How To:Clean Your Classic Cartridge Games - Fix Your Games

[TheAngryPotatoes]

Game X Change???

[Ryan15771]

i love how he says 5 easy payments then right before the guy starts talking normally he says 4 easy installments. consistancy fail?

[JAYMONEY716]

does this apply to genesis cartridges too?

[MrToystory2000]

i found some crusty ketchup in one of my cartridges

[Chaoitcme]

@MrToystory2000 Oh that is where I put that.

[nviso209]

I use a very simple formula of (1) Disassemble the cart (2) Apply thin layer of Weiman Glass Stove Top Cleaner w/ Q-Tip -- Let it dry to crust (3) Spray combo simple green w/ water (70/30) on new Q-Tip (4) Rebuff and Re-dry the board w/ the last Q-tip! Will shine like new and play EVERYTIME LIKE NEW! Takes some time but well WORTH IT!

[MrAstrozombie56]

You should use alcohol because it evaporates and unlike the window cleaner it WON'T leave a residue which will damage the cartridge.

[ulsterstan]

can you use 6 tampons instead?

[benzeel909]

Good video but the quality sucks! How about using HD? Left to right? Not up and down? Duh!!! Thanks Captain Obvious!

[benzeel909]

Good video but the quality sucks! How about using HD? Left to right? Not up and down? Duh!!!

[benzeel909]

Good video but the quality sucks! How about using HD?

[SuperGameboy8]

does this work on handheld games too?

[ndgh209]

Would 409 spray work? Cuz i dont have windex.

[fmgaluda]

Isn't this the store that "The Online Gamer" works in?

[MrToystory2000]

i found some ketchup in my copy of super Mario bros 3

[seckscow]

I had to learn this shit when I was 5... surely people don't need to listen to this ass-clown for directions.

[seckscow]

I had to learn this shit when I was 5... surely people don't need to listen to this ass-clown for directions.

[hyogaiceheart]

Windex leaves residue.

[AndrewDaniele87]

my super nintendo has a lot of slow down, like a lot. is it the cartridge? or the snes? it's like that for quiet a bit of games even the sealed games i open up.

[guitarmasterjar1]

how do you clean a game genie?

[gamecollect101]

@wwijsman, Soft toothbrush that is dry and clean, just gently brush in between the connectors (have to take cover off of system of course), I would also recommend carefully vacuuming connectors before cleaning them. If connectors are too corroded just apply a very small amount of non abrasive metal polish on the brush before commencing and brush gently. I use Meguiars'Cleaner Wax which is basically a fine car polishing wax.

[wwijsman]

what is the connectors in your system are dirty?

[RiSKIT37]

We used the Windex Method you showed us and we Thank You Very Much !! My 10 year old is Sooo Happy!! 

[jamescowley]

i just got a Rockman 5 Famicom cartridge and was girlishly excited about playing it, until I noticed that... WHA? The contacts are actually rusty! IS there any hope for this cart, and if so what can I do to fix it? Thanks for any help that leads to me saving my Rockman 5 :)

[wulfshelmut]

@jamescowley If its not rare and you did not pay much for it I suggest maybe a new one. Otherwise try some oil. Like the kind you put on squeaky door. Just put some on the rusted pins of your cart and get a soft cloth and gently polish it. Its just a guess because thats what you would do with rusted metals and the contacts are a metal. Try that. Just make sure you clean the oil off. But if the game is just a few bucks on amazon or ebay, I would go there first. Because having to do that will suck

[CraigGoins]

Wrong! The reason they use alcohol is that it's more alcohol than water. Because of this, it evaporates faster therefore more effective and safer for your games. Among that, alcohol is non polar, it won't mess with how the metal prongs in the cartridges conduct electricity. Alcohol is your best bet. Does windex do this? No because it is mostly water.

[pokesph]

Use ONLY Isopropyl Alcohol for cleaning electronics (unless you can get some trichlorotrifluoroethane based sprays).

Windex? No way.. ammonia on your connectors = BAD.

Sorry due, you are FAIL!

[AkashaandAlucard]

@pokesph Games themselves say don't use alcahol. You fail. Not him.

[Chaoitcme]

@AkashaandAlucard I believe that games say that so that people end up going out and buy expensive game cleaners. Alcohol has been proven to work well.

[afrodylan671]

@pokesph Windex DOES work..... As well as Isoproply Alchohal, Ammonia no. Ive tried windex and it does work

[Montauk198]

Lame. I used Isopropyl Alcohol since the 80's on all my cartridge games. They have not died yet. make sure you use 75% or less though. Also make sure to open your system to clean those contacts and lift them up a little with a needle or safety pin.

