One of the stupid Internet myths regarding the of high Sony's PS2 sales numbers are people are rebuying PS2 consoles because they break down one year after purchase. Chalk up one for that myth, but for Nintendo's DS Lite this time.
I was travelling on the Tube when I decided to whip out my DS Lite to play a little bit of Advance Wars: Dual Strike. After inserting the headphone and sliding the power button, I pushed upon the top lid. Immediately I heard a crack and noticed that the right hinge has broken off. Embarrassed I quickly closed the lid, picked up the broken hinge and walked out at the next station.
After I immediately inspected the part that broke off once I reached home, I believe that there is an inherit design problem with the DS Lite's right hinge. I am not stating this as fact but based on my observation I believe it to be true.
The right hinge also happens to house the mechanism to allow the DS Lite to 'lock' in place when opened, so not many of the plastic area is connected to the main body. Actually I first started noticing a problem when I played Hotel Dusk two months ago. There weren't any cracks then (or at least none that I noticed) but the top screen when opened would not clicked properly. Having used the DS Lite hundreds of time the clicking sound did not sound right. The first (visible) crack that appeared was this tiny piece of plastic pictures below which I first blogged about here. While it did not allow the screen to completely break off it significantly increased the pressure on the right hinge as the right side of the top screen would float a little bit.
If you see this picture of the broken of bit, you will notice that this bit used to secure the right side of the top screen is only connected through the main body through three rather tiny surface. Frankly I am not surprised by this after examining the broken piece. It is shoddy quality and you do not need an engineering degree to tell you that the right hinge is weak. Unfortunately for me as this is an imported unit, it is highly likely that any plea towards Nintendo to fix this, even for a fee, would probably fall on deaf ears. Ironically enough I did send an email to Nintendo Europe a few days ago enquiring about the crack but they have yet to reply. Not even the "sorry we can't do anything" kind.
As I am pretty peeved off with Nintendo at the moment I am not much in the mood to hand in more money to them, so I will be attempting to fix this (or ask one of my engineering mates to fix it for me for free), as amazingly the device still works, albeit in a non practical manner (the top screen is being held by the LCD ribbon through the left hinge). I am sure the right hinge can be glued back with industrial glue (any recommendations?), but with the PCB exposed I am reluctant to do so. I will probably get one of those proprietary silly named tri-wing screwdriver to remove the PCB first before laying down glue and before attempting to reinforce the hinge.
I love portable gaming and most of all I love Nintendo portable games, but for this to happen, it is bloody annoying. But what can you do... whatever I do, from keeping the DS Lite in a case when not in use to cleaning it up like a baby every night, nothing can protect you from pure bad luck.
-
Update (01/04/07):
Jennifer's DS Lite has also suffered a DS Lite hinge crack. Fortunately it is only the "normal" left hinge crack that countless others has suffered, but as this crack is merely cosmetic and doesn't affect gameplay it should be alright. But to have two separate DS Lite suffering from cracks in the same week? What is going on Nintendo?
BTW She got the crack while playing Hotel Dusk. That game is evil.
86 comments:
I'm sorry to read about your predicament man and hopefully you get your DS Lite fixed. But I would stay away from normal super glue if I were you, some have a tendency to eat into plastic and make it brittle.
The exact thing happened to my launched US polar white DSL 4 months ago. It just broke when I opened the top screen.
Aw! Poor DS... :(
I know someone who has a normal DS where one of the hindges has broken. It still works though. Must ask him when it happened...
Oh! And also I have had a PS2 since 2002 and it still works today!
By the way I know this comment has been posted before, but I changed my profile and it didn't update so I've just reposted it!!!
I DON'T CARE WHAT U THINK!!!
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Wow. I just had exactly the same hingebreak on my son's DS Lite that we got just before xmas. In fact your image looks almost like exactly the same break as my sons...
same here happend to my white ds lite.
i going shops today they say there goin to replace it.
????
April 2007
My sons DS lite is cracked at the exact same spot!?
Guess who's not going to pay for repair now!!!
TR/Denmark
Same thing happened to mine last week! Nintendo would not hear a thing and now I need to get another one. The old DS was much studier and I would be rebuying a second hand.
