How about that pesky power/mod box? I got my kids an NES. It was working perfectly then lightning struck the house and fried the power box/rf/composite board. Is there any hope for this or do I need to unsolder the capacitor to access the inside of the box?
I just followed this video and rehabbed a dead NES that's been moved from closet to closet to garage to garage throughout my adult life. I think this is the first time it has worked in this century. Three cartridges work after a good alcohol cleaning. A 4th works after grazing its pins with 320 grit sandpaper followed by a thorough alcohol cleaning. Time to introduce my kid to the classics.
I always thought replacing the 72 pin connector was the only way to get a NES working again. Thank you. I get to keep my childhood NES all original because of this video.
Dude, you made my day!!! I followed your guide, step by step and guess what!? She's alive again!!! AHAHAHAH 25 + years later, she's alive again! This is so amazing. I almost throw it to trash for a few times! And now she's working perfectly!!!! I can't believe it yet! Thank you so much man, i feel so happy! I just subscribed your channel. Good luck and thanks a lot! :D
For anyone wondering: After 5 years this still works perfectly! Do not be afraid when you put your game in and hear a noise that resembles scraping. This noise freaked me out as I thought I messed up but it’s perfectly normal. Also, if you have trouble putting the 72 pin connector back in place don’t give up. It is very hard to put in and it will not break the motherboard no matter how hard you push. It will also make a scrapping sound when putting it on so don’t be worried. Lastly save yourself the time and make sure your game works. To do this shake the cartridge while it’s in the thing and constantly reset it every time you move it. It should work even if t
@@vice8063It will be hard to get it in and out, that’s supposed to happen usually. The white screen I recommend a small but simple trick of just moving the game slightly to the right when it’s pushed down
Hi. Thanks. Im a subscriber. How do i repair a blue screen nes ? It powers on with a solid red light but goes to blue screen/grey screen. Thanks. Anybody knowledgeable please reply soon.
@@smerk429 I recommend you clean the gaming cartridge with isopropyl alcohol. Try to use the highest purity possible, (I believe they sell 92% and 97% at most pharmacies) and it should work! Hope this helps
@@HazeMazeFive thank you I ended up opening up the console and cleaning it and boiling the pins like the way Renebean says to do. It works like a champ now
I followed your instructions exactly like you said with a yellowed out $5 yard sale NES. Looks like hell but works like new now! Thank you sir! This was a really well done video!
Just followed your instructions, and it's super easy. The only thing I have to add is that I was still having issues with all of my games displaying anything beyond an orange screen. I did some further digging and disconnected everything from the board and put it in the oven at 325 degrees for 5 minutes, which reheats the solder connections. Pulled it out, let it cool down, and she fired up like a champ. Your video was SUPER helpful!!
Nice tutorial...gonna give this a shot. You can magnetize a screwdriver by dragging it across a semi-strong magnet in one direction a couple times... for those that don't want to buy a magnetized one ;]
I didn't know that(magnetic shield/dust protecter). Thank you. I have 5 crts in my gameroom. That is a very important thing to know for me. Great video! I can do this myself. Thank you
You are the MAN! I actually just had my replacement connector delivered the day I found this video, and sure enough the replacement was garbage. Followed this and had the old one working immediately! Thank you SO MUCH!!
Dude!!!!! I bought a NES with my first ever wage! 17 years ago. I was so upset when after 2 weeks it got that blinking light and just did not work! I watched this video, tried my hand and BOOM! My first ever earned purchase is as good as new!! Thank you so so much!
Awesome Video! I have my mom's old NES with the blinking light issue! I just found it and wanted to surprise her on Christmas! Thanks for helping me do this! You're the man!
I found an NES at a garage sale for $5 last weekend 11/16/19. No cables, no controllers, nothing. A friend of mine gave me a bunch of games and I just bought a knockoff brand power cable to test the NES if it would work or not. I was so bummed out to get red flashing light and no image. I found your video and although the water boiling part scared me I did everything you showed on top of giving every part a good cleaning. My $5 NES turns on now without a bit of delay. Couldn't believe it, man. The same guy gave me a sega genesis for free, again no cables. I'm hooked now in this hobby, tracking down everything else I need to start playing. Thanks so much, you have an absolutely grateful subscriber.
Broooooo! You are a life saver, I did everything verbatim and it works perfectly now! Even some of my games with missing connectors work now! Thank you!!!!
I did this and it totally worked! I found an NES literally in a dumpster with a stack of games...that had been out in the snow for 2 days, and was already crusty and the light flashed when you tried to power it up. This procedure brought it back, along with all the games. Thanks!!
@@Renebean Well it was working and then it stopped working, but now the games will load up if I just put it in but don't press it down, then power up. Like in the up position it loads, but if you press it down and then press power it doesn't. What could that be? It's like the game chip isn't making contact once it's pressed down. I bent all those pins up with a pick and did the whole process like you showed verbatim.
@@djsolo6820 that happens often if the pins arent thoroughly cleaned or aligned you will have to take it back out and repeat the process make sure you are sanding and boiling
@@Renebean I'll give it a try. I definitely sanded and boiled the first time around. I did every step. I read somewhere that this is common if someone bought an aftermarket 72 pin, which I have no way to know. Apparently they work in the up position and not in the down position due to the pins getting bent when pushed down (or something to that effect). I bent all the pins up with a pick, and you have to really push hard to get it in, it's not a one-handed thing like in your vid. Do I need to bend those pins back down a bit?
just followed all the steps apart from when you bent all the pins back slightly as i didn't really have the tools to do it but every game works flawlessly now. thanks
I did what you showed in the video and it worked! Thank you so much!!! I haven't played my NES for over 15 YEARS and now I can cuz of you. Now I can let my children play what i grew up on.
