Nintendo Switch Midframe Replacement

Written By: Jerry Wheeler

Comments: 162

Difficulty

Difficult

Steps

Time Required

2 hours

Introduction

Outside of catastrophic impact damage, the main reason to replace a midframe on a Nintendo Switch is because the joy-con mounting rail has been brutally ripped from the midframe, leaving no solid mounting for a replacement rail available.

In order to restore the security of the joy-con mount, it is necessary to replace the entire midframe, and this guide will step you through the procedure.

Note: When you remove the shield plate, you’ll need to replace the thermal compound between the plate and the heatsink. Since normal thermal paste isn’t designed to bridge large gaps, the closest replacement is K5 Pro viscous thermal paste. You will, however, need regular replacement thermal paste for the CPU.

Tools

Parts

Step 1

Before you begin this repair, make sure the device is completely powered off.
Press and hold down the small round button on the back of the Joy Con controller.
While you hold down the button, slide the controller upward.

Kann ich diese Anleitung auch für die OLED anwenden? Habe im INet sonst leider nichts brauchbares gefunden.

Ina Barz -

backup all your sd card data i had to format mine after this tutorial and lost all my game data

JustForThisComment?ComeOn -

Step 2

Continue sliding the Joy Con upward until it's completely removed from the console.
Repeat this same process for the other Joy Con.

Step 3

Use a Y00 screwdriver to remove the four 6.3 mm-long screws securing the rear panel.
Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from.

Had to use a Y0 from my kit - the Y00 was too small to get a grip on the screw.

cday - 05/06/21

I also had a much easier time with Y0 versus Y00. Y00 felt like it was starting to strip the first screw I tried to remove.

Joe -

My screws took a little coaxing before they were all ready to come out of the back plate, but I remedied this by turning the screwdriver as little as possible with each turn. Use almost no pressure, except for at the very beginning of each screw’s first turn.

nin10doh -

I think my screws are stripped, any way to get them out?

Banjomanperson -

I hear that using a rubber band can help? Not 100% sure on that though.

Pifase -

My top 2 screws are stripped, one into triangle, the other circle, rather than triangle spokes.

AndrewDaPro -

This happened when I replaced the micro-sd card slot, which turned out to have replaced the broken one with another one that turns out to be broken. I need to fix the fact that when I reapplied the back cover, the vent was misaligned.

AndrewDaPro -

I had huge problems removing the bottom two screws. I continued with the next steps and lifted the plastic shell as much as possible while using the screwdriver and it became an ease.

JustForThisComment?ComeOn -

y0 works best. Press HARD at beginning then ease off to finish.

J LWsMommy -

Step 4

Use a JIS 000 driver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the following screws securing the rear panel:
One 2.5 mm-long screw on the top edge of the device
Two 2.5 mm-long screws on the bottom edge of the device
To prevent these tight screws from stripping, apply firm downward force, work slowly and try another JIS 000 or PH 000 driver if the screws won't come out.

Hey guys, I tried removing the upper screw and it won't go out(neither will it go in) any tips how to fix this?

Thanks

Nemysis - 27/03/21

The screw boss might be stripped out. Has the device been taken apart before? If you can unscrew it a little bit to get the screw to peek out, maybe try and grab it with some pliers as a last-ditch effort.

Craig Lloyd - 29/03/21

I have the same problem. The JIS 000 tool works great on the joy con rails per step 5 but refuses to turn the bottom two 2.5 mm screws as in step 4. These bottom screws are noticeably smaller than the screws as in step 5. The JIS 000 does not get down into these screws. Hopefully they haven’t been stripped by the wrong tool. So is there a JIS tool that is smaller than 000? I’m stuck at this point…

david brown - 28/04/21

We used the JIS 3.0mm screwdriver for both top and bottom screws and it worked

Brooklyn Gardner - 07/05/21

Used PH00 to get these out with no problem.

cday - 05/06/21

Fun fact: these screw into little plastic tabs that stick out of the rear panel. Apparently those tabs are fragile and easy to just break off…

Benjamin Fritz -

If the screw is turning but not coming out, the plastic tab that it screws into is probably damaged or broken. You’ll need to try to pry the screw out with tweezers as you unscrew it. It is not the end of the world if you can’t screw these back in during reassembly.

claudio ocano -

My screws came out fine. But they are easily stripped with too much pressure on reassmbly

Jaxon Lee -

this screws are way too fragile and way too small so be careful when taking them off dont use much force and unscrew also one of them fell somewhere and spent 30 mins searching for it

Richard Aguirre -

PH000 will work if you don’t have JIS000. The large IFIXIT kit has both and I lost JIS000. Just be very careful as you can strip the heads when removing or inserting easier.

Shawn Spivey -

One thing that worked pretty well for me with the screws not coming out is slightly prying on the back cover to put them under some tension

Florian Kraupa -

Quick note, these screws are not magnetic. A magnetic screwdriver will hold onto any of the others safely, but you need to be careful not to drop these ones in particular.

Jason Lane -

These would just keep rotating and not come out. What worked was, as Florian Kraupa suggested, i slid a plastic pick just between the 2 shells near the screws to prise it open slightly, then unscrewed and out they came. They're the smallest screws I've ever almost not seen before, so be careful with them.

Susannah Carter -

Step 5

Use a JIS 000 screwdriver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the two 3.8 mm center screws on the sides of the device (one on each side).

I tried my JIS 000 on Step 5 and was unable to get the screw to budge. It’s partner from the other side came right out with no trouble. Don’t really want to narf up the screw, so I bailed out. Anyone else have this issue?

mrhoyt - 04/03/21

Could just be torqued down a bit more! I’d recommend making sure the driver bit seats nicely into the screw, apply some downward pressure, and slowly twist to try and back it out. Good luck!

Craig Lloyd - 05/03/21

Yeah I’m having this exact issue. Screw stripped and now I’m stuck. Wish I hadn’t even started.

