Xbox mod (part 2)

[northerngames]

I use a x3 and am sticking with them I have used and installed all versions and I like these the best.

shmokes is right with them

one thing to bear in mind though is auto-installer disk can also make the xbox boot and work like it was the hdd do if any dash or file crashed you could alway's throw in the auto-iunstaller and boot a dash right off of it and go into a file manager program on the disk and swap your corrupt with the good off the disk shut it down and power it up and wall everything is good to go again if you have a auto-disk corruption is not a problem.

[Grasshopper]

Shmokes is right. If I bought a chip with FTP support built in, it would really be for peace of mind. I could afford to badly screw things up and still have a rock-solid last resort means of regaining access to the Xbox. That being said, the duox2 has two banks of flash memory, and you'd have to be pretty careless to put a bad BIOS on both banks at the same time.

Another thing to bear in mind is that the duox2 chips are so ridiculously cheap. I'm tempted to buy one just to experiment with. If I don't like it then I can always buy another more sophisticated modchip at a later date, as all modchips appear to use the same header pins. The worst case scenario is that I've wasted about $15 including postage.

[ChadTower]

I could afford to badly screw things up and still have a rock-solid last resort means of regaining access to the Xbox.

I'm not sure I get that... can't you just drop in another hard drive?  The thing comes with like an 8gig drive.  They practically grow on trees.

[Grasshopper]

Has anyone here used this company before:

http://www.divineo.cn/cgi-bin/div-cn/xb-duox2cr.html

Their prices are extremely competitive but there are two things that make me nervous - they're based in China and they don't appear to accept Paypal.

I've also got a couple of other questions that are slightly off-topic but still related to modding in general.

I've been looking into the whole TSOP flash thing. For those that don't know, pre-1.6 Xboxes have their BIOS stored in flash RAM but with write-access disabled. However, by shorting a couple of points on the Xbox's motherboard you can re-enable write access. Then once you've gained access to the Xbox's OS (using the same techniques used by softmodders), you can flash the TSOP chip with a replacement BIOS.

I should point out that I've no intention of attempting a TSOP flash. With modchips costing as little as $10, it's just not worth the risk IMHO. However, it has got me thinking about softmodding in general.

I'd always assumed that a softmod altered the Xbox's BIOS in some way. However, it appears I was wrong because if write access to the TSOP chip is disabled in hardware then it simply wouldn't be possible. The implication of this is that a softmod gives you full access to the Xbox's facilities simply by installing a replacement dashboard on the Xbox's hard disk. Am I understanding this correctly?

Another interesting thing I read recently is that modchips can be hotplugged. However, my understanding is that the Xbox's BIOS is not just needed for booting up, it's also used by games. The implication of this is that the BIOS is copied into RAM on bootup, and then it is the RAM copy that is used by applications. Am I understanding this correctly?

You might ask why does this even matter? Well it occurs to me that it would be far safer to experiment with BIOS patches by temporarily applying the patches to the copy of the BIOS held in RAM, instead of continually reflashing the modchip. This is particularly important for VGA patches because if you make a mistake then you're likely to end up with a blank screen making recovery very difficult.

[ChadTower]

You would want to read this book for some of that, I think.  I'm almost done with it, and while much of it is at least Masters level EE discussion, it's still a very fascinating look into reverse engineering and specifically the Xbox all the way down to the PCB component level.  Really, really cool book.

[Grasshopper]

I could afford to badly screw things up and still have a rock-solid last resort means of regaining access to the Xbox.

I'm not sure I get that... can't you just drop in another hard drive?  The thing comes with like an 8gig drive.  They practically grow on trees.

Well that still means having to open up the Xbox's case. And how would you format the hard disk and put the replacement dashboard on it?

I've read that an Xbox's hard disk has to be "unlocked" before its contents can be read by a PC. I really don't know much about this issue, but I get the impression it's a bit more complicated than you're making it out to be.

[ChadTower]

It does need to be unlocked, yes, and that can be done with third party apps on the PC.  But a replacement HD is nothing more than a regular IDE drive with lock capability. There is nothing special about an Xbox hard drive.  The only thing you may or may not have an issue getting is the Xbox hard drive contents, i.e. the software that runs the Xbox, but while you have your HD unlocked you should take a backup of that and dropping it onto a DVD for safe keeping... 

Whenever hacking a PC-like device like this, take a backup of every part of original software that is reasonably practical, it will save your ass later on.

[Grasshopper]

So what you're saying is that you can purchase a standard PC hard disk, format it to the Xbox's formatting standard, put a replacement dash on it, lock it using PC software, put it in your Xbox, and then your Xbox is modded?

If it's that easy then why do people bother messing around with savegame exploits etc.?

[ChadTower]

You can now, you couldn't always.  There is a very mature bunch of hacker's tools out there for the Xbox at this point.  They didn't always exist this way and I've seen few if any appliance hacking communities with as user friendly and powerful a set of polished tools.

The hacker communities start with stuff like savegame exploits (I assume you're talking something like the GC Phantasy Star exploit) but it doesn't stay there.

[J_K_M_A_N]

So what you're saying is that you can purchase a standard PC hard disk, format it to the Xbox's formatting standard, put a replacement dash on it, lock it using PC software, put it in your Xbox, and then your Xbox is modded?

If it's that easy then why do people bother messing around with savegame exploits etc.?

You have to get the key from your xbox first. So you have to do a hotswap (which is where you boot your xbox and the box unlocks your hard drive then while it is still powered, you connect it to a computer which is what I did) or you have to use a software exploit and ftp the eeprom.bin file to your computer. Once you have your eeprom.bin you can format a hard drive in a computer with one of the hacker programs and lock it using your eeprom.bin file. It locks to the xbox. That is why you need the key FIRST.

