Nintendo Nes- White Screen
Hello, I recently purchased a Nintendo nes from a thrift store and can't get it working. At first it was a red blinking light with a flashing white screen. I corrected the blinking light by disabling pin 4, yet now have a solid red light with a solid white screen. I replaced the 72 pin connector, cleaned everything I could, after hours of fiddling I got it to briefly display a game one or twice but if I take it out and reinsert it, , it typically goes right back to a white screen. I've tried multiple power cords including an oem, standard aftermarket, and 10v. I utilized both the red yellow av connection to red white yellow as well as the rf cord but can't seem to find a permanent fix. Any one have any experience/advise on this?
Comments
Now if there is an actual issue that isn't connection related. Most common failure points are the PPU and the VRAM. In this case I would say the VRAM is unlikely. Only because that tends to cause garbled graphics but it could still be a factor. The PPU is usually easy to check because when it has a hard failure it is almost always an internal short. While the console is on put your fingers on the PPU casing. If it starts getting hot, I mean really hot, there's your culprit.
Still going to lean towards your cart connector though.
NintendoJoe123, if you've not done so already, try simply inserting the game in the new 72-pin connector and turning the system on. If you've replaced the original with one of the multitude of way-too-tight third party versions, locking the cartridge down is what's causing the games to misalign. When I first replaced the connector in my childhood system, I ended up with the exact same symptoms you're describing until I stopped locking the cart down, which solved the problem instantly. I didn't care for how tightly the carts were held, though, so I ended up tweaking my original connector, then, after having it loosen up again after a lot of use, finally replaced it with a Blinking Light Win and haven't looked back. Most likely your issue is the cart connector and you just need to decide which solution you're going to stick with. If it's the third party connector, stop pushing the cart down. If it's the OEM connector, boil it and throw it back in--it should work just fine. If you don't ever want to have to worry about it again, grab a Blinking Light Win and relax.
Cutting the 10NES pin isn't really "correcting" an issue. It's just disabling a check. Since your issue didn't have to do with a failure to read the lockout chip all that does is stop the flashing. Most likely the issue is going to be related to dirty/misaligned cart connector pins. It's a frontloader NES 99.9% of problems stem from this. Do yourself a favor and order a blinking light win to replace the connector so you don't have to worry about that anymore.
Now if there is an actual issue that isn't connection related. Most common failure points are the PPU and the VRAM. In this case I would say the VRAM is unlikely. Only because that tends to cause garbled graphics but it could still be a factor. The PPU is usually easy to check because when it has a hard failure it is almost always an internal short. While the console is on put your fingers on the PPU casing. If it starts getting hot, I mean really hot, there's your culprit.
Still going to lean towards your cart connector though.
It is not a front loader just a standard Nintendo nes however when you say "cart connector" do you believe it is an issue with the 72 pin itself? As I replaced it with a brand new one, although unfortunately it is not an original or are you referring to the actual installation/allignment of the new pin?
This is what you mean by standard Nintendo NES, right? This is a front loader.
This is what you mean by standard Nintendo NES, right? This is a front loader.
Yes my apologies I have the front loader. I was thinking top
loader.
Cutting the 10NES pin isn't really "correcting" an issue. It's just disabling a check. Since your issue didn't have to do with a failure to read the lockout chip all that does is stop the flashing. Most likely the issue is going to be related to dirty/misaligned cart connector pins. It's a frontloader NES 99.9% of problems stem from this. Do yourself a favor and order a blinking light win to replace the connector so you don't have to worry about that anymore.
Now if there is an actual issue that isn't connection related. Most common failure points are the PPU and the VRAM. In this case I would say the VRAM is unlikely. Only because that tends to cause garbled graphics but it could still be a factor. The PPU is usually easy to check because when it has a hard failure it is almost always an internal short. While the console is on put your fingers on the PPU casing. If it starts getting hot, I mean really hot, there's your culprit.
Still going to lean towards your cart connector though.
It is not a front loader just a standard Nintendo nes however when you say "cart connector" do you believe it is an issue with the 72 pin itself? As I replaced it with a brand new one, although unfortunately it is not an original or are you referring to the actual installation/allignment of the new pin?
Like Loxx said, The original NES is the front loader. It is called that because the carts load in the front vs the NES2, which loads in the top, thus top loader.
