's unstuck, there's nothing wrong with it. A month after I got my Pan, I got a stuck pixel in middle of screen. I had about 2 weeks of it coming and going (doing fixes mentioned above) although pretty sure wasn't same pixel every time. Then it went away and never came back..

So I guess it's up to Sys76 to say if the consider them bad or not.

[trentscott]

I just recently repaired a stuck pixel using this method (hopefully someone else can benefit from this):

Everybody dreads the unfortunate day when they discover a stuck pixel on their laptop screen — it sticks out like a sore thumb. Although the technology in laptop screens has certainly made some improvements, computer users can still fall victim to pixel problems.

A stuck pixel is a bright dot of color that is most noticeable when the rest of the screen is black. They are seen most often on high resolution screens but, in theory, any laptop screen is susceptible. Occasionally, stuck pixels fix themselves and start working with the passage of time (unless they appear as black pixels on a white screen — that’s a dead pixel).

There are a number of free utilities that may help repair a stuck pixel; JScreenFix is one of the most popular. Their free Java applet flashes a variety of colors across your screen and can repair stuck pixels in under 20 minutes!

To fix a stuck pixel:

Increase your display resolution setting to the maximum value supported by your screen.
Run the JScreenFix applet here and position the window over the stuck pixel.
After about 5 minutes, move the window and observe the results. If the pixel still remains stuck, repeat the process for about 15 minutes and check again.
If the pixel is still stuck after the second repair period, it might be beyond repair. You could try doing a “pixel massage” whereby you completely turn off/dim the screen, apply moisture to a tightly woven cloth (so as to not scratch the screen), and apply light pressure to the area where the stuck pixel is using a single finger behind the cloth. After a few seconds (while still applying pressure), turn the screen back on and observe.
WARNING: Applying pressure to a laptop screen is not recommended and may create more stuck or deal pixels! Be sure to have tried running the JScreenFix Applet before attempting a pixel massage.

Article Source: http://trentscott.com/2010/10/14/how-to-fix-a-stuck-pixel/

[robtg]

I've tried all of those things; my stuck pixels remain stuck. To retailiate against them, I've chosen a desktop image which makes them harder to see. It's not the end of the world but if I ever order another laptop from system76, I think I'm going to respectfully ask that they send me one with no dead or stuck pixels. It seems like something that can be checked for when the machine is being prepped for shipment.