How do I get rid of a line on my computer screen?

First, find out where it comes from. Take a screenshot. If the line is in the screenshot, reset the graphics driver with Windows, Ctrl, Shift and B, then roll back or update the driver. If the screenshot is clean, the screen or its cable is at fault, and settings will not remove the line.

Why did a line suddenly appear on my screen?

A sudden line often follows a drop, a bump, pressure on the lid or a driver update. Think about what changed. If it showed up right after an update, roll the driver back in Device Manager. If it showed up after a knock, the panel or its cable was likely damaged.

How can I fix the lines on my monitor screen?

Reseat the video cable at both ends, try a known good cable and another port, and drop the refresh rate to 60 Hz. KTC says lines inside the monitor's own menu are the clearest sign the monitor itself is failing. In that case a cable will not help.

Why are there lines on my MacBook screen?

The same tests work on a Mac. Press Shift, Command and 3 for a screenshot and check it on another device. Connect an outside display. Apple Diagnostics checks the hardware. Hold the power button until startup options appear, then hold Command and D on Apple silicon, or hold D at startup on an Intel Mac.

Is a line on a laptop screen covered by warranty?

It depends on the cause. Dell says physical damage like cracks or pressure marks is typically not covered under a standard warranty. A line with no damage on a laptop still under warranty is worth a call to the maker before you pay any shop.

Can a vertical line on a laptop screen be fixed?

Often, yes. If the line moves with the lid, the hinge cable is the likely cause, and that is a smaller repair than a panel. If the line stays put in the maker's screen test and never changes, the panel itself has usually failed and needs replacing.

Lines on Your Laptop or Monitor Screen? Run This Test Before You Pay for a Repair

You open your laptop, and a thin line runs down the screen. Maybe it is black. Maybe it is pink or green. Maybe it flickers when you move the lid. You want to know one thing. Is the screen dead?

Often it is not. A line can come from the screen, its cable, the graphics chip or the software. The fix for each one is very different. So find the source first. The tests below cost nothing and take about ten minutes.

The Screenshot Test Comes First

This is the fastest test, and almost nobody mentions it. A screenshot saves the picture the computer makes. It does not see the glass.

On Windows, press Print Screen. Microsoft says this captures the full screen. Paste it into an email to yourself.
On a Mac, press Shift, Command and 3. Apple says the picture saves to your desktop by default.

Now open the screenshot on another device, like your phone. Look for the line.

The line is in the screenshot. The computer is drawing it. That points to software, a driver or the graphics chip. Start with the fixes for Windows and Mac below.
The screenshot is clean. The computer makes a good picture. The screen or its cable ruins it on the way. Skip to the hardware tests.

Most of the time the screenshot comes back clean. That still tells you a lot. It rules out a long list of software fixes you would have tried for nothing.

Read the Line Before You Fix It

What the line looks like is a clue, not a verdict. Use it with the tests, not instead of them.

One thin line that never moves. This often means a row or column of the panel has failed, or a connection to it is bad. HONOR, a laptop maker, ties a single black line to a faulty pixel row or a partly loose ribbon cable.
Lines that change when you move the lid. Lifewire says to close and open the laptop slowly. If the lines appear only at certain angles, the wiring is the likely cause. That cable runs through the hinge.
Lines that come and go. Loose connections and heat are common causes. Lifewire says a soft surface like a blanket can make a laptop overheat and show lines.
Lines only at a high refresh rate. KTC, a monitor maker, says lines at 144 or 165 Hz that vanish at 60 Hz point to a weak cable, a bandwidth limit or an early hardware fault.
Cracks or a spider web look. That is physical damage. No setting will fix it.

Free Tests for a Laptop Screen

Run these in order. Stop when one gives you an answer.

Restart It All the Way

Shut the laptop down, wait a minute and turn it back on. Lifewire lists a restart near the top of its fixes. A line that is gone after a restart was a glitch. If it returns, keep going.

Plug It Into a TV or Monitor

Use an HDMI or USB C cable to connect the laptop to any TV or monitor. Then look at both screens.

The line shows on the laptop only. The outside screen gets a clean picture. The laptop panel or its hinge cable is at fault.
The line shows on both. The problem is inside the computer. That means the driver, the graphics chip or the board.

Use the Maker's Screen Test

Many laptops can test their own screen before Windows starts. That matters. A test that runs before Windows proves the panel works, or fails, with no software in the way.

Dell's steps are simple. Shut the laptop down. Plug in the charger. Hold the D key, then press the power button. Keep holding D until colors fill the screen. Dell says the basic test shows black, white, red, green and blue. Press Esc to stop.

Dell says lines, spots, flicker or dark areas during the test mean the screen may need service. If the colors look clean, Dell says the screen hardware passed. Then the driver, the settings or Windows itself is the next place to look.

On a Mac, Apple Diagnostics checks the hardware. On a Mac with Apple silicon, hold the power button until startup options appear. Then press and hold Command and D. On an Intel Mac, hold D as it starts up.

Other brands have their own tests. Search your maker's support site for your exact model and "display test".