Beyond that. If you put in a aftermarket 72pin, you could have issues with that aftermarket connector. The aftermarket connectors are junk. Some of them don't work if you press the cart down. Some of them work intermittently. Some of them don't work at all. The quality from one to another varies wildly. Basically, if you aren't going to use the OEM 72pin with the pins cleaned, boiled, and retensioned; the blinking light win is the only aftermarket 72pin worth buying.
Also, another thing that could cause an issue even with a good 72 pin connector is the pins on the actual motherboard being dirty. I have on several occasions replaced the pin connector and still had problems getting a game to load until I cleaned the pins on the actual motherboard that the 72 pin connector connects to.
Thank you Mobiusstriptech for providing a weighted opinion into the "you don't need to cut the pin" camp. I nearly always see that solution ignorantly offered first when people get an old, dirty, unknown-status system when, as you've said, 99.9% of the time it's a connector problem. People can do what they want, but the number of additional repairs that I've seen become necessary due to overzealous novices just yanking on the leg in question (and sometimes the whole chip) is ridiculous. Just clean/boil the connector if you want it original and, if that doesn't work, grab a Blinking Light Win and forget about it.
NintendoJoe123, if you've not done so already, try simply inserting the game in the new 72-pin connector and turning the system on. If you've replaced the original with one of the multitude of way-too-tight third party versions, locking the cartridge down is what's causing the games to misalign. When I first replaced the connector in my childhood system, I ended up with the exact same symptoms you're describing until I stopped locking the cart down, which solved the problem instantly. I didn't care for how tightly the carts were held, though, so I ended up tweaking my original connector, then, after having it loosen up again after a lot of use, finally replaced it with a Blinking Light Win and haven't looked back. Most likely your issue is the cart connector and you just need to decide which solution you're going to stick with. If it's the third party connector, stop pushing the cart down. If it's the OEM connector, boil it and throw it back in--it should work just fine. If you don't ever want to have to worry about it again, grab a Blinking Light Win and relax.
I appreciate the advise, I am going to try to boil/clean the original pin, if not sounds like the blinking light is the way to go. Any suggestions on the best place to purchase one? Furthermore, the system/games do not work regardless of being pushed down or not with the new pin, which is in fact as you stated a crappy aftermarket pin.
Get a refurbished OEM 72 pin connector from a reputable seller like this guy: https://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIGINAL...
Also, another thing that could cause an issue even with a good 72 pin connector is the pins on the actual motherboard being dirty. I have on several occasions replaced the pin connector and still had problems getting a game to load until I cleaned the pins on the actual motherboard that the 72 pin connector connects to.
Thanks for the link! Luckily I have a good amount of old 72 original pins so I'll go ahead and boil them and see if I have any luck. I did clean the motherboard with brasso and 70 rubbing alcohol , but can't hurt to do it again.
Thank you Mobiusstriptech for providing a weighted opinion into the "you don't need to cut the pin" camp. I nearly always see that solution ignorantly offered first when people get an old, dirty, unknown-status system when, as you've said, 99.9% of the time it's a connector problem. People can do what they want, but the number of additional repairs that I've seen become necessary due to overzealous novices just yanking on the leg in question (and sometimes the whole chip) is ridiculous. Just clean/boil the connector if you want it original and, if that doesn't work, grab a Blinking Light Win and forget about it.
NintendoJoe123, if you've not done so already, try simply inserting the game in the new 72-pin connector and turning the system on. If you've replaced the original with one of the multitude of way-too-tight third party versions, locking the cartridge down is what's causing the games to misalign. When I first replaced the connector in my childhood system, I ended up with the exact same symptoms you're describing until I stopped locking the cart down, which solved the problem instantly. I didn't care for how tightly the carts were held, though, so I ended up tweaking my original connector, then, after having it loosen up again after a lot of use, finally replaced it with a Blinking Light Win and haven't looked back. Most likely your issue is the cart connector and you just need to decide which solution you're going to stick with. If it's the third party connector, stop pushing the cart down. If it's the OEM connector, boil it and throw it back in--it should work just fine. If you don't ever want to have to worry about it again, grab a Blinking Light Win and relax.