Ryan Quinn - 22/05/21

I did finally get it out- one thing I noticed was some of the screws have blue Loctite on the threads. I guess they figure it’ll get tossed around. This underscores the importance of having the correct tools and making double darn sure you are using the correct size, etc.

mrhoyt - 05/03/21

What worked for me here was a Phillips 000, not a JIS 000

Federico Zivolo - 21/04/21

One of mine is totally stripped. Guess I can’t do anything now.

Nick -

My kit only has two screwdriver heads! The package was open when I received it!

Cynthia Hyland -

I had this issue as well. Screw was irreparably stripped. If you can get every other screw out, just keep applying pressure with a flat head screw driver right above the stripped screw and try to break the plastic piece holding onto the screw. It's a very minor invisible bit of damage that will allow you to continue the repair.

Raymond Garrison -

after getting all the other screws off I just hinged the back part away and it snapped off neatly where the rusted screw is. not the best solution but it worked.

Steve T -

One of my screws was SUPER attached too, but after following a bit noticed the one other in the left that got out nicely, had the plastic tab broken already! So I went ahead and broke the other tab too. So the two side screws are now holding nothing. But I think it will work thanks to the other 4 or 5 screws. Too bad!

carolaclavo -

i managed to get out one screw by putting a bit of paper over it which gave the screwdriver something to grip. The other side just won't budge and gets worse the more i try.

Steve T -

Step 6

Use your finger to flip up the kickstand on the back of the device.
If there's a microSD card in the microSD card slot, remove it now before you continue to the next step.

Don't put your SD card on your magnetic mat.

Chris Cotter -

Step 7

Use a JIS 000 screwdriver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the 1.6 mm screw in the kickstand well.
Close the kickstand.

Step 8

Open the game card cartridge flap.
The game card cartridge flap attaches to the other half of the plastic shell, preventing you from completely lifting up the rear panel if it's closed.
Lift the rear panel up from the bottom of the device and remove it.

How to remove micro SD port?

Pull straight up, press back into place when closing back up.

Christopher Hernandez - 02/03/21

This step is missing in this guide. Here are the steps from another guide:

Step 9) Nintendo Switch Right Joy Con Sensor Rail Replacement

Step 10) Nintendo Switch Right Joy Con Sensor Rail Replacement

David -

When I lifted up the back cover, it kind of stuck near the headphone port (even with cartridge slot open). But it wasn't a screw or anything and I kind of carefully pulled and wiggled and the cover came off ok

Doe -

Step 9

Use a JIS 000 screwdriver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the 3.1 mm screw securing the microSD card reader to the device.

Step 10

Use your fingers or a pair of tweezers to lift the microSD card reader straight up from the device to disconnect and remove it.
During reassembly, make sure the press connector underneath the foam pad is firmly connected to the motherboard. It may help to remove the foam pad before reinstalling the card reader.

Yes. The reverse is not so simple- you can’t see what you’re doing when you attempt to reconnect and it only takes one small error to completely bend the contacts on the connector. Very delicate.

if you very gently remove the foam pad sticker, you can at least see better how it lines up and can feel your way to a degree… then you can stick the pad back in. The pad seems pretty critical in keeping things in place once reassembled.

holmzee - 08/12/19

Definitely agree about not sticking the foam pad back on until the new SD card slot is connected. Saved a lot of headache. Great walkthrough and easy repair!

Jonathan Stachewicz - 06/01/21

Tried several times to replace this SD reader module. As mentioned above, the issue is aligning the connectors together. It appears the foam tape is being used to hold the connection in place. (assuming you can make a viable connection) I am rather surprised at this design. In my experience, mylar ribbon cables like this usually slide into a small PC mounted socket. It appears Nintendo went the cheap route here. This design is prone to failure since it does not enable a positive connection - at least from what I can see.

Bill Little - 28/12/19

Alors je suis en détresse total . Jai cassé les bouches en or sur le connecteur qui est soudé sur la carte mère.. comment changer cette toute petite pièces, oû la trouver . Cela fais 1 mois que je cherche partout. Sans remplacer la carte mère. Merci pour vos réponses

Mike Snow - 23/03/20

I found it easier to connect it without the black foam pad so I could see and than add the foam pad over it. It was super easy and I an I 33 Mom doing this for my son. Was well worth the money for the kit saved us almost 100 bucks

Katherine Harrison - 12/05/20

Had my son follow this guide to fix his own switch where the ad card reader didn't work. And he did. Great instructions!!!! Thanks a million!

William Scott - 04/07/20

The only difficult part of following this guide is connecting the new sd card reader into the poorly designed motherboard connector. Its quite possible the sd card reader that came in the console wasnt broken at all.

The repair kit works just as advertised and even comes with stickers.

Matthias_ Links - 21/10/20

I’m still getting error 2002-2054 even after replacing memory card reader module. Thanks, Nintendo!

Wes Stephenson - 26/12/20

My switch won’t read my microSD card after I reassembled it (error 2016-0641) please help!

Nate Topical - 01/01/21

Tip: Keep the old SD reader piece loosely attached while you line up and gently press the new SD component into the connector on the motherboard. Once the new piece is snug, then carefully remove the old piece keeping the sticky foam in place.

I am a middle-aged mom with absolutely no special tech skills and I easily followed the directions and successfully fixed the broken SD drive. ifixit is the best!

Wende David - 29/01/21

Ah good! i have more confidence now in doing it once you said you're a middle age mom with no experience

Mohammad Hosein Yavari -

I missed this bit about reconnecting the SD card reader under the foam pad and didn’t realise until my son pointed out a data storage problem?. All fixed in about 5 minutes taking advice from the replacing the SD card reader fix, especially removing the foam pad from the connector to better see and feel what you’re doing. All sorted!

