How to Fix Your Monitor’s Pixels for a Like-New Screen

Not long ago, I came across an old monitor that a friend planned to toss out as e-waste after upgrading his setup. It’s from a reputable brand, boasting a 1080p resolution and a refresh rate that seemed adequate for casual gaming.

The idea of having a second display thrilled me, and I was genuinely appreciative of his kind gesture. The picture quality appeared decent enough, but being a tech enthusiast, I decided to run some diagnostics to assess its color accuracy, contrast levels, and resolution.

One essential test I conducted was to check for dead or stuck pixels, which can sometimes plague monitors. To my surprise, I discovered a handful of stuck pixels just left of center.

While they weren’t a dealbreaker—after all, some monitors can have pixels that render them nearly unusable—I decided to give fixing them a shot. I utilized a website called Piksel Test and successfully resolved the pixel issue. Now, I plan to use this test on all future screens I acquire.

If you find yourself in a similar situation with any of your devices—whether it’s a monitor, smartphone, TV, or tablet (regardless of whether they have LCD or OLED screens)—you can perform the same steps.

Steps to Take

• Power on your computer and allow Windows to load.
• Connect to the internet and navigate to the Piksel Test website.
• Select the “Test Dead Pixel” option.
• Identify any dead or stuck pixels on your display. The website provides guidance on how to distinguish between the types of pixel issues.
• Scroll down and click on either “Dead Pixel Repair” or “Stuck Pixel Repair,” depending on what you found.
• Run the pixel fixer tool over the affected pixels for about 10 minutes.

Pro Tip: Make sure your screen remains active throughout the repair process, so disable any sleep settings in Windows beforehand.

That wraps up this guide. For more tech tips that are straightforward and practical for you to try at home, be sure to check out PCWorld’s newsletter page and sign up for our Try This newsletter.