[bobjbailey]

Awesome, effective and cheap!

[adam91376]

I can't find q tips in my bathroom so I used a tampon and no Windex under my sink so I used mayonnaise to clean my old Nintendo game slots.

[DarkGeno1]

@adam91376 lol

[PrinceOF9Imagination]

doll house, hah?? :P

[intlogre]

Brasso works the best. In the world of instant gratification sometimes fast isn't the best way. Open up the cart for inspection because it's been roughly 30 years since anyone has looked at the internals. Use Brasso on the pins and let it dry. After that use a little Isopropyl Alcohol to clear off the polish. The pins will shine like gold and the game will work perfectly. (Note: Careful not to get polish on the chips.)

[Nintendough]

@intlogre

Indeed fast sometimes isn't the best way, and that includes Brasso IMO. It's a very abrasive polish that can easily strip the thin gold plating from the connectors. You're lucky you still had a golden gleam after you finished.

As far as I've seen, the eraser method appears to be the gentlest & safest (right after isopropyl-dampened swab). Plus instead of cleaning up Brasso paste, all you need is a little soft bristle brush to sweep a few eraser bits away.

Win-win, right?

[intlogre]

The reason blowing works is the water particles in your breath attach to the pins on the card to create a temporary bridge in the Nintendo for electrons to flow across.

[TheMindshifter]

this was uploaded on my B'Day!! :D

[SuperGonzalez909]

IS THAT A PAWN SHOP..??

[PrinceOF9Imagination]

u mean gay shop :D

[MyNameIsArmakuni]

I use always Shaver Cleaner or contactspray on my games cartridge. And spray a little on the q-tips.

[TheGt550]

Use windex then alcohol and to finalize blow glentenly to the cartridge

[Nintendough]

@TheGt550

Similarly after waxing my car, I like to apply a fine protective coat of mud. ;)

[frankrod5150]

the beginning was so funny....

[sayastra]

this guy isn't all the way correct- i use rubbing alcohol and q-tips- the q-tip side with alcohol first then the dry side of the q-tip, try it out- Note* if you the alcohol is not completely dry on 8 bit Nes you'll have to wait a bit, on 16 bit sega the sound will hum for a bit, when finish i recommend you store cartidge in a ziploc syle back (keeps the dust out, i only clean games when i get them home from the store)..... to clean cartridge systems, compressed air- this works on games okay too.

[Valientlink]

@sayastra I tried alcohol and I can't play that game anymore.

[sayastra]

was it playable to begin with? because that's all i use and it hasn't been a problem (btw if the alcohol is still wet then you're up shit creek)

[JohnAnthonyRock]

I know its a stupid question, but would it work on old gameboy carts?

[Geekmania1]

well my nes cartridge is very clean but that still doesn't work...

[michael2244]

blowing in the game works fine for me

[treyhoov3]

Is it okay if it has ammonia?

[p0k3sMoT42o]

Good question, windex may work at first to clean the metal connectors on the game but the NH3 (ammonia) causes corrosion to the board that the connectors are on over time. Nintendo themself, in their "nintendo repair kit" instructions book tells you to use a 50/50 solution of 95% isopropyl alcohol and water. Use q-tips the way this guy did in the video but more carefully, clean your games sparingly, only if they dont work and when you are actually going to play them.

[dragondemond123]

"because classic gaming kicks ass"

HELL YEA!

[kingryan30]

can you unscrew the cartridge and lean the entire game or will that break it

[rwbproductions]

i use cologne. seems to have the perfect mixture of alcohol and water. plus, it leaves your games smelling quite handsome. axe may be a good, cheap alternative.

[jabbafo]

that was lame

[SMAAAASHTV]

there is actually this stuff called deoxit for electronics that removes oxidization from metal and electronic components and since it's made for electronics won't damage your equipment. I;d suggest using deoxit over something like windex.

[AlexanderCosB]

do they sell it at retail stores?

[SMAAAASHTV]

I got mine from guitar center as I originally bought it to stop the crackling in my volume knob on my amplifier. I believe you can get it at radio shack as well and you can check it out at the manufacturers site caig(dot)com

[omnimon64]

Dont you guys read the back it says something about not using alchohol.

[Stereorage]

I cleaned all 50+ of my NES carts last night using isopropyl alcohol and q-tips. I tested all of them today, and they work perfectly. It does not affect the connectors at all. Many people do it.

[Jest]

The warning on the back was there t st people from using cleaners with watered down alcohol. When nintendo released there OWN cleaner it was actually pretty much just alcohol

[1234deedeeramone]

i know nintendo just used to give you that bullcrap so you would spend money on their cleaners or buy a new game cause you though the old one was broken.

