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Thread: Was this old warning true? [Can you damage a console this way?]

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    Strawberry (Level 2) cityside75's Avatar
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    Default Was this old warning true? [Can you damage a console this way?]

    I remember way back when the Atari reigned supreme, people used to warn never to turn on a system without a cartridge in the slot. I think it may have even been warned in the instructions of my old Intellivision.

    It used to be a common belief at least among my group of friends that if you left a system on without a cartridge in it, the console was certain to have something horrible happen to it. Looking back on this now, though, I can't recall anyone ever actually having a console break for a reason related to this.

    I was working on my in-laws NES the other day, and was checking something and flipping it on and off without a cartridge in it, and it got me pondering this...

    Anybody remember this/see a problem because of it?

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    Insert Coin (Level 0) Lord007's Avatar
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    Default Re: Was this old warning true?

    Quote Originally Posted by cityside75
    I remember way back when the Atari reigned supreme, people used to warn never to turn on a system without a cartridge in the slot. I think it may have even been warned in the instructions of my old Intellivision.

    It used to be a common belief at least among my group of friends that if you left a system on without a cartridge in it, the console was certain to have something horrible happen to it. Looking back on this now, though, I can't recall anyone ever actually having a console break for a reason related to this.

    I was working on my in-laws NES the other day, and was checking something and flipping it on and off without a cartridge in it, and it got me pondering this...

    Anybody remember this/see a problem because of it?
    I'd also like to know...Now that I'm older and wiser I'm not so sure if there would be any damage. But if I see a buddy of mine turn on the Genny or something without a cart in, I still feel that need to turn it off quick...

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    Great Puma (Level 12) Bratwurst's Avatar
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    Default

    Nah, the key thing is to avoid sticking a cartridge in the unit while the power's on. That'll fry the game or the system, potentially.

    By itself, the cartridge port is just in a floating state when electricity's flowing through it.

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    Pear (Level 6) Daniel Thomas's Avatar
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    So what you're saying is, that's the time to pour in the maple syrup. Snap, crackle, pop!
    Ghibli Blog - Studio Ghibli, animation, and the movies
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    Video Game Fanzines Forever!

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    Insert Coin (Level 0)
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    I will say no...but if you pour a little syrup on your cartridges you cant go wrong...

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    Cherry (Level 1)
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    I once had a dream (when I was a kid), where I had to eat my collection of games, due to them being so tasty. I woke thinking WTF just happened, needless to say, its was quite a weird dream

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    Cherry (Level 1)
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    I've heard this warning before as well and from what I can tell it's complete hooplaw, so there's no need to worry.
    Why don't you go play in the other room. Why don't you BURN IN HELL!! - Stewie.

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    Yeah. I love that stuff. Atom Bomb set to go off when you turn on the console without a game in it. Got it.

    That said, it should be procedure to actually put in a game before you turn on your game-playing console.
    I am the reinforcements.

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    I don't know if it will damage it because when you put a cart in and it doesnt work (NES Blinking screen for example) it just the same as turnning it on with out a game in it because the system is not reading it.
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    Cherry (Level 1)
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    Quote Originally Posted by pineapplehead2
    I don't know if it will damage it because when you put a cart in and it doesnt work (NES Blinking screen for example) it just the same as turnning it on with out a game in it because the system is not reading it.
    Most people don't know this but the NES’s blinking is actually caused by a security system within the NES itself. Inside the NES attached to pin 4 I think is a special program checker, inside each cartridge attached to the adjacent pin is a program chip which communicates with the NES. This chip has a special Nintendo program written on it. If one side can't communicate with the other the NES will repeatedly reset itself until you realign the cart and reset the console. This mechanism can also easily be removed by simply cutting the wire attached to the board. I haven't done this to any of my NES's because I don't like the mutilation of old intact consoles. You may have noticed that newer model NES's don't work with Camerica and other 3rd party unlicensed carts because they wrote their own code to communicate with the NES and Nintendo found a way around this. Unlicensed carts don't work in my original NES at all because it was a late model but they do work in my other 2 NES's which are early models. Tengen actually stole the Nintendo executable code off one of these chips and put it in their cartridges which is why all Tengen released unlicensed carts work in all NES models. Tengen was also sued by Nintendo over this and had to award Nintendo $250,000,000 USD in damages or something like that. The Famicom's in Japan don't have this lockout chip which is why you need a special chip built onto the adapter card you have to run the Famicom games through in order for them to work on a NES.
    Why don't you go play in the other room. Why don't you BURN IN HELL!! - Stewie.

