The PROPER Way To Clean Game Cartridges
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- Опубликовано: 11 мар 2014
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I'm a Senior Engineer, I hope you don't mind me fact-checking you on a few misconceptions.
2:00 Umm.. Rubbing Alcohol is a mixture of Isopropyl alcohol and purified water.... Not glycerin. I think you're confusing it with hand sanitizer, which has glycerin in it.
4:10 Also, "wet metal" and electricity are not an issue when using a non-polar chemical like Isopropyl alcohol. You're confusing wet with polar molecules like water. Let me clarify, water that has impurities in it, like regular tap or drinking water. Distilled water does not conduct electricity. There's no need to let something cleaned with alcohol dry for 24 hours. Alcohol has a high volatility, meaning it evaporates really fast. You're just wasting time.
10:15 Using an eraser is a bad idea for cleaning any PCB (game cartridges included). There are at least two things that may go wrong with your approach:
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) issues
Mechanical stress
Anytime you rub two objects against each other you have the chance of generating static electric charges on them. This phenomenon is called triboelectric effect. A problem with ESD is that it may not kill your chips right-away (many chips today have protection circuitry that will handle a small amount of ESD), but it may degrade the performance of your devices (e.g. leakage currents or offset voltages may become permanently worse because of microscopic damages inside the semiconductor device). Therefore a game, may still work, but with intermittent failures or glitches.
Whether your approach will work consistently in this respect will depend, besides sheer luck, on many parameters like ambient humidity, eraser and PCB materials, operator grounding, etc.
Mechanical stress is maybe a lesser concern, but it should be taken into account: if the eraser is hard, if you press too much while erasing, if the PCB tracks or pads are too thin, you may risk detaching one of these latter from the PCB and this will ruin your day most likely (repairing a multilayer PCB is not easy, is often expensive and sometimes is not even possible).
The BEST thing to use to clean electrical contacts and pins is a chemical specifically made for that. WD-40 has an Electronic Contact Cleaner that's fantastic: wd40specialist.com/products/contact-cleaner/
+Robert Bledsaw III So what you are saying is that the eraser is a bad idea?
Yes. It has the potential to do more harm than good. Especially in the long run.
+Robert Bledsaw III If the eraser is a bad idea, there's other option? You said contact cleaner, it's not the same as Isopropyl alcohol?
Pedro Pablo Pastene According to WD-40's MSDS sheet on its Contact Cleaner, it is 20-30% n-Hexane, 10-20% Isopropyl Alcohol, and 40-60% 1,1 Difluoroethane. They only give ranges of percentages because the exact percentage is a trade secret.
So, the best way to clean the contacts is with contact cleaner, and not with isopropyl alcohol or anything else??
When I heard you say wait 24 hours after cleaning with 99 iso I almost fell out of my chair. That shit dissipates almost instantly, a couple minutes and you're good to go.
the link for the game bits is in the description now....and it's here:
www.amazon.com/Security-Screwdriver-Female-3-8mm-4-5mm/dp/B00GT15JPU/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1392949388&sr=8-9&keywords=game+bit
thank you very much sir. you are awesome and ive always heard to use rubbing alcohol....so ill always keep this in mind :D
emerybryant you're welcome...
Rich, I've cleaned a few systems from soda pop before with just distilled water :D you don't even need to use windex for that and it's a bit safer. Just used a damp paper towel with the distilled water, took a while but no film residue.
I did learn something with the video, though, and definitely will use this process if I ever go through my games to clean them out!
This is really interesting. Can you do a video for GB/GBC/GBA games as well? :)
I personally use vodka. Just regular old drinking vodka. I find its one of the best things to use, but that could just be personal preference.
Finally! A video showing you the correct way to clean your old school game cartridges. Make sure your shirt is off while watching this to get the full experience!
Ill Rub My Belly And Slap My Face For Full Pleasure
Rowan Woodhead Sounds like I got plans for the weekend!
***** Vinnie Paz and Troy Ave.
I actually use both the erasers for oxidation and isotropic alcohol as I find the alcohol makes it easier to remove any rubber"film". Also I dont recommend new 72 pin connectors but rather to fix old one as the new ones seem to wear out faster than one you fix, at least for me. But Im glad you made this video.