Excellent vid. My little sister found my original childhood Nintendo in my mom's attic (I thought it was long gone) and gave it back to me on my 41st birthday. It works, but this video is just what I need to get it back in perfect shape! Thanks brother!
Just wanted to say thank you! I followed your method and fixed my first NES today. Worked like a charm. One thing that was different for me was pulling the pins up. It was easier for me to use tweezers vs the hook you used. Though my hooks were made of cheap plastic. I need to order new ones that are heavy duty metal. But anyway, yeah it worked like a charm. NES was so bad, I say 10 times trying to put a game in to play, maybe 2 times it would work or show anything on the screen. Now it works every time and I dont have to adjust how I put the game cartridge in. You know sometimes if you put the cartridge in tightly it works. Nope. I push it right on it like it was new, push it down and turn it on and bam, works great!
Thanks brother so much for these tips and tricks. Opening up a NES from childhood and cleaning it out was fun. Mine personally wasn't that dirty after 30 years, but I did bend those pins back up to that original state. I also bent back that fourth pin to prevent that blinking light of death, which is no more. It all runs like a champ and now were playing on the big screen. Next, is to get some game tools to open and clean those games and other consoles. Look forward to the other videos for some more refurbish and repair.
Same here, i got mine for Christmas 1990 or 1991 and it wasnt the dirty at all. I also forgot to bend the pin back. But after putting it back together, and a game in, no more blinking light.
This worked flawlessly! NES didn't play games at all, wasn't sure if the pins were the issue or not. But I followed this guide step by step, and now my NES plays games 100% of the time! Just saved myself about $30, was going to buy a Blinking Light Win. Plus this way I can still press down on the cart 👍😉 Thanks so much for breaking everything down, this was way easier than I thought it would be and I wouldn't have had the confidence if your video hadn't made it look so easy. Liked and subscribed!
This is an amazing video man! You sound like you're front the south as well like I am. Just picked up an NES for $5 at a yard sale and it works! I'm looking to refurbish it on my next day off.
I would use a higher grit sandpaper than even 400 honestly. 600 would be more than effective, but 1200-1500 would still easily remove the tarnish that builds up over the years. Then spray it out with some plastic-safe contact cleaner and you're golden like a shower. Love the pick idea though. That's an old trick I use in some of the electrical connectors in my old Toyota too. That with cleaning the contacts works like a champ. Also on the pins on the PCB itself (this works great for the cartridge PCB connectors too), believe it or not a white pencil eraser removes the tarnish like a boss. Makes them bright and shiny new. Only problem with the cartridges is you have to remove the PCB from the housing to get an eraser to it, so it's not a quick fix necessarily. Lasts for YEARS though. Edit: Jumped the gun; I see you already know the eraser trick LOL
Thank you so much! Just found the family nes we bought in 1986. I opened it up and everything looked great. Then I tried to play Little Nemo and it wouldn't get off the flash screen. All the old tricks didn't work. I really didn't feel like buying any replacement parts. I found this video, followed it, and it worked like a charm!
I bought a used NES WITH the box for $130. I really just wanted the box for decoration purposes but the NES didn't want to boot the game. I followed your instructions and now it works! I know I could play these games on my PC or Switch or other devices but there's something to be said about playing games on the original hardware.
Had a couple misfires on older games in bad shape, but once I cleaned them up works every time, and no flashing light! Thanks man, great info, buying and flipping these with my kids for fun 😀
I just used this today to resurrect a NES that I bought from someone through Facebook Marketplace. It works perfectly now! Thanks for all of your help, I've gotten into video game reselling because of your videos. Keep at it!
I pulled out my old Nintendo from 1985 over the weekend...it did the flash of death..Thanks for making this video..I'm going to do all the tips you showed me here!!..thanks!!
...And I did! I also cleaned up some games with a little brasso, followed up with isopropyl alcohol. The console and the games now work perfectly! Thanks so much!!! I plan on repainting the case and maybe switching out the LED too! You rock!
Thank you man!!! Had an Nes that gave me the blinking light. Saw this video and after an hour of taking it apart and cleaning the 72 pin, I was able to get the Nes back up and running and will power on every time! Appreciated it man. Keep up the good work!
Followed this step by step, with the addition of polishing the 72pin mobo adapter with Weiman brass polish before the alcohol cleaning step, same for each game. Works perfectly! I've never seen an NES start first time every try, it's like PS2-reliable now
Broke out the NES for the 35th anniversary yesterday and had some issues playing some games which eventually crapped out after 5 minutes anyway. Just completed this minus the cleaning of games except for alcohol swipes on the cartridge, boom.. perfectly working NES now and now my young kids can enjoy some Mario for the first time!
Dude thank you!!! I was dumb and bought a new connector. I installed it and it was worse than the original. Decided to clean up the original and found your video. My NES is like new!!! Its playing games that wouldn't play for years.thanks again.
Great video man!!! Decided I needed a new pin…. It didn’t work…. refurbished the OG one and dang man your instructions worked perfectly!!! Works first try every-time!! Thank you so much for making this video 👍
appreciate this vid! I didn't do the sandpaper part, but followed everything else completely and I'm 100% back in business after 10 years of the system not working. Thanks!!