[sayastra]

@Jest i use the alcohol- just don't rub in on the plastic too vigorously

[jonhy8398]

can the game still work if it was used with alochol then wind-ex

[HaloSpartanG13]

Use rubbing alcohol, it works best. And also, rubbing alochol also works for GB/GBC/GBA games and can stop screeching.

[DeeperBlueX16]

Geez, 5-6 Q-tips?

[smartbro678]

i just burn my old consoles lol

[yolol111]

ill take em

[Skoder007]

Water will also work cuz it flushes out the dust. But do not use it after you have water it, I mean u can damage the component. But there are a reason why it dosent work. The component are old and rusty. Throw it in the carbage and bye a ps3....

[Skoder007]

0:50 LOL XD

[radiuslight]

Bullshit.....this is the correct way!

Yes water will work just as well...because that is the correct way!

[Skoder007]

Its stupid to say there is one correct way! I dont know why people have this system/game they came out for around 30 year. Guys you can get emulator witch are better and you dont need to clean it. I know you need to save it cuz of your memories and the abcd stuff. But every good thing most come to and and. I had the snes but that 15 years ago (around). Now I have PS3. I good cd/dvd cleaning tip. Wash it with soap and water, I do it all the time and it works.

[JJ9715]

How about also using distilled water, spray some on a q-tip and wipe down the inside of the cartridge?

[jjbob4]

i found food in min lol realy

[xxonofrioxx]

I think this guy was a dirty, beat-up kid.

[Daigo787]

I have a question.Does it make a difference if the Windex is the regular blue kind or can I also use one of those special scented ones?

[corndog125nalald]

holy crap the anoyncer sounds so much like the Anouncer from Ren and Stimpy

[segasonicdude]

This video is awesome! Funny and informative.

I've done this technique for years now and it always works every time.

I'm glad to see I'm not the only person that knows the right way to clean games:D

[richardtheconquerer]

Does this work for Game Boy games as well?

[animefreak86]

yep it does

[porkchop7171]

are u filming in a shop that u own or is that in ur house??

[NintendoGX159]

I used 70% rubbing alcohol with a q-tip and it works fine as well. But I should stick with what the video says.

[RetroGamerX3]

gud vid!

works for me. =)

I dnt use Windex but i use a cheaper version of glass cleaner, its still blue tho, lol.

[TheGnomeLocker]

Another common failure with games like this is the battery inside which results in failure of saved games. So if your games dont save, replace the battery.

[itnt07]

the accents are killing me...

[SuperDudeNotMan]

can you use any window cleaner

or floor cleaner

if you dsont have windex

[JesusMovement]

rubbing alcohol works good. and if u can't get it properly cleaned open up and use a light grit sandpaper and then use alcohol

[marlinlee]

If cleaning isn't enough use a pencil eraser. It will remove the corrosion as well as sandpaper. But unlike sandpaper it won't remove the metal of the contacts.

[lawsturner]

ive been doing this for years and it works great, i was taught in a short computer class in high school this is the proper way to clean contact points on boards, i was told to use a white eraser but aive found pink ones to work as well (just dont be too agressive as this is a coarser abbrasive)

[Goddafodda]

DO NOT CALL US lol

[hanzieWTF]

70% alcohol works fine with me, not use 100% because that harms your cartridges

[Dazza102]

Windex... windex is stupid...

Use electrical contact cleaner, its actually make for circuit boards.. not for fucking windows...

[dries555]

Wow, this video helped me a lot. Man there was a lot of dirt and black stuff on my megaman 3 cartridge and now it's all clean!! So blowing in the cartridge over and over again is finally fucking history !!! Really good work man!

[conninja333]

Dude thank you im a retro vid game reviewer and this vid helped a ton thanks u never heard of me? im the electronics geek

[twiliprince6]

we get the store to...?

[albinoman1]

Wow. Awesome. I was just about to snap my Banjo Kazooie cartridge in half =-(. Thanks!

[cubingidiot]

what about cleaning consoles?

[pirox1234]

hey, i have a rampage for gb and it wont work. ive cleaned, ive opened and i tried the game so much times that i don't know what to do, i need help

[ramz9169]

omg... i did this and my conker finally works for N64 lol usually its like impossible to get it work!

[Bullet24Lew]

you should do a video on how to replace the gamesave batteries...hint..hint...ahem

[Bullet24Lew]

if your in the UK use mr muscle or windolene glass cleaner, try to go with mr muscle without vinegar in it.

[Riddler95]

how do you clean the cartridge port of a SEGA Genesis ?

Model 1 & 2

[iseetacos]

is this the same for gbc cartridge?