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    The warning is probably just a way of making sure that people don't accidentally put carts into the machine while it is switched on - after all, if you never switch it on without a cart in, you can't accidentally insert one, unless you take the first one out while the machine is on - in which case you've probably already done the damage that they are trying to avoid.

    Re: Tengen / Nintendo .. I somehow doubt the figure of 250 million bucks ... that would be instant bankruptcy in those days (probably these days too!)

    Vroomfunkel

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    Pear (Level 6)
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    When the Sega CD came out I stopped believeing in that old rule. I mean you have to turn the Genny in without a game in it!

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    Red (Level 21) Jorpho's Avatar
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    Wasn't there some odd infinite-lives cheat for Strider (Genesis) that involved switching on the Genny with Altered Beast inside, pulling it out and putting in the Strider cartridge? (I forget the details, but it was apparently reproducable.)
    "There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge." --Bertrand Russel (attributed)

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    Insert Coin (Level 0)
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    so you can take out a genny game with the system still on?
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    Crono (Level 14) Pantechnicon's Avatar
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    Speaking as a representative of the Atari epoch, no one was really sure how exactly these new fangled consoles were going to affect our TV's. My first Atari 2600 was relegated to the black and white portable for fear that it would "blow up" the color Curtis Mathes if we played it too long.

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    Peach (Level 3)
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jorpho
    Wasn't there some odd infinite-lives cheat for Strider (Genesis) that involved switching on the Genny with Altered Beast inside, pulling it out and putting in the Strider cartridge? (I forget the details, but it was apparently reproducable.)
    Yes

    And it is the way you play Budokan on a mod 2 genesis. You stick in an altered beast, turn it on and wait for the sega logo to go away. Pop the cart out without turning it off. Pop in the Budokan. Hit the reset button.

    This also gives you some extra something with afterburner and Rambo too.

    But you are also likely to fry a console doing this. One cross pin connection in the wrong spot and BAM!

    VJ

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    Peach (Level 3)
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    I remember when I put a game in an already on Atari, I fried it. I was REAL young at the time and probably started crying.

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    Red (Level 21) Jorpho's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pantechnicon
    Speaking as a representative of the Atari epoch, no one was really sure how exactly these new fangled consoles were going to affect our TV's. My first Atari 2600 was relegated to the black and white portable for fear that it would "blow up" the color Curtis Mathes if we played it too long.
    Didn't the Commodore 64 start to malfunction if used for too long?
    "There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge." --Bertrand Russel (attributed)

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    Ok guys, all you youngins can stop speculating now. I have first hand knowledge of effing up my 2600 by flipping it on without a cart in. If you don't believe me, just try it yourself. There're plenty of 2600s out there to experiment with. I advise not to tho'.

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    Great Puma (Level 12) sisko's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fungus
    Ok guys, all you youngins can stop speculating now. I have first hand knowledge of effing up my 2600 by flipping it on without a cart in. If you don't believe me, just try it yourself. There're plenty of 2600s out there to experiment with. I advise not to tho'.

    Hmmm....? I've done this several times by mistake, and my 2600 is still alive and well. Same with an NES. Granted I did turn off the system before putting a cart in....

    Quote Originally Posted by James
    ...This mechanism can also easily be removed by simply cutting the wire attached to the board. ...
    Can anyone with experience confirm or deny this? It seems to make sense since the extra pins on an NES cart are for the Lockout chip otherwise not present on a Famicom.....right?

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