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Instructions on How to Take an Xbox 360 Apart

The Xbox 360 is a sophisticated gaming console whose construction is similar to that of a computer. You can disassemble the Xbox 360 in order to change the DVD drive or fan assembly or to make additions to the motherboard to change the way the operating system functions. Taking the Xbox 360 apart is a straightforward operation, although doing so voids the Microsoft warranty.

Things You'll Need

Bath towel
Flat-edged screwdriver
Torx screwdriver
Phillips jeweler̵7;s screwdriver

Instructions

- 1
  Put a beach towel down on a table. Remove all of the cables from the Xbox 360. Put the Xbox 360 with the hard drive compartment facing up down on the beach towel.
- 2
  Release the latch at the edge of the hard drive compartment with your fingers. Pull the hard drive compartment off the Xbox 360.
- 3
  Place the Xbox 360 down on the beach towel with the faceplate facing up.
- 4
  Squeeze the left side of the faceplate with your left hand. Pull up on the USB door on the right of the faceplate with your right hand. Pull the faceplate off of the Xbox 360.
- 5
  Place the Xbox 360 down with the power button facing you. Insert the flat-edged screwdriver into the top leftmost hole of the ventilation grill on the right side.
- 6
  Release the plastic latch inside the ventilation grill with the tip of the flat-edged screwdriver. Move the flat-edged screwdriver into the rest of the holes of the ventilation grill to find and release the three other plastic latches.
- 7
  Release the four plastic latches inside of the ventilation grill on the left side of the Xbox 360 in the same manner as was just done on the right side.
- 8
  Turn the Xbox 360 over. Lift up on the bottom shelf. Remove the 14 screws now exposed with the Torx screwdriver. Turn the Xbox 360 back right side up.
- 9
  Remove the screws from the back plate using the Torx screwdriver.
- 10
  Lift up on the outer shell of the Xbox 360 with both hands. Wiggle the outer shell and remove it from the inner shell of the Xbox 360. Pull the back plate off of the inner shell.
- 11
  Remove the two plastic inserts from inside of the inner shell.
- 12
  Remove the six screws from around the metal plate with the Torx screwdriver. Lift the metal plate off of the inner shell. Push the eject button through the hole from the outside of the inner shell. Remove the metal plate.
- 13
  Remove the screws from around the DVD drive using the Phillips jeweler̵7;s screwdriver. Lift up on the DVD drive.
- 14
  Pull out the power cable connected to the motherboard from out of the back of the DVD drive with your fingers. Pull out the ribbon data connector connected to the DVD drive from out of the motherboard with your fingers. Remove the DVD drive.
- 15
  Remove the screws from around the motherboard using the Phillips jeweler̵7;s screwdriver.
- 16
  Lift the motherboard out of the inner shell of the Xbox 360. Put the motherboard down on the beach towel.

Xbox 360