ReviewTechUSA
But if I take my shirt off, my chest and stomach hair might get in the cartridge and that won't be any good, Rich.
Where did you get your info on alcohol?. It drys almost instantly after applied and sure doesn't need 4 hours. I've cleaned and fixed electronics for years and it confuses me where you get your logic
gamenerd009 99% isopropyl alcohol dries up within three seconds (depending on how saturated the surface is).
gamenerd009 Yeah, I laughed too when he said it was mixed with glycerine while showing a 99% concentration alcohol.
I assume he was basing that off the 60% solutions.
Laptop repair tech here. I can confirm that isopropyl alcohol does evaporate usually within seconds of application. We use it all the time when cleaning old thermal paste off CPU packages, and pre-saturated disposable wipes with isopropyl are in fact sent with every motherboard ordered for in warranty repairs (for most vendors), for the express purpose of wiping off the old paste. It's pretty much entirely harmless and can clean up just about anything nasty. However, the alcohol dries so fast that once you open the packages for the wipes, you have to either use them immediately or find some way to reseal the packages if you want to get multiple uses out of them (often times, it only takes a small amount of the wipe's surface area to clean off a heat sink, and these things are very useful to have extras on hand).
Are you serious? 24 hours? Alcohol, especially isopropyl alcohol, evaporated INCREDIBLY quickly. There shouldn't be ANY moisture with the alcohol after at most an hour under room temperature.
Yeah I wait about 15 mins. Dries super fast.
Was about to comment the same thing. Especially 99% alcohol dries super fast
This is great to know. Thank you good sir. I have heard that blowing on the cartridge and using alcohol was a bad idea. However, the guy in the video DID NOT explain how to clean the cartridges after saying that. I didn't understand why he wouldn't tell you how to actually clean it if he tells you that the typical way of cleaning it doesn't work. I'm glad you made this video.
When using an eraser, use a soft eraser & light pressure because using hard abrasive erasers or a lot of pressure can wear off the gold plating on the carts contact connector, resulting in more oxidation. Always clean with caution.
***** The magic erasers are too abrasive. Do no use them on the pins!
GroovinFunk too abrasive? they are 1000 grit, that's the softest grit available i'm fairly sure
put them in soapy water then dry them with a chainsaw. top tip- to line the pins stamp on the cart and throw against the wall.
Job done.
I've been using isopropyl alcohol without any issue and everything still works .
Let me ask you a different question. My game works fine, BUT it has a lot of glitches going on. In my copy of gargoyles quest II my game has an issue with the horizontal and vertical scrolling as every time it has to scroll to the left or right, there is a line that pops up to the direction I go. I.E I jump up, a white line shows up on the topmost part of the screen. Do cleaning my cartridge going to work or is it something with my system?
I've used rubbing alcohol for years and my games still work fine.
Actually rubbing alcohol is 91-99 percent denatured isopropyll alcohol and the rest is water, not glycerin. Glycerin would stabilize the alcohol and prevent it from evaporating like it should. Anyways, alcohol is fine.
Welcome to RetroTechUSA lol. I am enjoying all of your retro videos a lot.
It's a good idea not to touch the board with bare hands.
Oils from your skin can damage electronics slowly over time and you run the risk of shorting out the board with static.
Why do you make a 24 minute video for something this simple?
+Orlando Tijerina I agree
+Orlando Tijerina maybe he jsut likes to talk alot, idk lol
Orlando Tijerina
Probably for ad revenue?
The Rubber method looks good for some more serious corrosions.
I'd stick with Isopropyl alcohol and Q-tips. High quality Isopropyl evaporates extremely fast and without damaging residues.
I have that...and it's nowhere near as good at getting rid of oxidation as a rubber eraser. I promise you.
ReviewTechUSA
Well, I'll definitely try that on some rusty old Famicom cartridges lying around here. Thanks and keep up the good work.
***** Magic eraser is too abrasive for pins. You've cleaned 30 games? Cute.
GroovinFunk care to be more of a douchebag?
White Plastic Erasers are much softer than Pink ones.
would Electrical Contact Cleaner work for cleaning the game reader part or what should i get? I am from the uk. what should i look out for on the packing? for sega mega drive 2 and snes reader cleaning.
your hands look like boxing gloves.
