How to Open an Xbox 360 Elite

Turn off and unplug your Xbox 360, and let it cool before you begin to open the machine. By letting it cool, you avoid burning yourself on potential hot parts, and unplugging it saves you the risk of electrical shock.

Flip the XBox 360 upside-down vertically, so that you can see the rubber feet of the system. The bottom panel is the first part you need to remove, and positioning the Xbox 360 in an upside-down position will aid this process.

Find the slot at the base of your Xbox 360. Slip your flat head screwdriver into the slot, and gently push the bottom panel up away from the rest of the system. Do not do this too quickly or forcefully, as it risks damaging the plastic casing.

Remove the front panel of the Xbox 360. This will reveal a series of clips holding the Xbox case together; do not disconnect these yet.

Remove the top panel -- opposite the bottom panel already removed -- of the Xbox 360 by gently easing it apart from the casing; one of the rubber feet has a small hole that you can insert a screwdriver into to help the removal of this top piece.

Separate any interlocking clips visible on the inside of the case.

Remove the screws from the metal casing on the inside of the Xbox 360; there should be six of them. Make sure that you set these screws aside in a safe place so that you will be able to reinsert them during the reassembly process.

Pull the metal top off of the interior casing to reveal the guts of the Xbox 360 Elite.