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2.4GHz, 2.7GHz, or 2.8GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz) with 6MB shared L3 cache. Released February 2013.

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Random purple lines on the display

Every now and again I'll get thick purple lines covering the entire screen. The lines start happening randomly, but once they start, they continue to come on and off every ~3 seconds.

Closing the lid for several minutes makes the problem temporarily go away.

Applying pressure to the front of the display or just shaking the darn thing also temporarily fixes it. I've only just recently started getting physical with the machine, so you can rule out that I've made the problem worse.

The problem used to go away for a few days. But now I only get about a few more minutes of relief. I'll attach a screenshot showing also a second problem that I've lived with regarding the screen. There are very thin, almost invisible horizontal black lines on the whole display.

They have been permanently there for a year now. One day I was watching a video on the browser, the computer got really hot, there was a quick flicker, the black thin lines showed up and things haven't been the same since. The thick purple lines started to show up some time later.

Also, the underside of the MBP, near the display gets unusually hot no matter what I'm doing.

http://s23.postimg.org/i11altpd7/unnamed...

http://s7.postimg.org/4ki2qqg3f/unnamed....

Answered! View the answer I have this problem too

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What year is the Macbook Pro?

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Can you give us the last four digits of the serial number, that way we can identify which model you have.

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#FFT1.

Its a 2013. 15.4 Display. Intel HD 4000 1024 MB GPU.

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I'm having the same problem with my MacBook Pro 2016. The first time I opened it up it was brand new and I picked it up and the screen went crazy with vibrating purple lines. I got it to go away by opening and closing it again, but it keeps happening. Its happening right now and this time I can't stop it.

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First try connecting an external monitor to see if the problem is present on it. If it is then the graphics chip is having problems. If the external display looks OK, then the internal display is having problems.

Here's the IFIXIT guide to replace the display assembly: MacBook Pro 15" Retina Display Early 2013 Display Assembly Replacement. Follow Steps 1 thru 4, then jump down to Step 11 to disconnect the display data cable. Carefully inspect the connector surfaces for corrosion. If things look clean then sadly it sounds like the display is damaged.

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Thank you for the help. I will order the tools from ifixit and report back once I've tried out option #2. I've hooked the MBP to an external monitor and it works fine on that monitor.

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So I opened the MBP and did a thorough cleanup using rubbing alcohol. It was very dirty, but unfortunately cleaning the display connector didn't fix the issue.

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I'm getting this on a 2009 Macbook Pro.... purple vertical lines on white areas. Should I expect it to be the screen then?

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What do you see on an external monitor? If you see a clean image on it then the answer is you need a new screen.

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It's the screen. Ignore the idea that the cable is faulty, and remove it from your mind completely. Watch this and fix! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHbdmks-...

Some tech talk on why it isn't the cable for those who have the same problem:

LVDS is what older Macbook Pros used to get info from the machine to the screen. LVDS stands for Low-voltage differential signaling. Emphasis on differential signaling. Let's take a lot of confusing science and engineering and make it simple, what you got at the screen was the result of the difference in signal between different lines. If one line was messed up, you would still get a picture, but the picture would be F'd up because the differences in the lines would not be what it was supposed to be. However, you would still see something.

Even then, with these older designs, it was almost never the cable. But, at the very least, it was scientifically plausible that it was the cable.

Your machine is a Retina. These use eDP, a type of displayport protocol to get info from the mux circuit to the screen. Displayport is not differential signaling, it's not measuring the difference in signal between different lines. it's just data. It's either there, or it isn't. If you see anything resembling an image on the screen, however distorted it is, you have a working displayport connection, and the cable is not your problem. If the cable were not functioning in any way you would have a completely 100% blank screen.

Think of it like analog vs. digital TV. In the olden days, you would see seinfeld, but he'd be blurry or fuzzy if it rained and you had a crappy antenna. Now you either see seinfeld or you see no signal error on the screen.

When you know how the system works it makes it that much easier to troubleshoot!

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Thank you so much for the information! I was craving a scientific explanation for why this was happening. After watching the video, I'm going to attempt the disassembly (not the screen, i'm not that brave, but the whole screen assembly which should be easier) and install a new screen and then report back here. Ifixit seems fresh out though. Know of any reputable source to get a screen for my macbook model? Also, any explanation as to why this happened after my mbp got too hot when watching youtube videos? I'm pretty sure that was the cause of the problem because you know, causality :)

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Hi there,

Got a Purple MacBook? You Can Waste Another $700 Fixing It, Or JOIN OUR PETITION And Make Apple Take Responsibility For Their New, Faulty MacBooks. It's Time To Act Together: https://purplemacbook.com/


So, After owning MacBook Pro 15″ 2012 for a few years (loved it), and a bunch of other products (Apple Watch, MacBook Air, iPhone), I’ve decided to invest my earning in the new Macbook Pro 15″ 2017 with TouchBar.

What a stupid decision it was…

Because after a year, The screen suddenly showed vertical purple lines all over the screen, Just like that.

I protected and cared for this faulty laptop, and even though it NEVER fell or got any physical damage (No bumps or even scratches) – It got the purple screen lines disease.

My warranty/coverage was expired few weeks before the vertical purple lines occurred on my screen.

So, I did what every Apple customer will do. I went to the nearest Apple store and asked for help.

You can guess what they’ve told me (they probably said the same to you) – Your warranty is expired, there is nothing we can do. Replacing the screen is your only option, and it costs around $800.

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same thing just happened me,, after about 3 years of use…Been working from home for 2 years so the machine never leaves my desk….what a joke!!

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This just happened to me. I walked away from my computer, it was fine. When I returned this vertical purple/black/white bar was on the left side of the screen extending pass the tool bar on top down past the dock. No trauma, no overheating, nothing happened to cause this.

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Dingo Egret will be eternally grateful.
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