Stuart Farquharson-Roberts - 28/03/21

Awesome guide! Very easy to do with the supplied kit

cravenkeo khamone - 13/05/21

Tank you very much, and by tank I mean M1 Abrams, jokes apart easy and simple to follow

Elia Veschi -

Thanks for the guide, I was struggling to find a solution, replaced more sd cards, before I stumbled upon this post. The Switch of my children works flawless again!

Robert Morvai - 25/08/21

Doesn’t work! I have spent 4 hours and $26 on a tiny screwdriver and some stickers.. I just gave up and replaced the Switch instead.

I even contacted a local shop to have them fix it and they told me it really isn’t possible. Thanks for taking my money Ifixit!

J.R. Wood -

This helped me to reseat my SD card reader ribbon cable. I was getting the 2016-0641 error and no card work. A drop had dislodged the cable partially. And yes remove the foam pad gently to properly connect the cable. You can reuse the foam pad.

Kris Morey -

For anyone who ends up bending the pins like I did while trying to reseat the microSD card reader…

I suggest gently placing very thin tweezers (like the curved ones in the Pro Tool Kit) in the gap and very, very gently pressing them back into alignment. Took a little effort but I was able to realign them enough to sit it in place and have it later working after reassembling the console.

Yakarot Sennin - 13/01/22

Anyone have a suggestion where I can purchase replacement foam for this sticker?

Rob M -

When reassembling, note the alignment pins in the left and bottom notches before tightening the screw

Jason Lane -

Super gemakkelijk te installeren met behulp van deze zeer duidelijke handleiding (met dank aan de vertalers!)

Wel even goed opletten op de aansluiting op het moederbord is zeer fragiel.

R de Bruijne -

It is key to remember most out of the box issues with the SD card reader, do not require a replacement part and can be solved with disconnecting then re-connecting the reader at the motherboard.

Only when a simple re-seating at the connector doesn't work should you buy the replacement part.

Jonathon Sinclair -

I bought the kit and followed the directions. I plucked the black rubber foam off with a pair of eyelash tweezers. Putting the tiny screws back in place also was made easier using the tweezers. As for placing the SD card in place I think I got a bit lucky. I lined it up and gently pressed until it simply went into place. I do believe being gentle is the key there. But it went in and I put it back together. The deconstructing and reconstructing is what took the longest for me at least. I turned it on to verify it worked and then unpowered the unit and inserted the card. The system recognized and update right away and did it and then recognized the card! Just what I need for 20 something dollars. Son is happy and back to gaming.

Albert Baker -

Thank you for postingthis fix. The original sd card reader had come unplugged from the motherboard, so replacement reader will be a spare.

Anybody found a way to ensure the sd reader stays in place?

Craig Thwaites -

It was my first time repairing a Switch and the fan replacement wasn't too hard, but unfortunately I think there should be a better warning about the SD card connector because I damaged it while trying to put it back in. I couldn't hear any click and it didn't seem to stay put and I think I ended up applying to much force and damaging the pins.

Serge Huber -

What are the foam black squares called and where can I get a replacement for one?

Marcus -

It’s called Foam tape

Alberto -

What is the error code 404 for

Alberto -

Step 11

Use a JIS 000 screwdriver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the six 3 mm screws securing the shield plate to the device.

Some models have a small board in the lower left beneath the kickstand which accepts SD cards. This will have to be carefully removed with its connections popped out, then replaced after.

Draque Thompson -

Yeah, that “small board” is the microSD Card reader chip, which was covered literally one step ago. All models have a microSD Card reader, that’s how game data is stored…

nin10doh - 12/12/21

Step 12

Use your fingers or a pair of tweezers to peel back the piece of foam on the top edge of the device near the fan exhaust port.
If the foam doesn't easily peel away, don't force it as it might end up tearing. Carefully peel at different spots to pull back the foam.

My Switch (bought about two weeks after launch) seems to be missing this foam piece… Was it added later, similar to the foam piece in the left joy-con (to improve connectivity)?

firetech - 05/02/21

It’s possible it was added to newer units! Nintendo slightly updated the internals of the Switch not too long ago.

Craig Lloyd - 05/02/21

My launch Switch also does not have this piece of foam, so it was most likely added later.

Christoph -

Also did not see this in my launch switch.

matthew.raehl -

Me three, no foam.

carolaclavo -

Step 13

Insert a spudger underneath the shield plate along the edge of the device.
Pry up to lift the shield plate and remove it from the device.
You may feel a bit of resistance. This is normal, since the shield plate is slightly bonded to the heat sink with thermal paste.
A thick pink thermal compound bridges the gap between the shield plate and the copper heat sink underneath. This helps prevent the Switch from overheating.
You can reuse the pink thermal compound if you're careful. Keep the compound clean and make sure it makes solid contact between the heat sink and the shield during reassembly.
If you need to replace it, refer to our thermal paste guide to remove the old thermal compound and replace it with an appropriate compound, such as K5 Pro, during reassembly.

How do you know if the thermal paste needs to be replaced?

Youji Hong - 27/08/19

Once you remove a heatsink you must always replace thermal paste even if you had just applied it ( or add a little more) . The reason is that once heat sink is fitted, paste splits around because of pressure and only needed amount will remain. If you remove the heatsink then some paste will move so when installed again there will be spots without paste. Hope this is clear enough. In any case cost of paste is very small compared to work time and value of your equipment…..

MacTek - 15/12/19

When your switch starts to lag and drop FPS, if you play breath of the wild and it starts to slow down in heavy areas like the forest where you get the master sword, can i use artic mx 4 insted of the pink compound?

Diego Soto - 30/08/19

I’d like to know as well if a cpu thermal compound like arctic mx-4 can be used to replace the pink compound

Adam Stillman - 06/09/19

No you shouldn't . It will spill around because it is not viscous enough and then there will be no heat transfer. As suggested by author K5 PRO is the most appropriate compound for such cases.

