Left side of screen shadowed

[ErFlowers]

The left side of my screen seems to have gone shaded. I checked BIOS and it is not affected. All Drivers are updated. Not sure what else to do. When computer starts up it is not there but once it loads into windows it appears.  Print screen / screen capture does not show it. 
I ran HP PC Hardware Diagnostics Windows 2.7.2.0 and it passed all tests. I know my system is out of warranty but this seems to be a software issue not a hardware one.

[Max3Aj]

@ErFlowers, Hello and welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for posting your question. I'm here to help you get things back on track.

Based on your description and image:

Observations:

• The left side of the screen is visibly dimmed, but this does not appear in BIOS or in screen captures, which suggests it's not a software rendering issue.
• The shadowing is consistent across all elements on that side, which typically points to a hardware-related issue, most likely with the backlight or display panel.

Recommended Steps:

Double-check Display Settings

Sometimes, adaptive brightness or color profiles can cause uneven lighting:

• Go to Settings > System > Display > Brightness & color.
• Disable "Change brightness automatically when lighting changes" if enabled.
• Check Night Light settings and turn it off if it's on.

Boot into Safe Mode

To rule out third-party drivers or software:

• Press Windows + R, type msconfig, and go to the Boot tab.
• Check Safe boot, apply, and restart.
• See if the shadow persists in Safe Mode. If it does, it's likely hardware-related.

External Monitor Test

Connect your PC to an external monitor:

• If the external display looks fine, the issue is isolated to the built-in display panel.
• If the shadow appears on the external monitor too, it could be a GPU or driver issue.

Perform a Clean Boot

To rule out background software:

How to perform a clean boot in Windows - Microsoft Support
 

Update/Reinstall Graphics Drivers

Even if drivers are up to date, try reinstalling:

• Go to Device Manager > Display adapters.
• Right-click your graphics driver and choose Uninstall device.
• Restart your PC and let Windows reinstall it automatically.

I hope the information shared has been useful and resolves your concern.

Wishing you a smooth and hassle-free experience ahead!

If this solution helped, please click “Accepted Solution” so others can benefit too. Don’t forget to hit the “Yes” button if you found this helpful!

Warm regards,

Max3Aj

HP Support

[ErFlowers]

The shadow does NOT persist in safe mode. It IS there during "clean boot". I am going to try uninstalling and reinstalling the graphics drivers. If none of this works, I have a backup plan that is sure to work. I will purchase another PC and I assure you it will NOT be an HP product.

[Max3Aj]

@ErFlowers, Thank you for your response,  

I'm sending a private message to assist you with the next action. 

  

Please check your Private message icon on the upper right corner of your HP Community profile Next, to your profile Name, you should see a little blue envelope, please click on it or simply click on this link. 

  

I hope this helps! Keep me posted. 

  

Max3Aj

HP Support