YO.... LOL 😂 💀
10 minutes is ample time for alcohol to dry.
No 10 days
I stopped watching after I heard "I know it all" followed by "wait 24 hours for "alcohol" to dry". Rubbing alcohol completely evaporates in almost seconds. Of course I usually give it a few mins if I plan to test it but HOURS? Please. smh
Rubbing alcohol does evaporate, but in lower percentages it leaves behind its water solute. This is what needs to be dried.
Oh, really, because we use 71% iso in a medical parts factory to clean our work cells and any cpap masks with smudges and it dries up in about 30 seconds.
The alcohol itself evaporates quickly, no doubt. But the water may stay behind in some lower percentages. Maybe not so much in high percentages like 70 to 90. I do notice 90% evaporates completely, but 50% leaves some water behind that you do have to wipe away. Lower percentages also leaves more water.
I'm not trying to argue, just sharing my experience with different percentages. Electronics cleaning alcohol does evaporate completely. I'm not trying to say it doesn't. I've used it, I know. I'm a system builder.
Quick question: are the edge connectors the ONLY reason why my games simply arent showing up on my tv, apart from the fact that its the system or multi out cable connection issues to a hdtv? Otherwise ill give it a go i really want to play my snes games after all these years but damn things are showing up
Is there a link for buying both gamebits? The link in the description is $14 plus shipping not $9 and its a add on item. so i think i cant buy it unless i buy other stuff.
Is there a way to clean the inside of the console itself where the pins make contact with?
By "rubbing alcohol", did you mean ethyl alcohol? I'm wondering because only a few minutes later you said it was fine to use isopropyl alcohol.
No, he said Isopropyl is ok, he said rubbing alcohol isn't because it isn't pure isopropyl, they add glycerine to rubbing alcohol which leaves a residue.
Electrical Contact Cleaner is the right product, please dont use windex or any kind of alcohol or an eraser, just make sure to remove the roms from the cartridges as it is hard on plastic.
Rubbing Alcohol and Windex both work perfectly fine. I've used both for over 25 years and all of my games are clean and they work great. I've NEVER ruined a game with either one. Rubbing Alcohol 70% or higher is the best. You wipe with the alcohol or windex and then wipe dry with another Q-tip. It's as simple as that, unless the games are really filthy, in which case they need to be opened up and cleaned further. No special brass cleaner or pin connector cleaner is needed.
Thanks Rich! This is the best video iv'e seen of cart cleaning. You saved some of my games!
Is clinic alcohol ok to clean cartridges? Just yesterday I was cleaning the contacts of my GameBoy Color and one of my games, and I was using clinic alcohol and a Qtip. I'm not too savvy on the different alcohols mentioned in this video and I want to get that doubt out of my mind
I'm very glad you made this video because its always nice to learn something new especially when it saves you in the long run. Thanks Rich
Does this work with Gameboy color, and Gameboy Advance games?
It's funny how many pins old games had, yet 3DS blows them away in every regard with ~10 pins...
I would hope so considering 3DS technology came out 28 years after the famicom..
It's something of a tech fetish, hard to explain lol. I know how and why, but sometimes I step back and look at things, and it's just wow. We've come so far.
ShadowX012
128gb microSD cards... :)
ShadowX012 And then a "next gen" game comes out on a 10 year old game engine. (Titanfall)
Voxel8or Doesn't Titanfall run off Source? That's my second favorite engine right next to UE2.5. Don't like the futuristic style of Titanfall but if I was into those type of games, I'd be fine with it running off Source because it's pretty stable.
Any suggestions for cleaning carts that don't come apart? Colecovision an Atari 2600. Every video I see all has carts that u can unscrew an take apart. If I used a eraser would I have to worry about the crumbs goin into the cartridge? Also up n down strokes or side to side? Saw some that said side to side was bad. Thanks for the help
Anyone know how to open newer Sega Genesis games? The 4.5 bit works on the older catalogue but not on the red labeled Genesis games. Help!
does this also apply to gb/gbc/gba games
I am a new collector with my first n64 game and your advice is looking useful. Do you have any advice for oxidation and rust on the metal housing next to the pins?
i used rubbing alcohol with a q-tip then used another q-tip to dry it. Did this to all my cartridges over 20 years ago and they all still work fine til this day.
