Looks like a vertical thickish line burnt onto the screen

Annoying Fuzzy Line Randomly Appearing On Sceen???

Hello,

I bought my iMac G5 in October 2005 and run it 24/7.

In the past 2 months or so I noticed a thickish vertical line (see attachment in post no. 2) which randomly appears on my screen, mainly visible at login and sometimes when watching EyeTV and other times, but it depends on the background whether or not the line is visible.

I cleaned the screen to verified that it's not on the external of the screen.

I've googled this problem but besides finding out the plethora of maladies with the iMac G5's I'm not sure what to do from here.

Can anybody point me in the right direction or shed some further light on the possible cause of this, what appears to be an fuzzy etched line?

The only observation I can add is that when I log on and if the line is visible against the blue background, that it appears to blend in with the shadow of the login box's left side???

I took a screenshot showing the annoying line.

Should I take any action either warranty wise or other...??

Have you called Apple? You're still under your AppleCare warranty. I'd have them take a look at it.

Thanks schweb, on your advice I took it into the local apple dealer and they mentioned video artifacting and/or dodgy logic board but have yet to diagnose.

looks like your going to be getting a new computer soon! make sure to start backing up all your stuff
-chris

coach_z said:

looks like your going to be getting a new computer soon! make sure to start backing up all your stuff
-chris

Click to expand...

I don't understand....???

A whole new computer??

After only 7 mths?

It didn't seem like such a huge problem....Surely not..(secretly hopes - surely yes) :doctor:

Will my data be wiped when I collect my iMac?

I do have backups of 90% of the important data, but had recorded a half dozen EyeTV movies yet to watch but they are always repeated after all.

There's always the possibility of losing your data when you take it in to be fixed.

eyerox said:

Thanks schweb, on your advice I took it into the local apple dealer and they mentioned video artifacting and/or dodgy logic board but have yet to diagnose.

Click to expand...

i say to backup because if it is your logic board (our logic board is a fancy name from apple for the Motherboard in PC language), the logic board is the brain of your computer.

if they need to replace your logic board they are most likely going to either a) just giv eyou a new computer on the spot and take your old one fix it and send it to the refurb store. or b) take it in for a few days, replace your logic board, wipe your HD, do a fresh install of os x and then make sure that everything nis running

-chris

Thanks guys, think I'll be purchasing the extra warranty protection plan then....

no need to if it is still under its original warantee....you should bring it into a place and have it really diagnosed and find out what it is asap, esp if your warantee is running out soon
-chris

Yep, thanks Chris, the local Apple dealer has it as I type this.

They just mentioned video artifacting or dodgy logic board based on my description of the symptoms and seemed to already know about the possible causes or at least thats the feeling I got.

I almost expected that they would look at the computer and say they couldn't see any 'line' and handball it back to me.

.....Well, I'm back in action having collected my G5 from the local dealer where they fitted a new logic board due to video artifacting.

The video card memory apparantly is in a component attaced to the logic board so a new logic board it was!

It took a week and all my data is still there, so I'm happy, except that a week later I notice that the phantom line has returned....and that when my iMac is asleep the power light doesn't pulse down on the right hand corner of the front.....and the computer is noisier.....so much for the new logic board solving the issue....back to the mac shop and back to doing without my imac, which is tough...

OK....the line is still there and maybe now it's a hardware problem......

The tech dude said he needed to research my particular problem and get back to me.

He asked me if like I'd left it running for a couple of days recently and I said I use it every day so it doesn't get turned off and that I'd been told that scripts run overnight to correct any errors so this was a good thing.

Now I don't know when I'm going to see my iMac again or if it'll be properly fixed??? neye:

**** im sorry to hear that man....you may be getting a brand new one if they cant fix it this time
-chris

The only problem is that the PPC iMac G5 are now a thing of the past.....

Well.....they're ordering a new screen and the only possible cause for the line was that if the log-in screen stayed open for 24hrs then it would possibly cause such a line to occur but the line wouldn't stay visible forever (the line is situated approx where the left side of the login box is).

This is a problem specific to LCD screens.

So, it's been a new logicboard and now a new screen.....