MacTek - 15/12/19

Arctic is generally only supposed to be used on bigger heat sinks like a personal computer. Its not nearly as thick or gummy compared to K5 PRO, and you should always use something that’s thicker for smaller project like a Switch/phone/tablet.

Shawn Christensen - 20/12/19

Why was this not included in the tools/equipment list? Getting to this step and now I will have to reverse and wait for yet another order to arrive. ? Very frustrated

Amanda Nally - 12/03/21

Hi Amanda,

Thanks for bringing this up. Sorry! We inadvertently left that part out during the guide refresh. I’ll add the necessary info into the step.

Arthur Shi - 12/03/21

To apply new thermal paste, the directions state to use the application method recommended for your specific processor type—vertical line, horizontal line, middle dot, or surface spread.

Which method should be used for the Nintendo Switch processor?

Philip W -

As stated in the comment above, is there a particular method to apply thermal paste to the Switch’s processor? Or as long as you distribute it evenly is enough?

lievjorg -

Is another thermal compound as MX4 or 6 okay as well?

Marceau -

does ifixit not have an appropriate thermal paste for this step?
there is only arctic silver 5 in the kit and i would guess that that should not be used in this case.
if true, the kit is incomplete

Lucas Tigy -

Step 14

Use the point of a spudger to pry the battery connector straight up and out of its socket on the motherboard.

be careful not to pry it off the board entirely

Nathan McKenna -

This was an old switch and the entire thing with the black plastic came off.. Most of the pins aren't there anymore, too.. is there a solution to that? Does soldering work?

Dawn Martin -

it's probably possible, but unless you have experience with microsoldering, you'd probably be better off taking it to a local repair shop

just some mango -

This step just ruined my device… wish there had been a warning of caution here.

Phone guy -

You can use a spudger to hold down the black plastic side of this connector that is supposed to stay attached to the motherboard while using the pointy spudger as shown in order to reduce any chance of pulling the socket off the motherboard.

Brian Edgin -

Step 15

Apply a few drops of adhesive remover or high-concentration (90% or higher) isopropyl alcohol inside the battery well along the top edge to weaken the adhesive.
If you are using adhesive remover, follow these preparation steps first.

you gqve me a rag with 70% or higher pad

md cu -

I found a better method of removing the battery:

1. Get isopropyl in the battery groove. (I used 70%)

2. Use the spudger to lift a corner slightly.

3. Use dental floss to under the corner and carefully floss under the battery. This will remove the adhesive in a very clean and easy way because you allow the isopropyl to get further down!

StankIntern -

this is the way.

Brian Duffy -

Yes, floss is the way to go. Started getting the floss under upper right corner then after flossing some, I worked the floss under the upper left corner. More flossing and adding alcohol and battery came loose.

John Coleman -

I also didn’t manage to get the battery out using the recommended method on a Day 1 Switch.

At work we use „Industrie Clean“ by Würth, for removing residue of adhesives. This worked like a charm on the batteries adheisive after torturing it with 99% Isopropanol for 20 minutes. Maybe it was the combination of both, I don’t know.

https://eshop.wuerth.de/Produktkategorie...

Oliver T. -

Step 16

Tilt the top edge of the device upward to allow the isopropyl alcohol to work its way underneath the battery.
Hold for 1-2 minutes to allow time for the isopropyl alcohol to weaken the adhesive.

Step 17

Insert an opening pick into the gap between the battery and the wall of the battery well.
Carefully dig the tip of the opening pick underneath the battery and slide it along the edge to begin slicing the adhesive.
Take care not to puncture or bend the battery with your tool—a punctured or bent battery may leak dangerous chemicals or cause a thermal event.

I'm sad to say, this kit did not work out for me. I must be one of the unlucky ones whose battery was glued to the case with the mother of all super adhesives, because despite following the instructions and using copious amounts of isopropyl alcohol, the battery absolutely refused to budge. The pictures show the blue pick wedged under the battery, but I was not able to get that far. Not even close.

To add insult to injury, during the process of working the pick back and forth to get under the battery, the pick jumped the case housing and nicked one of the cables below the battery. So now I'm out $50 for the ifixit repair kit along with a broken Nintendo Switch.

This is why I hate self repair: Because the attempt at self-repair always leaves me in a worse state than if I had simply taken the device to a professional. Wish I had listened to my instincts instead of giving self-repair a try.

Kie Rhee - 13/01/23

I struggled to remove the battery using 91% alcohol as well. In another guide I saw that a heat gun works better. I used my heat gun and it removed much much easier.

James Covey -

If you have problems here, try slipping the pick under the "bottom" edge instead. It seemed to slide under better for me from that angle.

Andrew Hamberg -

Please remember to consider the complexity of the self repair. This is considered moderate - but that is a moderate for someone with confidence in self repair. If you “hate” self repair then I would not suggest doing anything above the lowest difficulty. Sorry to hear about your attempt and I hope it works out for you.

Justin (WizardRiot) -

I would suggest to insert a spudger from the cable side, to slight lift the battery, instead of inserting a pick from the other side.

tliu93 -

Thats what did the trick for me. Tried several minutes from the other top side of the Switch but finally made it from the cabel side of the battery. Used some Isopropyl alcohol right from the start but couldnt lift the battery from the top side.

ShedaoShai -

Could not the the glue to dissolve. Worked better with my heatgun.

Johan Samuelsson -

I tried to do this with the 90 % alcohol but wasn't working so I grabbed my wife's Dyson hair dryer and within 1 minute it was off. I was ready to give up but the hair dryer worked perfectly. Great instructions. Get a magnet pad to organize the screws.

Michael Brown -

Step 18

Leave the opening pick in place and apply a few more drops of adhesive remover or isopropyl alcohol inside the battery well.
Tilt the top edge of the device upward and wait 1-2 minutes for the isopropyl alcohol to weaken the adhesive.