The thumbnail had Ghouls ‘n’ Ghosts. I’m truly blessed by an amazing RUclipsr.
I usually don't respond to stuff, but I just had to this time. With all due respect, and you seem like a cool dude, BUT you couldn't;t be more wrong. FYI ALL PCB manufacturers use 99% isopropyl alcohol to clean their boards once done. Any professional electronics restoration/repair tech will tell you 99% isopropyl alcohol does not leave a residue, and is the absolute cleanest and sanitary way to remove anything from electronic parts. Furthermore it evaporates 100% dry in seconds. Period, End of discussion there.
You are correct, erasers are a great way. Magic Eraser, Also 1000 grit sand paper (which is basically what a Magic Eraser is). BUT where you mess up is, both those things leaves microscopic powders on the pins. Sorry but a paper towel doesn't remove this. Matter fact, that last wipe with the paper towel just causes more grit that you can not see from the eraser and what it cleaned to stick via static electric to the pins from the wipe of the towel. You are to ALWAYS follow your erasing or sand papering with a q tip and 99% isopropyl alcohol to remove any last final bits of unseen grit after cleaning. When it evaporates (seconds) then it is totally sanitary to a hospital level grade of sterol.
I agree, a QTip and 99% isopropyl alcohol alone by itself is not always the best way. BUT you need to always end your cleaning with it if you use a multiple step process of cleaning. Rubbing alcohol now is NOT 995 isopropyl alcohol, they are two different things. Standard Rubbing alcohol for a girls nails is indeed BAD to use.
Sorry - but you've just been massively misinformed and you speak it like its the truth and you're god or something, and its just not true.
Windex would be the absolute worse thing to use. Windex is nasty and has many ingredients in it and is just a bad way to do anything. I don't even clean my windows with Windex.
99% isopropyl alcohol is what the professional techs been using for years, its what you use to also clean Tape Heads and tape heads can not have even microscopic bits of anything or any residue at all on it. This is why you are instructed to ONLY use 99% isopropyl alcohol on them. It also does not damage anything. It is the purest form of any cleaner that there is. This is why its used by the manufacturers themselves.
Sadly, your method is putting lots of eraser grit (that you can't see) in your consoles. lol Wow.
Rich, I knew of the eraser method years ago. However, it should be done sparingly and lightly as not to eventually rub off the micro thin gold plating - which can and has happened. Then you are left with silver metal which will corrode faster. Gold does not corrode easily, if at all. Find a softer eraser such as a white artist eraser. Otherwise you are "rubbing out" your Genesis cartridges like Gangster Town.
thanks this helped me a lot, subbed👍
Hey um do you think you can make sega master system in hd port out or what ever it's called I'm guessing you can. I have one at home but it would cost too much to ship it to the usa so yup can't give you Money
Hey, I have a shotty 72-pin connector on my front loading NES. What's the best way to fix this? I'm weary about buying a cheap connector off of eBay.
I am going to get my NES tomorrow and all the games and clean the crap out of them. I have not played it in so long. I still have everything to it and use to play the games every once in a while to throw back in my mind. Thank you for this
Thanks man, your tutorial rescued my 2 PS2 memory cards which didn't work anymore before !
Does this work on a sega megadrive cartridge because i live in the uk and i have a megadrive
It should work on any cart bc the main components are the same
Genesis is just what american's call the megadrive. It's the same thing.
Would it be possible to upload these retro videos alongside other news videos?
"Back in the NES days people where blowing in these"
What does this mean, I still blow in my Nintendo DS gameslot XD
Then you need to stop.
It means literately what he said ""Back in the NES days people where blowing in these"" I don't know how else to explain it.
***** he cant stop . he wont stop . he dont know how to stop !
***** Yeah because "blowing in" is a sexual term. If your'e going to joke make sure it's funny...... That joke was so bad I now have cancer.
Lol i do that too
I actually like the thought of all that dna in there. It heightens the sense of nostalgia for me.
This was awesome to watch. I love the games better than the newer ones. I guess simply because I grew up in the Nintendo-NES era. Thanks man cause I have been having problems with some of my games. I did try the Q-tip 'trick' but later on the game still didn't work properly. Now I have the knowledge to do it right. THANKS MAN!!
