Test your LCD Monitor
It can happen that your new LCD monitor is having dead or stuck pixels which can be rather unfortunate depending on the location of the pixels and the laws of the country you bought the monitor in. Some dead pixels on a newly bought monitor may not be enough to return it.
It can also happen that dead or stuck pixels appear after using the LCD monitor for a while. It's a good idea to test the LCD monitor before or immediately after purchase with a software that can reveal stuck or dead pixels. The best case scenario would be obviously a test before buying the monitor to be sure that it does not contain dead pixels.
The tiny application Is My LCD OK [via Shell Extension City] provides several test color schemes that reveal if pixels on the monitor are not working properly. It can be run from any location on the hard drive. The first start uses a German interface, press E to switch to the English interface.
The different test patterns can be loaded by pressing the corresponding button on the keyboard. If you press [1] the screen will change to a white background. If you should find a pixel that is not white you discovered a dead or stuck pixel. By viewing all test patterns you will be able to find all dead or stuck pixels on the LCD monitor.
Hopefully though there will be none or that much that you can return the monitor for a new one.
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There have been several pixel testers and “exercisers” arround.
I tend to use DTP (Dead Pixel Tester)http://www.dataproductservices.com/dpt
and UDPixel http://udpix.free.fr/.
Both of these let you find deal pixels, and if you are unlucky enough to find less than the “acceptable” level. You can leave then flashing colours on that area – to try and clear the problem. Not in my experience, but apparently this sometimes work.
To my knowledge I have no dead/stuck pixels on my laptop LCD or my desktop LCD, however, I am not going to run either of these programs.
Once you know there’s one there, it catches your eye every time you use the monitor! Something that would annoy the hell outta me :P
Thanks for the tools anyways though :)