Dead Xbox :(

[shmokes]

My Xbox bit the dust today.  It's most likely the power supply, but it could be the motherboard (crossing fingers).  I get no response whatsoever from the power button, but I know the cord is delivering power because there's an LED on the X3-IR board I installed and it's lit up.  It was really strange, though.  The Xbox was on and it suddenly shut off when I jostled it slightly while manipulating cables behind it.  I figured I had pulled the power cord loose or something, but that's not it . . . it's definitely not working.  Strange for the power supply or motherboard to kick the bucket from being jostled.  And when I mean jostled, I mean barely moved.  Not even bumped, but pushed softly maybe a few millimeters.

I opened it up and reseated everything, but to no avail.

Sucks . . . a new power supply is $20 on Ebay and I just gave the thing to and set it up for my in-laws like a month ago.  It's solely an XBMC box.

[ChadTower]

Is that a surface soldered mod?  I have one where jostling the thing causes it to come loose if you jostle it.  A little more jostling will put it back.  Mine doesn't go dead, it just undoes the mod, but that could just be a result of which pad is loose.

[shmokes]

It's soldered.  I tried to move stuff around some and I pulled the chip off the header and put it back on.  I tried turning the system on with the chip removed (aside from the few wires that are soldered directly to the board.  Maybe I'll play around with things a bit more before ordering a new power supply. 

[ChadTower]

If it's $20 just get a whole xbox and do some swap testing.

[shmokes]

I dunno . . . I'm really really poor these days.  It's risky to grab the power supply in case that's not the problem, but it looks like I'll be paying about $50 +shipping for a new box.  And I'll have to mod it again and all my modding supplies are in storage.

[ChadTower]

I dunno . . . I'm really really poor these days.  It's risky to grab the power supply in case that's not the problem, but it looks like I'll be paying about $50 +shipping for a new box.  And I'll have to mod it again and all my modding supplies are in storage.

You don't have to mod the new xbox.  Swap in the power supply from it.  If that doesn't do it you know the problem is not the power supply and now you have a second working Xbox to deal with.  Check local game stores.  Original Xboxes around here are going $20-25.

[shmokes]

Hmm . . . I'll have to give some Gamestops a call.  I just looked at Ebay prices.

[Bootay]

Gamestop doesn't sell Xbox1s anymore. I pick them up off of craigslist all of the time for $30-$40 and I just softmod them. I don't know of the benefit of a hardmod on Xbox1s. Is there a benefit?

[ChadTower]

Gamestop doesn't sell Xbox1s anymore. I pick them up off of craigslist all of the time for $30-$40 and I just softmod them. I don't know of the benefit of a hardmod on Xbox1s. Is there a benefit?

The fact that he had already done it.  Other than that not as much benefit as there was before the soft mod was this easy and fully featured.  It was a bigger deal when you wanted to switch the mod off to get on xbox live.  Might still matter if you need to play DVDRs, not sure.

[Bootay]

I have several soft modded Xbox1s and I am able to switch out the HDD for a bigger one (up to 2TBs) and play DVDRs as well. I am just curious about why Shmokes needs a hard mod and what the benefits are, that's all. I am not saying that one is better than the other because I don't really know since I never had a hard mod.

[shmokes]

Yeah . . . it's just that it's already modded, long before softmod was an option.  It's also running an LCD display that I cut a hole in the front of the case to mount.  Honestly, the LCD is pretty stupid and I don't care about it at all, but it's wired directly to the modchip so that's technically something the softmod can't do.  It should be running an X3-IR, allowing me to turn the system on with a remote, but one of the cables fell apart during install and I never got around to fixing it.  The X3-IR, unlike the LCD, adds serious functionality, though.

But mainly it's just that the system is already modded and it'd be easier to just swap out a power supply than reinstall and configure XBMC, especially since I don't have any games or memory cards or anything with which to perform a softmod.

[Samstag]

I have several soft modded Xbox1s and I am able to switch out the HDD for a bigger one (up to 2TBs) and play DVDRs as well. I am just curious about why Shmokes needs a hard mod and what the benefits are, that's all. I am not saying that one is better than the other because I don't really know since I never had a hard mod.

I don't know if softmodding has advanced in the last few years but it used to be that the hardware mod was the only way to resurrect a box where the hard drive and motherboard didn't match (like if one or the other failed) and you didn't have the lock key.

Shmokes, in case you aren't aware, I think there are three different power supply versions.  You need to make sure the one you're getting matches your motherboard revision.

Edit:  Or if you want to go ultra-cheap (and ugly), it's possible to use an ATX power supply.

[ChadTower]

especially since I don't have any games or memory cards or anything with which to perform a softmod.

You can hot swap the hard drive into a PC.  That is an option if you don't have anything to use as an exploit.

[shmokes]

I have several soft modded Xbox1s and I am able to switch out the HDD for a bigger one (up to 2TBs) and play DVDRs as well. I am just curious about why Shmokes needs a hard mod and what the benefits are, that's all. I am not saying that one is better than the other because I don't really know since I never had a hard mod.

Shmokes, in case you aren't aware, I think there are three different power supply versions.  You need to make sure the one you're getting matches your motherboard revision.

