How To Open A Xbox One (Original) | Clean | Thermal Paste | Fix 

Cant believe what 8 year olds can do nowadays ! Mad 😂

That's awesome and thank you for the support!!! I know a lot of other tutorials are older and to me don't provide enough coverage on how to do things. That's why I wanted to make this to help people like you. Again, thank you!

@@MikeLikesThat You have done a fantastic job! Unfortunately, even after following both your tutorials... My Xbox refuses to work. It worked for 6 hours after I opened and cleaned the main unit and power brick. Now, it won't come on and stay on, even after the factory reset. I'm sad... I'll miss my Xbox, but maybe it's time for me to move on.

@@Xomenra01 I'm sorry to hear that. If the console worked for about 6 hours I would look into possibly the power brick being the issue. If you have the original power brick those are known to fail pretty frequently. They are usually around 20 bucks or so and if you're willing to spend that to see if it would fix the console that might be your best bet. Alternatively when working on the motherboard it could have been warped a little bit which could also aid in partially detaching one of the CPUs. But since it worked for 6 hours I would think that it's most likely the power supply. Hopefully!

@@MikeLikesThat I took the power brick apart with the use of your tutorial video. Cleaned it thoroughly and reassembled. It was, in fact, quite filthy. It was after that cleaning and reassembly I was able to get the 6 hours of use. Since it failed after that I tried the factory reset of the power supply and the unit fails to maintain power for use at all. I'm older and we were using the Xbox One for mostly streaming to our TV. I will continue to look for a functional option, but for the time being we are just going to buy a smart TV. I greatly appreciate your help and posts to RU-vid!

Thank you! Yes I did notice that too when I cleaned out another Xbox. This practice isn't uncommon with electronics. There are different "sub" model variations where the exterior will look the same but some small changes were made internally. This could have been my case or someone opened up this Xbox before me and forgot to put back a screw.

I was going insane trying to figure out why I had 8

Does it improve the performance? I'm planning to replace my thermal paste because my Xbox hasn't been able to get a stable 60 fps especially in new games

@@MoodyFares it will only lower the heat of the Xbox, which could make it run better if it gets hot, before thermal compound, I would try cleaning the dust from the fan and internals. Super easy and not much can go wrong.

Thank you for watching and I'm glad if I helped you out!

Thank you for watching 😁

That is awesome!!! So glad I could help.

Thanks!

I believe the Xbox I was working on was already taken apart. Whoever had it open before must have left it out. Sorry for any confusion. Yes in my experience Xbox is a lot easier to work on than PlayStation. PlayStation typically just has a lot more screws.

Thanks for watching I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Sorry to hear that!!! The only things I can suggest to do is to double check the HDD and Fan connections or try a new powerbrick one last time. If that does not do the trick then most likely the CPU has a solder connection issue with the motherboard. This issue has plagued many xbox owners after years of playing on the console. Sometimes just sitting there and not being moved this issue can happen after many hours of gameplay. Other times moving it around a lot between rooms or houses could eventually break loose some connections. Worst case would be that your xbox was on its last legs and when you removed the heatsink it could have accelerated the issue. Again I'm sorry about your luck and hope its a simple fix. If not, then a pc would be awesome! It's definitely not the best time to build a pc but prebuilds would be good, BUT STAY AWAY FROM DELL!!!

Thank you and also sorry I forgot to add timestamps to this video... To replace only the thermal paste everything will still need to be removed, but each part doesn't need to be fully disassembled (bluray drive, HDD, or the heatsink fan.) To be more exact you can jump past these few sections of this video: 10:25 - 11:45 12:50 - 15:50 19:20 - 21:10 26:36 - 27:55 31:30 - 32:00 Hope this helps 😁

@@MikeLikesThat Wow thank you so much!! That’s fantastic, perfect!!

The thermal paste they use is good but I would recommend some fresh thermal paste every 5 years from first use. If you play it frequently or for many hours at a time I recommend every 3 years. Thank you for watching!

@@MikeLikesThat thanks did change my xbox one x after 12 months was like dry clay so thinking about the xbox one original iv had for over 6 years thanks for info

@@tauhid610 it is definitely fun to do but again you still do take a risk by opening up the console. If it clearly sounds like it's loud and and the fans are spinning fast all the time then you should try it out.

You can clean it without changing the thermal paste or removing the motherboard. If it isn't that dusty and the Xbox fans are still loud then you should replace the thermal paste. Best Buy does have thermal paste in the computer section typically where they would have graphic cards.

Did it have any pending updates? And yes if it is turned off for a while then it may reset the HDMI output settings until it finds the best settings again.

@@MikeLikesThat No updates, I use it daily. I replugged the hdmi back into the hdmi in from sat/cable like an absolute sausage, so I couldn't see why it was power cycling twice. But third time lucky It booted up, now has been on for 30+ mins with no issue. So I'm assuming the mobo was just resyncing things.

@@Glories999 awesome! Glad to hear.

No, the X clamp is directly under the motherboard and the only way to gain access to the X clamp is to remove the motherboard.

