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LAPTOPS

How To Fix Black Horizontal Lines


On Laptop Screen (20+ Ways)
By Tiffany Matthews May 17, 2022

Black horizontal lines on a laptop screen are common and arise


primarily due to hardware glitches, screen resolutions, or ribbon
cables.
No doubt laptop is a delicate and expensive item. Any repairing
issue with your laptop screen or keyboard can cost you hundreds
of dollars. This is why most people get tensed when they open
their laptops and see black lines the first thing in the morning.

If you have a laptop showing black horizontal lines on the


screen, don’t panic. We’ve got numerous easy steps on “how to
fix horizontal lines on laptop screen” to help you out.

This 101 guide will help you walk through various reasons to
help you answer “why does my screen have lines?” and what
measures you can take to fix them.

What Causes The Black Lines On Laptop


Screen

The appearance of the black horizontal lines on your laptop


screen can be due to numerous reasons such as overheating of
the laptop, physical damage to the monitor, screen resolution
issues, connecting cables, or a hardware glitch.

The lines may also appear due to the ongoing issues from
incorrect video link associations with poor lace links and
outdated card drivers and OS.

There are various ways by which you can fix the ongoing issue of
horizontal lines on your laptop screen. Since one method doesn’t
work for all, we suggest you try all these methods one by one to
check which acts as the best solution for your laptop issue.
Follow the steps and see how your laptop screen will turn
normal once again!

How To Fix Horizontal Lines On Laptop


Screen (7 Major Ways)
Want to know how to fix horizontal lines on laptop screen?

Stay here and go through this topic thoroughly! There are seven
main ways you should definitely try to fix the appearance of
black horizontal lines on your laptop screen:

1. Update your Graphics Driver


2. Reboot Your PC
3. Replace The Ribbon Cable
4. Adjust Your Screen Resolution
5. Reconnect The Video Cable
6. Run DISM Scan to Check and Restore System File Corruption
7. Wipe Your Screen Using Cotton Balls

Let’s go through each one of them one by one:

1. Update Your Graphics Driver


Using the wrong graphics driver or an outdated driver for your
laptop screen can lead to the appearance of black lines on your
laptop screen.

To fix it, simply check for the graphic driver updates. In case you
are running short on time or don’t have the patience to wait for it

to update, you can easily update your graphics driver with the
help of Driver Easy.

If you are using Driver Easy, you do not need to take any
unnecessary tension! Driver Easy will do the job for you. Driver
Easy will automatically recognize your system and its
requirements and will find the driver suitable for your device
accordingly.

You do not need to know about your laptop system and which
drivers it needs here. It will automatically set up the drivers for
you, thus, avoiding any mistakes which might have been made
by you while installing the drivers.

Driver Easy comes with a free and paid version. You can easily
update your drivers with just two clicks with the Pro version. You
will get full risk support along with a 30-day money-back
guarantee.

To update your driver, go through the following steps:

Download and install Driver Easy on your PC.


Run Driver Easy. Next, click on the scan option. Driver Easy will
then scan your laptop and look for all the problems associated
with your laptop’s drivers.
Now, click on the “Update All” option. This will automatically
update and install all the required drivers missing on your laptop
or the outdated ones. However, to do this step, you’ll require a
Pro version of the app. When you click on the “Update All”
option, you’ll be asked if you want to buy the app’s Pro version
or not.
After all the drivers have been updated and installed properly,
restart your laptop. Check if the horizontal black lines are now
disappeared or not. If they are gone, then it’s great. If not, read
next to go through the second step.

Also Check: How to fix black spots on laptop screen

2. Reboot Your PC
You can also try fixing the horizontal black line by downloading
the latest graphics card driver with the driver talent and
rebooting your PC. To do it, go through the following steps:

Go to the Driver Talent and click on the Scan option. This will
result in scanning your PC to look for any outdated, broken, or
missing drivers required by your laptop.

Once the scanning has been done, click on the Update option to
update your drivers to the latest graphics card driver for your
Windows 10 or 11.

Now, Reboot your PC to check if the new drivers came into


effect.

Before updating to any new driver, make sure to back up all your
drivers with the Driver Talent app. In case the drive crashes, your
data will remain protected. Besides, Driver Talent includes many
other premium features as well, such as VR support check, PC
repair, system restore, hardware detection, etc.

3. Replace The Ribbon Cable

You may have experienced black lines on the laptop screen if


your laptop system’s ribbon cable is broken or damaged. It’s
better to replace the ribbon cable with a new cable that supports
a similar connection type. Check if replacing the ribbon cable
solves your laptop screen line issue. If not, move ahead to follow
and use the next hacks.

4. Adjust Your Screen Resolution

Using improper screen resolution settings in Windows 10 or


Windows 11 can also lead to the formation of horizontal
flickering lines on a monitor. It’s better to change your screen
resolution settings to get rid of those irritating black lines on a
monitor. Follow these steps to adjust your laptop’s screen
resolution settings:
First, right-click on an empty place on your Windows desktop.
A pop-up menu will appear. Click on the “Display Settings”
option of the pop-up menu.
The Display Settings window will open. Now, choose the “Scale
and Layout” option present in the middle of your laptop’s
display.
A lot of screen resolution options will be shown to you. Now,
click on the drop-down menu and click on the screen resolution
option that has the “Recommended” option next to it. After
choosing the screen resolution option, simply click on OK.