Step 19

Continue sliding the opening pick deeper along the top edge of the battery, slicing more of the adhesive underneath.

Step 20

Once there's enough room, insert a plastic card underneath the battery and slowly pry the battery up.
You may need to apply more isopropyl alcohol if you have difficulty prying.
Be careful not to bend the battery as you pry.
Remove the battery.
Do not reuse the battery after it has been removed, as doing so is a potential safety hazard. Replace it with a new battery.

I carefully took the spongy part on the top of this battery and applied it to the new battery. No where in this guide does it recommend replacing that part. So I erred on the side of since I could get it off easily enough to just keep it on the new one just in case.

Josh Reed -

Step 21

Use adhesive remover or isopropyl alcohol and a microfiber cloth to clean up any remaining adhesive left behind in the battery well before you install the new battery.
If your new battery does not come with pre-installed adhesive, follow this guide to install pre-cut adhesive on the bottom of the battery.

I think the adhesive strips must be old, because it was an absolute PITA getting both sides to separate. I wound up getting a razor blade to get under the non-adhesive side with the iFixit logo.

mbelanger -

Step 22

Use a JIS 000 screwdriver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the three 3 mm screws securing the heat sink to the motherboard.

Step 23

Carefully peel the two foam pieces stuck over both the heatsink and the fan away from the fan.

Carefully peel the two foam pieces stuck over both the heatsink and the fan away from the fan.
The foam only needs to be peeled back enough to clear the fan.
The foam is really delicate and tears easily. Use the following technique to peel the foam:
Insert the point of a spudger underneath the part of the foam that isn't stuck against anything,
Press the top of the foam with your finger to hold it in place.
Roll the spudger tip underneath the foam all the way to the other end of the foam to release it.

spudger technique is perfect.

Jaxon Lee -

For anyone who doesn’t have a pen-style spudger, the tip of your JIS 000 screwdriver can be a great alternative tool. The same steps above can be used, just be extra careful not to tear that foam. Roll the tip of the screwdriver the same way you would roll the spudger tip.

nin10doh -

Maybe it’s because I’m working on a day one switch and the adhesive is just old and stubborn, but this didn’t work well for me. Am I just completely out of luck, or can I order a replacement for the foam?

Trae Block - 09/03/22

I had the same problem and I found a foam manufacturer: https://www.foam-material.com/sample-cus...

I'm pretty sure the type is "Granular Activated Carbon Foam" and the thickness is 0.5 mm but I have no idea what the porosity is.

Garret Jaworski -

Yeah ripped the foam. Neither the screwdriver nor spudger technique worked. Day one switch, so 6 years old at this point.

Ndragonawa -

Does the foam need replacing if torn? What does it actually do.

Scott Norman -

I wanted to know as well, what does it do? Can I replace it with thermal pads?

Lord Aranorde -

Can I replace the foam with a 0.5mm thermal pad? Will it be a better solution?

Lord Aranorde -

The adhesive remover really helped here being a day one switch

Jeremy Ortner -

Step 24

Use a spudger or your fingers to lift the heatsink up and off the motherboard to remove it.
You may feel a bit of resistance. This is normal, since the heat sink is slightly bonded to the CPU with thermal paste.
Clean off the old thermal paste from the heat sink and CPU using high-concentration (90% or higher) isopropyl alcohol and a microfiber cloth. Apply new thermal paste to the CPU before reassembly.
Apply thermal paste to all surfaces that had thermal paste applied previously. This includes between the heatpipe and aluminum shield, which the Switch uses as additional heatsinking.

What's on the heatsink?

Unknown1224 - 25/08/19

Directions for this step say you can use Artic Silver ArctiClean but when adding to iFixit cart it says “This won’t work with your device (Nintendo Switch).

Dan S. - 03/06/20

where do i get more of that black fabric like tape that is on the heat sink?

Regal Pikachu - 04/06/20

They may sell it in the ifixit store.

Joshua Graham - 03/06/21

(1) Exactly how much thermal paste should be applied to the CPU?

(2) Which application method should be used? The linked instructions list four methods (vertical line, horizontal line, middle dot, or surface spread) but it’s not clear to me which one is appropriate for the Switch. Thanks!

Travis - 18/07/21

UPDATE: So, for anyone who also wanted to know the answers to these questions:

1. I ended up eyeballing the amount. Imagine an amount the size of a pea, then split that amount in half. That’s how much I used, and it worked fine.

2. The paste (I used K5-Pro as recommended) is quite thick and sticky and difficult to get to behave the way you want, so I ended up just doing the “middle dot” method and spreading it a bit with a popsicle stick before smushing it the rest of the way down with the heat sink. Seems to have done the trick.

Good luck!

Travis -

you can also spread it with the spudger or any non-metalic tool if you are not sure how much you put

just clean it afterwards

Richard Aguirre -

K5 (or thermal pads) is ONLY needed between the copper pipe and metal shield plate. It is a pad replacement compound and is not meant for high heat applications like CPUs as it boils and creates air gaps. Air=bad for heat transfer.

Regular thermal compound/paste should be used on the CPU. You’ll have a sticky mess to clean but if you want proper cooling it needs to be done. The instructions clearly state that regular compound is used on the CPU.

Cerus98 -

i used artic silver 5 and worked just fine

Richard Aguirre -

The steps doesnt specify but do you have to remove the heat shield from the cpu as well?

Jeremy Ortner -

Step 25

Use an opening tool or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the digitizer cable's ZIF connector.

This step broke my switch i can't use my card reader anymore! i tried numerous time the reverse it seems my headphone jack works but my touchscreen and gamecard reader is broken. Even worse one of the screws to attach this plate was mangled so i cant even replace it anymore because the screw wont come out anymore. I reallly hate that i followed this guide others suggested to just keep the gamecard touchscreen ribbon attached and just fold it like a book. I wished i did that. I not gonna bother to even buy an gamecard replacement anymore. Its time to buy an switch oled and be done with this!