I can’t thank you enough. I’ve had multiple Nintendo’s all with this problem, not working with blinking light. I followed this step by step and now I can play everyone of my games. I’ve noticed they only work when the cart is in the up position now instead of being pushed down. It took me 15 minutes to realize. It works first time every time though. Thanks 🙏
Well, what can I say but thank you. I was able to grab an NES with a very clean shell. The problem was that the games would not fully load or the screen would blink. Long story short, I followed the instructions here and bingo, everything is working great. Thanks so much. This is one of those reasons why the internet is so special.
Thank you for this video! my NES finally works! and so well!! Wanted to add: if @ 12:55 you're finding that NES motherboard 72 pin connector is absolutely filthy (like, soot-black still even after dozens of alcohol+q-tips later), don't despair. Pick up Brasso (or a similar metal polish) and a couple soft cloths. Eventually, you can wipe away 30+ years of oxidation and have your NES work again (that's what happened for me!)
A buddy of mine gave me this NES & I had nothing but a black screen or the blinking light. I do have a Retron & a bunch Of NES games, so I know all but 1 of the games work. Following your advice My NES WORKS!!! Thank you so much for clear explanations. The only thing now, is I need to replace the Capacitors due to the wavy screen. Games are very playable & it is just a minor distraction, unfortunately, I don't have or know how to Soder. Thanks again!
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, for this video! I was able to clean my husband's NES and all his NES games he's had since he was a kid, and they ALL work great! Just like you said, insert game, turn it on, and instantly the game plays. Thanks to your video.
Thnx Bro! My NES was wrapped in plastic in a box for 20+ years. It wasn’t too dirty but after lifting the pins slightly, sanding and cleaning it was back working again.
FanTASTIC video. I actually bought a refurb NES with one of these new 72 pin connectors and you are right, it took the force of 2 men to get the damn game in and it worked for a second then each game i put it had glitches all over the screen, so i took the old OEM connector from my old NES with the AV issues and put it in the "new" NES i just got and took that new "72 pin" and tossed it in the trash. Now i got the new NES with the old OEM pins and it works perfect. I still have to blow into it and it blinks sometimes but i havent tried this yet, so if it gets worse I have this video saved for reference. Thanks!
I use the exact same process for refurbing blinking light and disabling the lockout chip. Such a great system but that design flaw that flattens the pins is such a drag. It really does get them going like new. The first ones I did I kind of over pulled on the pins on the pin connector so the games worked without having to push the game down but I have learned to be a bit more gentle. At the same time, not having to push the game down would theoretically protect the pins and make them last even longer.
@tony john I believe so. It is probably better to hsve it set so you do not have to push the tray down but it kind of takes that nostalgia feel out of it.
Reporting back in a few days later, finally got a day off, done every step and it's working excellently now! At first it wouldn't read anything, and if it did it was garbled graphics. It's perfect now! I definitely had to clean my games though, some wouldn't work, and they were EXTREMELY dirty. Working amazing now.
just did my first refurb, this fixed alot of issues I was having with button and playing some games. your video was excellent, easy to follow, and everything worked as expected, thanks so much!
Renebean I’m pretty sure the unit I have already had a swapped 72pin (was fairly clean and inserting/removing cart is hard). So one thing I noticed is that after I put the 72 pin in boiling water and took it out, it was definitely easier to insert/remove; this is while the 72pin is still hot. Once it begins to cool, it’s gets tough to insert/remove again. Any tricks on how to make it easier for those of us stuck with a newer 72pin? Thanks
Thanks for the video. It was a great help. I had my NES from childhood sitting in storage for 25 years. Took your video and about an hour of work and it's working again.
Was catching up on some of your videos and came across this...did it in about the same time...didnt so the boil bath but it worked all the same...really appreciate the video and saving me money on those new 72 pin connectors...
Thanks so much mate, bought an ntsc from ebay, waited so long to get it only to get the red light. Works flawlessly now!! :) Had stupidly already ordered a new 72 pin before I found this vid but don't need that trash anymore :)
I just want to say thank you I was finally able to fix my mom's nes I've always wanted to fix it for her but was always scared I'd break it she may be gone now but now I can teach my son how to play it like she did when I was his age
Restored a second back in high school. But my sister left it at a lock in party back in the day. Just bought a dity one for 30 on eBay to clean up again. Never had to use sand or boil though. Just cleaned with alch and eraser.
I thank you for the bonus part. I got a Mario 3 and it did not boot. After i made the polishing with the eraser it worked !!!! Thank you very much for the tip.
I just purchased a used NES and the pins are so tight I almost have to use Vise Grips to get the cartridge out. I ordered an original NES 72 Pin... and am praying it will make it work right. Great video... Thank You for the tips!
It worked for me! The grey screen is usually due to bad connection, so if the cartridge itself is clean, the problem is most likely a bad connection with the pin connector.
This is by far the best video on youtube of how to restore an NES system. I've done over 40 or so utilizing a similar method. Blinking Light Win is totally unnecessary
Before seeing your video I tried bending the pins and cleaning everything but still had some issues. Using your method of sandpaper and disabling the lock out chip worked great! Thank you
Man you saved my grateful a**. I was about to get really mad about the white screen. After some lifting and scratching, my NES games start 90% of the time. Not bad seeing that I started from 0%. Thanks from Italy.
Just got an original nes from my grandparents house after they passed away. Many memories of playing games with cousins over weekend sleepovers there. Have the blinking red light will give this a try and see if I can get it working.
