How to fix horizontal lines on a laptop

One of the most jarring issues for laptop users is the random lines appearing on the display. If you have ever found yourself wondering how to fix the horizontal lines in my laptop then you have come to the right place.

While electronic devices are meant to make our lives easier, they also sometimes end up having issues. These issues could be either a technical glitch or account for any hardware or software issues. The horizontal lines on a laptop are one such issue and before we get to how to fix horizontal lines on a laptop screen, it is important to understand the cause.

What causes horizontal lines on a laptop screen?

Horizontal lines or laptop display lines are mostly caused by faulty graphics or video cards. This issue could lead to a system crash or display problems and is caused by several factors:

1. Faulty Cables

One of the causes of horizontal lines on a laptop could be a faulty cable connecting the screen to the motherboard. The causes could be bad quality cable, overheating, or physical damage to the cable.

2. Screen Resolution

A horizontal line also appears on a screen when the screen resolution contradicts the size of the screen.

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3. Out-of-date drivers

You might see horizontal lines on a laptop screen if the display drivers are not updated or the operating system has lost support.

4. Power issues

The screen might also be malfunctioning due to residual power in the system leading to a short circuit.

How to fix horizontal lines on a laptop

Before you get to the business of fixing horizontal lines on a laptop, check if there are any magnetic or electronic devices nearby and remove them. These devices could interfere with the screen and cause a glitch. Here’s how to fix horizontal lines on a laptop from the most basic fix to software-centric fixes.

Method 1: Restart the system

The most basic and obvious solution to try first is to restart your system. Your friend would have said “restart karke dekhna yaar” and that solution will not only restart your system but also allow all the drivers to reboot. If the issue is a minor one then restarting your system will automatically fix it.

Method 2: Update graphics card driver

If the previous method does not fix the issue then you should immediately look at the graphics card driver. The display drivers play an important role in communication between the computer and the display hardware. To update your laptop’s graphics card driver, follow these steps:

Step 1: Go to Settings and search for Device Manager. You can also press Windows Key + X and click on Device Manager.

Step 2: Select Display Adapters.

Step 3: Right-click on your graphics driver from the list of drivers and click ‘Update driver’.

Step 4: Now, select “Search automatically for drivers” and let the system do the rest for you.

Step 5: Click on Close once the driver is updated.

Method 3: Change the screen resolution

If the above steps didn’t solve the issue and you are still thinking why my laptop screen has lines on it then you should try changing the resolution. Here’s how to change the screen resolution:

Step 1: Open Settings and go to System.

Step 2: Now, click on Display and adjust the resolution under the Display resolution option according to your screen size.

Check if the horizontal lines on your laptop screen have disappeared. If not, here are some other fixes.

Method 4: Check the refresh rate

The refresh rate of a display is the number of times that the image refreshes on the screen per second. For the image to display on your screen, the refresh rate has to be synchronised with the video card. If it is not synchronised then the images may flicker or cause other display issues. Here is how to fix your display’s refresh rate:

Step 1: Go to Settings and click on System.

Step 2: Now click on Display and go to the Advanced display setting.

Step 3: Select the Refresh Rate and a higher rate gives smoother motion.

Method 5: Install all the system updates

If the above methods don’t fix the horizontal line issue on your laptop and there is a line in your laptop screen then you should check if all the system updates are installed. Go to Windows Update, click on Check for updates, and ensure all the latest updates are installed on your system.

Method 6: Troubleshoot your system

If you are still getting horizontal lines on your laptop screen then the last method would be to try troubleshooting.

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To troubleshoot the issue, go to the Start Menu and search for Control Panel. In Control Panel, search for Troubleshooting and click on “Find and fix problems.”

Those are some ways to solve the lines on your laptop. However, if none of these methods work, or if you keep seeing lines repeatedly, you may have to take your laptop to a technician for help.