11 Ways To Fix A Pink Screen On Laptop (Updated 2023)

Even if you like the color pink…

It can get too much if your laptop’s screen suddenly turns this shade.

Not to mention if you hate the hue.

Not to worry, though.

Because you can fix your pink screen with just 1 setting.

Read on to find out:

11 surefire ways to fix your laptop’s pink screen.
1 miraculous fix that takes less than a minute to do.
Why your laptop driver’s GPU temperature can cause display issues.
And so much more…

Why is my laptop screen pink?

Your laptop screen’s pink due to a loose or damaged USB/HDMI cable connection. Another cause is a faulty or outdated graphics card driver. Due to overheating, your graphics card creates display issues. Dirty laptop components can also cause an issue. Finally, your laptop may have a hardware problem.

How to fix a pink screen on your laptop? 11 ways

#1: Inspect your USB and HDMI cables

Did you know display issues are commonly caused by loose cable connections?

And I don’t just mean for your laptop.

For instance.

A loose cable can cause TV flickering issues or your screen to turn purple.

But here’s the good news.

A loose cable is pretty much one of the easiest issues you can fix.

All it takes is to do the following:

Unplug your loose USB or HDMI cable.
Wait for 1 minute.
Plug your cable back into your laptop.

#2: Check for any damage on your laptop peripherals

Your peripherals are any hardware device that’s connected to your laptop, such as:

Overall, these devices add functionality to your laptop.

However, if the peripheral or cable used to connect to your computer’s damaged, well…

You know what happens, right?

That’s right – display issues and possibly, a pink screen.

“But how do I know which peripherals causing the problem?”

The best way to find out which of your peripherals are faulty is by process of elimination.

Here’s what I mean by that:

Disconnect all your peripherals.
Plug 1 peripheral at a time back into your laptop.
Check which device causes a pink screen.

Say from the process mentioned above, you find out your printer’s causing the issue.

What do you do next, then?

I know what you’re thinking.

But trust me, you don’t have to replace your printer right off the bat.

In cases like these, the root cause is typically the cable.

From here, your next best step’s to buy a new HDMI or USB cable.

#3: Restart your laptop

Heard this advice a thousand times?

Yeah – I’ve told myself the same thing.

But see – here’s the thing.

You also have to consider this possibility:

Your pink screen’s a temporary software error.

Not to mention, restarting your laptop should tell you 2 crucial things:

You’re dealing with a short-lived software glitch.
The pink screen issue could be a hardware problem.

So, let’s go ahead and get this 1-minute fix over with:

Shut down your laptop.
Unplug it from your power source.
Wait for 1 to 2 minutes.
Plug your laptop back into its power outlet.
Check if the pink screen persists.

#4: Disable your laptop’s night light setting

Get a load of this:

Your laptop’s night light setting can actually cause your screen to appear pink.

In fact, tweaking this setting further can lead to a red screen too.

Now, the idea of a night light on your laptop’s meant to do 1 thing:

Use warmer colors to block or prevent your eyes from blue light.

And here’s what else is interesting.

You can adjust your night light setting’s strength via its slider.

Interestingly, a stronger night light gives off a brightish pink/red color.

Now, don’t worry.

You can easily find your laptop’s night light setting in your “Display” menu.

Here’s how it’s done:

Go to your laptop’s settings.
Tap on “System.”
Select “Display.”
Click on “Night light.”
Toggle it off.

#5: Update your laptop graphics card driver

Another common cause of your laptop’s pink screen?

An outdated graphics card driver.

I can’t tell you the countless times outdated software and drivers caused issues.

Think smart TVs, gaming consoles, and smartphones.

Even apps like Netflix and Crunchyroll refuse to work when running outdated software.

Notice the pattern here?

Sometimes, all it takes is to update your drivers or software to fix the issue.

And that’s what you’re going to do:

Tap your laptop’s Windows icon + “X” on your keyboard at the same time.
In the pop-up screen, choose “Device Manager.”
Double-click “Display adapters.”
A drop-down menu should appear and reveal your graphics card.
Right-click your graphics card.
Tap on “Update driver.”
Wait for the installation to finish.

#6: Make sure your GPU isn’t overheating

“Holy smokes.

Why is my laptop so hot?”

Sound familiar?

It’s called overheating, and it can cause all sorts of problems including display issues.

Now, here’s the scary part:

If your laptop GPU’s overheating, you don’t just get a slower laptop performance.

Your display ends up suffering too.

But first, what does GPU even mean?

Basically, it’s a hardware computer component used for several applications, like:

Gaming.
Video editing.
Machine learning.

Now, to check your GPU’s temperature, follow these steps:

On your laptop keyboard, hit “Ctrl + Shift + Esc” at the same time.
This should bring up your Task Manager.
On your Task Manager’s menu, you’ll see a row of tabs at the top.
Select “Performance.”
Tap on “GPU” to check its temperature.

