What is this Vertical bar of Inverted Colours on my Screen?

[jcpeden]

I was cleaning my Macbook Air at the weekend and think I might have damaged the screen. A vertical bar of inverted colours appeared on the left-hand side (the right was fine initially) but then both sides of the screen displayed as shown in the image.

After about an hour of doing nothing, the bar on the left-hand side returned to normal but the right-hand side bar has been there since.

I’ve tried:

• Pressing around the screen (does nothing)
• Cleaning it again (gently and with no cleaning fluid)
• Connecting it to an external monitor (output is fine which suggests the GPU is fine)

Any ideas what has happened? It’s a 6-year-old machine but I’ve never had any issues with it until the weekend.

Does the screen need to be replaced?

 

[keysofanxiety]

Yeah, almost certainly the display. At an absolute push it might be the display cable, but normally that would change if you move the display back and forth.

If there's an Apple Store local to you, it's worth taking in for a free assessment.

Sorry

 

[jcpeden]

Thanks for the reply. I assume that it's related to my cleaning the screen but I wasn't especially heavy-handed and just gave it a few sprays with window cleaner...perhaps that was enough!?

Really bizarre that it broke on one side and not the other initially but then reversed direction.

 

[mj_]

Wait, did you just say that you "gave the display a few sprays"? As in directed the spray bottle towards the screen, then pulled the trigger? If so then congratulations, you've killed it. You've introduced liquids into the system, either directly our through mist, most likely causing a short.

What on earth gave you the idea to spray your display instead of applying the window cleaner onto a soft microfibre cloth to wipe the display with?

 

[Mackinjosh]

Wait, did you just say that you "gave the display a few sprays"? As in directed the spray bottle towards the screen, then pulled the trigger? If so then congratulations, you've killed it. You've introduced liquids into the system, either directly our through mist, most likely causing a short.

What on earth gave you the idea to spray your display instead of applying the window cleaner onto a soft microfibre cloth to wipe the display with?

This. Always apply cleaner (ScreenMom is great) directly to the micro fiber towel and then wipe the screen.

 

[jcpeden]

I guess I know for next time

 

[Acorn]

if it was just a tiny amount of liquid you may get lucky and it will come back to life when it dries.

 

[dayberry]

Hey, having the same issue, maybe a little late but can you tell me how did everything turn out?