I think your video even though being an old one is more knowledgeable then others I’ve seen. I fix almost every system from ps2 and Xbox on down. These are temp fixes, it is true if your 72 pins are in bad shape it is not going to play.. I remember stores where pushing that a lot. After a short amount of time I had people coming to me saying it use to start right up for a bit then it started flashing the red light and just kinda went back to the old ways... I tell people as well no matter what it’s the processor or a chip and 1 in particular that needs to be clipped or replaced and then no matter how long or how many times you run a game threw it’ll always play .. But..!! You have to make sure you clean the cartridge with alcohol from time to time.. looking into the chips thats a permanent fix.. I myself have 3 Nes , 1 in the box , 1 I modded and another just bcuz. The one I had mod I have had that for 35 years and as a youngster I played the shit out of it, it always had that blinking light issue and such.. I started to get into computer technician and diagnosing computers and how to fix them.. one day had the itch to play retro games and pulled the NES out and remembering all the problems especially playing a game and getting far just for the NES to Blink it’s Light of Death lol.. I take care of all my stuff especially my consoles , but dirt and grim collected and stayed inside the pins and system especially from all the spit from blowing inside the system and the cartridge, anyone that grew up in that time era knows exactly wussup.. I did your method almost, I checked the pins made sure they weren’t bent, cleaned everything with alcohol, system started to work but as the same as it was in the 80’s. Soo I dug in further to find a security chip that needed to be clipped.. This was the reason NES was faulty all along. After doing that and now after 2 years the system still runs great it never blinks and pops on as soon as I put a game in... like I said earlier your video is more clean then others and you didn’t stutter or seem to take a step back as if you didn’t know how to explain.. kinda tired of being shown videos of people making videos when it seems there just regurgitating another persons videos and same dialogue; Not really knowing what there doing and sounding like they have really no Business showing how to fix things , when they sound like there a teenager and wasn’t around for those days to be dealing with these issues lol .. Keep up the good work 👍🏼
Thanks so much for this video, I've completely resurrected two NES units from completely dead to fully working first time, every time. Zero money spent!!
Outstanding! Thank you very much. I was about to buy a new 72 pin after bending the original pins a few years ago and the problems coming back. I’m going to do this the way that you showed and see how it goes. Thanks again.
My 9 year old has gotten hardcore into retro gaming. I just bought him a NES and this video is a great help! I was a Super Nintendo into N64 generation so I had no clue why all it would do is blink. This fix is so much easier then when I've had to get into Wii U pads and Switch Joy Cons. Thank you!
Thank you for the tutorial. Now I can go ahead and clean my old NES and bring it back to its former glory. Lots of memories with my NES. Thanks again my friend.
when in the process do you put the pins for the original 72-pin connected down? you showed how you lifted them up and cleaned it. do we put them back down before boiling it? does the water naturally push them back down?
Thank you very much. Had a NES that wouldn't read anything unless you had the tray held down (with your hands) and games that i thought were duds. Did your method last night and every game works the first time. It's like magic.
cheers mate this saved my Birthday lol wanted a NES for my birthday to re live some old memories but the games took 50 times to load now its loading first try so a BIG Thank you ;-)
For more retro repair goodness, follow me on tiktok! vm.tiktok.com/ZMeC8T5tX/
Do you have any new refurb consoles for sale?
@@mrivieccio I do. Reach out to me on Instagram or discord!
I can’t get mine to repair like yours I did exactly what you did could you sell me a repaired connector?
What is your discord?
How about that pesky power/mod box? I got my kids an NES. It was working perfectly then lightning struck the house and fried the power box/rf/composite board. Is there any hope for this or do I need to unsolder the capacitor to access the inside of the box?
I just followed this video and rehabbed a dead NES that's been moved from closet to closet to garage to garage throughout my adult life. I think this is the first time it has worked in this century. Three cartridges work after a good alcohol cleaning. A 4th works after grazing its pins with 320 grit sandpaper followed by a thorough alcohol cleaning. Time to introduce my kid to the classics.
I always thought replacing the 72 pin connector was the only way to get a NES working again. Thank you. I get to keep my childhood NES all original because of this video.
Dude, you made my day!!!
I followed your guide, step by step and guess what!? She's alive again!!! AHAHAHAH
25 + years later, she's alive again! This is so amazing.
I almost throw it to trash for a few times! And now she's working perfectly!!!! I can't believe it yet!
Thank you so much man, i feel so happy!
I just subscribed your channel.
Good luck and thanks a lot! :D
thank you so much! Happy to hear you got it up and running!
For anyone wondering: After 5 years this still works perfectly! Do not be afraid when you put your game in and hear a noise that resembles scraping. This noise freaked me out as I thought I messed up but it’s perfectly normal. Also, if you have trouble putting the 72 pin connector back in place don’t give up. It is very hard to put in and it will not break the motherboard no matter how hard you push. It will also make a scrapping sound when putting it on so don’t be worried. Lastly save yourself the time and make sure your game works. To do this shake the cartridge while it’s in the thing and constantly reset it every time you move it. It should work even if t
Mine is making a scrapping sound and it’s super hard to get the game in and out it worked and then it only had white screen 🫠
@@vice8063It will be hard to get it in and out, that’s supposed to happen usually. The white screen I recommend a small but simple trick of just moving the game slightly to the right when it’s pushed down
Hi.
Thanks. Im a subscriber.
How do i repair a blue screen nes ?
It powers on with a solid red light but goes to blue screen/grey screen.
Thanks.
Anybody knowledgeable please reply soon.
