Disassemble an Xbox 360

 Welcome to my first tutorial! Today I will be showing you guys how to open an Xbox 360. Once it's open you'll be able to flash custom firmware to play backups, fix errors, perform case mods, and so much more!

Microsoft decided to go with a "screwless" assembly on their console, so it's a little tricky to open. I happen to have a spare RRoD console (that I will be fixing in another tutorial) to demonstrate the process of cracking one of these open.

I went to the dollar store and bought a set of precision screwdrivers for (you guessed it) one dollar. The one we're interested in is the 3/64" slotted (flat head) screwdriver. I'm sure a smaller or slightly larger one will work fine, but I like this one.

 First thing you'll want to do is remove the faceplate, this can be done by grabbing the usb opening and pulling away. Be careful with the little door covering the USB ports - they break easily!

Now you'll want to remove the plastic covers on the top and bottom of the Xbox. Use the small screwdriver I mentioned earlier to poke into the little holes near them. There are 3 tabs on each side of each grill (12 total).

As you're poking them, you'll want to be pulling the grill away from the Xbox.

Now that those are off, turn your Xbox around so you're looking at the back. You're going to want to use that same screwdriver to poke more tabs on the back while gently pulling it apart with you're other hand.

It won't seem like they're coming apart until they're all disconnected.

 Now focus your attention to the front. There are 4 clips holding the front of the case together. This is where you will be pulling the Microsoft warranty sticker off (if it isn't already).

Once they're all released, you can pull the bottom off. The one I have has already been taken apart so there are no screws. You will need a small Torx screwdriver to fully disassemble the Xbox (T-9 is the smallest one needed). If your Xbox has no screws, the top will be able to come off if you move the eject button.

Once you have your big screws taken out (there are a lot of them on the underside). You should have the bare bones of the Xbox. If you are wanting to flash the Xbox with a custom firmware, this is where you stop!

Moving on, you'll want to pull the power and SATA cords from the back of the DVD drive. These are pretty sturdy, so don't worry too much about ruining them.

Remove the DVD drive.

You can now take the power and SATA cables from the motherboard, as well as the big white plastic fan shroud. Remove the screws from the front of the power button's board and pull it away.

Remove the fan by first unplugging it's power source, then pulling the metal piece above it away, and finally pulling it towards the front of the Xbox.

The motherboard should now be able to be lifted from the metal housing. Hold onto the CPU heatsink (the larger one) and pull it away from the housing.

Turing the motherboard upside down will reveal 2 X shaped clamps holding the heat sinks to the board.

Using a large slotted screwdriver to remove these. What I like to do is insert it right where the x-clamps hang onto the screws and rotate it towards the middle of the X (in this case, counter clockwise).

Once the clamps are off, the heat will be free from the board! You're done!

Be sure to check back soon as I explain the Red Ring of Death, secondary error codes, and attempt to fix this Xbox 360!