A shadow on your computer screen can mean very different things. Sometimes it’s a faint trail behind a moving mouse. Sometimes it’s the outline of an old window that won’t go away. And sometimes it’s a dark patch in one corner.
The fix depends on which one you’re seeing. In this guide I’ll help you identify the type of shadow first, then walk you through the fixes, starting with the free and easy ones.
Step 1: Identify the type of shadow
| What you see | Most likely cause |
|---|---|
| A trail or blur behind moving objects, like the mouse or scrolling text | Ghosting (slow pixel response) |
| A faint outline of a previous image that stays after the screen changes | Image retention or, if permanent, burn-in |
| Dark patches or uneven brightness, often at the edges | Backlight problem or panel damage |
| Shadows or double edges on text everywhere | Cable or signal problem, or wrong resolution |
Fixes for ghosting (trails behind moving objects)
Ghosting is the most common shadow problem, and it’s usually fixable at home. It doesn’t damage your monitor.
- Run a ghosting test. Open the free UFO Motion Test from Blur Busters in your browser. It shows whether moving objects leave trails.
- Adjust overdrive. Open your monitor’s on-screen menu (with the buttons on the monitor) and look for Overdrive, Response Time or Trace Free. Try a medium setting. Too high can cause bright “inverse ghosting” halos.
- Turn off picture “enhancements”. Settings such as Dynamic Contrast, Motion Smoothing and Noise Reduction can make ghosting worse. Turn them off one at a time.
- Set the correct refresh rate. In Windows, go to Settings > System > Display > Advanced display and choose the highest refresh rate your monitor supports.
- Update your graphics driver from your graphics card maker (NVIDIA, AMD or Intel) or through Windows Update.
Fixes for image retention (faint outline of an old image)
Image retention is a temporary “ghost” of something that was on screen for a long time, such as a taskbar or a static window.
- Turn the screen off for an hour or more, or leave a moving or plain white screen on for a while.
- Use a screen saver or turn on automatic screen-off when idle.
- Avoid static images at high brightness for hours at a time, especially on OLED screens.
If the image never fades, even after a long rest, it’s probably burn-in, which is permanent damage to the panel. Burn-in is mostly a risk on OLED screens.
Fixes for cable and signal problems (double edges on text)
- Check the cable for damage, and reseat both ends firmly.
- Try a different cable (HDMI, DisplayPort or USB-C) or a different port.
- Set the native resolution. In Settings > System > Display, choose the resolution marked “(Recommended)”.
- Move wireless devices away from the monitor and cable, such as speakers, routers and phone chargers.
When it’s a hardware problem
If you see dark patches, uneven brightness or shadows that don’t change, and none of the fixes help, the backlight or panel may be faulty. A simple test: connect your laptop to an external monitor, or your PC to a different monitor. If the shadow stays on the original screen only, the screen itself is the problem.
If it’s under warranty, contact the manufacturer. Otherwise, a repair shop can tell you whether a repair costs less than a replacement.
Frequently asked questions
Is screen ghosting permanent? No. Ghosting is about how fast pixels change, and it doesn’t damage your screen. Burn-in is the permanent one.
Why do I see a shadow only on dark backgrounds? Slower pixels on some panels, especially VA panels, change more slowly between dark shades, so trails are more visible on dark content.
Can a virus cause screen shadows? It’s very unlikely. Screen shadows are almost always caused by display settings, cables, drivers or hardware.
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- iTop Screen Recorder: record your iPad or iPhone screen on PC
Sources
- HP Tech Takes: How to fix monitor ghosting