Also Check: How big is a 14-inch laptop

5. Reconnect The Video Cable


If you want to know how to fix the horizontal line on laptop
screen, try reconnecting the Video Cable of your laptop system.
The horizontal flickering lines on laptop screen may be visible
due to an incorrect video cable connection. Reconnect the video
cable connection and check if the issue is resolved or not.

Also see: How to fix your laptop’s hinge

6. Run DISM Scan to Check and Restore System File


Corruption
The horizontal lines may also appear due to some corrupt
system files stored in your system. To get it fixed, simply follow
the given steps:
Click on the Windows Key + X, both together, and choose the
Search option. Next, search for the “Command Prompt” option.

After clicking on the command prompt option, copy and paste


the given commands and click on Enter after pasting each
command.

Commands-

1. DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth


2. DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

Now, save and close the command prompt. Restart your PC once
to check if this hack works for your PC or not.

7. Wipe Your Screen Using Cotton Balls


If the fixes above didn’t helped, try cleaning your screen gently
by wiping it with a cotton ball. The issue can also be related to
the equipment used. Just power off the laptop and gently wipe
off the laptop screen with cotton balls.

Make sure not to apply any pressure and do it carefully as you


would definitely not want to cause any more severe damage.

If everything fails, you have to take your laptop to some local


store or an authorized servicing center to get it repaired
professionally.

Also check: How much is your laptop worth at a pawnshop

Simple Hacks On How To Fix Laptop Screen


Lines
Method 1:
Try switching off your laptop and switching it back again a few
times. Typically, turning the laptop off and back on solves most
of the screen glitches.

Method 2:
Try connecting your laptop to a different monitor or screen. It can
help you know if the horizontal lines are caused by your laptop’s

screen or by your laptop itself. Knowing this will help you clarify
which part of your laptop needs care and attention.

Method 3:
Close your laptop’s lid and reopen it again after some time.
Check for the lines when you reopen the laptop. If the lines
appear to flicker only at a particular place and at a certain angle,
it has most probably happened due to some damaged wiring.

Method 4:
As mentioned earlier, horizontal blank lines may also appear due
to overheating of the laptop. Always make sure that you use the
laptop by keeping it on a flat and hard surface.

Method 5:
Ensure that you have the latest verion of the Operating System
installed on your laptop. Using old software might not adapt to a
newer version of the hardware, thus causing the black line on
laptop screen.

Method 6:
If you’re using an external laptop display, disconnect it for once.
Wait for some time and connect it again.

Method 7:
Check for a secured monitor connection. Make sure that all your
system cables are securely connected. While you’re inspecting
and checking the wires, look at the screen image quality. If the
image quality improves, there is an issue with the cables, and
you probably have to do a replacement.
Method 8:
Remove any magnets and other unnecessary electronic items
present near your laptop. The magnetic and electronic devices
present near your screen, cables, or laptop system can interfere
with your connection and cause the screen line on laptop to
appear.

Method 9:
There is also a possibility that the formation of black lines is due
to the presence of dust and dirt on the laptop screen. Dust can
cause your laptop to overheat and thus, create visual distortions.
Gently wipe the screen with cotton balls to remove all the dust.

Method 10:
Run a Troubleshooter. To do troubleshooting, click on Start icon
from the notification panel. A new window will open. Search for
“Settings” and click on it to open it. Now, go to the “System” and
choose “Troubleshoot.” Next, select “Other trouble-shooters”
and run the “Video Playback” and “Program Compatibility
trouble-shooters” to check if there is a problem or not. If you get
presented with any issues, go and follow the on-screen steps to
fix them.

Method 11:
Want to know how to fix horizontal lines on laptop screen?
Change your laptop’s screen refresh rate. Switching your

refreshing screen rate may help you disappear black horizontal


lines on your laptop screen.

Method 12:
Calibrate your monitor to remove the horizontal lines on monitor
screen. This process only takes a few minutes but can help you
optimize your laptop or monitor screen with the present system
and its environment.

Method 13:
If you recently bought a new laptop or display screen, contact
the manufacturer or visit your nearest servicing center to know
the procedure of repair or replacement if the laptop is still under
the warranty period.

Method 14:
If nothing else works, invest in your laptop and get a new one!

Conclusion:
To sum things up, we have explained almost all of the ways to
help you know “how to fix horizontal lines on laptop screen.”
There are numerous options available to you to fix it. One
solution doesn’t work for all. So, don’t get disheartened if a few
of the initial hacks didn’t work for you. Try all these 21 hacks
suggested by us, and we’re sure that one or the other will
definitely help you resolve the horizontal lines on computer
screen issue.

If you have any related questions, drop them down!


Tiffany Matthews

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