@@smerk429 I recommend you clean the gaming cartridge with isopropyl alcohol. Try to use the highest purity possible, (I believe they sell 92% and 97% at most pharmacies) and it should work! Hope this helps
@@HazeMazeFive thank you I ended up opening up the console and cleaning it and boiling the pins like the way Renebean says to do.
It works like a champ now
I followed your instructions exactly like you said with a yellowed out $5 yard sale NES. Looks like hell but works like new now! Thank you sir! This was a really well done video!
glad I can help!
Just followed your instructions, and it's super easy. The only thing I have to add is that I was still having issues with all of my games displaying anything beyond an orange screen. I did some further digging and disconnected everything from the board and put it in the oven at 325 degrees for 5 minutes, which reheats the solder connections. Pulled it out, let it cool down, and she fired up like a champ. Your video was SUPER helpful!!
Did it. Nailed it. I feel like I can defuse bombs now
Lol
I want to watch you try that....Please.
It's always the red wire. Unless it's the blue wire. Unless everything is grey, then it's the grey wire :p
I usually don't leave comments on these kinds of tutorials, but this one is awesome. Got my son's NES working perfectly again. Thank you!
Nice tutorial...gonna give this a shot. You can magnetize a screwdriver by dragging it across a semi-strong magnet in one direction a couple times... for those that don't want to buy a magnetized one ;]
Its weird having a perfect working nes. Lol
lol enjoy!
The "dust" shield is actually an RF [radio frequency) Shield.
I didn't know that(magnetic shield/dust protecter). Thank you. I have 5 crts in my gameroom. That is a very important thing to know for me. Great video! I can do this myself. Thank you
You are the MAN! I actually just had my replacement connector delivered the day I found this video, and sure enough the replacement was garbage. Followed this and had the old one working immediately! Thank you SO MUCH!!
Glad I could help!
Dude!!!!! I bought a NES with my first ever wage! 17 years ago. I was so upset when after 2 weeks it got that blinking light and just did not work! I watched this video, tried my hand and BOOM! My first ever earned purchase is as good as new!! Thank you so so much!
Awesome Video! I have my mom's old NES with the blinking light issue! I just found it and wanted to surprise her on Christmas! Thanks for helping me do this! You're the man!
I found an NES at a garage sale for $5 last weekend 11/16/19. No cables, no controllers, nothing. A friend of mine gave me a bunch of games and I just bought a knockoff brand power cable to test the NES if it would work or not. I was so bummed out to get red flashing light and no image. I found your video and although the water boiling part scared me I did everything you showed on top of giving every part a good cleaning. My $5 NES turns on now without a bit of delay. Couldn't believe it, man. The same guy gave me a sega genesis for free, again no cables. I'm hooked now in this hobby, tracking down everything else I need to start playing. Thanks so much, you have an absolutely grateful subscriber.
gald to hear it worked out for ya! welcome to the channel!
By far the best tutorial on UA-cam! Got my old console working again without replacing anything! Thank you!
Broooooo! You are a life saver, I did everything verbatim and it works perfectly now! Even some of my games with missing connectors work now! Thank you!!!!
I did this and it totally worked! I found an NES literally in a dumpster with a stack of games...that had been out in the snow for 2 days, and was already crusty and the light flashed when you tried to power it up. This procedure brought it back, along with all the games. Thanks!!
glad it helped!
@@Renebean Well it was working and then it stopped working, but now the games will load up if I just put it in but don't press it down, then power up. Like in the up position it loads, but if you press it down and then press power it doesn't. What could that be? It's like the game chip isn't making contact once it's pressed down. I bent all those pins up with a pick and did the whole process like you showed verbatim.
@@djsolo6820 that happens often if the pins arent thoroughly cleaned or aligned you will have to take it back out and repeat the process make sure you are sanding and boiling
@@Renebean I'll give it a try. I definitely sanded and boiled the first time around. I did every step. I read somewhere that this is common if someone bought an aftermarket 72 pin, which I have no way to know. Apparently they work in the up position and not in the down position due to the pins getting bent when pushed down (or something to that effect). I bent all the pins up with a pick, and you have to really push hard to get it in, it's not a one-handed thing like in your vid. Do I need to bend those pins back down a bit?
Epic
just followed all the steps apart from when you bent all the pins back slightly as i didn't really have the tools to do it but every game works flawlessly now. thanks
I followed exactly, except didn't disable that one thing, still works perfectly like better than new, thank you!
I did what you showed in the video and it worked! Thank you so much!!! I haven't played my NES for over 15 YEARS and now I can cuz of you. Now I can let my children play what i grew up on.
Thank you for this video!! My NES is working perfectly now and I’ve got some very happy kids! Amazing!!
Excellent vid. My little sister found my original childhood Nintendo in my mom's attic (I thought it was long gone) and gave it back to me on my 41st birthday. It works, but this video is just what I need to get it back in perfect shape! Thanks brother!
Just wanted to say thank you! I followed your method and fixed my first NES today. Worked like a charm. One thing that was different for me was pulling the pins up. It was easier for me to use tweezers vs the hook you used. Though my hooks were made of cheap plastic. I need to order new ones that are heavy duty metal. But anyway, yeah it worked like a charm. NES was so bad, I say 10 times trying to put a game in to play, maybe 2 times it would work or show anything on the screen. Now it works every time and I dont have to adjust how I put the game cartridge in. You know sometimes if you put the cartridge in tightly it works. Nope. I push it right on it like it was new, push it down and turn it on and bam, works great!