I feel guilty now... I worked at one of those retro game shops for a few months last year, and we totally cleaned cartridges the wrong way. Granted, I didn't know better, and that was the way we were instructed to do it, but still. :(
how should i clean the pins on a Sega Master System console?
Very interesting, can you do a video of you cleaning consoles as well? I would like to know how to clean those as well. (As in, do I use similar bits to screw the screws in consoles cases, and what other materials are necessary to clean the inner workings of said consoles.)
A video about cleaning controllers would be neat as well.
Can this be used with Nintendo 64 games as well? I'm becoming a retro collector as well so I was just wondering.
Ohhhh GOD this brings back SO many nostalgic memories...
Basically ANYONE who is old enough to have owned an NES system back in the day, knows the absolute HORRORS of practically blowing your LUNGS out, thinking that was the only way to make those darned cartridges work.
@________@
I find it kind of amazing that, dirt aside, there are scratches on the contacts for that Monopoly game because people *actually* played it :D
Interesting method. Ironically I used to use the same method (rubber eraser) to clean the pickups on my old Aurora AFX HO scale slot cars. Worked like a charm.
Hey Rich, your way is the only way I clean my game cartridges. Thank you for making this video!!!
I was looking for something like this. Thanks
Say, ReviewTechUSA, what's your opinion of Hydrogen Peroxide as a cleaner for electronic contacts? Also, in regards to the eraser, is Ruby Red what you would recommend?
I'm gonna agree with you on the pure 99.9% isopropyl alcohol as it is a degreaseant and is also used for lens and head cleaning and is great for removing marks left by old stickers. I used to work at Marconi making circuit boards and they would dip boards in isopropyl to remove flux so it won't matter if you spill it on electronics either.
Great tutorial! But what about cleaning games that do not have game bits or screws like any of the Atari consoles? What do you do for those? Do you use the q tips and straight isopropyl alcohol or something else?
Hey Rich, just thought I'd say that your method worked like a charm. What would've taken me several attempts to boot Donkey Kong Country before cleaning now only only takes me one. I've never truly felt like cleaning _any_ game (whether it be a cartridge or a disc) with window cleaner or rubbing alcohol to ever be wise choice. I'm kinda surprised Adam Koralik didn't get the memo on that, considering how many cleaning videos he's put out over the years.
Anyway, thanks again man, I'll be sure to put this method to good use in the future.
Rich, what can be done about the receiving portion of the console? (the part of the console that receives the cartridge). How would you clean that portion, or is it necessary?
Also, would the receiving portion of the console "Widen out" over time creating a weak connection between the board and the cartridge? If so, what can an owner do about it?
if my carts are in pretty bad condition will doing this just break them more or will it still help?
No I clean all off mine this way. Get the game bit and an eraser and go to work. High chance ur game will work first try. The only way is if ur actual pins in the console are bad, dirty, or need replacing themselves. Nintendos 72 pin is notorious for going to crap and needing replacement...if u want to fix the pins yourself and refurbish you can as well. Just RUclips it. If not buy a new pin connector. Got mine at estarland.com excellent stuff
interesting, never seen this method before. I wish I knew this during that time we played cartridges lol.. I wonder if you have a certain way of cleaning CDs? because everyone cleans CD's differently too.. I always wanted to know the perfect way to clean CDs.. I never have gotten any of my own scratched but I've had to use some that other people scratched and I never really knew what to do then to attempt to clean.
Also, would cleaning the pins like this work for a piece of RAM or something like that, that's been laying around the dust?
well I do have a 3ds but my cartridges are always in the boxes and well.. the way I take care of my games, it's physically impossible for their pins to get dirty xD but I see, I did forget those are cartridges that could use some cleaning if it was needed xD
***** You know you can wash microfiber clothe right? Just don't use bleach and fabric softener... I have about ten larger than average ones that I wash in a small load once a month...
Cool. Because of all of the videos you've done, I've decided to look for my N64 and Genesis (and gamecube). I found the consoles themselves, but all of my cords and games are MIA. I guess I'll have to go through all of the boxes under my stairs over spring break or something. I'm REALLY itching to play Majora's Mask.
