Does your dreamcast reset for no reason? Read this then...

[Gmc]

My friends DC used to keep reseting itself after it was used for a couple of hours, so he asked me to look on the 'net to find a way to fix it. And I came across this...I did it on my friends console, and it works fine now...read on:

How to fix : A Dreamcast that re-sets at random

So your playing away at some game, and all of a sudden your dreamcast re-sets and returns you to the main Dreamcast menu screen, you choose to ignore it the first time, but after a few days the problem gets worse, and eventually your dreamcast becomes unplayable.
Why is it doing this???
In nearly all cases the re-set problem is caused by two things, Heat expansion of circuit boards inside the dreamcast and poor electrical connections.

This is what happens inside your dreamcast and how it causes your dreamcast to re-set.

As you know the dreamcast takes mains supply voltage straight into the back of the system, and this voltage (240v Europe, 110 v America) needs to be stepped down and converted to a stable DC current that the electronic components can handle, As the electricity enters your dreamcast it passes through a step down transformer which reduces the voltage, unfortunately step down transformers generate heat and as things warm up they expand , the step down transformer in the dreamcast is located on a separate circuit board, the main power board, which is on the left hand side in the dreamcast above the Main mother board and to the left of the GD rom assembly, this is why the left side of the dreamcast gets warmer.
The main power board is connected to the dreamcast mother board by six aluminium pins, as the power board heats up it expands lightly putting pressure on the pins and over time this will bend them slightly, resulting in a poor electrical connection that will cause your dreamcast to re-set at random.

This is what you do to fix the problem.
You need the following :
a screwdriver with + blade
some common sense
and make sure that your dreamcast is out of warranty as the following will void it.

1) Disconnect from the mains, remove all
cables from the dreamcast and
any game disc that?s inside
2) Remove the modem
3) undo the four screws in the base of the
Dreamcast and KEEP SAFE
4) Remove the lid.
On the left hand side you will see: the
Main power board, with the GD rom
assembly to the right, the input port
Circuit board at the base, and in the
bottom left hand side you will see the
power on/off switch, this switch is
Connected to the power board with a grey
cable , at the power board end of the
cable their is a white connector, grip
the connecter at the base and lift clear.
5) undo the two brass screws that hold the
Power board down and KEEP SAFE
6) towards the base of the power board you
will see a white connector, it has six
pins sticking out, gently lift the power
board out of the dreamcast and off the
pins.
7) Under the power board there is a clear
plastic insulation sheet DO NOT REMOVE
THIS, IF YOU DO PUT IT BACK.
8) look at the pins and clean any dirt off
them DONT USE ANY LIQUID to clean them
with
9) GENTLY apply SMALL amount of pressure to
pins pushing them towards the back of the
dreamcast DO NOT BEND THEM, JUST APPLY A
SMALL AMOUNT OF PRESSURE
10) Re assemble your dreamcast and the re-
sets should be no more.

[Sub Woofer]

I had this problem, but cleaning the lens worked for me, and It hasn't done it since!

If you want a pictured version of this tutorial, check out this site.
http://www.segafun.de.vu/dcfix.htm

[SurXes]

umm, why are those matches there?

[Abomination]

I once had this problem, but my DC was in the warrenty,so...
I have a request to all of you!
I'm portuguese, and so i'm not very good in english, , so i'm asking to anyone who understands portuguese to translate the post on how to fix the reset problem so i can understand it better, cause i don't want to ruin my Dc!

[Mr Spoon]

Hope this makes sense . . . . . . .

