Category: Repairs
Retro Console Power Supply Guide: Voltage, Polarity and Plugs
A chart of original power supply specs for retro consoles (NES, SNES, Mega Drive and Genesis, Master System, Game Gear, N64, GameCube, Wii and more), with UK and US model numbers, polarity and plug sizes, plus how to choose and check a replacement safely.
Dreamcast Not Reading Discs? Fixes in Order, Cheapest First
Why a Sega Dreamcast stops reading discs and how to fix it in order of cost: the lid switch, disc and MIL-CD checks, lens cleaning, the cracked spur gear, GD-ROM board capacitors, and the laser potentiometer adjustment as a last resort.
Game Gear Recap Guide: Capacitor Lists and Common Mistakes
A Sega Game Gear recap guide: how to identify your board revision, the capacitor list for the VA1 main, sound and power boards, how to remove leaking caps without lifting pads, and how to fix no sound or a white screen after a recap.
Game Boy No Sound? How to Fix It on Every Model (DMG to SP)
How to fix a Game Boy with no sound from the speaker: the headphone-jack mute switch, the volume wheel, the speaker and the audio capacitors, model by model for the original DMG, Pocket, Color, Advance and SP.
N64 Loose Joystick Fix: Regrease, Rebuild or Replace?
Why N64 controller sticks go loose, why you cannot really tighten one, and the three fixes that work: regrease, new gears and bowl, or a drop-in hall-effect or TMR module. Includes the screws, the 6-pin connector and the re-zero trick.
N64 Powers On but No Display? How to Fix the Black Screen
How to fix a Nintendo 64 that powers on with the red light but shows a black screen: Jumper Pak, cartridge and region lockout, TV input and cables, the 12 V and 5 V rails, the Multi Out socket and when it really is the board.
GameCube “The Disc Could Not Be Read” Error: How to Fix It
How to fix a GameCube that shows "The disc could not be read" or drops to the memory card menu: disc checks, lens cleaning, the VR-401 laser trim pot, drive-board capacitors, the ribbon cable and when to fit an optical drive emulator.
SNES No Sound? How to Find the Fault and Fix It
How to diagnose a Super Nintendo with a picture but no sound: cable and TV checks, the audio power rail, Nintendo's own fault order, the U10 amp or S-MIX, and when a recap helps.
PS2 Disc Read Error: How to Find the Cause and Fix It (Fat and Slim)
A PS2 disc read error has several possible causes behind one error screen. A four-disc test narrows it down, then clean, lubricate, check the mechanism, and only then replace the laser. Covers Fat and Slim models.
ZX Spectrum Keyboard Not Working? Find the Fault From Which Keys Are Dead
Which ZX Spectrum keys have stopped working tells you where the fault is. A full key-matrix chart, a BASIC keyboard tester, and how to replace the membrane on the 48K and the Spectrum+.