Kar Wai Chan -

The advice to "fold it like a book" will not work, as the cable will need to come out of the switch in order to replace the screen. It can not be kept in the slot.

Loris Hofer -

To anyone reading this step: This is not an isolated incident. The loss of functionality of the game reader board, which includes the use of reading cartridges, the touchscreen, and the headphone jack, is an possibility that can happen if you disconnect the board. Unless you are replacing the board itself, do not do this step. As of 1/15/2023, there is no know reason why this happens or no known solution other than buying a new game reader board.

Henry Terrance -

Update: If your Switch has lost the ability to read games and or the headphone jack in addition to touchscreen functionality, please consider reading this thread and its solution: Nintendo Switch Cartridge Reader Not Working After Fan Replacement

Henry Terrance -

it is really hard to see what you need to flip up. look at it from different angles. it's the thinnest little strip of black plastic.

Patrick Laffan -

If you're scared of breaking this piece, you can skip step 18 and 19, and just flip the reader over to the left (after step 20-22). Worked for me, be careful though it might bounce back.

Cato_nm -

Please help I replace the game card read and head phone. Now my switch wont even turn on.

Chase Blackstone -

Step 26

Use a pair of tweezers to slide the digitizer cable horizontally out of its connector on the game card reader board.
Before inserting the cable during reassembly, make sure the ZIF connector locking flap is flipped up.
With the cable parallel to the board, gently slide it into its connector.
Don't force the cable into the connector. If it doesn't insert, ensure the locking flap is flipped up, reposition the cable, and try again.
If your touchscreen doesn't work after the repair but your Game Card reader does, make sure this cable is properly inserted. If your Game Card reader also doesn't work, check the Game Card connector in the next step instead.

The reverse of this is a little tricky - it may be helpful to post some more detail about getting the ribbon all the way back in and ensuring the clasp goes down to troubleshoot some of the touchscreen comments below.

Nick Wagner - 04/01/21

This seems to be purely for the touchscreen to work, if you remove the headphone/card reader the switch will still function fine, however without somewhere for this cable to reattach your touchscreen will be disabled

Ian Wilson -

the reverse of this is tricky. i'd suggest a better tool kit with this that includes real tweezers so i don't have to use my wife's

Patrick Laffan -

Did you get it to work finally?!

Chris Cotter -

Hi Chris! From the thread, it looks like it's not this connector that's the problem, but the press connector in the step below. If your card reader won't read cards, check to make sure this connector is fully aligned and seated.

Arthur Shi -

This connection was a problem for me. I tried the connection many times before it worked. What finally worked was lining up the gold rectangle on the back of the smaller part to overlap/cover the port very carefully. This required me to compress the ribbon a bit. Not much force required to finish the connection.

Tyler Rhodes -

I found it much easier to reinsert the ribbon while the reader board was fully disconnected. This way I was able to simply hold the reader board with my fingers and slide it over the end of the ribbon while the ribbon was just sticking up in the air. The ribbon is quite stiff and slipped in VERY easily in such a way that I felt confident that it was fully seated. Then while holding it in one hand, I flipped the locking flap down with a spudger in the other. You might also be able to seat the board and the ribbon will likely stay inserted under its own tension, then flip the locking flap down.

Brian Edgin -

Step 27

Use the point of a spudger to pry the headphone jack and game card reader connector straight up to disconnect it from the motherboard.
To re-attach press connectors like this one, carefully align and press down on one side until it clicks into place, then repeat on the other side. Do not press down on the middle. If the connector is misaligned, the pins can bend and cause permanent damage.
If the touch screen doesn't work and/or game cards aren't detected after reassembly, you might have not fully reconnected this press connector. Carefully disconnect it and try again.

Note that if the card reader mentions it won't read cards, this cable has not been reconnected correctly. Watch the connectors are not bent when reattaching

Shaniqua Bowdre -

You need to push the connector upwards. Look at the image and you will see a very slight bend. This bent allows the connector to align with its dock. Very very careful when pressing down IT HAS TO BE ALIGNED.

Juan Visani -

This step had me most stressed during re-assembly. I saw in a video elsewhere where the person reattached the press connector BEFORE screwing it back in which gave them more room to work with. They also pointed out that there's an outline on the top that should line up with where it reconnects. This helped me re-connect with more confidence.

Level 100 Psyduck -

I also reconnected this connector before screwing the reader down. You will not have to contend with the pressure from bending the stiff wide cable leading from the connector.

claudio ocano -

Step 28

Use a JIS 000 screwdriver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the three 3.1 mm screws securing the headphone jack and game card reader board to the device.

Step 29

Use a pair of tweezers or your fingers to remove the headphone jack bracket.

Step 30

Use a pair of tweezers or your fingers to remove the headphone jack and game card reader board.

Step 31

Use an opening tool, spudger, or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the LCD ribbon cable ZIF connector.

I recommend when reinserting the LCD ribbon cable, DO NOT bother with the tweezers.

The sharp end is incredibly hard and the Gold on the Ribbon cable incredibly soft. Even trying to avoid gold-plated end, I still damaged it re-inserting it into place.

I recommend first turning the console around to face you (so you can see how the ribbon slides in), then pressing gently with your finger to try and slide it in.

Yakarot Sennin -

Ifixit should change the guide. I just ruined a perfectly good screen scratching the flex with the tweezer... Cmon, if i only had seen the comment before!

Afonso -

Step 32

Use a pair of tweezers to pull the ribbon cable straight out of its connector on the motherboard.

Step 33

Use an opening tool, spudger, or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the fan cable ZIF connector.

Step 34

Use a pair of tweezers to pull the fan cable straight out of its connector on the motherboard.