God bless you! Bought a used NES on offerup and was having issues with it starting up and staying on. Thanks for the tutorial.
Thanks brother so much for these tips and tricks. Opening up a NES from childhood and cleaning it out was fun. Mine personally wasn't that dirty after 30 years, but I did bend those pins back up to that original state. I also bent back that fourth pin to prevent that blinking light of death, which is no more. It all runs like a champ and now were playing on the big screen. Next, is to get some game tools to open and clean those games and other consoles. Look forward to the other videos for some more refurbish and repair.
glad the video helped
Same here, i got mine for Christmas 1990 or 1991 and it wasnt the dirty at all. I also forgot to bend the pin back. But after putting it back together, and a game in, no more blinking light.
This worked flawlessly! NES didn't play games at all, wasn't sure if the pins were the issue or not. But I followed this guide step by step, and now my NES plays games 100% of the time! Just saved myself about $30, was going to buy a Blinking Light Win. Plus this way I can still press down on the cart 👍😉
Thanks so much for breaking everything down, this was way easier than I thought it would be and I wouldn't have had the confidence if your video hadn't made it look so easy. Liked and subscribed!
This is an amazing video man! You sound like you're front the south as well like I am. Just picked up an NES for $5 at a yard sale and it works! I'm looking to refurbish it on my next day off.
This touched on some methods that I've never seen before. Definitely gonna use this video to refurbish my NES today
Legend has it he’s still waiting to hear from Dave even to this day
I was just ready to use mine for vintage decor.....then I found this video!!!!!! Thank you for the return of my childhood!!!
I would use a higher grit sandpaper than even 400 honestly. 600 would be more than effective, but 1200-1500 would still easily remove the tarnish that builds up over the years. Then spray it out with some plastic-safe contact cleaner and you're golden like a shower. Love the pick idea though. That's an old trick I use in some of the electrical connectors in my old Toyota too. That with cleaning the contacts works like a champ. Also on the pins on the PCB itself (this works great for the cartridge PCB connectors too), believe it or not a white pencil eraser removes the tarnish like a boss. Makes them bright and shiny new. Only problem with the cartridges is you have to remove the PCB from the housing to get an eraser to it, so it's not a quick fix necessarily. Lasts for YEARS though.
Edit: Jumped the gun; I see you already know the eraser trick LOL
Following your video took my NES from the blinking light of death to working perfectly like it was right out of the box. Thanks a ton!
happy it helped!
Thank you so much! Just found the family nes we bought in 1986. I opened it up and everything looked great. Then I tried to play Little Nemo and it wouldn't get off the flash screen. All the old tricks didn't work. I really didn't feel like buying any replacement parts. I found this video, followed it, and it worked like a charm!
I bought a used NES WITH the box for $130. I really just wanted the box for decoration purposes but the NES didn't want to boot the game. I followed your instructions and now it works! I know I could play these games on my PC or Switch or other devices but there's something to be said about playing games on the original hardware.
Had a couple misfires on older games in bad shape, but once I cleaned them up works every time, and no flashing light! Thanks man, great info, buying and flipping these with my kids for fun 😀
I just used this today to resurrect a NES that I bought from someone through Facebook Marketplace. It works perfectly now! Thanks for all of your help, I've gotten into video game reselling because of your videos. Keep at it!
glad to hear it!
I pulled out my old Nintendo from 1985 over the weekend...it did the flash of death..Thanks for making this video..I'm going to do all the tips you showed me here!!..thanks!!
glad it helped and i also disabled the logout chip by removing a 4th pin. no more blinking, no more issues, works perfect.
Thank you!!! This is the best NES refurb video I’ve watched on UA-cam so far - I’m going to try this tomorrow!
you can do it!
...And I did! I also cleaned up some games with a little brasso, followed up with isopropyl alcohol. The console and the games now work perfectly! Thanks so much!!! I plan on repainting the case and maybe switching out the LED too! You rock!
What can I say that hasn't been said in the comments? This is a great instructional video and I appreciate you putting it out there.
I want to thank you publicly for your time and your video. I did exactly as instructed by you and my ens works great now. Thanks again.
Glad to hear it!! Happy gaming!
Thank you man!!! Had an Nes that gave me the blinking light. Saw this video and after an hour of taking it apart and cleaning the 72 pin, I was able to get the Nes back up and running and will power on every time! Appreciated it man. Keep up the good work!
Followed this step by step, with the addition of polishing the 72pin mobo adapter with Weiman brass polish before the alcohol cleaning step, same for each game. Works perfectly! I've never seen an NES start first time every try, it's like PS2-reliable now
Broke out the NES for the 35th anniversary yesterday and had some issues playing some games which eventually crapped out after 5 minutes anyway. Just completed this minus the cleaning of games except for alcohol swipes on the cartridge, boom.. perfectly working NES now and now my young kids can enjoy some Mario for the first time!
Dude thank you!!! I was dumb and bought a new connector. I installed it and it was worse than the original. Decided to clean up the original and found your video. My NES is like new!!! Its playing games that wouldn't play for years.thanks again.
Great video man!!! Decided I needed a new pin…. It didn’t work…. refurbished the OG one and dang man your instructions worked perfectly!!! Works first try every-time!! Thank you so much for making this video 👍
appreciate this vid! I didn't do the sandpaper part, but followed everything else completely and I'm 100% back in business after 10 years of the system not working.
Thanks!!
Dude THANK you! I followed your advice to a T and now mine works like it's brand new!
