I recently bought an NES along with 12 games from a garage sale, but I’m getting a yellow screen on some of them and even saw some weird alien text flash across the screen once. I believe the cartridges and the contacts inside the NES need cleaning. I’ve heard about using a pencil eraser for the cartridges, but I’m curious about tips for cleaning the internal contacts as well. Any advice?
2 Answers
For cleaning the contacts on the cartridges, I recommend using rubbing alcohol or Windex with Q-tips. Make sure to scrub both sides of the circuit board, and use a fresh Q-tip for every pass until they come out clean. For the console itself, if it’s the front-loading model, after cleaning the cart, insert it into the NES and clean the cartridge again to make sure you’re not pulling off more gunk. If the problem persists, you may need to disassemble the NES and remove the pin connector to boil it slightly, which can help the pins regain their shape for a better connection. Just a heads-up, the original NES design had some issues over time with the pins bending, which is often the cause of gameplay failures!
I’ve had good luck using 70% isopropyl alcohol on a Q-tip for cleaning. Just be careful not to use anything stronger, as it can damage the PCB around the contacts. You can also use one of the cartridges with a little alcohol still on its contacts to help clean the console by inserting and removing it a few times. Remember to let everything dry out properly afterward and avoid leaving cartridges inside for too long to prevent contact erosion.
Yes, 70% alcohol is the same as isopropyl alcohol! It’s important to stick to that strength to avoid damaging anything. It’s a bummer when folks downvote without sharing their thoughts on the issue.