Watch the Startup Screen

Look closely at the logo when the laptop starts. Windows has not loaded yet at that point. A line on the startup logo is a hardware line. A clean logo and a line that shows up only after you sign in points back to software.

Fixes When Windows Draws the Line

If the screenshot shows the line, or the outside monitor shows it too, start here.

Reset the Graphics Driver

Press Windows, Ctrl, Shift and B at the same time. Microsoft says this resets the graphics driver and may fix the problem. The screen may go black for a second. That is normal.

Roll Back or Update the Driver

Microsoft says to open Device Manager, then Display adapters. Open your graphics card's Properties and go to the Driver tab.

Roll Back Driver. Use this if the line showed up after an update. Microsoft says the button is gray when there is no older driver to go back to.
Update driver. Microsoft says you may need the newest driver from your PC maker or the graphics card maker.
Uninstall Device. Microsoft says to check the box to remove the driver, then restart so Windows puts it back.

Dell owners can follow our guide on how to update a Dell laptop for drivers and BIOS.

Open Task Manager

Press Ctrl, Shift and Esc. Microsoft says this test is for flicker. If Task Manager flickers with the rest of the screen, a display driver is probably the cause. If it stays still while the rest flickers, an app is probably the cause.

Set the Recommended Resolution

Open Display settings and choose the resolution marked Recommended. Lifewire and HONOR both list a wrong resolution as a cause of lines.

Fixes for a Desktop Monitor

A separate monitor has more parts to check. Each one is cheap to test.

Open the monitor's own menu. Use the buttons on the monitor. KTC says lines inside that menu are the clearest sign the monitor itself is failing. The computer does not draw that menu.
Unplug the video cable. Leave the monitor on. Lifewire says lines or flicker with the cable unplugged mean the monitor is damaged.
Reseat and swap the cable. KTC calls the cable or port the most common cause. Check both ends for bent pins. Try a known good cable and a different port. Remove adapters if you can.
Drop the refresh rate. Try 60 Hz. KTC treats this as a test, not a fix. If lines vanish at 60 Hz, the cable or port is likely too weak for the higher speed.
Reset the monitor. Lifewire says to use the monitor's own settings to return it to factory defaults.

Advice to Ignore

"Press on the screen to fix it." Some guides say pressing around the edge can help a loose connection for a while. Pressing on a panel can also crack it or leave pressure marks. A line that pressure changes is a hardware line. Treat it as a diagnosis, not a fix.

"Just update everything." A driver update is the right fix when the screenshot shows the line. When the screenshot is clean, new drivers will not touch it. Do the screenshot test first and save yourself an hour.

"Buy a new laptop." A bad hinge cable is often a far smaller repair than a new screen. A new laptop is a last step, after a shop has looked at it.

When a Repair Makes Sense

You now know which part is to blame. That tells you what kind of help to ask for.

Clean screenshot, clean outside monitor, lines in the self test. The panel or its cable is bad. Ask a repair shop to check the cable before they quote a panel.
Lines on both screens. The graphics chip or the board is the suspect. Back up your files now. Our guide on backing up photos and files walks you through it.
Cracks or pressure marks. The panel needs replacing. Dell says physical damage is usually not covered by a standard warranty, so check your plan first.
Still under warranty with no damage. Call the maker before any shop. Dell asks you to note what you saw and take a photo if you can.

If the screen goes fully dark instead, read our guide on why your laptop screen is black. For a phone, see lines on a phone screen.

From the Inbox

How do I get rid of a line on my computer screen?: First, find out where it comes from. Take a screenshot. If the line is in the screenshot, reset the graphics driver with Windows, Ctrl, Shift and B, then roll back or update the driver. If the screenshot is clean, the screen or its cable is at fault, and settings will not remove the line.
Why did a line suddenly appear on my screen?: A sudden line often follows a drop, a bump, pressure on the lid or a driver update. Think about what changed. If it showed up right after an update, roll the driver back in Device Manager. If it showed up after a knock, the panel or its cable was likely damaged.
How can I fix the lines on my monitor screen?: Reseat the video cable at both ends, try a known good cable and another port, and drop the refresh rate to 60 Hz. KTC says lines inside the monitor's own menu are the clearest sign the monitor itself is failing. In that case a cable will not help.
Why are there lines on my MacBook screen?: The same tests work on a Mac. Press Shift, Command and 3 for a screenshot and check it on another device. Connect an outside display. Apple Diagnostics checks the hardware. Hold the power button until startup options appear, then hold Command and D on Apple silicon, or hold D at startup on an Intel Mac.
Is a line on a laptop screen covered by warranty?: It depends on the cause. Dell says physical damage like cracks or pressure marks is typically not covered under a standard warranty. A line with no damage on a laptop still under warranty is worth a call to the maker before you pay any shop.
Can a vertical line on a laptop screen be fixed?: Often, yes. If the line moves with the lid, the hinge cable is the likely cause, and that is a smaller repair than a panel. If the line stays put in the maker's screen test and never changes, the panel itself has usually failed and needs replacing.

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