My daughter's DS has just suffered exactly the same problem - the right hand hinge has broken off and with exposed wires doesn't look too safe for a child to continue using... True to other posters' comments, the manager of the shop where I bought it definitely seemed to have been primed on what to say and having found some small scratches round the casing said they were evidence it had been dropped and they were not liable. He said to send it to Nintendo but his view was the damage was our fault. I even showed him printouts of these pages and the photos of the same thing!!! Don't worry, I won't give up that easily, I have contacted Trading Standards and will try the media too. I'm not forking out for a new DS if the same thing is going to happen again. The whole thing, with the cost of the games etc, is just a con.
I spoke to a GAME and Gamestation staff the week it happened and apparently they had many customers return their DS Lite because the right hinge broke off. One even said that it was a well known defect.
They couldn't do anything with it as I did not purchase it from them. I have yet to fix mine yet. At least it is saving me tons of money on not having to fork out money for new DS games.
Something sort of similar happened.
I was complaining about not having a DS, when someone on my bus gave me hers, saying it was broken. There was what looked like a cosmetic crack next to the left hinge (not exactly the hinge itself), and apparently she tried to put superglue on it. I don't know if it got on to a wire, but the whole thing won't even start up now. So I'll try to fix it, (mainly because I can keep it if I do) and if it comes to the worst send it in for repairs. Right now I just have to focus on getting the battery cover or trihead screwed thing off.
You only need a philip driver for the battery cover but the rest requires a triwing. The left hinge houses the delicate LCD ribbon so I will be careful there. I think Flickr has a set of pictorial guide on opening up the DS Lite.
you can purcahse a new case for £25 from http://www.consoleplus.co.uk/product_info.php?pName=shock-replacement-case-kit-for-ds-lite-cool-black AND U tube has a video to show you how to disassemble a DS
Dude I have the exact same problem on my white ds lite. Does nintendo replace it?
Sadly not on mine (imported). If you bought yours locally and it is still covered by warranty, pester them. If not threaten them with taking this up with some sort of trading standards watchdog.
I would, but they could simply brush me off due to my device being imported.
I have the same problem with my son's white DS Lite, the first time nintendo fixed it for $50, then two weeks later I noticed the same problem again, I called and screamed at nintendo and they replaced it for free before it completely broke off. Now it has happened again and Nintendo were asses about it but they are replacing it again. This will be number four that they have sent me. We need to start up a class action suit or something!!!!!!
the same thing happened to my friends DS lite. Except his doesn't work anymore, you are lucky that yours still works. and on his only a little tiny piece of plastic between the power/charging lights and the hinge broke off.
What i just read and what happened to my friends encouraged me to buy a case for it, so it doesn't happen to mine.(also i wont buy Hotel Dusk)
This exact same thing happened to my ds, the broken piece looks identical to yours.
This seems to happen a lot, it should be stronger.
Mine does still work, but like yours half of it hangs off. I am getting a cover for it so it will stand up, maybe you could try that.
Do you think we should all get together and bombard Nintendo about this problem?
I have just informed BBC watchdog of this problem, i suggest you do the same, so we might get something out of it, I.e america got free repairs for any cracks in the hinges, why haven't we?s
I highly doubt that Nintendo would do anything, at least on mine since it was an imported DS Lite. But if you bombard enough I am sure they will fix yours.
I believe part of the problem lies with the pressure applied on the hinge when opening the screen. The correct way is to lift it up without pushing the screen back, but because of the way it is designed I find it difficult to lift up the screen without accidentally pushing the screen back.
I bought a new one eventually (an ugly black) and stripped the old one and sold them as spare parts.
Good luck getting Nintendo to replace your DS Lite. Nintendo Europe is kinda behind times in terms of providing essential service to us customers.
I bought mine last christmas and the same thing has happened on the same side looks like we have all been ripped off my son was devastated
If it is within the warranty period call Nintendo and demand they fix it. Or report to BBC Watchdog. All the positive PR that Nintendo is dishing out to the mainstream media won't last forever.
even though yours is imported it is still a Nintendo product.
I am in the similar predicament as you, as I bought mine off ebay, but this is still a Nintendo product, so wherever you bought it from, it should be qualified for fixing.
p.s my father is a complaints manager for a major retail tyre firm.
