Guess WHAT this is, and WHERE it is.

[snowhiker]

Guess WHAT this is, and WHERE it is. Answers below first pic.


It's a bug, and it's INSIDE my friggen monitor. F-me. I just went from a pixel perfect 43" monitor to a "10 dead pixel" spot.





So I was just surfing the web and saw a tiny bug/gnat moving on my monitor and attempted to wipe it off. What the hell it's not wiping off. OHMYGAWD it's in my monitor. HOW, WTF. I don't know if it's in between the back-light and panel or it's between the panel and outer coating. Knocking the screen must has squished it a bit as it's not moving now and not falling off. Oh My God. This is a nightmare!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111one!!!111!!!

If you google "bug in computer monitor" you'll see that this is unfortunately not a rare thing. Don't know if I should just wait to see if bug drops off or attempt a Dell advanced replacement, on-site fix (I wonder if I paid for that) as shipping a 43" would be a huge pain and expense.

The name of the first article that comes up with you google, "bug in computer monitor" sure fits. "I Squished A Bug Inside My Monitor's Screen And Now I Want To Die"

 

[jtr1962]

If you can get your monitor apart fairly easily it might not be a big deal to take it out. It looks to me like it's in between the backlight and the panel. Backlights are usually fairly easy to remove. Once you clean everything up maybe put a bead of silicone or some other sealant between the bezel and screen and also between the backlight and panel to keep this from ever happening again. This gives new meaning to the phrase "computer bug". You'll probably also find a bunch more bugs inside. By the time one manages to get in a place like that, there are probably 100 more inside.

I hate bugs.

 

[snowhiker]

What really surprised me about this is how "un-rare" it actually is. There plenty of google results and youtube videos regarding this very situation. I'm hesitant to open a monitor that will cost around $900 to replace if I goof something up, but it might be my only option.

 

[Newtun]

Wow, that is nasty. I hope you can get it fixed, though it may take a fair amount of effort.

I, and I'm sure many of us, have seen a bug on the screen and tried to squish it.

So we can take a lesson from your unfortunate experience and make sure the bug is on the exterior of the monitor first.

 

[Handruin]

Wow that sucks dude. I had a monitor with a tiny cat hair stuck in the corner of the screen but that's nothing compared to this. I don't even know where to start with trying to fix something like that on an expensive monitor!

 

[snowhiker]

Yeah kinda depressing. I almost forget about it until a bit white/light background is displayed, like most of SF, then my eye is instantly drawn to it.

Two less than optimal options. Try an RMA/on-site repair from Dell. (I'd have to check/call to see if this is possible) Or just try to take apart monitor and see if I can brush, wipe, blow bug off panel, back-light or bezel. I haven't too a ton of serious google searching yet, still hoping bug will dry up and drop off panel, back-light or bezel. I've been tapping screen too but no luck. Oh well. It was a wonderful 4 years.

Maybe I need to buy one of those 48" OLED screens. AND COVER ALL VENT HOLES WITH "NO-SEE-UM" ULTRA-FINE MESH SCREEN

 

[Chewy509]

Have you tried some canned air to blow it away from the screen? (also known as an Air Duster).
(https://www.amazon.com.au/b?ie=UTF8&node=4915802051)

(Assuming there is an air vent that may have some direct air flow to the effected area).

 

[snowhiker]

I don't have any canned air so I haven't tried that yet. I did use a room sized vacuum cleaner with attachment hose on all the exhaust ports to no avail. What sucks is that even from a meter away it doesn't look like a bad pixel you can tell it's a bug. It's "that big" on the screen.

 

[Newtun]

Out of curiosity, what's the status of your bug excavation?

Do you think you might have the gumption to DIY repair?

I'm guessing that, when you look at that monitor, that insect carcass takes on the proportions of a T-Rex.

 

[snowhiker]

I kinda of ignore it now, until a non-dark background comes up and I see it. Then I have a mentally "depressed sigh."

As far as bug extraction goes nothing has happened yet. I don't think I'll open the monitor up as it's not worth the risk for me. But I might just "get in the mood" and at least see if I can open the monitor up. Then again I haven't even done a youtube search yet to see if there is a Dell P4317Q tear-down video.

I haven't tried canned air yet, as I don't have any, but I might give that a shot. Tapping and downright banging on monitor screen itself has not dislodged the bug creature inside the monitor.

If we weren't in this pandemic I think I'd contact Dell about an on-site panel replacement for the multiple "bad pixels" that "just happened." But I don't think strangers in my house possibly exposing my 84 yo mother is a good idea right now.

 

[snowhiker]

Good news. My dreaded monitor bug has dropped down to the bottom row of pixels.

I have been banging on my monitor screen the last few days. So I'm sitting at my computer and once again banging on my screen. The bug moved a little bit. I continued to tap with varying degrees of firmness and distance from bug to find the sweet spot to move bug. I got it moving down and now it's on the bottom edge of the screen. I don't hide my taskbar so I just moved a taskbar icon that has a black square background over bug. Gone.

The first pic is the bugs old location. I converted the image to B&W, played with the brightness and contrast and circled old smear. You can barely see it. Doesn't show up well on the pic. I can only make the smear out if I have an all white background look at screen from about a foot or less away.

Second pic is the bugs new location. The bottom two pixel rows. Covered by a taskbar icon.

THANK GOD! What a friggen load off my mind.

 

[Newtun]

Ah, good old percussive maintenance!

Congratulations!