Original Post

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 15 years, 10 months ago by KR155E.
335 Replies

If I were to guess it sounds like it could have a solder bridge. Did you test all the connections with a multimeter when you were done, to make sure none were crossing paths?

I could have no idea what I’m talking about though πŸ˜›

Actually, you’re right- as it turned out, there was a bit of loose solder was shorting out one of the traces on the left display (which caused the problem to occur on both displays. Weird!). That’ll teach me not to repair things at 2AM!

So now I have a solder-fixed VB that will hopefully last me a long time- hooray!

I have acquired some spare displays so I am back in the repairing service. I do give a 100% guarantee now unless the cable is shriveled up or creased of course.

The displays including cable have to be untampered with, they may have been in the oven (though people, please don’t do it, Runnerpack also agrees that the oven trick is bad, especially if you want the displays to be soldered), but the cables may not be shriveled up, that is just as good as unrepairable.

I am located in the Netherlands, if you want me to repair your cables, please PM me.

New to the forum, joined to find someone to repair my VB as I am too timid to try soldering. Runnerpack got my unit fixed, it arrived today and I am playing golf…its glorious!!! If only I still had my galactic pinball cart.

Anyways thanks RunnerPack.

It was my pleasure, virmonk. Thanks for the vote of approval πŸ˜‰

TheForce81 wrote:

I am located in the Netherlands, if you want me to repair your cables, please PM me.

This is great now we have a guy in the states repairing displays and TheForce81 repairing them on the other side of the globe…Awesome!:-)

Hey, anyone still offer their services? Ive got a Virtual Boy that I got from Goodwill a couple years ago. I finally want to fix it! My left display is perfectly fine right now, no lines. And the right display is supremely glitchy. I dont think I have the skills to do the soldering fix myself.

For those curious, it came with the controller, stand, Nesters Funky Bowling, eyehood, and ac adapter for around 35 bucks if I remember right.

donhonk wrote:
Hey, anyone still offer their services? Ive got a Virtual Boy that I got from Goodwill a couple years ago. I finally want to fix it! My left display is perfectly fine right now, no lines. And the right display is supremely glitchy. I dont think I have the skills to do the soldering fix myself.

For those curious, it came with the controller, stand, Nesters Funky Bowling, eyehood, and ac adapter for around 35 bucks if I remember right.

What part of the world do you reside in? If you live in Europe, I can offer my services, if you live in the USA, I could still help you, but Runnerpack would be a better option, then just send him a PM, if you want me to do it, PM me please.

TheForce81 wrote:

donhonk wrote:
Hey, anyone still offer their services? Ive got a Virtual Boy that I got from Goodwill a couple years ago. I finally want to fix it! My left display is perfectly fine right now, no lines. And the right display is supremely glitchy. I dont think I have the skills to do the soldering fix myself.

For those curious, it came with the controller, stand, Nesters Funky Bowling, eyehood, and ac adapter for around 35 bucks if I remember right.

What part of the world do you reside in? If you live in Europe, I can offer my services, if you live in the USA, I could still help you, but Runnerpack would be a better option, then just send him a PM, if you want me to do it, PM me please.

Oh yeah, sorry should have said. I live in the USA. Thanks, I’ll hit him up.

Got my displays back from RunnerPack today, they work great and he did a fantastic job. Super clean solder work man. πŸ™‚ No way I could have pulled that off myself.

He even sent me a set of replacement screws as I had lost mine. Thanks again!

Has anyone figured out what was causing those faint moving black horizontal lines in the display? I’ve read somewhere that it might be dust on the magnifying lens’, so tomorrow (or later today I guess… xD ) I might try cleaning those lens’ in one of my backup VB’s with that problem. Hopefully, this time I won’t forget how to put the thing back together… xD Anyway, I recently picked up a new solderd VB, but it has those damn lines in it’s left display… So if it works on my backup, I’ll do it on my newly refurbished one, wish me luck! :3

Dr.Crackers wrote:
Has anyone figured out what was causing those faint moving black horizontal lines in the display?