My son's DS Lite is just about to break exactly like this. It is cracked in the same spots and is very loose at the moment but still holding together. I just got off the phone with Nintendo customer service and they quoted me a price of $75. Then they offered to knock $25 off and fix it for $50. I told them to forget it and that I'll sell it and buy him something not made by Nintendo. Screw them
Mine also broke in exactly the same place. I glued it back on with Araldite - Good as new! I really wish Nintendo would do something about this though. It's a shame because I never had any problems with my fat DS and it was slapped around more than Tina Turner
hers something i had the crack in the same place best buy wont replace it hers an idea print the page full of all your comments about the ds crack and give it to the the game store or whatever and they will have to give you a new one,cause it proves that you are not the ones responsible for the crack its the Japaneses...if you think it seems like the Japaneses wants you to pay more money by getting a new one
same happened last week any advice to fix would be appreciated.plzzzzz send to lucario100@hotmail.co.uk
I've just had two white DS lites break with in days of each other. These belong to my daughters and were bought Christmas 06, so just over 1 year.
When I buy my first DS lite, it got a crack, I sent it back for repair for free. Then the second one come in, I got another crack in 2 months. I sent it back again. Now my third ds lite, got a crack again. I called them. They refuse to repair my ds lite. The representative said that they *fix* the problem. (but I still have the crack) and refuse to fix my ds lite for free. They said it should only be a *1* time free repair, so if you plan to buy ds lite, just consider that before you buy it. I am very disappointed with Nintendo’s service.
It's clearly a design flaw. The plastic is way too thin to support the stresses of opening and closing the sprung lid, so after a few hundred cycles the plastic simply shears off due to fatigue. Question is: have Nintendo done anything to redesign the case? Or if I shell out for a new unit or replacement case will that fail in the same way in a year's time? My son is gutted...
Same deal with my son's white DSL. Little crack of no significance on the left, huge scary case crack on the hinge on the right. This royally blows. Nintendo USA says $75 and my own shipping charges they'll fix it. LOL. You've got to be kidding me. I'll replace the case for $35. Sheesh.
I didn't fully read your story.
And it has been a while so I'm guessing now you're out of warranty.
Heres what I did (because the exact same thing happenend to me but not as severe.):
Tried bring it back to Wal-mart after the 90 days. They didn't like that very much and I didn't get far.
HOWEVER, this is after I called Nintendo (which is in both NY and CA, and seeing that I live in CT it was rather convenient). Here is what they did for me:
1) They get my information.
2) Checked when I bought it.
3) Set up FREE shipping and handling to and from NY which your choice of UPS for FedEx.
4) I printed up the shipping, put everything in the box and a letter with what was wrong, sent it... got there OVERNIGHT.
5) Kept me updated via e-mail and Nintendo Repairs website.
6) Shipped it back to be withing 5-7 days (a snow storm happened and delayed things).
7) THEY GAVE ME AN ENTIRE NEW SCREEN ONLY FOR THE HINGE BEING CRACKED.
I was 3 days from my 12 MONTH warranty being over!
And there must have been a crack forming in all of those who complained about their screen breaking. Unless you stepped on it or dropped it, I doubt your screen will just "break off."
Anybody who says they are "peeved" with Nintendo is completely stubborn.
Companies have to cover their back somehow because NOTHING IS FLAWLESS, and that 12 month warranty was a good warranty (look at iPods and cameras now a days and their 30-90 day warranty and $30 restocking fees!)
I was completely happy with them.
Some things just are out of one's control, and the expiration of a warranty is one.
Thats my 2 cents and good luck!
Nintendo Europe isn't as nice as NoA. Besides mine is an import DSL.
The hinge is capable of cracking. The plastic holding it is just too weak. The screen is pretty strong though, but the weakness is in that tiny spot that connects the top screen to the main body.
It happened to me aswell! in the exact place & and exact same crack.
I really don't know what to do, i live in the UK, and i bought mine from Japan when my mother visited it there. Could u give me any advice?
Its weird that it still works though doesn't it?
Viv.
Contact Nintendo first. There is also a company that will repair them for a fee, I believe GameStation uses them.
Good luck.