Step 35

Use an opening tool, spudger, or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the power and volume button ribbon cable ZIF connector.

Step 36

Use a pair of tweezers to pull the ribbon cable straight out of its connector on the motherboard.

Step 37

Use an opening tool, spudger, or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the smaller LCD ribbon cable ZIF connector.

Step 38

Use a pair of tweezers to pull the ribbon cable straight out of its connector on the motherboard.

Step 39

Use the point of a spudger, an opening tool, or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the Joy Con sensor rail's data cable ZIF connector.

Step 40

Use a pair of tweezers to pull the ribbon cable straight out of its connector on the motherboard.

Step 41

Use the point of a spudger to pry up the black antenna cable straight up out of its socket on the motherboard.

Step 42

Use the point of a spudger to pry up the white antenna cable straight up out of its socket on the motherboard.

I broke the connector off of the board what can I do to fix it? Where can I get a part for the board to be able to click the wire back in. The solder points is still the to re solder but where to find the part to fix is a nightmare!!!! PLEASE HELP THANKS IN ADVANCE 🙏

Danny Dean -

Step 43

Use your fingers or a pair of tweezers to pull the right speaker connector straight out of its socket on the motherboard.
Do not pull on the connector by the speaker wires. They're very thin and can easily snap off the connector.

Step 44

Use your fingers or a pair of tweezers to pull the left speaker connector straight out of its socket on the motherboard.
Do not pull on the connector by the speaker wires. They're very thin and can easily snap off the connector.

Step 45

Use an opening tool, spudger, or your fingernail to flip up the small, hinged locking flap on the Joy Con sensor rail data cable ZIF connector.

Step 46

Use a pair of tweezers to slide the Joy Con rail data cable straight out of its connector on the motherboard.

Step 47

Use a JIS 000 screwdriver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the following screws:
Four 2.5 mm screws
Two 3.1 mm screws

Step 48

Insert a spudger into a gap between the motherboard and the frame.
Carefully lift up the motherboard and remove it from the frame.

My motherboard was getting caught on the fan, I found it much easier to remove the fan first, then the motherboard.

I'd suggest steps 40/41 and 42/43 should be reversed

Kitsune -

mine too, its almost impossible to remove the board without breaking it so long as the small lip on the fan is there, possibly a difference in production models?

Golden Glory -

Step 49

If you're replacing just the left speaker, skip the next two steps.
Use your fingers or a pair of tweezers to pull the speaker connector straight out of its socket on the motherboard.
Do not pull on the connector by the speaker wires. They're very thin and can easily snap off the connector.

Step 50

Use the point of a spudger to pry the speaker up.
The speaker is adhered with light adhesive inside the speaker well, so a bit of force is required.
Use your fingers or a pair of tweezers to remove the right speaker.

Step 51

Follow the next three steps if you're replacing the left speaker.
Use your fingers or a pair of tweezers to pull the speaker connector straight out of its socket on the motherboard.
Do not pull on the connector by the speaker wires. They're very thin and can easily snap off the connector.

Step 52

Use the point of a spudger to pry up the speaker to loosen it from the speaker well.
The speaker is adhered with light adhesive inside the speaker well, so a bit of force is required.

Step 53

Use your fingers or a pair of tweezers to carefully remove the speaker from the speaker well.

Step 54

Use a JIS 000 screwdriver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the three 4.8 mm screws securing the fan.

Step 55

Use a pair of tweezers or your fingers to lift the fan straight up and remove it from the device.
Compare your new replacement part to the original part. You may need to transfer remaining components (such as the rubber bushings) to the new part before installing.

Step 56

Use a JIS 000 screwdriver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the four 3.7 mm screws securing the right Joy Con rail to the frame of the device.
These screws are torqued down and can be difficult to remove. To prevent them from stripping, apply firm downward force, work slowly and try a different screwdriver if the screws won't come out.

Step 57

Remove the right Joy Con sensor rail.
Take care not to snag the rail's data cable on the device frame as you remove it.

Step 58

Use your fingers or a pair of tweezers to lift the battery connector up and out of the way of the Joy Con rail's data cable.

Step 59

Use your fingers or a pair of tweezers to lift the battery connector up and out of the way of the Joy Con rail's data cable.

Step 60

Use a JIS 000 screwdriver or an official iFixit PH 000 driver to remove the four 3.7 mm screws securing the left Joy Con rail to the frame of the device.
These screws are torqued down and can be difficult to remove. To prevent them from stripping, apply firm downward force, work slowly and try a different screwdriver if the screws won't come out.

Step 61

Remove the left Joy Con sensor rail from the device.

Step 62

Use the flat end of a spudger to pry up the taped down power/volume ribbon cable.

Where is the step stating to remove the battery?

Lynn -

Hi Lynn,

There is no instruction for removing the battery in this procedure because it's not necessary. Due to the way guides are combined into a single sequence, occasionally a step may be repeated or a picture may show parts in place or absent that aren't related to the particular job being done, which is what happened in this case.

The photo was taken during a midframe replacement procedure; if you were replacing the midframe you'd need to remove the battery, but for just the front frame the battery can stay in place, especially since battery removal is rather difficult on these devices.

Jerry Wheeler -

Step 63

Remove the power/volume board with a pair of blunt nose tweezers.

Step 64

Pull the rubber conductive pad out with a pair of blunt nose tweezers.

Step 65

Pull the power and volume buttons out with a pair of blunt nose tweezers.

Step 66

Deroute the black coax cable from the midframe.

Step 67

Continue following the wire, derouting it as you go.

Step 68

Pry the metal barrel surrounding the coax up from the midframe.

Step 69

Grasp the WiFi antenna board with a pair of tweezers and lift straight up to remove it.

