An Easy Guide to Cleaning Your Xbox One

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Take your Xbox One apart to clean the dust out once

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• Cleaning the Outside
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• Disassembling for Cleaning
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• Cleaning the Inside
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• Reassembling the Xbox One
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• Video
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• Tips

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If you've had your Xbox One for several years, it's probably starting to get a little dusty. You can easily clean the outer case with a damp cloth. Cleaning and dusting the inside requires you to open your Xbox One console, though doing so will void your warranty. This How.com.vn article teaches you how to clean your Xbox One console.

Things You Should Know

• You can clean the outside of your Xbox One with a disinfectant wipe or lint-free cloth dampened with mild soap and water.
• To clean the inside, you will need Torx 8/9/10 screwdrivers, a pry tool, a knife, a dry toothbrush, and condensed air.
• Be careful of the cable when removing the panels. Use a toothbrush to brush away large clumps of dust. Use condensed air to blow away the remaining dust.

Steps

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Cleaning the Outside

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1. 
   1
   Unplug your Xbox One console. Ensure your console is disconnected from the power cord and video cables. This will allow you to rotate and turn your console over so that you can clean all sides.
2. 
   2
   Wipe the outer case with a damp cloth. Use a lint-free cloth (microfiber works best) dampened with water and mild soap to clean the outside of your Xbox One console. You can also use a disinfectant wipe.

   • Don't add liquid directly to the Xbox One console or the controllers. Apply it to the cloth and ring out any excess moisture before wiping.
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3. 
   3
   Use condensed air to remove dust from the ports and vents. Spray short bursts of condensed air to remove dust from the USB ports, the ports on the back of the console, and the vents on the side and back of the console.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Disassembling the Xbox One for Cleaning

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1. 
   1
   Disconnect all cables and eject any disks. To clean the inside of your Xbox One, you'll need to disassemble it. Make sure the console is not plugged in or connected to a TV. If there is a disk in the system, eject it before continuing.

   • Make sure you are in a well-ventilated area. You will be spraying dust everywhere. You'll need proper ventilation so you don't breathe in the dust.
2. 
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   Remove the vent panel on the left side. This is the side with the Sync button. The vent panel is seated into the recess of the outer panel. You can easily pry it loose using a plastic pry tool or a flathead screwdriver.
3. 
   3
   Remove the plastic piece under the Sync button. It's the triangle-shaped piece under the Sync button. It's not held in place by anything, so you can just slide it out.
4. 
   4
   Cut or remove the warranty sticker on the back. There is a sticker on the back of the console where the top and bottom panels meet. Cut this sticker or remove it.

   • Warning: This will void any warranty your console may be under. Make sure your warranty has expired before continuing.
5. 
   5
   Pry loose the top and bottom panels. To do so, stand the console upright with the front panel facing down. Use a plastic pry tool or flathead to pry loose the top and bottom panels. Go along the seam and release each clip holding the top and bottom panels in place by pressing down on the bottom panel while pressing away on the top panel.

   • Do not lift the top panel away from the top panel just yet. Separate the two panels by about a half-an-inch.
6. 
   6
   Carefully remove the top panel. To do so, place the console right-side-up. Slowly rotate the top panel from the back like you are opening a pizza box. There will be slight tension in the front corner.

   • Warning: There is a ribbon cable attached to the front panel. Be careful not to damage the cable as you lift the top panel.
7. 
   7
   Disconnect the ribbon cable. To do so:

   • Gently lift the top panel, and you will see the ribbon cable connected under the front panel in the center.
   • Press the front of the clip the ribbon cable is inserted into to release it. Use tweezers to lift the blue wrap around the clip up and then pull it over the clip. Slide the ribbon cable out. The top panel is now detached. You can put it aside.
8. 
   8
   Disconnect the wires to the speaker and the Wi-Fi card. Once the top panel is removed, you will notice the speaker and Wi-Fi card. Both have wires connected to the back of the Xbox One. Pull the red and black speaker wires out of the port on the back. Then, use a pair of tweezers to disconnect the speaker wire from the back.

   • Warning: Static electrical discharge can permanently damage your Xbox One. Be sure to touch something metal to ground yourself or wear anti-static wrist cuffs before touching anything inside your Xbox One.
9. 
   9
   Remove the Wi-Fi card. The Wi-Fi card is the black circuit board in the corner. Use a Torx 8 screwdriver to remove the two screws holding it in place. Then, gently wiggle the Wi-Fi card loose and set it aside.
10. 
    10
    Remove the metal cover.

    • 8 screws hold the metal cover in place, 2 of which are on the plastic fan cover. Use a Torx 10 screwdriver to unscrew all 8 screws and remove them.
    • Gently lift the metal cover away. Be careful of the cable that is connected to the motherboard underneath. Gently disconnect the cable from the motherboard and put the metal cover aside.
11. 
    11
    Remove the hard drive and disk drive.