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THAT HAPPENED TO ME TOO! =[
MY ADVISE TO YOU =
TRY A SUPERGLUE OR A GEL AND CUT ITS TIP FINE AND GLUE THE EDGES
thankfully i was at school when it happened so i went to my resistant materials teacher ( my hero) and she carefully super glued the edges on the little piece and stuck it on carefully and it looks just as good as it did before, despite the "norm" or having a CRACK ON THE LEFT HINGE OF MY DS LITE! DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE YOU CAN GET A NEW CASE FOR IT IN LONDON???? im hoping to get a neww one but i dont know where! =3 xxxx
go on ebay and type in ds clear cases and buy a cystal case for your ds lite. Most people do this because it gives the ds a extra hinge!!!
This happened to me too just 4 weeks after I got my ds. I never treated it badly and when I look at the hinge it is only held in by 2 screws screwed into weak thin plastic. My ds was also harder to open than my brothers. I had to get it repaired for $50. After that I always held the hinge in place when opened. Then a few months later it broke again on the top screen part of the hinge. At least this time it holds together but is loose. I can't believe I payed them $50 when it is all nintendos fault.
Actually, I have sanme problem :O My ds was bought like 2007, month before christmas, and there is crack in right corner :O I used some clear tape on there, and so far, it has worked well. If it gets more worse, i have to buy new shell on it! Im very pissed of to nintendo, becouse this is my second nintendo ds. Another was normal nintendo, and the screen was cracked and it ripped half, i just opened it normally, i didn force it. And what comes to my Lite, i havent never dropped it, i have always put it in force-proof DsLiteCase and i havent use any force in it! It should be in VERY good order, but... IM SO PISSED OFF, BECOUSE EVERYONE HAS THIS SAME PROBLEM!
-V
wtf? I was playing Hotel Dusk too and my DS hinge cracked! Think though, I think it's the way you hold the game (sideways) when you play Hotel Dusk. (which rocks BTW).
I got a new one because I had GameStop warranty, and everything's okay now. My suggestion is to get a HARD leather case for your DS.
The same thing happened to my son's ds. Now it won't work at all!
My DS Lite broke the same way when I was CLOSING it! I figure that the crack in the left hinge causes the massive break-off of the right bit over a period of use because it progressively weakens it.
Argh, now I'm in a fix to get the thing fixed.
This is complete BS. After lecturing my poor children about handling our DS lite, the darn right side came apart when I gently opened it! Just like everyone else, the LED section came right off, like a little pill with the piece where the "hinge" first cracked.
This should be a recall. There should be no cost for anyone who has one. Nintendo should be tasked to reinforce the case somehow. Perhaps a new case with metal inserts.
Otherwise, they could just make ALL the products with limited durability and just keep milking us. I noticed, we don't in can happen by normal use, but then it does!
This is a class action suit, if I ever saw one!
Perhaps a new metal insert could do wonders. For example my four year old ThinkPad's LCD hinge still works fine because Lenovo/IBM uses metal hinges, where I've seen lesser brands falling apart after just one year.
I agree that Nintendo should come clean and admit that there is a problem with the Lite's hinge. But I doubt they want anything eating away with their record profits. It's all about money.
Yeah, my DS was like that too. My lil' bro washed it with like gallons of water, then he dropped em' down the stairs... What's next? A meteor crashing onto my DS?
-3 Minites Later..- Hailley's Comet crashed onto my DS..
GAHHHH!!!!!!!!!! Why,God, WHYYY???
My son's white DS Lite also has a small crack on the left hinge -- and it is always in its crystal case with silicone padding in between. I think the reason for this crack (mainly a design fault) is worsen by playing games viewed vertically (in portrait mode). The worst things about this situation is that this portable was bought in the US and brought back here in the Philippines so the only option I have is to repair it myself.
Mine broke today just like jennifers wtf nintendo!!!
My NDS lite navy has cracks in both the places mentioned here. I have emailed nintendo notifying them and stressing the fact that on everyone's DS, the cracks are in the same place. I don't expect a helpful reply but it makes me feel better. Why are only the white and navy ones doing this?
Because it's navy, nintendo UK won't fix it for my so I'm taking the opportunity to buy a rarer shell...
my ds black did the EXACT same thing. But now, you can send it in for $80 OR get an entire replacement for $90. Call them up, i know it sucks. I'm getting mine repaired, but if it doesn't work, they'll give me a whole new one.