I appreciate the advise, I am going to try to boil/clean the original pin, if not sounds like the blinking light is the way to go. Any suggestions on the best place to purchase one? Furthermore, the system/games do not work regardless of being pushed down or not with the new pin, which is in fact as you stated a crappy aftermarket pin.
If boiling/cleaning the original connector still doesn't help enough to get working 100% of the time (it doesn't for me) you may also need to re-tension the top pins of the connector (the part the games connect to). If its still not working and the carts are super loose going in the pins probbaly need to be slightly bent back up to original position.
Get a refurbished OEM 72 pin connector from a reputable seller like this guy: https://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIGINAL...
Also, another thing that could cause an issue even with a good 72 pin connector is the pins on the actual motherboard being dirty. I have on several occasions replaced the pin connector and still had problems getting a game to load until I cleaned the pins on the actual motherboard that the 72 pin connector connects to.
Thanks for the link! Luckily I have a good amount of old 72 original pins so I'll go ahead and boil them and see if I have any luck. I did clean the motherboard with brasso and 70 rubbing alcohol , but can't hurt to do it again.
If you already cleaned the pins on the motherboard no need to do it again, especially with Brasso. You don't want to overuse that stuff because its abrasive.
Get a refurbished OEM 72 pin connector from a reputable seller like this guy: https://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIGINAL...
Also, another thing that could cause an issue even with a good 72 pin connector is the pins on the actual motherboard being dirty. I have on several occasions replaced the pin connector and still had problems getting a game to load until I cleaned the pins on the actual motherboard that the 72 pin connector connects to.
Thanks for the link! Luckily I have a good amount of old 72 original pins so I'll go ahead and boil them and see if I have any luck. I did clean the motherboard with brasso and 70 rubbing alcohol , but can't hurt to do it again.
If you already cleaned the pins on the motherboard no need to do it again, especially with Brasso. You don't want to overuse that stuff because its abrasive.
Okay, thanks for the heads up. I have another front loader that's also not working, I discovered the motherboard pins are completely scratched up/damaged but is exhibiting the same symptoms as this one. Considering the damage to the motherboard pins is that one a Bonner?
Get a refurbished OEM 72 pin connector from a reputable seller like this guy: https://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIGINAL...
Also, another thing that could cause an issue even with a good 72 pin connector is the pins on the actual motherboard being dirty. I have on several occasions replaced the pin connector and still had problems getting a game to load until I cleaned the pins on the actual motherboard that the 72 pin connector connects to.
Thanks for the link! Luckily I have a good amount of old 72 original pins so I'll go ahead and boil them and see if I have any luck. I did clean the motherboard with brasso and 70 rubbing alcohol , but can't hurt to do it again.
If you already cleaned the pins on the motherboard no need to do it again, especially with Brasso. You don't want to overuse that stuff because its abrasive.
Okay, thanks for the heads up. I have another front loader that's also not working, I discovered the motherboard pins are completely scratched up/damaged but is exhibiting the same symptoms as this one. Considering the damage to the motherboard pins is that one a Bonner?
Gonner * autocorrect is weird sometimes
Get a refurbished OEM 72 pin connector from a reputable seller like this guy: https://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIGINAL...
Also, another thing that could cause an issue even with a good 72 pin connector is the pins on the actual motherboard being dirty. I have on several occasions replaced the pin connector and still had problems getting a game to load until I cleaned the pins on the actual motherboard that the 72 pin connector connects to.
Thanks for the link! Luckily I have a good amount of old 72 original pins so I'll go ahead and boil them and see if I have any luck. I did clean the motherboard with brasso and 70 rubbing alcohol , but can't hurt to do it again.
If you already cleaned the pins on the motherboard no need to do it again, especially with Brasso. You don't want to overuse that stuff because its abrasive.
Okay, thanks for the heads up. I have another front loader that's also not working, I discovered the motherboard pins are completely scratched up/damaged but is exhibiting the same symptoms as this one. Considering the damage to the motherboard pins is that one a Bonner?
I don't know how the motherboard pins could get damaged unless someone deliberately ruined them. They never get touched during normal use.
Once you get a good working 72 pin connector you can try it out on the other NES and see what happens.
