I get very narrow Cyan vertical lines across the entire screen

I have a Toshiba Satellite P35-S6292 (a wide screen laptop) and this has been happening for a few months now. I get very narrow Cyan vertical lines across the entire screen. It comes and goes constantly. I thought it heat related but it does not appear to be.
It will come and go constantly. Tipping the laptop, twisting or otherwise pulling up on the screen. especially near the hinges will make it come and go, as will tapping anywhere on the keyboard surface of the case.
It would appear there is something loose somewhere, thought it does not appear to be due to broken hinges as the screen has no problem staying up.
I am frustrated beyond belief and cannot find anything else anywhere on the net.

Your lines look like in the example 2 here? Test the laptop with an external monitor. If the lines appear only on the internal LCD, most likely you have a bad LCD screen. By the way, you can find some disassembly instructions for Toshiba laptops here. There are no instructions for taking apart display assembly for a Satellite P35 notebook, but there are a lot of guides for other models, they all similar. I’ve added display disassembly instructions for this model.

54 Responses to “I get very narrow Cyan vertical lines across the entire screen”

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  1. 30
    Millie Says:

    I have a problem with my laptop screen…
    There’s a thin white horizontal line under the taskbar.
    The line appears when I start the computer and never goes away. Can anyone here help me???

  2. 29
    PIPO Says:

    Chris:

    I own a Toshiba P-35 and I have a lot of problems, I can see only the left half of my screen, in the right half the only thing I see are vertical multicolor lines and i cant use that part of my screen !!! I dont know what to do, my guarantee is expired and I have no money to buy another brand new 17′ screen !! Can u help me to fix my problem ? Dammmn toshiba

  3. 28
    Fishbone Says:

    I have 45 colorful vertical lines on a Lenovo R52 LCD Screen now. It started with 1 line in Aug 2006 & progressively increased to 45. What really pissed me off was that it happened barely 1 month after the 1 yr warranty. Sent in personally to IBM Centre in Singapore & was told it would cost me $1000+++ to fix it. It’s a frustrating experience. Called IBM Singapore office, the call was routed to Lenovo center in Penang, Malaysia, then asked me to bring it to IBM Singapore. Wasted my hrs of time on the phone & pain in the…ears.

  4. 27
    Cynthia Says:

    I have the similar problem to my toshiba laptop within the one year international warranty..and i went to repair it.. but the techinician said there’s serious spyware/virus in my laptop..and took about 1 month to repair it! and when i took it back..after about 2 months the problem started again..the technician did not change my LCD at all!! now that the international warranty is off i have to pay for the repairment fee! i was so pissed off on the technician..

  5. 26
    smajor Says:

    I bought a Toshiba P35 a little over two years ago. This last fall I had to have the hard drive replaced, and now I am getting the vertical pinstripe lines on the display screen (5 so far). Please post anything about a lawsuit that may come up. I am so frustrated!

  6. 25
    suethebastards Says:

    PS additionally, the folks at the Toshiba center seemed to be very familiar with the problem. I asked if they’d seem it before and they said yes. I’d like to know how many of us are paying an extra one-third of the retail cost, again — just to get our screens back to normal…???

  7. 24
    suethebastards Says:

    I’ve got the vertical line problem with my 1 year and 1 month old Toshiba Qosmio G20. Just after the international warrenty ran out, naturally. Took it in to Toshiba and they want about $1000 for a new LCD.
    Anyone getting going on a new class action lawsuit to include the Qosmio’s please please please leave the info on how to join with this site. As it sounds like a design flaw, I want it fixed, ASAP, for free.

  8. 23
    ToshibaSucks Says:

    Good Grief

    From the above class action link:

    “Sklar Law Offices will ask the Court for attorneys’ fees in the amount of $24,743,965.50, less whatever the Court awards Caddell & Chapman for its attorneys’ fees”

    All I get is $25? Or a $50 coupon?!!!!!
    My screen will cost 300-400 dollars to replace not
    including labaor!

  9. 22
    Laptop Freak Says:

    Crystal,
    Replacing the LCD screen is the only way to fix the problem.

  10. 21
    Crystal Says:

    Today I was putting the charger into my laptop. I pressed the screen with my thumb on accident and heard a light crack. now. when i turn on my computer there is a black spot on the right side of my computer and vertical and horizontal lines on the right side. What can I do to fix this problem and how much will it cost?

  11. 20
    Rhys Says:

    Thanks for the help. Tried to torque it. But the bar remaind and my screen just made funny noises at me.

    What Toshiba wants to fix it aint gonna be worth it. I’ll just have to try and find an external monitor somewhere.

  12. 19
    Laptop Freak Says:

    Rhys,
    It’s a screen problem and you’ll have to replace the screen. Try this. Torque the screen a little bit. Hold the top left and right corners of the screen and move them into opposite directions, be careful and do not twist it too much or you can crack the screen. Sometimes the vertical bar can disappear for a while.