The X-clamp is the only part that applies pressure to the heatsink, board and processor. It is not a lot of pressure compared to something like a computer CPU cooler. Reason being, the processor on the Xbox has its die exposed that is very fragile, whereas for a desktop the processor has an integrated heat spreader that can easily receive more pressure and distribute it evenly. Since the 4 screws do not pull the posts through the metal plate, there is no added pressure on the processor.

That sucks, but at least you will have a new looking Xbox from the front. Did you know you can order just the ribbon replacement? It's just held on by adhesive and the replacements have the adhesive already on the ribbon.

Well I got another x clamp from eBay and installed it (after cleaning and reapplying new thermal paste). Unfortunately the Xbox still doesn't work. It comes on for about five seconds then shuts off, just like before. I had turned sleep mode off (my TV had a hard time recognizing its HDMI signal so I left it on) so my best guess was it had overheated. Is there a way to reset it after overheating? Because I'm out of ideas.. ☹️

*I would highly recommend uninstalling that wire mod as soon as you can!* A 50% speed increase mod will probably kill the fan from the overvoltage and burn out the motor or the bearings will wear out a lot faster due to over use out of the normal specs. The factory fan running at factory specs are more than enough to cool the Xbox and this mod can only do more harm then good. Will this mod work, yes, but it would be a lot safer to just replace the thermal paste and clean the console. After cleaning your Xbox, if the fan is still spinning up fast and loud then your issue is the thermal paste. Which is normal as thermal paste will dry out over time and become less efficient at transferring heat, hence the reason for the fan spinning up loud and faster to blow more air over the heatsink to compensate. For consoles I recommend replacing the factory thermal paste after 5 to 7 years. Sometimes a console may just shut off during gameplay from over heating, cleaning the console and replacing the thermal paste can most times fix this issue.

@@MikeLikesThat okay cool. Thanks for the tips. Honestly I'm not that worried about it since those fans are inexpensive. Look up xbox one fan accelerator mod on here video by circuitsurgen. This is where i got it from, it seems fine but let me know what you think.. But yea comin up on 6 years having it, its about time. Never done it before so I get a little intimidated.

@@MikeLikesThat also, my xbox fan before never really got that loud mabey sometimes, it would just be kinda hot when I put my hand on top of it

@@Juggernaut757 for that mod it does make sense, but again it will damage the fan at an accelerated rate compared to stock speeds and will be louder unnecessarily. You can leave it in, but I just do not recommend it at all. Another way to look at it is if Microsoft thought the fan should be faster then they would have built it to be faster. Doing a full tear-down is stressful and also really rewarding once you finish. I would defiantly watch as many videos as you can about your products you want to take apart and check for tutorials on iFixit.com. That way you know almost everything about which takes a lot of stress out of it. One way I learned to be more comfortable taking things apart is broken or old electronics. Find or buy any cheap electronics and just have fun. Most electronics are built in the same way or use similar techniques.

@@MikeLikesThat okay so I just asked the guy I bought the mod from and here's what he said. "My modules will not damage the fan (or anything else!). They drive the fan in precisely the way the fan is designed to be driven which is, of course, exactly the same way as the console does. Other cheap mods, especially the so-called "12-volt mod", may well damage the fan if they're applying 12 volts to a connection designed for only 3.3 volts... but my mods don't do that - as I say, my mods drive the fan and control its speed correctly."

When buying used consoles always make sure it is working before you buy it. Either test it in person or have the seller send you a video of it turning on and loading a game from the disc. If you are buying off of ebay then you should be able to submit a claim for a refund if it turns out not to work.

@@MikeLikesThat no the console is currently working jst fine. But some ppl says that if u change the thermal paste the console can shut down any minute.

@@dastan_5146 out of all the consoles I have ever cleaned my customers and I have never had an issue. I have cleaned many consoles so I would have more experience than somebody doing it one time. If the guy you bought it from said he's done it multiple times you should be okay. If this was his first attempt you should be okay as well. There is always a chance that the console could shut down randomly if the person didn't apply enough thermal paste. If it does shut down randomly that means that there is not but does not mean the console is dead. The console will shut down if it detects it is overheating to protect itself. If that is the case I would investigate and possibly replace the thermal paste. If you're able to play a game for about 30 minutes on it and it doesn't shut down. You should have no issue with what the person did.

I hope these steps work: 1. On the console, press and hold the Xbox button for 10 seconds to turn off the console. 2. Press and hold both the Xbox button (how you would normally turn it on) and the Eject button at the same time. 3. This should boot your console in low resolution mode (640 × 480). To reset this setting, press the Xbox button on the controller to open the guide. Select Profile & system, then Settings. 4. Select Display & sound, then Video output, and select the resolution you want from the Display dropdown. If this does not work then there are only two main possibilities. 1 your console CPU/GPU most likely has gone bad and it would cost more than the Xbox to repair, or 2 a capacitor has gone bad and could be replaced easily by someone who knows how to solder.

I had this same issue too with another Xbox I cleaned. The power button would sometimes work and or shut off the Xbox mid game. I replaced just the ribbon and it fixed it. To replace it is pretty easy. You just peel off the old one and the new one has adhesive already on it so you just keep it in line as you stick it on.