Yeah . . . I knew there were different versions.  I had to swap a motherboard once and was annoyed to find that I had to swap the power supply as well.  I think this box is a 1.6, though, so it's probably the most common.  But that is one annoyance with buying locally.  Nobody knows what version their Xbox is.

[shmokes]

especially since I don't have any games or memory cards or anything with which to perform a softmod.

You can hot swap the hard drive into a PC.  That is an option if you don't have anything to use as an exploit.

It's too bad I can't just hot swap my current hard drive into a new Xbox.    I'll keep that in mind, though.

[ChadTower]

You could scrap the thing entirely and build them an old PC with XBMC on it.  Odds are anything you find will have better specs than an Xbox anyway.

[shmokes]

Eventually, but not now.  They have an older rear-projection HDTV that only has composite, s-video and component.  If the TV could accept HDMI or DVI or even VGA it would be easier thanks to lots of low-cost boards with built-in HDMI-out.  But as-is, most computer hardware won't connect to their TV.  And aside from the machine with a compatible video card, I'd also need to get a media center IR module so it could be controlled with a remote.  It all adds up to too expensive right now.

[ChadTower]

I hear ya.  I just had to replace the power supply on a Series II DirecTivo that really should just be replaced with something reasonably current.  It works, though, and everyone likes it.  I had a spare I got off Freecycle a while back for parts.   

[Bootay]

There's a few games and DVDs that will kill soft mods.  I just always TSOP flashed them myself, why even take the chance?

Hmm I have every Xbox game released and never had a problem playing any of them. I currently have a 2TB HDD in one with every game installed. Kids play on it all of the time. Never had any problems ever. That might have been a problem with the old softmods but I am pretty positive that is no longer an issue. I have had mine done for at least 5 years.

[ark_ader]

Cheaper to buy one from Ebay.  Or get one of those small ATX PSUs from Mini-ITX.com.

I have four and I love them all, especially with CoinOPS epic inside.  

[Bootay]

I have several soft modded Xbox1s and I am able to switch out the HDD for a bigger one (up to 2TBs) and play DVDRs as well. I am just curious about why Shmokes needs a hard mod and what the benefits are, that's all. I am not saying that one is better than the other because I don't really know since I never had a hard mod.

I don't know if softmodding has advanced in the last few years but it used to be that the hardware mod was the only way to resurrect a box where the hard drive and motherboard didn't match (like if one or the other failed) and you didn't have the lock key.

Shmokes, in case you aren't aware, I think there are three different power supply versions.  You need to make sure the one you're getting matches your motherboard revision.

Edit:  Or if you want to go ultra-cheap (and ugly), it's possible to use an ATX power supply.

You have a point there. Without the lock key you are hit with softmods. Forgot about that. So with Hardmods you don't need the lock key? That's interesting. Didn't know that.

[shmokes]

Cheaper to buy one from Ebay.  Or get one of those small ATX PSUs from Mini-ITX.com.

I have four and I love them all, especially with CoinOPS epic inside.  

Ebay seems decidedly more expensive.  As for the mini PSUs, I'd have to be sure it would be compatible, provide enough power, and fit inside the Xbox chassis.  And even then, it seems that any one of those power supplies costs more than buying an entire Xbox in working condition.

[Bootay]

Too bad you aren't in Michigan. There is one on craigslist right now for $10.

[Samstag]

You have a point there. Without the lock key you are hit with softmods. Forgot about that. So with Hardmods you don't need the lock key? That's interesting. Didn't know that.

Yeah when I'd get xboxes with dead hard drives I'd stick a chip in just long enough to install and restore a new hard drive, then tsop flash it and take the chip out.

[ChadTower]

It's a good point.  I totally get the "I did them a favor but now I have to support it forever" but if you're that poor it's time to tell them to give you the cash for the replacement.

[shmokes]

They would, but I just set it up for them and I'm already living in their house and eating their food while I look for a job.  I don't really want to go to them and say, "Hey . . . I need $50-100 to get that Xbox working again.  Or I can just set up something even better if you want to give me more money."  I'd really rather just get it back up and going myself and not bother them about it.

[ChadTower]

They would, but I just set it up for them and I'm already living in their house and eating their food while I look for a job.  I don't really want to go to them and say, "Hey . . . I need $50-100 to get that Xbox working again.  Or I can just set up something even better if you want to give me more money."  I'd really rather just get it back up and going myself and not bother them about it.

Makes sense to me.

[shmokes]

Lol . . . I'm not in Florida anymore.

[crashwg]

I have a few XBOXes that I could either mod and send or send as is if you have something you might want to trade...  Arcade stuff of course would be good, I'd be open to any offers though.

[shmokes]

Heh . . . I'll keep it in mind.  A few months ago I'd probably have had something, but I sold/donated almost everything I own and put the rest in storage when I left Florida.  All my arcade stuff is in storage.  I probably have nothing, but if I see something that might fit the bill I'll let you know.

[northerngames]

To many post to read through but in case it has not already been answered check the +/- solder point's on bottom of the PSU where the actual power input molex is at that the cord from the wall socket goes to and wiggle it back and forth it should be nice and stiff if not there is a cracked solder joint and it will need to be reheated with a solder iron seen this many many times.

another thing it may be is the power eject board/pcb seen many many of them go bad and goofy also not so much from moving the console but if there ready to go any slight bump can finish them off