  13. 18
    Rhys Says:

    Hey,

    My Qosmio G10-133 started experiencing display issues the other day. I was using it when out of nowhere this vertical bar about 7cm’s wide appeared on my screen.
    Usually its a solid color, but it’ll change. Sometimes its black, other times white, even blue at other times. Theres even the odd occasion when there will be loads of multi coloured thinner vertical lines mixed in.

    Sometimes the bar will start to go see through, and the whole screen will kinda make a high frequency noise, like when you turn a tv on and the screen will still be visible but go lighter for like a second and the bar will go solid again.

    Its there from start up to shut down. Its even there if I go into the BIOS. So I know its not a driver issue. I dont have an external monitor to test with unfortunatly.

    If I use the print sceen key and try to take a screen shot the bar wont show up in it.

    So I took one with my digi cam. Which can be found here:

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/lunchboxsa/SSA50183.jpg

    Any insite will be appreciated.

  14. 17
    Laptop Freak Says:

    Nick,
    Do you have any Toshiba authorized service center in your area?
    Any Toshiba motherboard is programmed with a DMI string which has all information about the laptop (name, model number, serial number). It’s possible to read this information from the DMI string with a special utility available only for certified Toshiba technicians. If you bring your laptop to the authorized repair center, they can get the serial number from the DMI string. It takes just a few minutes.

  15. 16
    Hector Torres Says:

    I own a a satellite P35 and i got the same problem with the vertical lines,overheating,not burning DVD’s,cursor jumping for no reason

  16. 15
    Nick Says:

    About the toshiba settlement, I’ve tried to have my Satellite A75-S2112 fixed by Toshiba, but I have no proof of purchase, and the sticker on the bottom with the serial model and part # is worn off. Toshiba won’t even touch it unless I give them a serial number. I don’t have it, I have none of the original documentation, and my computer is falling apart, I need a new computer. HELP!!!

    Nick
    nhudson@adrian.edu
    email me ANY suggestions you may have!

  17. 14
    Luke Says:

    ATTN: Chris

    I too am having problems with the P-35. I however am located in Australia so I don’t know how I can be helped in anyway, although I would love any help on offer.

    I have problems also with the overheating, and recently I have had trouble with the lines of pixels from top to bottom appearing.

    It is a factory refurbished model which I purchased from an Australian seller, however, this still should not be happening. It is all of a year old and if someway you can help me out while helping yourself out, I would be very appreciative.

    Let me know if there’s something that can be done,

    Cheers mate!!

  18. 13
    Christopher Says:

    They should have included the P-35 as well on the lawsuit! I have had nothing but problems, of course most after the warrantee expired…But…many of you have expressed that there are problems with your P-35′s (I have over 100 emails relating common problems) and as I have mentioned, will be seeking legal action on this matter and hope that we can get some type of settlement on this matter….For those of you who emailed me, hang in there…Chris

  19. 12
    EM Says:

    I have a pavilion ze2000 by HP and this unit is barely a 1 year and a half old and it has two blue vertical lines running across the LCD screen.

    Any suggestions on how to remove these lines will be greatly appreciated.

    Best Regards,
    EMoorhead

  20. 11
    EDWARD Says:

    I have a Dell Smartstep 200n and my screen looks Yellow. I can see everything but it’s yellow. I’m unable to enjoy the true colors of things as when it was new. I have been told the it could be the inverter? I recently installed vista and I can’t enjoy the transparency in Vista. This problem was present even before I installed Vita. Could someone please give me an idea? Thx in advance.

  21. 10
    Laptop Freak Says:

    Christine,
    Make sure the video cable is properly connected to the motherboard, reseat the connection. When you (your brother) unplug the cable from the motherboard, take a look inside the video connector. Check if there are any bent pins inside the connector. I do not remember if the video connector on the motherboard has any pins inside, but check it anyway. If you can see bent pins, VERY VERY VERY carefully straighten them with a small flat screwdriver.

  22. 9
    Christine Says:

    Hello, I have a Toshiba Satellite M55 laptop, and I took it apart (well, I got my brother to do it and watched him throughout), because I was having an overheating problem (which is now fixed, and it turns out my fan was jammed), my brother followed Satellite M55 disassembly guide, and after we were done, he reassembled my laptop, and now, strangely enough, everything works -except- the LCD screen. When I turn on my laptop, my screen is black, with four vertical lines, with different colors ranging from grey to peach. Connecting an exterior monitor to my laptop does infact work, but I’m still curious of how I can fix my LCD screen, which was fine before my brother took apart my computer.