Agreed, I never encountered the motherboard pins have any scratches/damage other than being somewhat dirty, it looks like some one took a knife to the motherboard pins. They're completely scratched up/deep. When taking apart I could tell someone tried to work on the system before as screws were missing and in the wrong spots.
I have no idea what they could have been thinking scratching up the pins like that.
If its as bad as you say I doubt its salvagable. But I guess it can't hurt to test it out when you get a working connector.
The only place to buy a blinking light win is arcade works. Sometimes they will say that it is pre-order but then it will still ship shortly after. It also negates the 10NES chip so there is again no reason to cut it. Personally I never touch the 10NES chip on my consoles anyways because there is really no reason to. For the people that are all about cutting it, that's fine. It really shouldn't be the first thing that is suggested though.
The only place to buy a blinking light win is arcade works. Sometimes they will say that it is pre-order but then it will still ship shortly after. It also negates the 10NES chip so there is again no reason to cut it. Personally I never touch the 10NES chip on my consoles anyways because there is really no reason to. For the people that are all about cutting it, that's fine. It really shouldn't be the first thing that is suggested though.
Only necessary reason to disable the lockout chip is for the ability to play PAL region games.
Just a note, Brasso should literally never be an option. There are far better and non-abrasive or lightly abrasive methods. A few simple things that should always be tried before going the abrasive route. In this order, 91% or higher IPA, a rubber eraser, DE-Oxit, a fiberglass scratch brush (very lightly), and a magic eraser. Once you reach the fiberglass pen you are being abrasive but the amount of material being removed is extremely low.
The only place to buy a blinking light win is arcade works. Sometimes they will say that it is pre-order but then it will still ship shortly after. It also negates the 10NES chip so there is again no reason to cut it. Personally I never touch the 10NES chip on my consoles anyways because there is really no reason to. For the people that are all about cutting it, that's fine. It really shouldn't be the first thing that is suggested though.
Great advise all around, thanks for your help, I'll steer clear of brasso. Honestly, I cut it due to inexperience , the extent of my expertise is cleaning the motherboard pins and replacing the 72 connector, once that didn't work I had no idea what to do, and when I googled the problem, the first post/video I saw was cuttting the 4th pin. Which I will not be doing in the future.
I do hope you figure out your issue though. Do try the test I suggested with the PPU though. Just to rule that out.
Great advise all around, thanks for your help, I'll steer clear of brasso. Honestly, I cut it due to inexperience , the extent of my expertise is cleaning the motherboard pins and replacing the 72 connector, once that didn't work I had no idea what to do, and when I googled the problem, the first post/video I saw was cuttting the 4th pin. Which I will not be doing in the future.
I don't think he was suggesting it's bad to cut the pin, just that it isn't the solution to the vast majority of NES issues.
Great advise all around, thanks for your help, I'll steer clear of brasso. Honestly, I cut it due to inexperience , the extent of my expertise is cleaning the motherboard pins and replacing the 72 connector, once that didn't work I had no idea what to do, and when I googled the problem, the first post/video I saw was cuttting the 4th pin. Which I will not be doing in the future.
I don't think he was suggesting it's bad to cut the pin, just that it isn't the solution to the vast majority of NES issues.
This exactly. It's always the goto for "solving" connection issues. In most cases it's more like putting a band-aid on a bullet wound. You aren't correcting the actual problem when you cut it. Unless as was noted, the problem was you wanted to play out of region games.
Get a refurbished OEM 72 pin connector from a reputable seller like this guy: https://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIGINAL...
Also, another thing that could cause an issue even with a good 72 pin connector is the pins on the actual motherboard being dirty. I have on several occasions replaced the pin connector and still had problems getting a game to load until I cleaned the pins on the actual motherboard that the 72 pin connector connects to.
Thanks for the link! Luckily I have a good amount of old 72 original pins so I'll go ahead and boil them and see if I have any luck. I did clean the motherboard with brasso and 70 rubbing alcohol , but can't hurt to do it again.
If you already cleaned the pins on the motherboard no need to do it again, especially with Brasso. You don't want to overuse that stuff because its abrasive.
I appreciate all your advise as well. How long do you usually boil the pins for? I boiled them for about 5-10 mins and it worked! However, I still got a white screen from time to time and have to press the reset button a few times to get it working properly.