Minha C.C. dos amigos usou-se manter-se reseting depois que foi usada para um par das horas, assim que pediu que eu olhasse ' na rede para encontrar uma maneira repar?-la. E eu vim atrav?s deste... que eu o fiz em meu console dos amigos, e trabalha muito bem agora... lido sobre: Como reparar: Um Dreamcast esse restaura??es em aleat?rio Assim seu jogar afastado em algum jogo, e toda a repentino seus restaura??es e retornos do dreamcast voc? ? tela de menu principal de Dreamcast, voc? escolhe ignor?-la a primeira vez, mas ap?s alguns dias o problema come?a mais mau, e eventualmente seu dreamcast torna-se unplayable. Por que est? fazendo este??? Em quase todos os casos que o problema da restaura??o ? causado por duas coisas, aquece a expans?o de placas de circuito dentro do dreamcast e das conex?es el?tricas deficientes. Este ? o que acontecem dentro de seu dreamcast e como ele causa seu dreamcast ? restaura??o. **time-out** como voc? se dreamcast fa? exame cano forne? tens?o reto para tr?s sistema, e este tens?o (240v Europa, 110 v Am?rica) necessit para est pis para baixo e convert um est?vel C.C. atual que eletr?nico componente poss segur, como eletricidade entr seu dreamcast pass atrav?s um etapa para baixo transformador que reduz tens?o, infeliz etapa para baixo transformador ger calor e como coisa morno acima expand, etapa para baixo transformador dreamcast est localiz um separ circuito placa, principal pot?ncia placa, que est m?o lado dreamcast acima principal matriz placa e esquerdo GD o lado do dreamcast come?a o aquecedor. A placa de pot?ncia principal ? conectada ? placa da matriz do dreamcast por seis pinos do alum?nio, porque a placa de pot?ncia se aquece acima dela expande levemente aplicar uma press?o sobre os pinos e sobre o tempo este os dobrar? ligeiramente, tendo por resultado uma conex?o el?trica deficiente que cause seu dreamcast ? restaura??o em aleat?rio. Este ? o que voc? faz para reparar o problema. Voc? necessita o seguinte: uma chave de fenda com + l?mina algum sentido comum e certifica-se de que seu dreamcast ? fora da garantia enquanto o seguinte v?cuo da vontade ele.

1) a disconex?o dos canos principais, remove todos os cabos do dreamcast e todo o disco that.s que do jogo

2) interno removem o modem

3) undo os quatro parafusos na base do Dreamcast e o COFRE do SUSTENTO

4) remove a tampa. No lado da m?o esquerda voc? ver?: **time-out** principal pot?ncia placa, com GD ROM conjunto direita, entrada porta circuito placa base, e inferior m?o lado voc? v pot?ncia de ligar/desligar interruptor, este interruptor est conect pot?ncia placa com um cinzento cabo, pot?ncia placa extremidade cabo seu est um branco conector, prend connecter base e levant claramente.

5) undo os dois parafusos de bronze que mant?m abaixado a placa de pot?ncia e o COFRE do SUSTENTO

6) para a base da placa que de pot?ncia voc? ver? um conector branco, ele t?m seis pinos furar para fora, desprendem delicadamente a placa de pot?ncia fora do dreamcast e dos pinos.

7) sob a placa de pot?ncia h? uma folha pl?stica desobstru?da da isola??o N?O REMOVE ISTO, SE VOC? O PUSER PARA TR?S.

8 ) olham os pinos e limpam toda a sujeira fora deles USO de DONT QUALQUER L?QUIDO limp?-los com o

9) aplicam DELICADAMENTE um pouco de press?o aos pinos que empurram os para a parte traseira do dreamcast N?O OS DOBRAM, APLICAM APENAS Um POUCO DA PRESS?O

10) re montam seu dreamcast e as restaura??es n?o devem ser n?o mais.

[Abomination]

THANKS!! (Obrigado)

[emuxer001]

I have a similar problem but I think it has nothing to do with the internal circuitry.
Sometimes my DC stops reading a disc and won't read any unless i move the thingy that moves the lens to the center 'till it can't move it anymore. Can I fix this problem and what makes it?

[Gmc]

Hmm...my friends DC stopped reading discs when it got hot....but he got the External DC fan from Lik-sang, and it works fine now...

But it sounds like your DC's laser is almost dead...just get a new DC or Laser.

[MidnightObsidian]

I've seen this happen with cd players all the time, especially portable ones. A lot of time, dirt, dust, and pet hair can accumulate on the stepping gears/cylinder (if you've ever opened up a cd player or looked on the bottom of the DC GD-ROM assembly, you'll know what I'm talking about; a thing spins, consequently moving the laser assembly from the center to the outside and vice versa. The first thing I would do is clean off that cylinder/gear set (the GD-ROM's stepping device varies with different models, but it's most likely that you have a cylinder). If that doesn't work, put a VERY little bit of grease on the cylinder. Check the connections of the stepping motor to be sure nothing's shorting and the connections are actually making contact with the board. There are probably only two wires; I'm too lazy to open up my Dreamcast right now to check it out. If I must, I will. >= )

When you have to do something physical to fix a problem, the problem is generally physical, itself.

I hope this helps!!

[RenoRulez]

I have the same problem!
Has anyone a version with pics on the net?
Thank you!

reno