Getting an NES to work again :D

[Kid_Cortet]

Ever wish you can get the feel of playing a NES game but on the actual system, vs an emulator that you have to download? Well Nostalgia wins, and there is a way of fixing that old box of a system.

The problem actually is not what 90% of people think it is. The system has trouble working, not because of dust or grime, but because of a little thing called the "72-pin". See, with all cartridge gaming systems, the game itself connects to this 72-pin and is what makes gaming possible. The reason, in the NES case is because after years of playing, in some cases, leaving the game in the system after shut off, or ramming the cartridge into the system, causes a simple to fix problem with the 72-pin. Replacements can be bought if you know what you are looking for, OR you can fix it yourself.....either way, you'll be in for a bit of a fight. See, the reason the NES eventually stops working is the prong on the 72-pin are supposed to spring back together once a game has been pulled out. Over time and reasons stated above, the metal prongs lose that ability to spring back up. THIS IS REPAIRABLE!

There are youtube videos and how-to's all over the internet, but I am gonna give a bit of a summery on what you are gonna have to do.

1. Open up the NES:
 this means taking screws out of places you didn't think possible to get the shell off. I suggest having different size Phillips head screwdrivers (i personally used a powertool). This is where a majority of the battle to fix your NES lies. Forewarning, do not be afraid of breaking the system, this damn thing was built to be tough and last for ages. 

2. Seeing the guts: 
 Just when you thought it would be easy, it gets a bit harder. There is now a metal plate covering the motherboard to the system. This was installed to prevent Microwaves from disrupting the playing pleasure. This too has to come off.

3. The inside:
Once the metal plate is off you can now see the 72-pin, but keep in mind, you now have to take the Motherboard out.......UNSCREW ALL DA SCREWS!!! Once the motherboard is set free, you now have to get the 72-pin off the motherboard, this might take a bit of effort........ok I will admit it.....taking the 72-pin off will make the final boss of any game on the hardest setting seem like a cakewalk......but you have to do it.

4. Fixing the 72-pin:
Hopefully you have a safety pin or a sewing needle with you. This is where things get tedious. you have to use that safety pin to pull up every prong of the 72-pin back towards the center. Again, be careful, but remember....built to be tougher then a Duralast. After all the prongs are set, use a toothbrush and rubbing alcohol, This will clean the 72-pin up a bit. I would also suggest taking the time to clean the motherboard in case some goop build up. (IDK any other way to describe what I found....more like a white filmy substance). Leave everything out to dry for a bit. Once that has happened, simply put everything back into place (Yes, this may be slightly difficult).

5. Have fun:
Once everything is back into place, you (should) be ready to play those old NES games. Just remember to use a Q-tip and rubbing alcohol to wipe the metal of the cartridge. This will not only clean the part needed to connect to the 72-pin, but can actually promote connectivity. 

I suggest looking up on youtube how to do this effectively, more for the visual actions, the steps I gave are accurate. I did this to my own NES and now I can play pretty much any of the old games I want without having to download an emulator and either take up memory on my CPU and decreases the chance of getting a virus from an Emulator do to 0% (lol)

Any questions, feel free to ask.

[StarFoxfan-FUR_ever]

I have a question. Is the process similar to fixing a SNES, or are there any compartments in the SNES that differ greatly from the NES which would make it near impossible to fix? I have tested my SNES RCA cables on my N64 and Gamecube and they clearly work fine. Also, the power source for the SNES works and there is no doubt the power is going through the system. The issue is that no picture or sound comes up, so I believe that it is not able to read the cartridge for some reason. If this post is any indication, you may have just solved my problem. Excellent post

[Kid_Cortet]

just looked it up, here is a video

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDcGeh1RYj4

[StarFoxfan-FUR_ever]

So my understanding is that it "locks out" because I am trying to play on an HDTV. According to one of the comments:

 

"lift pin 4 on the cic to disable the lockout i fixed one or two with that fault other thing check if your wram chip gets hot if it does the chip is faulty"

 

A quick google search does confirm the solution. Thank you for the video, it was a great help.

[Kid_Cortet]

Nastaligia for the win ^-^

[Arashikage]

I haven't encountered any problems playing my NES on my TV.  I mean, aside from the problems the NES had with the not reading cartridges sometimes

[Kid_Cortet]

I haven't encountered any problems playing my NES on my TV.  I mean, aside from the problems the NES had with the not reading cartridges sometimes

 

That is where the 72-pin comes in. I suggest Rubbing Alcohol on connector of the cartridge, creates conductivity

[DZComposer]

The alcohol cleans oxidation from the contacts. Isopropyl is non-conductive (Caveat- lower-grade Isopropyl may contain conductive impurities).

[DoctorAllosaurus]

Fixing the pins isn't enough sometimes, the biggest problem is the damn lockout chip, get that disabled and your nes should work 99% of the time. Either that or buy a toploader model.