XBOX 1 (softmodded) - New hard disk

[Supamax]

Hi,
I own a XBOX 1 which I personally softmodded many years ago (using Splinter Cell hack).
I used it a lot with XBMC, homebrew emulators etc.

I would like to change the stock 8GB hard disk (which is getting older and older...) with a bigger and newer one, or maybe a CF/SD + IDE adapter solution.

Is it relatively easy, or does it imply modifications/soldering on the mainboard?
I suppose I have to unlock the original drive etc.

Is there a website with a plain, easy to follow guide?

[ransom1122]

No its easy. I changed mine over with a 80gb hard drive o my modded xbox1. I recall booting with a boot cd and formatting the drive with dashlaunch. But its been so long ago that ive forgotten. If i recall the tutorial website ill let you know.

[Supamax]

Thanks .

My doubt is:
with a modded XBOX (like yours?) it can/could be easy, but with a softmodded XBOX like mine?

For example, the video below (at 5:30) states that "[...] we can't install a CF device on a softmodded xbox. What we need to do is enable the flashing capability on the motherboard, flash a new custom BIOS and then install the CF device [...]".

[ Show youtube player ]

Is it true or can that be circumvented?

[Retroplay]

See this video by lantus.
[ Show youtube player ]

[edit]
Do'h, same video as above.

With stock XBOX bios the HDD needs to be locked and that's not possible on Compact Flash drives afaik.

[ransom1122]

Pm'd you.

[alexh]

It is very easy to add larger hard drives to a soft-modded box. But you will need an x86 PC with an IDE port on the motherboard (harder to find these days) to be able to unlock and lock the hard drive.

Remember if you are going to use a hard drive larger than 128GiB then you MUST change the default cluster size or you WILL regret it. It works fine upto 128GiB and then any writes above that will overwrite the rest. You can use XBPartioner to set the cluster size as you partition and format your new drive.

If you are OK at soldering why not modify the TSOP write pin so you can flash your TSOP with the HeXen disk? Then you can put on a BIOS which doesn't need locked drives and use the IDE->CF adapter.

But to be fair why not ditch the XBOX1 if you don't play XBOX1 games and replace it with a Raspberry PI3?

[Supamax]

Originally Posted by alexh

It is very easy to add larger hard drives to a soft-modded box. But you will need an x86 PC with an IDE port on the motherboard (harder to find these days) to be able to unlock and lock the hard drive.

Does it work with direct IDE ports on PC mainboard only, or also using USB-EIDE adapters?

Remember if you are going to use a hard drive larger than 128GiB then you MUST change the default cluster size or you WILL regret it. It works fine upto 128GiB and then any writes above that will overwrite the rest. You can use XBPartioner to set the cluster size as you partition and format your new drive.

Which cluster size should I choose for - let's say - a 250Gb HDD and a 500GB HDD?

If you are OK at soldering why not modify the TSOP write pin so you can flash your TSOP with the HeXen disk?

Yes, I could do it...
TSOP pin location, HeXen disk... sorry for bothering you (these things were probably discussed in the past) but is there a good website to check/study?
Or, if I/we don't annoy others, we could discuss the details here...

Then you can put on a BIOS which doesn't need locked drives and use the IDE->CF adapter.

Oh... so it IS true that CF drives can't be locked?

But to be fair why not ditch the XBOX1 if you don't play XBOX1 games and replace it with a Raspberry PI3?

No no, I love my XBOX1.. emulated systems on it have beautiful 50Hz scrolling , with no hiccups.
Also, I love some XBOX games.

[alexh]

Originally Posted by Supamax

Does it work with direct IDE ports on PC mainboard only, or also using USB-EIDE adapters?

Technically possible but the USB driver would have to support it and so would the bridge's firmware.

Hot-swap perhaps on the XBOX? Prep your new drive on your PC and then hot-swap it over to the XBOX for locking?

Originally Posted by Supamax

Which cluster size should I choose for - let's say - a 250Gb HDD and a 500GB HDD?

16k up to 256GiB
32k 256GiB-512GiB
64k 512GiB-1TiB

Why not just go with a 64k cluster size? It's the smallest amount you can write to the drive. So files smaller than 64Kbytes take up 64Kbytes.

Originally Posted by Supamax

Yes, I could do it... TSOP pin location, HeXen disk...

Have a look on YouTube. Lots of guides depending on which version motherboard you've got.

http://www.eurasia.nu/modules.php?na...En_2017_Update

[deicidal]

Originally Posted by alexh

It is very easy to add larger hard drives to a soft-modded box. But you will need an x86 PC with an IDE port on the motherboard (harder to find these days) to be able to unlock and lock the hard drive.

Even easier these days if you run Chimp on the Xbox just connect both HDD to the Xbox and it will clone your existing one to the bigger HDD

http://www.xbox-hq.com/html/xbox-tutorials-260.html

[alexh]

I never came across that tool even though I would have still been using my Xbox in 2007

I wonder what/ how it partitions and formats the new drive before cloaning? cluster size? And what it does with the new space on the new drive?

[Supamax]

Originally Posted by Retroplay

With stock XBOX bios the HDD needs to be locked and that's not possible on Compact Flash drives afaik.

If it's true, is there a technical reason for that?

[alexh]

Lazy developers not following the ATA spec? CF cards not being 100% ATA compatible? I mean not even all the hard drives you could buy followed the spec. Lots didn't support locking and couldn't go in an Xbox back in the day

But if you flash the onboard TSOP flash or use a hard mod then you don't need to worry as custom BIOS don't require locking

[Retroplay]

I have uploaded Slushie's TSOP flash guide here (from xbox-scene.com):
https://tinyurl.com/y9duk7bd

[rsn8887]

Originally Posted by deicidal

Even easier these days if you run Chimp on the Xbox just connect both HDD to the Xbox and it will clone your existing one to the bigger HDD

http://www.xbox-hq.com/html/xbox-tutorials-260.html

I used Chimp. It works very nicely, no need for a PC or anything else. The new HD is setup on the softmodded Xbox. It is connected to the DVD drive cable first, to set it up via Chimp (lock unlock I forgot) and copy the OS over from the old drive. After that, you can take out the old drive and put the new drive in its proper place.

Tutorial is here:
[ Show youtube player ]

This is not the tutorial I used a few years ago. I used some writeup I found on emuxtras.net but I cannot find it anymore. I hate forum search algorithms they never work.

It is good to have a backup on your PC (via FTP). After resizing the G partition to fill out all the new space on the new disc, I lost the data on that partition. So I had to copy that back over from my backup, using FTP.

[Supamax]

Originally Posted by alexh

Lazy developers not following the ATA spec? CF cards not being 100% ATA compatible?

I understand...

I mean not even all the hard drives you could buy followed the spec. Lots didn't support locking and couldn't go in an Xbox back in the day

Hmmm , so it could be possible I buy a new/used hdd just to discover it cannot be locked...

But if you flash the onboard TSOP flash or use a hard mod then you don't need to worry as custom BIOS don't require locking

Ok, it looks like the best solution.

I'm just wondering if:
a) it's risky (I have a softmodded XBOX; if flashing goes wrong I could "brick" it with no hope of unbricking?)
b) which is the best BIOS release I could use

[...] or use a hard mod [...]

By the way, are hard mods still sold somewhere?

[alexh]

Originally Posted by Supamax

Hmmm , so it could be possible I buy a new/used hdd just to discover it cannot be locked...

Yes. There was a list of tested drives pata drives last update 2005

http://xboxdrives.x-pec.com/?p=list

And a tutorial for SATA drives

https://www.xbmc4xbox.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=649