@@MikeLikesThat Thanks for the help. Also, it's mesmerizing to see that, in a video posted long ago, the channel owner stills answering people nowadays. And for such, you just gained a new sub :).

@@notyourduck4306 no problem! I posted the video to help people and will as long as I can.

The only thing I can suggest is to double check the Fan, HDD, and Disk Drive connections. Sometimes if they are not connected then the Xbox will not turn on at all. If all connections are are good, then the motherboard may have been shorted at some point during the cleaning. There are not too many other things to try, but what can be found here at iFixit: www.ifixit.com/Wiki/Xbox_One_Won%27t_Turn_On

Thank you!

Probably overheating, opening it up and replacing thermal paste should do the trick

In theory yes a SSD would make the internals cooler. This temperature difference should not have too much bearing on the main processor temperature as the main source of air intake comes in from the side and not the rear where the HDD is. Game load times can be faster with both external and internal SSDs. Both will load games within a few seconds of each other. If internal, the added benefit is that the console cold boot times and menu navigation will be faster as well. Thanks for watching and thank you! If you want to become more "tech savvy" you can always find old electronics at places like Goodwill or donation centers and experiment taking things apart. You will find out a lot of electronics are built using the same methods. That's where I started.

@@MikeLikesThat Really good answer brother. Thanks for the heads up. And such a good advice on finding old stuff to experiment taking things apart. But I'm not sure where to look at here in Malaysia. lol Thanks again!

@@Evoskylution17 hmmm possibly Ebay? I know you can buy many different broken things there. I'm not sure what kind of price you would have to pay for shipping though.

@@MikeLikesThat hm.. I do tempted to access the thermal paste process. do I need to remove the other components (diskdrive/hdd) before the fan/heat sink can be remove? I've watched this twice tho.. lol

@@Evoskylution17 Awesome! Yes you do have to remove everything as the motherboard needs to be removed to gain access to the X clamp. You do not need to break down the HDD or DVD drive any more than just unplugging and setting them aside. The hardest tasks are in the beginning when unclipping the exterior plastic case from the back, removing the front panel ribbon cable, and removing the X clamp holding the heatsink on. All other tasks are generally not difficult. If this is your first time taking something apart make sure to remember to take your time and don't rush the process. Also if you haven't, watch other videos on how to take the Xbox apart. They may have a tip that worked for them and may help you.

No just thermal paste for the CPU. The VRAM around the CPU is cooled actively by the fan.

I would double check the connections for the fan and the hard drive.

Absolutely!

It should be the back left corner board that the small antenna cable connects to that controls the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

@@MikeLikesThat oh right I've changed that and still get the controller disconnecting. So thinking it could be the controller then, I'm going to borrow one today and see if it is that. Thanks

I would double check that you plugged the fan back in.

Just about any will work, here are some recommendations: Arctic MX-4 (2g) from Amazon - a.co/d/9Tot14B If you live near a BestBuy they usually have Thermaltake or Corsair branded thermal paste in stock. Just get the smallest tube aka the cheapest. Only a little is needed.

@@MikeLikesThat thanks

I currently do not but once I get an office this year I will accept walk-ins and shipping.

@@MikeLikesThat ok gotcha. got a black xbox one that my cat likes to sleep on. fan has started to make some noises when I play

I would give these steps a try: www.google.com/amp/s/www.drivereasy.com/knowledge/fix-xbox-one-controller-keeps-disconnecting/amp/ Try all of them except for #6! No download software on a computer will fix the issue! Once you try them let me know.

70% is fine to use as it dries quickly in a few seconds. By the time you put things back together there is no issue. Fully covering a CPU with thermal paste versus a bead is preference and has little to no effect on cooling performance. You are stating valid points but those are generally the best overall practices for everything. Just because it's general doesn't mean it has to be specific to everything.

Everything you said is wrong. The factories that make these electronics use IPA. EVGA's kingpin gave a tour of his lab where they make the highest end GPUs in the world and they clean all of their stuff with IPA. Also check out the Gamer's Nexus video about too much thermal paste. These are myths told by the internet gods of the late 90s.

Mine didn't have one so I never said anything about it. Someone must have been in it before me and forgot to put it back. I didn't think much of it as in my experience, many game consoles have minor revisions released without us knowing and sometimes it is only a screw or two they take out.

Do you by chance not have wifi too? I would double check that the extension cable at 37:43 is actually attached. Also you can check that the black antenna cable is connected from the front PCB to the back PCB at 39:29

Sorry for that late response... Was the Xbox working before you opened it up? Can you turn it on by pressing the home button on a controller? If so, then I would make sure that the front panel ribbon cable is properly secured, it can sometimes be a pain. If not, then did any odd objects make contact with the motherboard that can ? As is screws, screwdriver, liquid, ect. If you found a solution to your issue I would love to hear what happened!

Had a similar issues but my eject button is the only thing to have stopped working. Any advice would be appreciated.

Happens to the best of us lol!

@@MikeLikesThat it does i came back now to re re place the thermal paste and i found where it goes

@@eddie6109 haha awesome!