But what if you are unlucky like that one?? See there
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62647765@N00/sets/72157594277451148/comments/#comment72157605717629509
This also happened to me....
2 TIMES!!!
Both of them lasted for exactly 9 straight months until they went.
All nintendo cares about is selling their product, no matter how much it SUCKS!!!!
Does anyone know if Nintendo (NOA) will replace them for free? I bought mine i 06 and it just got a crack (right hinge) which sucks even more. And im not gonna pay another 50 or 100 frikin dollars to get it fixed.
Just called Nintendo about my broken hinge. $50 + $7.50 shipping and they will fix it.
I'm thinking it might be cheaper to just Craigslist this one and buy a new one. :o(
What I really want to know is: Do the slim plastic cases add any support for the broken hinge? Will it hold the screen up during play? That's my only problem.
It is possible, as long as it allows the top screen to stay put.
I most definately agree with you, i am in the same predicament, the right hinge of my ds broke off in almost and identical way, i was about to play Mario party when i opened it and the hinge immediately fell to the floor, it still works, but the stupid hinge is not attached, i too believe there is a design flaw that need to be fixed. i have also found another blog spot about this topic here is a link: http://gamespotting.net/gameblog/nintendo-will-fix-broken-ds-lite-hinges-for-free/
That sucks.
Same thing happened to me, except that it was just a minor crack.
Nintendo made me pay $75.
I'm pissed. D:
Buuut, I'm going to get a fat DS. Oh well. :]
search on ebay...kktech ebay store sells multiple styles and colors of replacement shell kits with all parts and instructions for $20 to $40.
oh the same thing happened to mine i had dropped it like only two times but,for some reason while i was playing it the hinge came of and then the sound and then the screen and now it wont turn on. i dont even know where the hinge is anymore.
oh noes! I got my DS for christmas. so far its in good condition. I'm scared. How long did yours last. i hope mines don't break. Does it happen to all the DS'. What should i do if it starts clicking. Nintendo should do something about it. If possible please tell me how to fix it before or without calling Nintendo
Mine broke after a year. But remember, I imported mine a month after the Japanese release in 2006. Likely one of the early factory batches... Hopefully Nintendo has re-enforced the hinge with newer batches.
So far my replacement DSL hasn't broke yet despite it approaching its second year.
Mine lasted two years ... It broke in both places as well! OMG i'm so pissed at Nintendo. The newer batches appear to have better hinges. Both of my friends has had theirs for about a year and there has been no signs of cracks.
well my hinge broke but it cracked not the whole thing and tis is my 3rd ds thats done it man ds are fcking cheap
my hinge has just broken, worse its just lost and i dont know where it is! anyway looking at the above posts has anyone actually tried using one of the clear cases you can buy off ebay and has it worked by holding up the screen like the ds originally did?
my ds hinge is broken..now the top screen won't stay up. how do i fix it? is there a place i can send it to be fixed?
If it is still in warranty contact Nintendo and *demand* they fix it. If the warranty's expired, there isn't any harm requesting a quote from them on the cost of fixing it.
Good luck.
hey,i need advice....i'm still 11 years old and i am scared my newly bought ndsl's hinge is gonna crack again.any advice?????. i dun wanna buy again neither do i want to disassemble them and then fixing putting it in a new casing.....
Did you buy it recently? If so your warranty should cover it should it break again. Another advice is to lift it up slowly and use your left thumb to do so. The crack has always been on the right hinge. Lifing the screen via the left thumb would hopefully offer less stress on the right hinge.
As an update, my replacement DSL has yet to break - but then again I hardly ever touch it now...
thanks. i feel a lot better
Its clearly a fault that nintendo are aware of, ive seen countless forums about the problem and most seem to crack in exactly the same place :( nintendo need to take responsibility for the quality of there products and stop blaming us for it,
From: an unhappy broken ds owner
My Nintendo DS Lite White faces the same problem except that it has a crack like your wife's and a flappy top screen like yours. It is a design flaw. He should have fixed this. I am very furious about this...
i bough a white dsl and the first night i got it the buttons started wearing away and then a couple of months after the right hinge broke of but i dnt knw wot to do becus a spent 115 pound on it n it only lasted two months how do i get it fixed
Omg, that happened too my pink ds lite! However mine got chucked down the stairs, which had made my left and right hindge come off.
