Dead pixels and stuck pixels are awful and a total pain to deal with. Your otherwise perfect display is now tainted with an area of black blotchiness; however, it may be fixable.
Dead vs. Stuck Pixels
Dead pixels themselves are almost always unfixable because all three sub-pixels have gone dark. Also, not enough power is being supplied to the pixel. However, in most cases “stuck” pixels can be fixed! Stuck pixels look nearly identical to dead pixels but are simply pixels that are displaying all three primary colors at the same time. This results in a black appearance. That stated, there’s a strong likelihood that stuck pixels can be fixed using software tools.
Programs to Fix Stuck Pixels
1. Pixel Healer
Pixel Healer [Windows] – Pixel healer will rapidly fire through colors on your display in an attempt to get the stuck pixels operating and mixing primary colors correctly. You can set the preferred amount of time for the program to run before it automatically closes. Also, you’ll be able to localize the flashing to a certain area of the display rather than the entire display itself. Do be careful when running such programs, and do not stare at the display while it is running! These flashing colors can trigger epilepsy attacks. Instead, run the timer as previously mentioned and then come back to check the progress. Even with all of this, do note that it will not identify any dead, stuck, or otherwise defective pixels. It only attempts to fix them.
2. Pixel Repair
Pixel Repair [Windows] – Pixel repair works very similarly to Pixel Healer, but it identifies stuck pixels as well as attempts to fix them.
3. JScreenFix
JScreenFix [Web Browser] – JScreenFix is free, easy to use, and is touted to have a 60% success rate. All of it runs on HTML5 from your web browser, so there are no downloads or anything of the sort. JScreenFix flashes colors all at once on a certain area of your display. You can drag the flashing box around to the portion of your display in which there are dead pixels. Unfortunately, this is limited to your web browser. So, any stuck pixels outside of your browser window will need to be repaired with a program capable of reaching every pixel of your display.
4. Screen Utility
Screen Utility [Mac] – Both the Mac App Store and the Internet are void of many specialized apps for pixel repair, but Screen Utility will recognize any dead pixels on your display as well as perform a couple other specialized functions. In this case it will be best to attempt running a web-based repair option.
Other Attempts and Fixes
To reach upper areas of your display where a program may not, you can simply play a YouTube video with flashing colors. Just play back the video in full screen on your browser.
If the software tools had no avail, apply a small amount of pressure with a cloth on the area in which you have a stuck pixel. If that does not solve it, consult your monitor or laptop’s warranty. Apple has been known to replace Macs plagued by dead pixels under warranty, and many display manufacturers will follow suit. However, the device must be under warranty before attempting a replacement.
I’m a junior at UT Dallas, a tech enthusiast, an adreneline junkie, and a coffee fanatic.
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