Step 70

Heat an iOpener and apply it to the bottom edge of the screen for around two minutes to to help soften the adhesive.
A hair dryer, heat gun, or hot plate may also be used, but be careful not to overheat the device—the display and internal battery are both susceptible to heat damage.

Step 71

Apply a suction cup to the bottom-left corner of the screen.
Pull up on the suction up with strong, steady force to create a gap.
Depending on the age of your device, this may be difficult. If you have trouble, apply more heat and try again.
Insert the point of an opening pick into the gap, making sure to only insert the pick about 5 mm.

Step 72

Slide the opening pick along the bottom edge of the screen to slice the adhesive.
Leave the pick inserted to prevent the adhesive from re-adhering to the frame.

Step 73

Insert a second opening pick into the gap to the left of the first pick.
Slide the opening pick back towards the left side of the device.
Leave the opening pick inserted.

Step 74

Heat the left edge of the screen for around two minutes to help soften the adhesive.

Step 75

Continue sliding the opening pick around the bottom-left corner to slice the adhesive.

Step 76

Continue sliding the opening pick along the left edge of the screen to slice to adhesive.

Step 77

Heat the top edge of the screen for around two minutes to help soften the adhesive.

Step 78

Continue sliding the opening pick around the top-left corner of the screen to slice the adhesive.

Step 79

Continue sliding the opening pick along the top edge of the screen to slice the adhesive.

Step 80

Heat the right edge of the screen for around two minutes to help soften the adhesive.
Place the flat end of a spudger into the gap along the left edge of the screen.
Carefully and slowly lift the left edge of the screen, opening it like a book.

Step 81

Lift the right edge of the screen straight off the device, threading the ribbon cables through the frame as you do so.
Take care not to snag any of the ribbon cables on the frame as you remove the screen.
You can reuse the screen adhesive if it is still sticky. Otherwise, replace the adhesive with double-sided tape such as Tesa tape.

As well as the screen adhesive, you also need the double sided dust seal to go around the LCD / Digitizer. This seals the digitizer to the LCD screen.

This is separate to the double sided tape that glues the digitizer to the frame.

Mustafa Salim -

Step 82

Remove the four screws securing the front frame to the midframe.

which screws are these? type/length?

Stijn -

Step 83

Lift the front edge of the frame then slide the frame up toward the top of the display to remove it.

There is a little clear bit of plastic that can fall out, make sure you put it back in the front frame before reassembly.

Nathaniel King -

Where can I get a replacement of this little thing ? I lost it 😭

Jayke Walker -

Do the screws that attach rails screw into the front frame, mid-frame, or both? My son dropped his Switch and one of the rails came off. I replaced both rails but the screw holes on the broken side are damaged and the screws will not grab anything. I’m not sure if I need to replace front frame or mid-frame, or both.

Bmd -

The screws go into the midframe only; you won't need to do anything with the front frame except remove it to replace the midframe. When ordering a midframe, I'd suggest finding one that has the pad already installed on the LCD side; I had no luck finding that pad separately when I wrote the guide.

Jerry Wheeler -

If you're replacing the front shell, make sure you are also replacing the speaker dust covers. These did not come as standard with my ExtremeRate shell, so I had to buy separately.

Mustafa Salim -

Step 84

Verify the coax wire is free of any obstructions or routing inside the device.

Step 85

The antenna is held in with light adhesive, so simply grasp it and pull up to release it.

Step 86

Pull the coax cable through the slot in the frame.
Replacement antennas may not come with the black plastic support piece, so you might have to transfer it from the old antenna to the new one.

Step 87

The midframe has now been stripped bare.
Many new midframes do not come with the black insulation layer between the midframe and the screen, so you may have to find a substitute or try to salvage the layer from your old midframe.

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Author

Jerry Wheeler

Member since: 21/03/22

56286 Reputation

5 comments

Great guide will be attempting this soon so this guide has given me some hope! I can’t seem to find the black insulation layer on the last step would that be a generic insulating foam or something else?

Cameron Ness -

Thanks, it should work, as I actually followed my own instructions the entire way through the replacement, although I had to add three other guides for completeness; the two antenna guides and the front frame guide.

I’m afraid I sidestepped the issue of the black insulation; I opted to buy a used frame that clearly showed the insulation still in place once I realized all of the new ones came without it. If you do come up with a solution for a replacement, we’d love to hear about it; I personally can’t think of a suitable substitute offhand.

Oh, one note on this guide; it’s put together using existing guides for the individual part removals, and as such it duplicates the instructions for removing some of the connectors such as the speakers and the display. So don’t worry if the instructions tell you to unplug a connector you’ve already unplugged; that’s just an artifact of combining separate guides. For example, both the motherboard and LCD replacement instructions tell you to unplug the LCD and digitizer cables

Jerry Wheeler -

Thanks for the reply,

I was planning on doing this repair as a switch I have purchased has cracked plastic at the bottom of the casing where the fan vents are but I’m weighing up the pros and cons of stripping it down purely for that reason.

I can’t find a housing with that thermal pad anywhere which puts me off buying the ones that claim to be OEM if they don’t come with it by default.

I found some closed cell Polyethylene insulating foam sheets that are about 2mm thick so I’m assuming that’s similar on eBay so might give that a try and see how it compares to the original.

Cameron Ness -

I poked around but had no luck finding anywhere the pad is sold separately; however I did come across a midframe being sold on Amazon with the pad (OEM pulls, removed from Switches). I’ve included a link in the parts list. The really good news is, it’s only about $11 US! Dang, wish I’d seen this when I was doing my replacement!

Jerry Wheeler - 28/03/22

Hey Cameron, just re-reading your latest comment and I have to wonder if you really need to do a full midframe replacement. If its just cracked plastic, that should mean just doing a front frame replacement instead of a full midframe. Still a lot to do; the main differences are that you don't have to remove the battery and speakers which would be good as the battery is pretty hard to pull.

Jerry Wheeler -