I know nothing about retro gaming, but I can tell you that specialty bit's, of any sort really, costing 10 buck for 2 of them and they are good quality, is amazing
What is the right way to clean cds and psp umds?
Would Ever clear (95%alcohol/190proof) work well? It has less water than isopropyl alcohol and no additives? Also you can use the leftovers to get smashed while you play Mario Kart.
Awesome video man. I saw some others and wasnt too sure if they were the best way to clean my carts but I did see one where a guy used a rubber for the contacts (TheDamoMonster). I will do this with my entire collection of Mega Drive and SNES carts ;) should take me till next year!
question, how would on clean the pin readers on the console itself
Rich what is your opinion on copper cleaner for the pins? Ive been using it for about the past two years and it works great. Just wondering if i might be damaging them.
thank you for this video. I did it to all my Neo Geo Pocket games that where having problem with randomly running off or not being detected by the system at all and going into the pocket menu instead. Now they all work perfectly!
Hey Rich (or anyone), this should work fine with N64 carts right? I'm sure it does but wanted to make double sure before working through my collection. Thanks for the videos!
ReviewTech USA great video. Any suggestions on how to clean nes controllers
Pardon my ignorance but is there a reason as to why the cartridges are so massive in size? I was completely stunned by the size of the chip in comparison to the casing.
Is the size game dependent (Would a game like LoZ:ALttP take up a lot more space then what is shown)?
There's actually a reason for that. They could have made the casing smaller, but the Japanese believed that the bigger carts would sell better in the US. Since we very much had a "bigger is better" mentality in the 80's. They also designed the NES to be a front-loader so that it would resemble a VCR player. It was all about appealing to us.
A larger, more in-depth game has a larer chip with more boards and capacitors. Add a game save battery and it can take up most of the space. Most games only fit about as much as half the space though - I've opened up 100s of them to clean.
Matthew Woodrum GroovinFunk - I suppose this makes a little sense. As a little kid I was so used to seeing the transparent GameBoy Color games occupy nearly all of the cartridge space that I assumed the same for these guys. Apparently not.
For the hardware (e.g. screws), I recommend placing everything in a bowl, tupperware, egg carton, etc, so they don't roll off the table and get lost.
You could also apply a layer of dielectric grease to prevent future oxidation. It's used on car electrical connections to prevent them rusting.
Excuse me if this has been asked and answered already, but what is the proper way to clean the console pin connectors, particularly NES, SNES, Genesis and SMS?
Nice and informative sir. Thank you very much.
Do these screwdrivers work with GB and GBC cartridges?
I think it should.....
they willl work with basically any nintendo related product including consoles.
Ok thanks
The older ones yes, but some of the newer ones and gb advanced carts need a tri-wing screwdriver.
Will this method work for Game Boy and Game Boy Advance cartridges?
I was a moron as a kid with my genesis games(system too). I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did, to be honest. If I ever get a retro system again, this is the first thing I'm doing to all the games. Any chance of seeing how to clean the connection head in the systems?
Dose it work with black and white erasers
I've never cared for the eraser method. You might not see it, but it does leave a residue. I agree with you for the most part but I use a specialized polish to clean the pins, pure ISO to clean off the polish, and anti static wipes to clean off the ISO. The eraser is also only good for lightweight stuff. I doubt you've seen my cleaning videos. Then again, they have about three views.
Can I do the eraser method on gameboy cartridges?
thanks heaps for that ganna try it on a couple of games tomorrow i think, subbed
So, whats the best way to remove any residue from alcohol usage? Will the eraser do the job?
I'm no chemist, but isopropyl alcohol does not contain glycerin... hand sanitizers such as Purell contain glycerin. General rubbing alcohol is usually denatured ethanol or isopropyl alcohol and water. Essentially by saying don't use rubbing alcohol, you should be strictly against denatured alcohol as well. If you have no clue what you are talking about, please don't hand out shitty advice which isn't true. Cartridges are quite resilient and as long as you don't soak them in liquid or leave them outside, you can clean them with anything.
Welcome to riches RUclips channel says one thing its completely wrong says every one else is wrong his content sucks, and he likes to poison the well and cause panic.