I can’t thank you enough. I’ve had multiple Nintendo’s all with this problem, not working with blinking light. I followed this step by step and now I can play everyone of my games. I’ve noticed they only work when the cart is in the up position now instead of being pushed down. It took me 15 minutes to realize. It works first time every time though. Thanks 🙏
its better on your nes console to not push the games down, glad I could help!
Pulled mine out of storage. Flashing light. Did this. Up and running.
Great video.
Holy crap. You weren’t kidding about working first try - this got the NES up and running! Awesome video man. Very tothe point and well done.
glad you got it going!!
damn lmao thanks me and my dad are def gonna play for hours on end cuz of quarantine lol
Well, what can I say but thank you. I was able to grab an NES with a very clean shell. The problem was that the games would not fully load or the screen would blink. Long story short, I followed the instructions here and bingo, everything is working great. Thanks so much.
This is one of those reasons why the internet is so special.
Thank you for this video! my NES finally works! and so well!!
Wanted to add: if @ 12:55 you're finding that NES motherboard 72 pin connector is absolutely filthy (like, soot-black still even after dozens of alcohol+q-tips later), don't despair. Pick up Brasso (or a similar metal polish) and a couple soft cloths. Eventually, you can wipe away 30+ years of oxidation and have your NES work again (that's what happened for me!)
Brasso should be used sparingly. And very carefully
A buddy of mine gave me this NES & I had nothing but a black screen or the blinking light. I do have a Retron & a bunch Of NES games, so I know all but 1 of the games work. Following your advice My NES WORKS!!! Thank you so much for clear explanations. The only thing now, is I need to replace the Capacitors due to the wavy screen. Games are very playable & it is just a minor distraction, unfortunately, I don't have or know how to Soder. Thanks again!
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, for this video! I was able to clean my husband's NES and all his NES games he's had since he was a kid, and they ALL work great! Just like you said, insert game, turn it on, and instantly the game plays. Thanks to your video.
Thnx Bro! My NES was wrapped in plastic in a box for 20+ years. It wasn’t too dirty but after lifting the pins slightly, sanding and cleaning it was back working again.
FanTASTIC video. I actually bought a refurb NES with one of these new 72 pin connectors and you are right, it took the force of 2 men to get the damn game in and it worked for a second then each game i put it had glitches all over the screen, so i took the old OEM connector from my old NES with the AV issues and put it in the "new" NES i just got and took that new "72 pin" and tossed it in the trash. Now i got the new NES with the old OEM pins and it works perfect. I still have to blow into it and it blinks sometimes but i havent tried this yet, so if it gets worse I have this video saved for reference. Thanks!
I use the exact same process for refurbing blinking light and disabling the lockout chip. Such a great system but that design flaw that flattens the pins is such a drag. It really does get them going like new. The first ones I did I kind of over pulled on the pins on the pin connector so the games worked without having to push the game down but I have learned to be a bit more gentle. At the same time, not having to push the game down would theoretically protect the pins and make them last even longer.
@tony john I believe so. It is probably better to hsve it set so you do not have to push the tray down but it kind of takes that nostalgia feel out of it.
Reporting back in a few days later, finally got a day off, done every step and it's working excellently now! At first it wouldn't read anything, and if it did it was garbled graphics. It's perfect now! I definitely had to clean my games though, some wouldn't work, and they were EXTREMELY dirty. Working amazing now.
just did my first refurb, this fixed alot of issues I was having with button and playing some games. your video was excellent, easy to follow, and everything worked as expected, thanks so much!
thank you im glad it got you fixed up!
Renebean I’m pretty sure the unit I have already had a swapped 72pin (was fairly clean and inserting/removing cart is hard). So one thing I noticed is that after I put the 72 pin in boiling water and took it out, it was definitely easier to insert/remove; this is while the 72pin is still hot. Once it begins to cool, it’s gets tough to insert/remove again. Any tricks on how to make it easier for those of us stuck with a newer 72pin? Thanks
nervegrind3r you could bend the pins down a bit to help with the sticking but I wouldn't bend them to far
Thanks for the video. It was a great help. I had my NES from childhood sitting in storage for 25 years. Took your video and about an hour of work and it's working again.
Was catching up on some of your videos and came across this...did it in about the same time...didnt so the boil bath but it worked all the same...really appreciate the video and saving me money on those new 72 pin connectors...
if you dont boil you leave a lot of remnants of the sanding and can cause issues in the future!
Thanks so much mate, bought an ntsc from ebay, waited so long to get it only to get the red light. Works flawlessly now!! :) Had stupidly already ordered a new 72 pin before I found this vid but don't need that trash anymore :)
I just want to say thank you I was finally able to fix my mom's nes I've always wanted to fix it for her but was always scared I'd break it she may be gone now but now I can teach my son how to play it like she did when I was his age
Followed this tutorial on a non-working NES and it turned on like new. Thanks so much!
Highlight of the video "It's a cheap game but keep care of your games" Great Vid
This is gonna help me bring my nes and games back to life! My kids will be thrilled once I have it up and running right!
Restored a second back in high school. But my sister left it at a lock in party back in the day. Just bought a dity one for 30 on eBay to clean up again. Never had to use sand or boil though. Just cleaned with alch and eraser.
Great video. Did these steps on two systems so far and very happy with the results. Thanks for posting!
I thank you for the bonus part. I got a Mario 3 and it did not boot. After i made the polishing with the eraser it worked !!!! Thank you very much for the tip.
glad it helped!