“Okay, but how can I tell if my GPU’s overheating?”

Here’s one way to know it’s overheating:

The temperature of your GPU (graphics card) goes above 194°F (90°C).

Other signs to take note of that mean your GPU’s overheating include:

Laptop fans are crazy loud.
Your apps and programs keep freezing.
You notice a decline in your laptop’s gaming performance.

From here, you have 2 options:

Replace your graphics card if the issue persists.
Close any heavy-running applications and observe your GPU temperature.

After closing any heavy-running applications, give your laptop time to cool down.

If the pink screen doesn’t disappear, there’s 1 more thing you need to try:

#7: Turn off overclocking

No – it doesn’t mean working overtime.

Although the concept’s slightly similar to that.

In the computer sense, overclocking allows your processor to run at higher speeds.

“Is that bad?”

Not necessarily.

But it does have 1 risk:

Your laptop’s core temperature rises significantly.

Mainly because your processor’s running higher than the manufacturer-specified speed.

Or in other words, you get a boost in laptop performance.

Then again, the risk of overheating plays a significant role here.

Because ultimately, if your laptop heats up high enough, it shuts down.

Worse – display issues and damage to PC components like your graphics card could happen.

So, how do we disable your laptop’s overclocking?

First, you’ll have to do an advanced restart to access the feature:

Head to your laptop’s settings.
Click on “Update & Security.”
Tap “Recovery.”

Note: On Windows 11, you can go straight to “Recovery” in the Settings menu.

Under “Advanced startup,” select “Restart now.”
After your laptop restarts, you’ll see a blue screen with several options.
Choose “Troubleshoot.”
Select “Advanced option” and click on “UEFI Firmware Settings.”
Hit “Restart” again.
Once it restarts, select “Advanced.”
Look for “Overclocking” and disable it.

#8: Delete any recent apps

Although rare, it’s possible that a recently installed app had bugs.

Which, in turn, caused your screen to turn pink.

The best way to fix this issue?

Delete the recently installed apps.

Now, if you’re not sure which app was the most recently installed, do this:

Step 1: Go to your laptop’s settings.

Step 2: Select “Apps.”

Step 3: Choose “Apps & features.”

Here, you’ll find your apps list.

You can also sort each app using filters.

There should be a gray text, saying “Sort by:”

Then, simply tap the arrow icon beside the text and you’ll see the following options:

Size.
Name.
Install date.

Select “Install date” to see which app/s you recently installed.

Step 4: From there, uninstall the app.

You might also like: (11 Fixes) Apple TV Not Working On Laptop

#9: Shut down your laptop and let it rest for a few hours

We’ve talked a lot about overheating in the previous sections.

As a final note on the topic, there’s 1 more fix worth trying:

Give your laptop ample time to rest and cool down.

And I don’t mean setting it aside for just 5 minutes.

Try 2 to 3 hours.

If you can do longer than that, even better.

Now, why do this?

Think of it like this:

If your laptop’s overheating, forcing it to run in that state only makes it worse.

Your laptop needs a short break.

By denying it a cooldown period, you deliberately allow the hardware to well…melt.

Figuratively speaking, of course.

But you get the picture, right?

If your graphics card or motherboard becomes scorching hot, what do you think happens?

Put simply, the electrical components could very well give up and stop working.

So, let your laptop cool down for a few hours.

Once that’s done, turn it back on and check if the pink screen’s still there.

#10: Factory reset your laptop

The end is nigh, and if nothing seems to work, a factory reset might do the trick.

Basically, this type of reset involves stripping away all your laptop’s data.

And that includes your applications.

Yes – that means you’ll have to back up any important files you don’t want to lose too.

Once you have everything ready, here’s how to factory reset your laptop:

Access your laptop’s settings menu.
Tap “System.”
Select “Recovery.”
Under “Recovery options,” click on “Reset PC.”
Choose the reset option you want to proceed with.
Give your laptop ample time to complete the factory reset.

If you’re using a Windows 10 laptop, check out this video on how to perform a factory reset:

#11: Replace damaged hardware components

All is not fair when you’ve given it your best to save your laptop.

If something as lifesaving as a factory reset didn’t solve your issue, here’s your next step:

Take your laptop to an authorized repair shop.

Then, have a licensed technician inspect your unit.

Because at this point, you’re most likely dealing with a damaged hardware component.

For example.

It could be that your laptop’s screen needs to be replaced.

Other times, it might be your graphics processor that’s broken.

Either way, a licensed technician should be able to give you an accurate diagnosis.

Oftentimes, this has mostly to do with your LCD screen.

On average, an LCD replacement usually costs between $50 to $100 if there’s minimal damage.

However, this also depends on the make and model of your laptop.

Which, in some cases, can cost as high as $300.