Indeed, in addition using an eraser is no different than using a polishing sandpaper. This guy is a quack.
*****
I'd try microfiber cloth, first (same stuff I use on my Oakleys).
If that fails, the eraser might be the way to go.
The contacts were clean-- can't deny that.
Gillian Seed
I've used Hipolymer erasers with no problems on cartridges. There's less crap to clean off. They seem to be softer. Got my cleaning advice from here - www.retrofixes.com/2013/07/cleaning-game-cartridges.html
Hey, do you have any advice on disc based games?
Soap(not liquid), hand, water.
Rubbing it with toothpaste did the trick for me a lot of times. Just put the toothpaste on a piece of toilet paper and rub it gently on the disk. After that, clean the disk with water and let it dry. This should lessen the scratches on the disk. However, a professional cleaning machine is always the better solution.
I tend to always go with disc skipper solution & lint-free cloth.
Throw them out of the window and buy a cartridge system, works EVERY time for me!!
I hate CD based systems, I haven't been the same since the N64, the last "available" home system disappeared, CD/DVD/BLURAY games will all be gone and the cart games from the 80's will still work.....FACT.
Don't get me wrong I have these CD based systems, BUT,,,,,,,,,
***** CD's are better in the long run, becasue all the cartridge based systems have anitquated hardware. CD games have thier problems, but they are clearly more superior than cartridge based games. They can hold digital music, have better textures, can hold more data, and have better sound quality. Best thing is, your CD based game will work with a computer, and can run off an emulator. Anyways, games are going digital anyway, so cartidges are not comming back.
Never knew you could clean cartridges with an eraser. That's good to know when I need to clean my N64 games. Thanks.
worked great for me on my megadrive and snes.Thanks very much.
Can you recommend a way to clean the pins on my N64 system?
This is some great advice. I recently bought some good quality game bits because I installed a modchip in my GameCube, so I've already got that part down. I think I'm gonna spend some time to clean my N64 cartridges.
Might use this to clean my N64 games but wouldn't the eraser leave scratches on the connectors?
Super Link Bro-Yes.
Corrections:
1. Rubbing alcohol (aka isopropyl alcohol) is just a general term for a denatured alcohol solution of 70 to 99 percent isopropanol or ethanol and other inactive ingredients. Solutions sold as isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol seldom contain any inactive ingredients besides water. You can get isopropyl alcohol with glycerin, but it's uncommon and is usually conspicuously labeled. Alcohol is not damaging to electronics in any way, shape, or form. In fact alcohol is a great way to clean PCBs and components. It doesn't do a very good job of cleaning contacts, but it doesn't leave a residue and certainly won't harm your games.
2. Windex contains ammonia which is corrosive. I doubt that using Windex on your contacts will cause any type of meaningful harm (as long as you rinse with alcohol or water). However it doesn't work much better than alcohol so I'd never use it. The fact that you say that alcohol is "HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE" for your games but Windex is okay in a pinch is an example of why you don't know what you are talking about.
3. Pink rubber erasers absolutely leave a residue on the contacts. That's why white art erasers are preferred. Also the white erasers are softer and less likely to catch one of the contacts and lift it off the board (although I think damaging the contacts with any eraser is unlikely). After cleaning with either type of eraser you should still follow up with alcohol to clean up any residue/particulate.
4. Where is your ESD protection? I never use any, but I don't purport to clean games the proper way.
5. Waiting four hours for isopropyl/denatured alcohol to dry is insane. Near 100% alcohol evaporates almost instantly. Even 70% evaporates in seconds.
Your method of cleaning games isn't bad (except for not cleaning off the eraser residue), but there are other ways to clean a cartridge that are totally safe. As long as you're not using something that is super corrosive or abrasive you're fine. Personally, I use Brasso or similar metal polish and finish with isopropyl. Works great.
I've been using rubbing alcohol to clean the outside of my cartridges. (i,e. sharpie marks) Is this to be avoided as well?
Mr. Clean Magic Erasers work very well for cleaning carts.
I remember calling nintendo back in the day. they suggested to me to use alcohol to clean cartridges.
That was cool Rich, thanks.
Nice video, I have one question and it's about the cartridge slot What is the best way to clean it?