x-box - softmodding - Page 29

alexh · 21 January 2010, 10:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by waal

I tried to format it on windows for a fresh start and Partition Magic says it has I/O errors. Is it because it is now locked?

Yes, you wont be able to use it as a standard drive on the PC until you unlock it.

waal · 23 January 2010, 07:41

Thanks Alexh for your help. I created a new softmod with Kingroach's Ndure 3.1 then I wiped my HD, copied the files and locked with HDM. Now I've got two big F & G partitions ready for emu happiness.

Peter · 04 March 2010, 22:25

Alex - I thought I might think about softmodding my new Crystal Xbox - I want to put a new much larger hard drive into it as well... I have had a read through this thread to get a feel of what I need to do but I was wondering if you could give me a few up to date links to a suitable hard drive and other items I will need for the project. (Please)

Only thing is - I don't have a PC or have access to one - only a laptop... might this be a problem?

Retroplay · 04 March 2010, 22:41

Any 3.5" P-ATA HDD will work, just make sure to format it with XBpartitioner 1.1 if it exceeds 500GB.

Also a laptop is fine as you just need to setup an FTP connection to the XBOX to transfer files.

alexh · 04 March 2010, 22:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retroplay

Any 3.5" P-ATA HDD will work

With hardmods this is true but not for softmods. The drive has to support ATA locking.

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

Bloodwych · 04 March 2010, 23:11

alexh, with hardmods (got the xecutor 2 chip or whatever it's called with bios switch on the front) you only have to replace the drive?

No lock/unlock support on the hard drive and code required?

I'm thinking of upgrading mine soon.

alexh · 04 March 2010, 23:48

Correct. Boot from a disc such as Slayers or AID to partition format and install the new drive.

Remember that you must use xboxpartitioner to setup the correct block/cluster size when using hard drives above 250Gbytes. Use the default and you will eventually get corruption.

Bloodwych · 05 March 2010, 11:12

Excellent. Thanks for your advice.

Peter · 05 March 2010, 11:57

Bloodwych - where did you get your mod chip?
Is this the best mod chip to buy do you think?

Bloodwych · 05 March 2010, 12:02

Someone else will have to advise you on modchips Peter - I bought mine from ebay with it pre-installed along with an 80GB HD.

Retroplay · 05 March 2010, 14:32

What modchip you choose doesn't really matter as they all (except X3) use the same bios.

X2 4981 bios is recommended as you can edit it unlike the 4983 bios.

alexh · 05 March 2010, 15:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter

Is this the best mod chip to buy do you think?

The best choice of modchips is no modchip at all.

Softmods have developed to the level that they are as good in almost everyway.

The only advantage a hard mod has is that it can recover an XBOX which has no working hard drive.

killergorilla · 05 March 2010, 15:08

I agree.

I have a modchip sitting in a box here which I only bought to revive two bricked xboxes.

Even my xbox with a modchip is softmodded, the modchip itself is switched off!

Supamax · 06 March 2010, 00:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexh

The best choice of modchips is no modchip at all.

Softmods have developed to the level that they are as good in almost everyway.

The only advantage a hard mod has is that it can recover an XBOX which has no working hard drive.

If someone has an XBOX with broken hard drive, and supposing he saved the original hdd key, can he prepare another hard disk (using a PC) and then "revive" the XBOX by swapping the faulty hdd with the new (prepared) one?

alexh · 06 March 2010, 00:45

Of course. All they would need are the files from any stock XBOX 1 HDD (available all over the net in the form of installer disks such as Slayers or AID), the EPROM key, and the tool xboxhdm 1.9

The three together go to make an x86 bootable CD-R containing a micro linux install which can be used to partition, format, install and lock the new HDD which is jumpered as MASTER and connected to IDE 0

Just take care with the block/cluster sizes on drives over 250GB. Get the wrong setting and it will work... just one day the file table will overwrite itself and you'll start loosing data.

Oh, you must have a PC with native IDE ports. This eliminates some of the more recent PC motherboards. And the drive must support ATA locking as we discussed earlier.

Peter · 06 March 2010, 23:27

I think I might have to put this on the back burner for a number of reasons at the moment - nice to know the information is all still here if I need it though!

As an interim solution I guess I should back up my existing Xbox hard drive information...
err... how do I do this again?
Is it just a question of FTP'ing onto the Xbox via my laptop and then backing up what files exactly?

alexh · 07 March 2010, 00:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter

Is it just a question of FTP'ing onto the Xbox via my laptop and then backing up what files exactly?

Depends which softmod you used. If you used Krayzie's NDure installer then the files will be in E:/backup/

Peter · 07 March 2010, 00:36

Well I haven't started any softmod process yet - I was just thinking along the lines of... should or could I backup my existing xbox hard drive information in case of hard drive failure... is that possible to do independently of any prior softmod process taking place..?

I thought by what has been discussed it was an important thing to do as it does sound as though the original Xbox hard drives are prone to failure and if they do fail I thought that you couldn't just stick a new hard drive in and expect it to work unless you could get your original data onto the new drive...

alexh · 07 March 2010, 00:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter

is that possible to do independently of any prior softmod process taking place..?

