Macbook Horizontal Lines On Display Screen

For the past two months I've been having problems with horizontal lines distorting the picture on my screen. I can make the horizontal lines go away by physically moving my display back and forth, but lately it's been taking longer and longer to get rid of the lines by moving it. I've figured out from past posts that it's maybe a problem with a loose cable.

I just wanted to know if anyone else has had this problem and what they did to fix it and how much it cost. My macbook is very important to my job/school, so it's kind of important that it doesn't break on me. Also, my warranty is up and I don't have Applecare. I have heard it is expensive to fix..and I don't have too much to spend.

(No, I do not have the defective Nvidia card.)

Let's do a simple test to see if it's the display itself that's acting up, a loose cable, connector, or even the GPU.

When the horizontal lines appear, take a screenshot. Then examine the screenshot (from a clear screen of course) to see if the lines are there or not.

If the horizontal lines are missing, that will clear the GPU and any internal circuitry on the logic board. If the screenshot shows the lines, then it's possible the defect is being caused by the GPU which would mean a new logic board.

If you would like to do repairs yourself or trouble shoot the machine by taking it apart, go to iFixit: The free repair manual and look up your model and the step by step take apart instructions. Before taking your machine apart, make sure you have all the necessary tools and most important, the skills to do it.

Regards.

Thank you! I just did the screenshot and the lines do not show up.

OK. That tells us the internal circuitry on the logic board (GPU) is probably working right. That leaves the display and cables. I'm betting the display itself is also alright. Which leaves the cables. If you feel comfortable about taking your machine apart yourself, go to the web site I linked in my first reply and download their step by step instructions for changing out the display.

The problem may be a connector, a loose video cable, or other power cable. If you don't think you can take the machine apart and get it back together and working, don't mess with it. Let an authorized Apple repair place do it for you.

Regards.

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I have a very similar problem. When I take a screenshot, however, the jagged horizontal lines that move on my screen disappear for a few moments. Then return after the click of the screenshot. I then tried to record the screen using showmewhatswrong.com and the lines went away all together. The horizontal lines are not nearly as concentrated as the OP's

Does anyone have any theory as to what may be wrong?

Your problem sounds different, but it may still be hardware related. I'd try Apple Hardware Test to see if anything comes up. If not, then your problem might be similar to the OP. If your machine is under warranty, take it to an Apple Store or other authorized tech place and they should be able to tell you what's wrong.

Screen Distortion: Macbook

chscag said:

OK. That tells us the internal circuitry on the logic board (GPU) is probably working right. That leaves the display and cables. I'm betting the display itself is also alright. Which leaves the cables. If you feel comfortable about taking your machine apart yourself, go to the web site I linked in my first reply and download their step by step instructions for changing out the display.

The problem may be a connector, a loose video cable, or other power cable. If you don't think you can take the machine apart and get it back together and working, don't mess with it. Let an authorized Apple repair place do it for you.

Regards.

Click to expand...

These posts have helped me diagnose my problem, but not completely. I'm hoping for some much needed advice:
My MacBook Unibody Model A1278 (from Nov. 2008) has a vertical line distorting the image on my screen about 2 inches wide from top to bottom. I can remove the distortion by tilting the screen or lightly tapping on it. I did a screen shot and the vertical lines are missing, which is good, and I used the DIY repair link that was pasted above and I've begun to tear down my laptop and diagnose a little... The display and camera connections were both well-attached, so then I disconnected and reconnected both of them. The problem didn't go away. I isolated the problem to the display connection because I unplugged the camera connection and the problem still persisted. So therefore, I'm thinking the problem is somewhere between the display connection on the chassis/upper case, and where that wire actually connects inside the display itself.
Any advice? Could I further diagnose this by dissecting the screen? Would that even be worth it? Or should I possibly purchase a new screen with connecting wires?
Thanks!

tinkering

I found this thread helping a friend who tells me she has a horizontal line on her display. The posts are quite helpful, and I will use them in troubleshooting.

As to the tapping or moving fixes, it occurred to me to mention a general principle: If tapping or shaking a purely electronic device (no moving parts, like a computer display) helps, then the problem is very likely a loose connection somewhere. Giving a mechanical device a good whack, on the other hand, is intended to overcome stiction – the tendency of metals to stick together.

Horizontal Screen Lines

Hello guys! It's nice to be here. I know that this is an old thread. I new here and also with mac. I recently bought a White MacBook Mid 2009, all my life I have always used Windows but I wanted to start familiarize with MacBook machines. The machine came with Leopard and I updated to El Capitan. I noticed that some colors looked weird with horizontal lines. I came here because I really want to fix this problem, I did the test of taking the screenshot and the lines don't show up viewing with other screen, maybe the screen is the problem. I taked a picture from my cellphone and you can see the smooth gray horizontal lines. Can you help me please?

Don't have a solution for you but on a different note have you seen this thread. Some of the forum members are working on an alternative but it may be some time before things are sorted out.