Xbox Motherboard Replacement

Written By: rmarstel

Comments: 16

Difficulty

Easy

Steps

Time Required

25 - 35 minutes

Introduction

This is the replacement guide for the motherboard in the Microsoft Xbox.

Tools

Step 1

Make sure your Xbox is safely unplugged and is laying on a flat, stable surface.

Step 2

Turn the Xbox over to reveal the four rubber feet.
Use a metal spudger to pry off the four rubber feet.

The screw is in the outside corner. If you pry up only the half of the foot on that side, you can easily remove the (very long) screw, and the foot will stay attached.

Ian Butler -

Ah I always used to damage the feet.

Andrew Veiga -

Step 3

There are 2 more screws hidden under the two labels on the bottom of the case.
You can either remove the labels or simply feel for the screw holes through the labels and then cut or punch a hole through them.

It is also easy to feel for the screw hole with your finger and then cut a hole, or punch it out with the tip of the Torx driver to reveal the screw.

Ian Butler -

Step 4

Remove the six T20 Torx screws securing the top cover to the bottom cover.

Step 5

Once the bottom and top shells are no longer attached, carefully turn the Xbox right-side-up, lift and remove the top cover.

Step 6

Remove the three 3 mm T10 screws securing the hard drive to the Xbox.
There is one screw on the rear left side of the hard drive that is only visible when the IDE ribbon cable is lifted up. The other two are at the front right and left sides of the hard drive.
The screw on the lower left corner of the disk drive is not in the hole that it appears to be in, but rather just closer to the corner.

Step 7

Free the hard drive power cable from the carrier for sufficient slack to lift the hard drive out.
Lift the plastic hard drive carrier out of the Xbox case.

Step 8

Remove the four 3.4 mm T15 Torx screws from the plastic hard drive carrier (two screws per side).
Carefully remove the hard drive from the plastic carrier. Gentle rocking will see the hard drive come out quite easily.

Step 9

Pull both the hard drive data ribbon cable and the power cable straight up from the hard drive.
They may be firmly seated, so be careful trying to remove them. DO NOT pull the wires as you may damage the cable assembly.

Remember that the new drive will only work if it has been properly prepared, and the Xbox has been modified.

Ian Butler -

there is NO way to legally replace the xbox hard drive. it is LOCKED to the motherboard and the xbox will not boot to the OS or make it past the BIOS if the HDD is not the one that came with it from the factory. you MUST use a mod chip and “home brew” to do a HDD swap and expect it to work

James Vawter - 02/02/20

Could you point me to a good tutorial on using a modding an original Xbox? All I want to do is swap an HDD in original Xbox with another original Xbox HDD because I want my saved game data. Any way to figure this out? Seems like modding is a !&&* of a burden.

michaelaugustin2000 - 25/11/20

Can i replace the original hard drive with new one

Andrew Veiga -

Step 10

Remove the disk drive. It should come right out.
Unplug the ribbon cable and yellow cables from back of disk drive.

I dont got the tools and i dont know how to do ut

jacob lowery - 07/09/15

Step 11

Pry back the black plastic tabs around the disk drive in order to remove it from its housing. Once removed, set the drive aside.
ONLY REMOVE IF DEAD!

It is ok to remove the drive if it isn't dead. If repairs are required to the drive it needs to be removed from the drive's housing.

Navy Vet 2015 - 12/06/16

Surely this needs to be removed to access the motherboard?

Jonathan Cousins -

Yes, it does.

Zerobuss -

Step 12

Unplug the multi-colored power cord from the motherboard. It is in there pretty tightly, so it may take some effort.

Step 13

Using T10 Torx screwdriver, remove two 3mm screws from the tan power supply board.
Be very careful not to touch the copper coil or capacitors on the power supply.

Step 14

Remove the power supply and set it aside. It should lift right out.
Be very careful not to touch the copper coil or capacitors on the power supply. They may shock you.

Step 15

Unplug the bundle of yellow cables as well as the rainbow cord from the motherboard.

Step 16

Remove eleven 3mm screws from motherboard, using a T10 Torx screwdriver. Refer to the picture to find all eleven.
Unplug the power cable attached to the fan.