No. You must softmod in order to be able to run unsigned code to dump the contents of the EPROM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter

I thought by what has been discussed it was an important thing to do as it does sound as though the original Xbox hard drives are prone to failure and if they do fail I thought that you couldn't just stick a new hard drive in and expect it to work unless you could get your original data onto the new drive...

When you consider the price of a working second hand xbox these days (under £10) I guess it is not that important.

Peter · 07 March 2010, 00:55

Fair point...

Is it the case though that should you experience an original hard drive failure you cant just stick a new hard drive in and expect it to work?

07 March 2010, 00:55	#580
Peter Still an Amiga user Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Kent Age: 55 Posts: 2,715	Fair point... Is it the case though that should you experience an original hard drive failure you cant just stick a new hard drive in and expect it to work? Last edited by Peter; 24 March 2010 at 20:25.

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23 January 2010, 07:41	#562
waal Registered User Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Paris / France Age: 48 Posts: 137	Thanks Alexh for your help. I created a new softmod with Kingroach's Ndure 3.1 then I wiped my HD, copied the files and locked with HDM. Now I've got two big F & G partitions ready for emu happiness.

04 March 2010, 22:25	#563
Peter Still an Amiga user Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Kent Age: 55 Posts: 2,715	Alex - I thought I might think about softmodding my new Crystal Xbox - I want to put a new much larger hard drive into it as well... I have had a read through this thread to get a feel of what I need to do but I was wondering if you could give me a few up to date links to a suitable hard drive and other items I will need for the project. (Please) Only thing is - I don't have a PC or have access to one - only a laptop... might this be a problem?

04 March 2010, 22:41	#564
Retroplay Lemon Curry ? Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Denmark Age: 49 Posts: 4,079	Any 3.5" P-ATA HDD will work, just make sure to format it with XBpartitioner 1.1 if it exceeds 500GB. Also a laptop is fine as you just need to setup an FTP connection to the XBOX to transfer files.

04 March 2010, 23:11	#566
Bloodwych Moderator Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: I'm behind you! Posts: 3,763	alexh, with hardmods (got the xecutor 2 chip or whatever it's called with bios switch on the front) you only have to replace the drive? No lock/unlock support on the hard drive and code required? I'm thinking of upgrading mine soon.

04 March 2010, 23:48	#567
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,337	Correct. Boot from a disc such as Slayers or AID to partition format and install the new drive. Remember that you must use xboxpartitioner to setup the correct block/cluster size when using hard drives above 250Gbytes. Use the default and you will eventually get corruption.

05 March 2010, 11:12	#568
Bloodwych Moderator Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: I'm behind you! Posts: 3,763	Excellent. Thanks for your advice.

05 March 2010, 11:57	#569
Peter Still an Amiga user Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Kent Age: 55 Posts: 2,715	Bloodwych - where did you get your mod chip? Is this the best mod chip to buy do you think?

05 March 2010, 12:02	#570
Bloodwych Moderator Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: I'm behind you! Posts: 3,763	Someone else will have to advise you on modchips Peter - I bought mine from ebay with it pre-installed along with an 80GB HD.

05 March 2010, 14:32	#571
Retroplay Lemon Curry ? Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Denmark Age: 49 Posts: 4,079	What modchip you choose doesn't really matter as they all (except X3) use the same bios. X2 4981 bios is recommended as you can edit it unlike the 4983 bios.

05 March 2010, 15:08	#573
killergorilla Lesser Talent Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: UK Age: 42 Posts: 7,957	I agree. I have a modchip sitting in a box here which I only bought to revive two bricked xboxes. Even my xbox with a modchip is softmodded, the modchip itself is switched off!

06 March 2010, 00:45	#575
alexh Thalion Webshrine Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Oxford Posts: 14,337	Of course. All they would need are the files from any stock XBOX 1 HDD (available all over the net in the form of installer disks such as Slayers or AID), the EPROM key, and the tool xboxhdm 1.9 The three together go to make an x86 bootable CD-R containing a micro linux install which can be used to partition, format, install and lock the new HDD which is jumpered as MASTER and connected to IDE 0 Just take care with the block/cluster sizes on drives over 250GB. Get the wrong setting and it will work... just one day the file table will overwrite itself and you'll start loosing data. Oh, you must have a PC with native IDE ports. This eliminates some of the more recent PC motherboards. And the drive must support ATA locking as we discussed earlier.

06 March 2010, 23:27	#576
Peter Still an Amiga user Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Kent Age: 55 Posts: 2,715	I think I might have to put this on the back burner for a number of reasons at the moment - nice to know the information is all still here if I need it though! As an interim solution I guess I should back up my existing Xbox hard drive information... err... how do I do this again? Is it just a question of FTP'ing onto the Xbox via my laptop and then backing up what files exactly?

07 March 2010, 00:36	#578
Peter Still an Amiga user Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Kent Age: 55 Posts: 2,715	Well I haven't started any softmod process yet - I was just thinking along the lines of... should or could I backup my existing xbox hard drive information in case of hard drive failure... is that possible to do independently of any prior softmod process taking place..? I thought by what has been discussed it was an important thing to do as it does sound as though the original Xbox hard drives are prone to failure and if they do fail I thought that you couldn't just stick a new hard drive in and expect it to work unless you could get your original data onto the new drive...

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