It’s usually something on the clear window over the LED bar. Try removing the LED PCB and carefully wiping the window. A quick way to verify is to swap the left and right PCBs… if it follows it, it’s gotta be dirty windows.

DogP

My main unit that physically is in great condition experiences this every one in awhile and then corrects itself. going to need to have Runnerpak repair it eventually.

DogP wrote:

Dr.Crackers wrote:
Has anyone figured out what was causing those faint moving black horizontal lines in the display?

It’s usually something on the clear window over the LED bar. Try removing the LED PCB and carefully wiping the window. A quick way to verify is to swap the left and right PCBs… if it follows it, it’s gotta be dirty windows.

DogP

Well, I’ve taken it apart and wiped the window clean and the display is better now, but there are still a couple of those lines left on it. Any idea what could be causing this?

Dr.Crackers wrote:

DogP wrote:

Dr.Crackers wrote:
Has anyone figured out what was causing those faint moving black horizontal lines in the display?

It’s usually something on the clear window over the LED bar. Try removing the LED PCB and carefully wiping the window. A quick way to verify is to swap the left and right PCBs… if it follows it, it’s gotta be dirty windows.

DogP

Well, I’ve taken it apart and wiped the window clean and the display is better now, but there are still a couple of those lines left on it. Any idea what could be causing this?

Try swapping the left and right display PCBs, and see if the problem follows them or not. If it is them, then you need to clean them better, or maybe the windows are slightly scratched.

If it doesn’t follow the display, then it might be some dust or something on the lenses, mirror, etc. But I’ve never seen it be anything other than the display PCB windows.

DogP

Search appears to be busted right now, only returning results on the last page.

Are “sporadic horizontal lines that are at max red brightness” indicative of a faulty LED cable? If so, looks like I’m buying a longer security bit XD.

I honestly can’t tell if it’s an issue with some games drawing objects at the wrong time, reading “incorrect” data the cartridge/FlashBoy (particularly acute with Jack Bros sometimes), or a bad ribbon cable.

The lines range from sporadic lines of various lengths at various y-positions, to a nice even horizontal stripes every 8 pixels or so.

Actually, I’m not sure if I’m precise enough to do this soldering without screwing it up… :/

But the LEDs are interchangeable? Meaning if I broke it, I could buy another broken VB and scrap it for the LEDs inside?

cr1901 wrote:
Search appears to be busted right now, only returning results on the last page.

Are “sporadic horizontal lines that are at max red brightness” indicative of a faulty LED cable? If so, looks like I’m buying a longer security bit XD.

I honestly can’t tell if it’s an issue with some games drawing objects at the wrong time, reading “incorrect” data the cartridge/FlashBoy (particularly acute with Jack Bros sometimes), or a bad ribbon cable.

The lines range from sporadic lines of various lengths at various y-positions, to a nice even horizontal stripes every 8 pixels or so.

Actually, I’m not sure if I’m precise enough to do this soldering without screwing it up… :/

But the LEDs are interchangeable? Meaning if I broke it, I could buy another broken VB and scrap it for the LEDs inside?

Yes, that’s almost certainly a bad cable connection.

And yes, you can swap displays from any other VB… but if you’re buying a broken VB for the displays, the displays are likely what’s broken on it, so you’ll still need to repair them first. πŸ˜›

DogP

Hello guys! I have a glitchy display on my VB.

Do you know if it’s fixable this kind of flickering with the methods in this post? Here is a video of my display. Can be a power problem?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w32HC_IRjA

The AC adaptor it’s a regular 9V adaptor connected to the AC Performance adaptor cables for make it work in Spain.

Thanks!

So my VB’s right screen today decided to give out on me is there anyone by chance on here that could fix the right display for me????

RunnerPack.

I didnt have any issues, but as a precaution, i had him soldered my displays up. The same procedure is used to fix a variety of display-related issues.

 

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