I could`nt stop crying, anxiously I went back to its shop because it had 12 year gurantee!!!
I purchased my DS Lite in June 2009. Just a few weeks ago, the right hinge cracked. I didn't buy the extended warranty (Toys R Us - Quebec, Canada). After doing a lot of research, I called Nintendo and they said that I probably dropped it or I must have done something to it (I always had it in the protective case and never dropped it). They said that they could offer me a discount repair price of 57$. I then told her that I had done a lot of research and found that this is a really big problem! She said, hold on, I will check with my supervisor. 10 minutes after being on hold, she came back to tell me that they will replace it for free this one time. If it happens again with the new one, I will definitely be asking for another replacement. We have to put pressure on these guys. They are very well aware of the problem and just don't want to admit it.
The same exact thiing happened to my ds lite and my cousins. The ds lite is just crap and booty. They need come up with some different plastic or something to fix this problem. They didnt want to fix it because my warranty was over or i could just pay them $60. I dont think so i paid them 120 for this piece of crap and they want me to pay another 60? Uh-Uh.
Mine has broken off just like it is in the photos, it started off as a hairline crack but then just came off completely. I called Nintendo's customer service and they told me it wasn't a design defect, it was physical damage done on my part.
Now if this was something that was caused by MY mishandling of it I would not care to dispute the money aspect of getting it repaired, but this is clearly NOT the case here. The hinge on my DS lite broke off on it's own and now I have to fork cash out of my pocket in order to get it fixed.
Apparently there was in fact a problem with the hinges that occured with some of the white models but they claim this can't happen with the newer black ones, so either this problem of ours is simply a coincidence of cosmic proportions with the physical damage part conveniently thowing itself into the mix at some point or Nintendo is in complete denial of reality. I'm siding with the latter today.
Repair price on Nintendo's site is not $75. I'm pretty sure I could find one for my daughter to purchase outright at that price.
My ds's Right hinge cracked and then a week later popped of witht he strain. Luckily i had a pink case that fits on tot he ds and now that helps my ds lid stand up a bit more. i can't get my ds fixed because i have had it 3-4 years, i was heart broken to see my ds break and i refuse to buy any of the new dsi or 3ds s because they dont have a gameboy slot which helps be sooo much in my pokemon games :)
Well, This may be just a little far sought... but HOW ABOUT YOU USE A DS NERF ARMOR??? I just thought of that... The ds fits in it, and you can still open it up. I dont think the top screen will fall out, so its stable and its the best protection you can have for the ds, i think even water bounces off the shiny armor
Finally someone else who this has happened to! ( Not meaning i wished this upon you lol ) The same exact thing happened to my ds lite when opening it to play a game. I was mad but figured, hey ill just go on nintendo repair service and get it fixed. Well it turned out my warranty just expired the week before. I was so mad that i wouldnt buy another ds or pay the $75 repair charges. Still am not going to buy another because they really should refund people who this is happening to because it is a factory error/design error.
The exact thing happened to my DS lite. I tell my parents that I didn't do anything, but they refuse to believe me and reprimand me for being "so careless" with it. I'm really fed up with Nintendo at the moment, almost as mad as I am about buying hundreds of dollars worth of DS games from them. Wow. Thanks Nintendo. You rock. (She said sarcastically)
mine survived for 4 years man you should see it now its broken wont turn on and stuff and it in pieces but still together anyone know where i can fix it?
i have a NDS with broken hinge too. i wanna repair it DIY. i wanna try with silicone glue first (easily remove).i donw wanna use super glue that can eat our NDS palastic.hope it works
O_O that hing thingy that broke off looks exactly like mine but i idk how to fix it so i just play with it really carefully........ T_T this was a shockto me when it happed because i was playng pokemon and i love pokemon... i would hate to have to buyanother ds (lol i'm getting a 3ds for christmas though)
Mine has done the exact same thing, only the light up (whatever you wanna call it) part is still connected. i still play my DS a ton even though it's undeniably broken (screens still work fine) it's had a hinge crack for years but only just now did the entire right part of the screen disconnect from the lower part. I still have the hinge piece that broke off......any idea on how to snap it back in place?
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