What "Restart" Method Did You Use for the NES?

[Ascending Wordsmith]

NES carts; sometimes they worked, sometimes they didn't. During the wave of the 8 bit console Nintendo had produced, there were a variety of methods to remedy the flashing orange screen on your tv when you pressed the 'power' button on the console. The 'reset' button didn't solve the problem every time, so a lot of people resorted to blowing the chipboard with every ounce of breath in their lungs. That was one of my favorite methods. A friend of mine would place his games in the freezer for about 4 minutes, he'd put them into the console, and they worked! I never understood how he did it.

What method did you use?

[SuperPsycho]

Well, I find that what I do usually works for at least 6months then I have to do it again.

I open up my NES, and do the following.

Take a old torn up cotton T-shirt... dampen it with Alcohol

Take a butter knife, use it to shove the dampened surface of the T-Shirt into the cartridge port going all the way from one side of it to the other.(being sure not to let it catch on the pins)

Then afterward I put the shielding back on and close the system up.

In combination with this I use Q-tips and alcohol to clean the contacts on my NES cartridges. I stoke the q-tip from one side to the other several times while rotating the q-tip.

When ever I do this on someone elses NES I usually end up having to do it twice because there's so much dirt in there.

When ever I clean a cartridge I just got I usually end up covering both ends of one q-tip with black crud.

[SuperPsycho]

Oh, lately the cleaning seems to be getting a little less affective as it used to be... so I may be buying a new cartridge port from i-mcm electronics....

They have new cartridge ports here: http://www.i-mcm.com/Search/level_5.jhtml?PRODID=47121&SKUID=46365

[Achika]

I blew into the cartridges the few instances when I got the blinking screen. I didn't get it too often cause I kept my carts in the sleeves ALWAYS. Since the system is still in perfect condition, any games that I get while thrifting or at Funco, I clean first & formost before sticking them in the system. It's worked great so far.

[leonk]

As a kid, I would blow in to the games..

As a collector, I open the carts, clean the contacts, have a new connector in my multiple NES systems, and keep the games in better than new condition.

:)

LK

[briskbc]

I would blow onto the cart and into the NES. Then I would say a prayer and try my luck.

[CrazyImpmon]

I've used alcohol to clean my games, and as a last resort an eraser from pencil on the contact. It's a last resort because the rubbing action could build static electricity and fry those games.

[Felixthegamer]

I blew into the games and sometimes into the system. Who didn't try that? My friend is a wizard at it. However, now as a "more informed" person, I use alcohol and q-tips

[Anonymous]

Obviously taking the games apart and individually cleaning them is best for performance and maintainence (sp?). But when all is said and done, sometimes you still get the flashing power light. When that happens, what I do is take my finger and nudge the game as far to the left as it will go without popping it back up, then hit reset. If that doesn't work, I nudge it to the right as far as it will go without popping up, then hit reset again. That's all I've ever needed to do.

Oh, and on behalf of all the poor bastards who answer phones at Nintendo, please don't blow in your games.

[consoledatabase]

Well, I got an NES cleaning kit so I could clean any dirty games. I still use it today and it's also handy on other consoles' cartridges.

Sometimes I found with the NES, if the cart is pushed in too hard it also won't work. So I just pulled the cartridge out slightly, while still keeping the contact between the cart and the NES together.

[kainemaxwell]

I thought it was a blinking grey screen?!

I always blew my carts and whenever I get my NES cart sin the sleeves, I keep them there!

[den68]

I used the same method as consoledatabase. I'd just slide the cart out a bit before pushing it down.

I never had a problem with a blinking screen till I bought a used cart. I always kept mine in the sleeves and in a storage case. I guess I was anal. I also vowed never to loan anyone a game. This game after seeing how my buddies treated their stuff. The system with the door open left on the floor, loose carts on the floor too. They used to jam little pieces of cardboard in with the cart to get it to make contact.

