In order to unlock the new Athlon XP 1600+ processor I had just received, I chose to use a Windshield De-Fogger Repair kit found at my local Pep-Boys Automotive shop. The kit includes a bottle of conductive paint, a small applicator brush, and a paper-guide, which will not be used for this application. Additional parts included a razor and a bright orange crayon to fill the pits.

Looking at the processor, we see that there is a sticker, which is covering the L1 bridges and hiding them from view. Removing this sticker, we gain full access to the bridges and can begin the unlocking process.

The first step is to tape-off the pits, which run through the middle of the L1 bridge contacts. Here, one must ensure that the exposed metal contacts are completely covered as we do not want any filler material to corrupt their conductivity. With the pits outlined with tape, we then begin drawing over them with the crayon. In this case, I chose a bright orange color so that I could visibly see when the pits were filled and could ensure that the conductive trace would not contact them in any manner. Once the area had been covered by a large amount of wax, the tape could be removed. Here, one can see a line of wax passing directly over the pits, indicating that our efforts were successful.

The next step requires the masking of a single pair of L1 bridge contacts. As in the case of taping-off the pits, the contact points should be the only materials exposed in the general area. With a line of sorts taped-off, paint over the exposed area using the bottle of conductive paint supplied within the de-fogging kit. Once the area has been sufficiently covered, it should be left to dry for roughly fifteen to twenty minutes. Repeat this process for each additional pair of L1 bridge contacts until all contacts have been connected. Excess conductive material can be removed by scouring the area with the razor blade.

As with everything in life, it is unlikely that the process will complete without any issues. Should the user encounter any trouble getting a particular pair of contacts connected, an alternative method can be used. Here, one must dip the supplied applicator brush deep into the bottle of conductive paint and let the brush dry for fifteen minutes. This will result in the bristles of the brush becoming solidified into one large clump. Utilizing a pair of scissors, cut a sharp knife-edge into the face of the brush bristles so that you are left with one pointy tip. This fine-tipped brush will act as the applicator for the conductive paint. Using the modified applicator, carefully draw the conductive paint across the contacts. This should fix any troubles encountered during the original process.

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