[BluePlaque]

This works great, I have been doing this for some time and I am very happy with my classic snes and nes games. I use to think it was over, I could not play them anymore but when I saw this I tried it..worked great!

Thanks Old School Fool!

[WebVMan]

I bought that stuff at Wal-Mart cause they have lots of "As Seen On T.V." Items.  They just call their product Windex though. Those rubbing tips are called Q-Tips. No, I'm not that stupid. What a lame commercial.

[zangos15]

can you do with a genises cartraise

[richardtheconquerer]

Me too

[GameAtheist]

Cool, but when I try this I'm not gonna risk one of my good games, I'm probley gonna use like McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure.

[LeeMan00]

4:01, its true

[artrulz]

Electrical Contact Cleaner is the best cleaning solution for anything like this. All you need is a pink gum eraser (to safely scrub the contacts) and contact cleaner to rinse the contacts.

[XXLEOLIONXX]

at 0:51 he studered. badley. lol but still cool

[dirk4172]

I have a very slight stutter to and I find what you said offensive and rude.

[XXLEOLIONXX]

W/E i really dnt give

[CenturyGamer]

"I have a very slight stutter to and I find what you said offensive and rude."

Noone gives a shit :p

[dirk4172]

I dont care either I think its hilarious that people like you actually felt like they had to respond and make them selves look like assholes. Cracks me up what you said "Noone gives a shit" because it did to you that you felt like responding.

[boltingskyline]

You're supposed to use Custard, not Windex!!

[jimb024]

My n64 has been randomly reseting itself everytime i try to play a game. Can I clean out the pins inside of the system or maybe even the connectors on the expansion pak this way?

[mkfan1997]

yup it works i use it on umk3 for sega.

[videogamecentral]

I never said anything about tap water. And the reason that "every retro gamer" that you have spoken to uses alcohol is because they have been "doing it for years", just like blowing into cartridges which is also a small quick bad fix. I have literally cleaned 1000's of carts over the years with many different solutions and I have found windex or any other window cleaning solution to offer the best results. This rings true only for cart gaming, I attest not to the pc dept.

[Maxrebo6]

as I dont have windex no but almost something has good I will tell every one if it works I hope because if does that will be awesome

[prime20]

im sorry but windex is kinda bad to use on ur carts cuz most cleaning solutions like windex uses ammonia perfumes and other solvants. plus it has water in the mix that can damage the board. use rubbing alcohol cuz it dries fast and its not as wash out as windex. so its more concentrated.

[videogamecentral]

Actually it's just the opposite. DO NOT USE ALCOHOL!! It's too powerful of a solvent. The windex is a diluted form of pure alcohol and despite the fresh and so clean clean smell there is no downside! I have had many gamers "use alcohol" but then they magically can't get there games to work correctly because the alcohol can and WILL eat through over time your pin connections! And just a small note, alcohol is a solvent and when you buy it from a store it's already mixed with water.

[masticina]

Yeah glass cleaner is more..soft and for appliances better :) I mean if it drips into things it can't do as much damage as..lets say..alcohol!

So even if windex gets into the cardridge..it still probably won't damage it

[fusel412crew]

@videogamecentral alcohol works the best has through out the years for my system no problems at all its a mith

[2007nintendo]

it could be the pins inside the system, not just the Cartridge

[mkarim85]

only the blue windex works?, because i have the green...

[Cubivore10]

Actually Alcohol works great. I used it on my older games, and they still work great to this day.

[rainyz]

goofballs! :D

[mattsme]

OMG. I LOVE you guys! Thanks so much! I'm in the process of cleaning my entire collection. Got dozens of games! It's kiind of a lengthy, careful process, but if it works, who cares?! Such a great idea, great video! Using my non-Windex product. XD

[slots15301]

my screen turns purple then after i giggle it around then it flashes i will try this thanks

[akaELI]

you asked how to fix a PS1 game well they sell this cleaning machine that fixs all the scratches and makes them better then new. it doesn't only work for PS1 disks but all CDs and DVDs. you can get this any where and sometimes video stores can fix them using this machine for money. it costs around 30$ but it's worth every penny to fix that DVD or CD that you need to replace.

[DonRMB]

hey how can i fix some playstation cds???

[allurbabiesbelong2me]

great video works perfectly!

[daffinc]

awesome!

[Cokeoriginaltaste]

some "this is not windex" and some q-tips =D

[digita1sunset]

wow thanks so much. every game of mine works now. you guys are awesome. keep making great videos!

[popculturehero]

great video. I've been doing this for years but with the nintendo cleaning stick since its a sturdy hunk of plastic.

again a excellent tutorial.

[Cokeoriginaltaste]

can i preorder some ?

[Louis0nFire]

lol pre-order what?