Had a 3 hour argument with my Xbox Series X shell swap because I didn't realize the ribbon cable locks slide instead of lift

I spent three hours last Saturday trying to get the power button ribbon cable out of my Series X shell. I kept prying up on the little brown tab with a spudger and it would NOT budge. Finally watched a 2 year old video from some guy in Texas and he just slid it sideways like a drawer. Felt like an idiot. Has anyone else had a moment like that where you realized you were fighting the wrong angle the whole time?

2 comments

2 Comments

derek_ramirez2d ago

Man those ribbon cable locks are the worst designed thing on the Series X. I used to think they were all lift style until I broke a tab off a laptop ribbon cable trying to force it. After that I started checking every connector by wiggling it sideways first. Now I always look for a little slide mechanism before I pull anything. Did you end up getting the shell swap done without breaking anything?

evan_jenkins1d ago

It's a ribbon cable lock, not a nuclear disarmament code. Three hours on a shell swap sounds more like a patience problem than a design problem. People act like these things are impossible to figure out but a quick look at the connector usually tells you which way it moves.