    • The hard drive is the small metal box sitting in a black plastic stand, and is connected to the motherboard with two wires. Disconnect the two wires connected to the motherboard, lift the hard drive out of the Xbox One case, and set it aside. It is not mounted with screws.
    • The disk driver is the larger metal box inside the Xbox One case, also connected to the motherboard with two wires. Disconnect the wires and lift the drive from the Xbox One case and set it aside.
12. 
    12
    Lift the motherboard out of the bottom panel. To do so, grab the metal case on the side of the motherboard and lift it out of the bottom panel. You can now clean all the internal parts.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Cleaning the Inside

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1. 
   1
   Remove large clumps of dust with your fingers. You can use your fingertips to remove large clumps of dust stuck to the motherboard or the fans. Be careful not to touch any of the electronic components on the motherboard.
2. 
   2
   Use a dry toothbrush to loosen the dust. You can use a toothbrush to loosen dust stuck to the motherboard and fan and to reach hard-to-reach places. Gently scrub with the toothbrush to loosen the dust.
3. 
   3
   Spray with condensed air. Use short bursts of condensed air to blow dust away from the motherboard and the fan. Then, continue scrubbing with the toothbrush to loosen any dust as necessary.
4. 
   4
   Clean the plastic panels. You can use a disinfectant wipe or a lint-free damp cloth with mild soap to clean the insides of the plastic panels. Be sure to let them dry before reassembling the Xbox One.

   • Do not apply liquid to the motherboard or electronic components.
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Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Reassembling the Xbox One

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1. 
   1
   Place the motherboard back in the bottom panel. Grab the motherboard by the metal casing on the side and place it in the bottom panel the only way it will fit. Check the back of the Xbox One to make sure the USB ports and power cable ports are lined up with the outer panel.
2. 
   2
   Reinsert the disk drive. Slide the disk drive in where it makes contact with the front panel. Then, reconnect the power cable and data cable to the motherboard. The cable ports are right behind the disk drive on the motherboard.
3. 
   3
   Reinsert the disk drive. Align the disk drive with the metal rods on the motherboard and slide it in place. Make sure it is snug and won't slide around. Then, connect the data cable and the power cable to the motherboard.
4. 
   4
   Reattach the metal panel. Start by connecting the cable attached to the metal panel back to the board. Then place the metal panel over the motherboard so that all the screw holes line up with the screws. Secure it in place with the 8 screws.
5. 
   5
   Attach the Wi-Fi card. To do so, align the connector with the white connector on the metal cover and press it down. Then secure it in place with the two small screws. Then, attach the Wi-Fi wire to the small white port on the Wi-Fi card and then to the small white port on the back panel.
6. 
   6
   Reconnect the speaker. If the speaker is detached from the metal cover, go ahead and reattach it. Then, connect the red and black speaker wire to the port on the back panel of the Xbox One.
7. 
   7
   Insert the Ribbon cable on the front panel. To do so, make sure the front piece on the ribbon cable port is pushed out. Slide the end of the ribbon cable in. Be mindful of the blue wrap-around piece. Take your time sliding it in. Then, wrap the blue wrap-around piece around the ribbon cable connector port.

   • It may be easier to remove the front panel from the top panel. Grab the front panel and apply pressure to the clips holding it in place with your thumb. Once the ribbon cable is attached, align the clips with the top panel and apply pressure to reattach them.
8. 
   8
   Attach the front panel to the bottom panel. To do so, align the numbs on the bottom of the front panel with the inserts on the bottom panel. Insert the numbs at an angle and rotate the front panel forward. Apply pressure to attach them. Make sure there are no gaps in the bottom and front panels.
9. 
   9
   Attach the top panel. Align the top panel with the back and front panel (if the front panel is detached). Go around the edges and corners and apply pressure to reattach the top panel to all the clips. Check the seam along the side where the top and bottom panels meet. Make sure there are no gaps. Apply pressure to reattach the panel if there are any gaps.
10. 
    10
    Reinsert the triangle piece below the sync button. It has two tracks on the bottom of it. Align the tracks with the bars below the sync button on the side of the Xbox One. Slide it back into place.
11. 
    11
    Reinsert the side vent panel. Go ahead and slide the vent panel back into the recess on the side of the Xbox One. Go along the edges and apply pressure to make sure it is secure. Your Xbox One is now reassembled and clean.
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Tips

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The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of How.com.vn readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on How.com.vn, please submit it in the field below.

• Cleaning your Xbox One once every couple of years can help can help keep it running longer and prevent overheating.
• You can use alcohol wipes to clean the outside of the Xbox and the controllers.

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