  23. 8
    JD Says:

    Yah, I am done messing with this thing. I contacted the attorney who is dealing with this case a couple of days ago. Here’s the deal for all you A70, A75, M30X, or M35X owners. Your warranty is extended until Nov. 7, 2007. This means ANY repair that needs to be done to your laptop will be at NO COST. You need to contact a Toshiba certified service center and take/ship you laptop to them and they have to repair anything that is wrong with it for any reason per the settlement agreement. The attoney informed me that she has had Toshiba owners whose dogs have literally ate apart their laptop and the service center had to replace it. You don’t have to have a proof of purchase, it doesn’t matter where you purchased you laptop, all you have to do is take the laptop in. I suggest anyone who has one do so as they will fix the heat/static discharge problems associated with these models with new hardware. Thanks for the kind help. Peace.
    -jd

  24. 7
    Laptop Freak Says:

    JD,
    I have no idea what’s going on with your laptop. It must be a bad motherboard then?
    BTW, if you purchased your laptop in USA, you might get a free repair from Toshiba even though the laptop is not under warranty anymore. Check out the Toshiba Settlement Website for more information. Here are a couple of quotes from the settlement:

    Everyone who fits this description is a Class Member: All end-user persons or entities who purchased or otherwise acquired in the United States, for their own use and not for resale, a new Toshiba Satellite® A70, A75, M30X, or M35X notebook computer from Toshiba or a Toshiba authorized reseller.

    One more:

    All Class Members will automatically receive, at no charge, a 12-month extension of their “Toshiba Standard Limited Warranty” for repairs on their Satellite® A70, A75, M30X or M35Xs, effective November 7, 2006. If a Class Member received a refurbished Satellite® A70, A75, M30X or M35X notebook from Toshiba, they will also automatically receive this warranty extension.

  25. 6
    JD Says:

    Tried removing LCD from cover/frame. Same story.
    -jd

  26. 5
    Laptop Freak Says:

    JD,
    That is a very very weird problem.

    Problem started with the screen just being a little weird in coloration on a strip of cells, then it started to go into blocks. I put pressure on the top of the LCD by gently squeezing the frame and they would go away

    Looking at this description I would say that you have a bad LCD screen.

    Tested it on an external monitor, displays great

    This sentence confirms that there is nothing wrong with software drivers and apparently the motherboard works fine too.
    So you replaced the LCD/video harness and the laptop still has the same problem? Weird!
    May be some kind of grounding problem? Remove the LCD from the cover but do not disconnect it from the laptop. Test the LCD outside the box. Still same problem?

  27. 4
    JD Says:

    Tosh A75-S231 Screen in blocks

    I have a problem where about the right third of the screen is changing colored blocks. No dimness in blocks. Problem started with the screen just being a little weird in coloration on a strip of cells, then it started to go into blocks. I put pressure on the top of the lcd by gently squeezing the frame and they would go away. That happened a couple of times then the blocks refused to go away. Same in safe mode. Replaced drivers, same. Tested it on an external monitor, displays great. Put a new LCD in there. Same problem. Put a new video cable on. Same problem. Anyone got a thought? Peace.
    -jd

  28. 3
    Christopher Says:

    Hey There, I have the exact same computer. I have had nothing but trouble. In fact, I made a post on some review website, and have over 100 people that have emailed me stating that they are having trouble with their p-35′s. The problems range from shutting down when burning cd/dvd’s, cursor jumping, over heating, screen problems (only half of mine now works)and many other problems. I have traced the problem down to design flaw that makes the laptop overheat. I mentioned that my wife is an attorney and I am considering a class action as I have over 100 peoples email addresses/names that have the exact laptop with the same problems. All of these people are really wanting me to do something, which I am considering due to Toshibas lack of admitting that there is a problem with this design. Amy, I hope that you do not have any other problems with your computer, and suspect that you do not use it much, or, you would be mentioning all of the other issues, which mostly are frustrating to those who burn dvd’s and try to multi-task. I am going to contact Toshiba today to see what they are willing to do for me/us. Laptop Freak, you of all people should see the trend with the p-35. Anyway, good luck to anyone that owns a p-35. By the way, my wife has a Toshiba laptop (different kind) and has NO problem with it. If you want, drop me a line at sungraphicsataoldotcom. Chris

  29. 2
    Laptop Freak Says:

    Amy,
    The laptop LCD displays lines and blocks but it’s still as bright as before, right? If so, the inverter is not your problem. With a failed inverter the screen will not light up and it will be very dark.
    I think you might have:
    1. Loose video cable. It’s not connected properly either to the motherboard or to the LCD screen. It’s necessary to open up the laptop and reseat the video cable.
    2. It might be a bad video cable. Replace it.
    3. Bad LCD screen.

  30. 1
    Amy Says:

    I am having a similar problem with a Compaq presario 1685. Everything works fine but the LCD only displays lines and blocks of color and changes with what is displayed on the screen. When hooked up to an external monitor it works fine. Was trying to figure out if it was the LCD or just the inverter. Also do you have a link for how to replace the inverter if need be.

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