I just purchased a used NES and the pins are so tight I almost have to use Vise Grips to get the cartridge out. I ordered an original NES 72 Pin... and am praying it will make it work right. Great video... Thank You for the tips!
This worked great for me, and at last my NES is working great again! Thanks so much for making such a clear, easy-to-follow video.
Followed your instructions and my NES operates LIKE NEW! Thanks man!
Glad to hear it!
Does this work for the grey screen problem?
Didn't work :-(
It worked for me! The grey screen is usually due to bad connection, so if the cartridge itself is clean, the problem is most likely a bad connection with the pin connector.
Just followed the video and my NES is working perfectly! Thank you so much!
This is by far the best video on youtube of how to restore an NES system. I've done over 40 or so utilizing a similar method. Blinking Light Win is totally unnecessary
Great video!! I followed every step, and my NES works just like the first day I bought it. Thanks big dawg.
Before seeing your video I tried bending the pins and cleaning everything but still had some issues. Using your method of sandpaper and disabling the lock out chip worked great! Thank you
Best video for NES refurbishing. You made my day, and saved my NES.
BEST NES REPAIR VIDEO ON UA-cam! I just watched a dozen and by far you are my fav. Taking my NES apart right now!
thank you!
Did everything but take the fail switch out and mine still wont work
Thank you so much for this video. Having a game night this Friday and I need my Nes to work first time, everytime
what about the top pins? how to clean them? you just sanded and bent the bottom row correct?
7:50 why do you have to bend that back?
I just refurbished my first NES using your method! No more 3rd party 72 pin connectors for me! thanks!
Man you saved my grateful a**. I was about to get really mad about the white screen. After some lifting and scratching, my NES games start 90% of the time. Not bad seeing that I started from 0%. Thanks from Italy.
glad to hear you are up and running! Share the video!
Just got an original nes from my grandparents house after they passed away. Many memories of playing games with cousins over weekend sleepovers there. Have the blinking red light will give this a try and see if I can get it working.
I think your video even though being an old one is more knowledgeable then others I’ve seen. I fix almost every system from ps2 and Xbox on down. These are temp fixes, it is true if your 72 pins are in bad shape it is not going to play.. I remember stores where pushing that a lot. After a short amount of time I had people coming to me saying it use to start right up for a bit then it started flashing the red light and just kinda went back to the old ways... I tell people as well no matter what it’s the processor or a chip and 1 in particular that needs to be clipped or replaced and then no matter how long or how many times you run a game threw it’ll always play .. But..!! You have to make sure you clean the cartridge with alcohol from time to time.. looking into the chips thats a permanent fix.. I myself have 3 Nes , 1 in the box , 1 I modded and another just bcuz. The one I had mod I have had that for 35 years and as a youngster I played the shit out of it, it always had that blinking light issue and such.. I started to get into computer technician and diagnosing computers and how to fix them.. one day had the itch to play retro games and pulled the NES out and remembering all the problems especially playing a game and getting far just for the NES to Blink it’s Light of Death lol.. I take care of all my stuff especially my consoles , but dirt and grim collected and stayed inside the pins and system especially from all the spit from blowing inside the system and the cartridge, anyone that grew up in that time era knows exactly wussup.. I did your method almost, I checked the pins made sure they weren’t bent, cleaned everything with alcohol, system started to work but as the same as it was in the 80’s. Soo I dug in further to find a security chip that needed to be clipped.. This was the reason NES was faulty all along. After doing that and now after 2 years the system still runs great it never blinks and pops on as soon as I put a game in... like I said earlier your video is more clean then others and you didn’t stutter or seem to take a step back as if you didn’t know how to explain.. kinda tired of being shown videos of people making videos when it seems there just regurgitating another persons videos and same dialogue; Not really knowing what there doing and sounding like they have really no Business showing how to fix things , when they sound like there a teenager and wasn’t around for those days to be dealing with these issues lol .. Keep up the good work 👍🏼
Thanks so much for this video, I've completely resurrected two NES units from completely dead to fully working first time, every time. Zero money spent!!
Outstanding!
Thank you very much. I was about to buy a new 72 pin after bending the original pins a few years ago and the problems coming back. I’m going to do this the way that you showed and see how it goes. Thanks again.
I did this just like you showed and it works flawlessly.
Thank you very much!
im glad it worked out great for you. Thanks for watching!
My 9 year old has gotten hardcore into retro gaming. I just bought him a NES and this video is a great help! I was a Super Nintendo into N64 generation so I had no clue why all it would do is blink.
This fix is so much easier then when I've had to get into Wii U pads and Switch Joy Cons.
Thank you!
Thank you for the tutorial. Now I can go ahead and clean my old NES and bring it back to its former glory. Lots of memories with my NES. Thanks again my friend.
when in the process do you put the pins for the original 72-pin connected down? you showed how you lifted them up and cleaned it. do we put them back down before boiling it? does the water naturally push them back down?
What kind size mag screw would fit in the holes to unscrew all the nintendo screw to get the 72 pin connector?
Thank you very much. Had a NES that wouldn't read anything unless you had the tray held down (with your hands) and games that i thought were duds. Did your method last night and every game works the first time. It's like magic.
glad to hear it
Hell yeah. just picked up a non working one, got it working using your video. Thanks heaps!!. Time to binge some Mario
Perfect video. Did exactly what you said and it worked perfect my old dirty machine is brand new. Thank you!
glad to hear it!
cheers mate this saved my Birthday lol wanted a NES for my birthday to re live some old memories but the games took 50 times to load now its loading first try so a BIG Thank you ;-)