Microsoft Xbox

Known Issues
The original Xbox, up to the last version produced (pre v1.6) contains a capacitor used to keep the date and time (C1010, next to a bank of larger caps). Unfortunately, due to capacitor manufacturing defects present during this era of computing, the capacitor used for this purpose is very well known for failure, similar to a lot of classic Macintosh computers. It is highly recommended to remove or replace this capacitor, as it is basically guaranteed to leak and cause damage to the motherboard.

Causes

 * The aerogel supercapacitor responsible for keeping the RTC online has failed.

Solutions

 * Replace the capacitor.
 * Remove the capacitor, but manually set the time upon rebooting after power loss. (Version 1.6 boards require this capacitor and will fail to boot without it)
 * Connect your Xbox to the internet so that it can synchronize with a timeserver on boot. (Requires custom dashboard)

Causes

 * The RTC aerogel supercapacitor has failed, and caused corrosion to traces on the PCB relating to the front panel buttons.

Solutions

 * Ensure there is continuity between the PIC16 or Xyclops chip and the signal resistors as well as between the signal resistors and front panel pin header, replacing traces where needed.

Causes

 * The rubber drive belt has degraded
 * The read laser has failed

Solutions

 * Replace the drive belt. A 15mm diameter belt is required, the belts from the Xbox & Xbox 360 are interchangeable.
 * Replace the entire drive

Causes

 * The disc drive is not receiving consistent power, and is losing track of its current state.

Solutions

 * Check capacitors and replace any which are bulging or failing.
 * Check motherboard for damaged traces or signs of dislodged components.

Causes

 * The power supply unit has failed
 * The capacitors around the 20 pin connector have failed (v1.6)

Solutions

 * Replace power supply unit
 * Recap system board. On a 1.6 version unit, the 4 caps around the 20 pin connector are usually the culprit.

Causes

 * The hard drive is failing

Solutions

 * Replace the hard drive
 * Alternatively, move your save files to a memory unit

Disassembly Notes
See disassembly tab for step-by-step guide.
 * The four rubber feet on the underside of the device are held in with strong adhesive. If you want them to remain after disassembly, peel them back (from the outer edge of the device) just enough to expose the screw heads.
 * The internal IDE ribbon cable is over a decade old, so be very gentle with it. Bending it too many times will damage the internal connections, rendering it flaky or inoperable.
 * The power supply is fully exposed once the Xbox drive units are removed. Be very careful not to shock yourself on it.

Pre-1.6 Motherboard
Incomplete table

Basic PCB Name
Note: It is recommended to not replace the clock cap, it was only ever intended to store the date and time for an hour so not having it doesn't really affect anything.

Note 2: You can install a higher capacitance part to increase the storage time (up to 10F ) however this could potentially cause issues with the charging circuit.

Kits

 * Digikey BOM: https://www.digikey.com/

Related Links

 * Hardware Revisions - xboxdevwiki
 * Mr.Mario2011 - How to Remove an Original Xbox Clock Capacitor (v1.0 - 1.5)