Difficulty
Very difficult
Steps
12
Time Required
30 minutes - 1 hour
Sections
3
- Batteries
- 3 steps
- Outer Case
- 4 steps
- Screen
- 5 steps
Flags
1
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Introduction
Note: If your Game Boy’s display has the classic “vertical lines” problem, it’s actually easier to fix the old screen than to replace it with a new one. Follow this guide for help repairing the old screen.
What you need
Step 1
Batteries
- Switch your Game Boy off and remove the cartridge.
Switch your Game Boy off and remove the cartridge.
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Step 2
- Use a fingernail (or small coin) to push down on the battery door latch and remove the battery door.
- The release latch is a plastic spring clip. If your Game Boy is getting on in years, be careful as the plastic may be brittle.
- When you’re replacing the cover, be sure to get its two plastic tabs into the slots in the bottom of the battery compartment before pushing the cover back in place.
Use a fingernail (or small coin) to push down on the battery door latch and remove the battery door.
The release latch is a plastic spring clip. If your Game Boy is getting on in years, be careful as the plastic may be brittle.
When you’re replacing the cover, be sure to get its two plastic tabs into the slots in the bottom of the battery compartment before pushing the cover back in place.
Step 3
- Use a fingernail to pry each battery outward from the positive (+) terminal to remove them.
- Dispose of used batteries properly!
- Remove the batteries from your Game Boy before storing it for more than a month or so.
Use a fingernail to pry each battery outward from the positive (+) terminal to remove them.
Dispose of used batteries properly!
Remove the batteries from your Game Boy before storing it for more than a month or so.
Step 4
Outer Case
- Remove the six Triwing screws from the back of the device.
Remove the six Triwing screws from the back of the device.
Step 5
- Gently separate the device’s front casing from the back casing after you remove the screws.
- Be careful not to completely separate the casing halves, as they are still joined by a large ribbon cable that may be damaged.
Gently separate the device’s front casing from the back casing after you remove the screws.
Be careful not to completely separate the casing halves, as they are still joined by a large ribbon cable that may be damaged.
Step 6
- Slide the front side of the casing down to expose the ribbon cable connector.
Slide the front side of the casing down to expose the ribbon cable connector.
Step 7
- Grip the ribbon connector with your thumb and forefinger. Pull down gently until the connector, not the ribbon itself, comes out of its socket.
- Separate the front and back casings.
Grip the ribbon connector with your thumb and forefinger. Pull down gently until the connector, not the ribbon itself, comes out of its socket.
Separate the front and back casings.
Step 8
Screen
- Remove the ten screws that connect the circuit board to the outer case.
Remove the ten screws that connect the circuit board to the outer case.
Step 9
- Remove the circuit board from the outer case using a plastic opening tool.
- Take care to gently pry around the entire outside edge of the circuit board until you can easily remove the board without force.
Remove the circuit board from the outer case using a plastic opening tool.
Take care to gently pry around the entire outside edge of the circuit board until you can easily remove the board without force.
Step 10
- Disengage the the three plastic clips that secure the screen to the circuit board.
Disengage the the three plastic clips that secure the screen to the circuit board.
Step 11
- Flip the circuit board over revealing the device screen.
- Remove the two screws connecting the screen and the circuit board.
Flip the circuit board over revealing the device screen.
Remove the two screws connecting the screen and the circuit board.
Step 12
- Follow the video instructions to desolder the display connectors and replace your screen.
Follow the video instructions to desolder the display connectors and replace your screen.
To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.
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39 other people completed this guide.
Author
with 15 other contributors
Andrew Tramposch
Member since: 06/24/2010
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6 Guides authored
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Team
Cal Poly, Team 3-2, Johann Summer 2010
Member of Cal Poly, Team 3-2, Johann Summer 2010
CPSU-JOHANN-R10S3G2
3 Members
33 Guides authored
Floyd Odom - Apr 17, 2015
Reply
What kind of lcd screen or where can I find one that isn’t off of another dmg-01 gameboy?
Joshua Graham - Jun 3, 2021
Helmut Kohli - Nov 19, 2017
Reply
What about the new display? Where to get it?
No spare part necessary should be replaced with a link where to buy a new one.
Firegoose - Jul 30, 2019
Reply
You can’t buy a new replacement screen unfortunately. Not only is it very difficult to remove the screen, it’s impossible to buy a replacement. They’d be better showing us how to fix a screen. There’s plenty of videos on YT showing how to fix blank vertical line but hardly any on how to fix horizontal lines, and the ones that do don’t work very well.
Nathan Thurston - Sep 14, 2019
Reply
Where do I buy a replacement screen for a 1989 game boy?
