[KR155E]

A problem often encountered by Virtual Boy users are glitchy displays, leading to horizontal lines, reversed or generally distorted images, or even complete loss of display activity.

All those symptoms are usually caused by the ribbon cables connecting the LEDs to the motherboard becoming loose, or peeling away from the display PCB.

Fixing your Diplay: Oven method

DogP has come up with a way to fix the problem by opening the system up, removing the display, sticking it in the oven to re-melt the adhesive, and reassemble. It’s not a difficult procedure, except that the typical security bit can’t get to the deepest screws on the VB, so you either need a special screwdiver, a modified bit, or a modified screwdriver.

You can find a guide to fix your displays on DogP’s Project:VB.

Fixing your Diplay: Bypass method

Another way has been proposed by DanB. To permanently fix the problem, his idea was to replace the loosening ribbon cables with some better wires, which he soldered to the PCB. This solution requires much more skill, though, and should only be performed by solder experienced people with a steady hand and a huge portion of patience.

The complete guide can be found here.

Fixing your Diplay: New methods (RECOMMENDED)

Some more methods have recently been developed by DogP to permanently fix the cable problem (contrary to the probably non-permanent oven method): Thread.

• This topic was modified 16 years, 4 months ago by KR155E.

thanks for the additional info. i’ve sent you a PM. =)

Lester Knight wrote:
thanks for the additional info. i’ve sent you a PM. =)

Replied 🙂

I had one that both eyes just completely went out. So I gotta open it up and fix it. Luckly it was a spare I am selling.

My VB is going downhill fast… first lines on one eye. Then lines on the other eye. Then the right eye having stronger light at times. Then the right eye going “mirror mode” with itself… freaky stuff. I can’t fix it myself… guess I’ll have to find another one 🙁

Protoman85 wrote:
My VB is going downhill fast… first lines on one eye. Then lines on the other eye. Then the right eye having stronger light at times. Then the right eye going “mirror mode” with itself… freaky stuff. I can’t fix it myself… guess I’ll have to find another one 🙁

I just bought a screw driver to fix one and the screw driver won’y fit down the last 4 holes to open the system up. There’s a way to make you’re own with a pen but the pen better be REALLY strong to act like a screw driver.

Virtual_Link wrote:

Protoman85 wrote:
My VB is going downhill fast… first lines on one eye. Then lines on the other eye. Then the right eye having stronger light at times. Then the right eye going “mirror mode” with itself… freaky stuff. I can’t fix it myself… guess I’ll have to find another one 🙁

I just bought a screw driver to fix one and the screw driver won’y fit down the last 4 holes to open the system up. There’s a way to make you’re own with a pen but the pen better be REALLY strong to act like a screw driver.

http://www.projectvb.com/tech/securitybit.html

Easier : )
I still do repair displays by soldering them (thus a permanent fix, I also give you a guarantee) if people are interested.

You can buy one here:
http://www.newelectronx.com/proddetail.php?prod=gamebit
4.5mm is the right size. The costs are purely shipping costs, I do charge a fee for repairing the displays which is €30,-

this saved my life on longer and shorter holes. all fit fine

TheForce81 wrote:

I still do repair displays by soldering them (thus a permanent fix, I also give you a guarantee) if people are interested.

How much do you charge? Other than return shipping.

Protoman85 wrote:

TheForce81 wrote:

I still do repair displays by soldering them (thus a permanent fix, I also give you a guarantee) if people are interested.

How much do you charge? Other than return shipping.

€30,-, short answer 😉

i have a VB with one eye with the horizontal line glitch.. i am tempted to try the oven fix method, but im curious, is there anyone here who has done it? how long does it last?

i mean if it really only lasts a couple years, id prefer to get someone to fix it properly by soldering i guess. i keep putting off playing all the new games i picked up for it cos i dont want to ruin the experience by using it while its got the dreaded lines.. : (

I fixed my Virtual Boy using the Oven Method over 6 months ago and have since had no glitchy display problems with my Virtual Boy (you can read my post about it earlier on in this thread). I have also played my Virtual Boy for many countless hours in the meantime, so it hasn’t just been sitting around for 6 months while continuing to work well when I play it here and there. The most important step, I believe, is reinforcing the cables with packing tape around the PCB and cables before you place them back up against the plastic housing within the Virtual Boy. This is a step that I believe DogP gave as a suggestion, but I would call it a necessity. Because the PCB gets screwed back onto the plastic housing, the packing tape will definitely stay there for a long time, if not indefinitely, especially if you apply it hard and also screw the PCBs back in tightly. This will do a great job of keeping the cables from coming loose again in the future.

Of course, others have also noted that you shouldn’t mess with the IPD dial if you don’t have to. So if you are the only one who uses your Virtual Boy, keep it where you want it and just leave it there, unless you plan to store it for a long time, in which case you should rotate it counterclockwise as far as it can go (this setting is actually the best for my eyes, which is nice for me).

I plan to stick around on the Virtual Boy scene for many years, so I’ll post if my Virtual Boy ever gets the lines again, but I am definitely a proud supporter of the Oven Method for now! 🙂

hey, thanks a lot for the insight.. i appreciate it a lot.
yea i would definitely put tape around to reinforce. when i get round to it ill post a video of the proceedure on my youtube channel and ill definitely shout out to the planetVB massive. : )

http://www.youtube.com/user/shenmueso

Well, as I said I would, I am now indicating that my Virtual Boy has received its first glitchy display problem since I fixed it with the Oven Bake Method on October 15, 2011. Last night, my right screen faded out a little during a game and remained faded out, so I’ll probably have to do another Oven Bake fix soon. This occurred on July 10, 2012 and I’ve played this particular system for many hours since Oct. 15th, so one can see that the Oven Bake Method worked well for almost 9 months. Since I already have the hang of doing it, it should literally be another 15-minute fix or so to give me who knows how many more hours of playing time over several months.

I fix it with the radical method.

If the problem reappear, I’ll solder the second par of the connector…

To do that, I use NaOH, configurable solder iron in temperature, tweezers and the most important : the binocular

1 screen takes me about 20 minutes 🙂

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Great job..looks solid.

-Eric

Yes , it is, but not enough. If the not soldered part becomes to move, it is enough to create perturbation. But now it will be less difficult to solder the other part of the connector if necessary.

Nice job indeed, though I don’t understand what you mean with the noth soldered parts and its moving?! That won’t happen, so, you are settled for life with this method.

Thank you.

Once, the “glitchy” problem persisted after welding.

I think it was due to the fact that the connector was more or less connected on the PCB at the location where it was only glued.
This is enough to create perturbation.

To avoid this, I ironing the glue with the soldering iron setted to 100 °C.

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I had the same problem as well and from my research, it has to do with glue residue that actually interferes with the conductivity.

When I gently pushed on the traces with a desoldering wick and some tin on my soldering iron, the problem went away.
That way I pushed the traces on the PCB firmly and solved the harder to fix ones. I may not be correct, but since I used this method, I solved every harder to fix display easily. Takes up some time, but is a good permanent fix.

my virtual boy is having vertical lines but they arnt solid the left display is really bright exept for the lines which are dark its quite wierd seen it once before but new batteries fixed it