I appreciate all your advise as well. How long do you usually boil the pins for? I boiled them for about 5-10 mins and it worked! However, I still got a white screen from time to time and have to press the reset button a few times to get it working properly.
Did you do it the way this guy did?
Get a refurbished OEM 72 pin connector from a reputable seller like this guy: https://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIGINAL...
Also, another thing that could cause an issue even with a good 72 pin connector is the pins on the actual motherboard being dirty. I have on several occasions replaced the pin connector and still had problems getting a game to load until I cleaned the pins on the actual motherboard that the 72 pin connector connects to.
Thanks for the link! Luckily I have a good amount of old 72 original pins so I'll go ahead and boil them and see if I have any luck. I did clean the motherboard with brasso and 70 rubbing alcohol , but can't hurt to do it again.
If you already cleaned the pins on the motherboard no need to do it again, especially with Brasso. You don't want to overuse that stuff because its abrasive.
I appreciate all your advise as well. How long do you usually boil the pins for? I boiled them for about 5-10 mins and it worked! However, I still got a white screen from time to time and have to press the reset button a few times to get it working properly.
Does the cartridge slot feel loose when inserting and removing games? If so you may need to bend the pins up slightly to make for a more snug connection. There are lots of guides and videos online showing how.
Also, probably obvious but make sure your games are clean too. I've found in my experience a clean 72 pin connector can be very sensitive to games that are even just a little dirty.
As for boiling i actually don't bother going through the trouble. What i do is gently use 800 grit sand paper in and out about 10-20 times on the 72 pin to remove the built up dirt and oxidation, blow out any dust from sanding, then bend the pins back up with a small hand pick. After that i use a bit of electrical contact cleaner then 91% isopropyl alcohol to clean the connector. Also be sure to clean the connector on the motherboard. This method seems to have been working well enough for me. I used to use more abrasive cleaners like Brasso but wanted to find a less harsh way that works just as well.
As long as you are very careful only to remove the problematic pin, and not damage anything else, I personally would recommend it alongside boiling the connector. Plus, as a PAL gamer it is practically a necessity for me to clip my pins anyway, because the PAL region on NES is split into two incompatible lockouts A and B.
I guess what I'm saying is boil first, clip second, but I would personally do both.
Get a refurbished OEM 72 pin connector from a reputable seller like this guy: https://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIGINAL...
Also, another thing that could cause an issue even with a good 72 pin connector is the pins on the actual motherboard being dirty. I have on several occasions replaced the pin connector and still had problems getting a game to load until I cleaned the pins on the actual motherboard that the 72 pin connector connects to.
Thanks for the link! Luckily I have a good amount of old 72 original pins so I'll go ahead and boil them and see if I have any luck. I did clean the motherboard with brasso and 70 rubbing alcohol , but can't hurt to do it again.
If you already cleaned the pins on the motherboard no need to do it again, especially with Brasso. You don't want to overuse that stuff because its abrasive.
I appreciate all your advise as well. How long do you usually boil the pins for? I boiled them for about 5-10 mins and it worked! However, I still got a white screen from time to time and have to press the reset button a few times to get it working properly.
Does the cartridge slot feel loose when inserting and removing games? If so you may need to bend the pins up slightly to make for a more snug connection. There are lots of guides and videos online showing how. Also, probably obvious but make sure your games are clean too. I've found in my experience a clean 72 pin connector can be very sensitive to games that are even just a little dirty. As for boiling i actually don't bother going through the trouble. What i do is gently use 800 grit sand paper in and out about 10-20 times on the 72 pin to remove the built up dirt and oxidation, blow out any dust from sanding, then bend the pins back up with a small hand pick. After that i use a bit of electrical contact cleaner then 91% isopropyl alcohol to clean the connector. Also be sure to clean the connector on the motherboard. This method seems to have been working well enough for me. I used to use more abrasive cleaners like Brasso but wanted to find a less harsh way that works just as well.
Can't say how helpful you've been I really really appreciate it, I did the boil method for about 20-30 minutes, then bent the pins to make a firm connection. I got it to play super mario bros pretty consistently. However, it has to be just in the right spot or I get a white screen and sometimes you have to play with it for awhile to get it in the sweet spot. I am
not completely happy with it so I just bought a BLW, I am curious to see how it is anyway.