In Hardware

hey guys, i just found this place, and ive noticed my NES that was working a few weeks ago doesn't work anymore (aside for perhaps 2 minutes, where then it just goes back to blinking grey). So I want to try and fix it myself...is there a preferred way of taking it apart? from what i've read on this site, it seems to be the 72-pin thing that might need cleaning/re-adjustment. anyone want to guide me throug this? please?

thanks,
its-a luigi.

its easy as a yellow proteus, my friend.

1.get a standard sized phillips head screwdriver, and remove the 6 screws places on the bottom of your Nintendo Entertainment System. Take off the cover, and you are met with a RF Sheild. remove all of the 90 cabillion screws that hold that on, and throw it in the garbage. next, remove all of the screws holding the cartridge holer in place. (you know, that thing with the rectangular silver bar across it?) and wedge that off. It may be a little stiff, and thats normal. just be gentle, and pull it off. Next, remove the screws near the RF/AC box, that holds the board down to the bottom casing. lift the motherboard off a inch or so, and grab the 72pin connector. pull it off, gradually increasing the outward pressure as you shift the force from one side of the pin to the other. lift it of, and buy a new one off ebay. put it back on in reverse order to the above text.

2. this is here so i can justify the use of numerical ordering system.

so you're saying i cant just try and clean whatever that 72-pin thing is? how much does the 72-pin thing cost?

It usually doesnt work, but you can try to clean it. id just buy a new one. its worth it. and you can usually get a new one off ebay for 5-7 dollars. another alternative is to bend the pins back into place.

Just buy a new one.

alright, thanks, just put up a bid now...

um.. this may be a bit late if you have already bid on a new connector, but just giving the NES a clean quite often works. Luckily my NES still works fine, but when my Dreamcast messed up I took it apart, gave it a clean and it works fine now. If your NES has never been cleaned before there could be 15-20 years of dust/dirt/dead spiders in there. Here is a nice compact cleaning guide:

Yea I just use a Q-tip with rubbing alcohol on it and swipe the connections on the NES itself and the carts. Let them dry for like 5 minutes and everything should work again.

A Q-Tip doesnt fit inside the 72 pin, you need something credit card-thin. ANd cleaning it never worked for me, and whe i got a new pin, every game worked very time, and has worked since.

when you try and clean the 72 pin connector, a toothbrush dipped in some windex (or rubbing alcohol, if you're a loser ) works just fine. the bristles get in there and work all the gunk out.

also you could take a credit card, put some paper towels over it (not napkins or toilet paper... those ones in your kitchen on the roll!) spray the paper towel with windex (or dap some rubbing alcohol on it, if you're a loser ) and slid it in the pin connector like you'd swipe a credit/debit/check card

you can try for parts etc etc

I know this is too late but i just wanted everyone to see this....This is what i did to mine and it works GREAT!!!! First time NO BLINKING!!!
Try to clean while doing this.... and dont try to bend them too far (I recently ruined one of mine by bending too far, the contact on the top folded over!!!)

All of this stuff works, and one more thing worked for mine, and was a delicate enough tool not to break the contacts--I bent them back into place on two NES systems with a flat-head eyeglass kit screwdriver. Tiny enough not to break the contacts, & strong enough to do the job.

maby this will help you ....... i found it on google. but i didn't look too much into it though....