Lately I've been using Windex AND Alcohol to clean carts. Windex to scrub off all the grime and the alcohol to clean off the Windex. The contacts are gleaming when I'm done. I also use the baby and make-up applicator Q-tips. The baby ones have a thicker tip and the cotton in compressed. The make-up applicator ones are pointed on one end and flat on the other, also compressed. Ther don't shred like the standard Q-tips sometimes do.

[nesman85]

i used to blow on them.

[CrazyImpmon]

The color NES blinks seems to vary based on the production time. I've seen NES that does green, grey, blue, and pink/purple.

[kainemaxwell]

I got mine in 89...must have been the grey blinking time...

So what really is the best cleaning method(s)?

[ManekiNeko]

I used the NES repair advice on ClassicGaming. It makes the cartridges tougher to pull out but the system itself a lot more reliable... you don't even have to push the carts down to make them work! It involves opening the system itself, then pulling the contacts together with a very small screwdriver... you can find out more on the site.

www.classicgaming.com

Way back when, I used to piggyback cartridges. I don't think anyone else did this, but I could be mistaken. You just push in the first cartridge, then stack another one on top of it, above the metal bar, to keep it in place. There's just enough room for that second cart so it works perfectly as a jam.

JR

[kainemaxwell]

Joy, time to find that article again...

[Kamino]

i used to blow on them. now i use a blank key with alcohol wipes.
oh, and that trick on bending the pins from www.classicgaming.com is not all it's cracked out to be. I did it last week...now, i do not have to push the games down, the games work "game genie" style...LOL

[Kamino]

i used to blow on them. now i use a blank key with alcohol wipes.
oh, and that trick on bending the pins from www.classicgaming.com is not all it's cracked out to be. I did it last week...now, i do not have to push the games down, the games work "game genie" style...LOL

[JJNova]

I used to...well...NOW I place the game in, push it down, and place another game on top of it to apply the pressure to make the connection. It's the damn Game Genie that b roke all our systems. *shakes his fist*
We should have known better than to put a Galoob product in there!

[gamergary]

First I would blow in to the cart , then if that didn't work I would use one of those cleaning kits you would get with the systems you buy at funcoland. If that didn't work then I would just kick the nes.

[Bratwurst]

Fascinating, a 2 year old thread dug up for whatever reason. For the record, freezing the NES cart probably expanded the thickness of the contact edges just a smidgen. Hate to think of the moisture and condensation issues though.

[charitycasegreg]

Im not sure I ever got a flashing orange screen. I got purple on one tv, grey on another, and green on another. But I just used rubbing alcahol on qtip and bam it worked fine. (and blowing too)

[charitycasegreg]

Well, I got an NES cleaning kit so I could clean any dirty games. I still use it today and it's also handy on other consoles' cartridges.

Sometimes I found with the NES, if the cart is pushed in too hard it also won't work. So I just pulled the cartridge out slightly, while still keeping the contact between the cart and the NES together.

yeah I did that too. sorry, should have read the whole page first.

[Sibs]

I always blow on the cartridge. Works for me just fine.

[Dr. Morbis]

Back in the day: I'd blow on them.
Present day: I hold in reset, nudge the cart a fraction of an inch to the left or right, and let go of reset. It takes 2 seconds to do and almost always works. However, now that I clean the carts and the systems regularly, I rarely have this problem.

[Nesmaster]

As a kid, I would blow in to the games..

As a collector, I open the carts, clean the contacts, have a new connector in my multiple NES systems, and keep the games in better than new condition.

:)

LK

exactly like me. as a kid i blew into them, now i clean them with alchohol and qtips :D

[marshalldylan1]

Everytime I play my NES, I also play with the Game Genie connected. I don't use the codes, but it helps the game work for some reason.

[rbudrick]

The cartridge blowing method and the freezer method probably work because the saliva is making a better condunctor for electricity athan the dirt on your contacts.

BTW, the method I use to clean trhe NES contacts involvs removing the 72 pin connector and putting the dirty end in a bowl with a thin layer of rubbing alcohol. I then brush all the contacts with a soft tooth brush for a minute. Seems to work great unless the contacts are too stretched to work. Leaving a Game Genie in your system may cause this....it is a thicker board.

-Rob

[8bit4life]

i use tounge. :-P