You can't just hook up a hard drive to a computer and format it and lock it and it will work in an xbox. It has to be locked with the key FROM the xbox you are putting it into. (Unless something has changed that I haven't heard about which would be pretty cool)

J_K_M_A_N

[ChadTower]

I thought I saw a client that would sit on your PC and snag the key from your Xbox for you... could be remembering the mechanics wrong, though.

[northerngames]

with a chip the hdd does not need to be locked unless you want to boot the stock retial dash and bios or if you want to go live with it other then that it does not need to be locked throw in a large hdd and run a auto installer on it and it would be good to go they have config magic wich is software on the xbox that lock's and unlock's the hdd but if you lock it and the mobo fails then you have a bricked hdd that is now locked with a code you did not get unless you get it and write it down.

x3's also have a onbaord that backs-up your eeprom wich is your mobo/hdd code information.

[Grasshopper]

You can't just hook up a hard drive to a computer and format it and lock it and it will work in an xbox. It has to be locked with the key FROM the xbox you are putting it into. (Unless something has changed that I haven't heard about which would be pretty cool)

with a chip the hdd does not need to be locked unless you want to boot the stock retial dash and bios or if you want to go live with it other then that it does not need to be locked throw in a large hdd and run a auto installer on it and it would be good to go they have config magic wich is software on the xbox that lock's and unlock's the hdd but if you lock it and the mobo fails then you have a bricked hdd that is now locked with a code you did not get unless you get it and write it down.

Ahh, that makes more sense. I didn't think modding could as simple as sticking in a new hard drive pre-prepared on a PC.

I'm a little unclear on how the locking process works though. Is it done through hardware, software, or both? And if you accidentally brick your HDD by losing the unlock code, can you simply reformat it and start again?

[ChadTower]

No, I'd imagine that if you locked it and lost the code, you would not be able to reformat because you can't access it.  You'd have to find a way past the lock, which basically means having the key.

[J_K_M_A_N]

Yes, I have an X3 and I leave my hard drive unlocked. I have another that I did the hot swap method. That has to be locked or it won't boot. I have the eeprom.bin on my computer for that xbox. So if the motherboard fails, I can unlock the hard drive using the eeprom.bin file from that xbox. (Actually I have both backed up on the computer.) So no matter how you mod you xbox, backup the eeprom right away to your computer and maybe another spot so you don't lose it. That is your safeguard for locked hard drives.

Actually, with the X3 you can make your xbox look like it is a different xbox. That is what I did to make a bigger hard drive for the soft modded xbox I have. I got the eeprom off the softmodded xbox and loaded it onto the chipped xbox using the X3 bios. Then they were identical. The X3 has hard drive utilities to format a hard drive so I did that. Then I ftp'd the files to it and locked it. Then I put the new hard drive in the softmodded xbox and it worked. But I did have a problem trying to use both at the same time after that. I figured out that I had to put the old eeprom back on the chipped box otherwise they would conflict on the network and both would act weird.

If you have an old PC laying around, the hot swap method isn't that bad and is free. I was nervous the first time I did it and the second but it worked fine both times. I ran a wire from the shielding of the xbox to the computer for grounding. Everything went fine both times. It does take some time to load the files and that made me the most nervous. It almost looks like it is doing nothing, like it locked up, but it is working.

Good luck.

J_K_M_A_N

[northerngames]

yeah the xbox is formatted different and have more partitions then the regular pc but you could go to the store buy a larger hdd stick it in the xbox and run a auto installer disk and it will work fine unlocked and I to leave mine unlocked becuase I don't go live with it and the upgraded dash's do everything stock does and then some.

I know a way to get the key off the motherboard even it it does get fried somehow so worst case I can alway's leech the code off anyone's dead motherboards if needed.

[ChadTower]

You can go right into the settings for many dashes and look up the key. 

[northerngames]

yeah the config magic software from the auto installers that lock's and unlock's the hdd also show's all the key code's on screen.

[Grasshopper]

No, I'd imagine that if you locked it and lost the code, you would not be able to reformat because you can't access it.  You'd have to find a way past the lock, which basically means having the key.

I meant could you put a locked drive in a PC and format it?

[Grasshopper]

As far as I can tell there seems to be only two reasons for keeping the Xbox's hard disk in a locked state. Either you want to use Xbox live (which I don't) or you're using a softmod, in which case you (probably) don't have a choice.

As I'm getting a modchip, I think I'll just leave the drive unlocked.

[northerngames]

I meant could you put a locked drive in a PC and format it? nope it is locked to the xbox motherboard and not the pc and would be code encrypted.

As far as I can tell there seems to be only two reasons for keeping the Xbox's hard disk in a locked state. Either you want to use Xbox live (which I don't) or you're using a softmod, in which case you (probably) don't have a choice.

that is correct or to load the stock bios and dash but otehr then that it does not need to be locked correct I never lock any of mine but I can get the code off any mobo without it even being in a case or connected to a psu so for some it is not an issue in either case.

[crashwg]

I used to keep mine locked for using the M$ Dash as a DVD player.  I prefer the controls of the XBOX dvd remote using that rather than XBMC.

Since I got my projector though I have been forced to use XBMC due to it being very good at up-scaling DVDs.  YAY XBOX!

[Samstag]

I used to keep mine locked for using the M$ Dash as a DVD player.  I prefer the controls of the XBOX dvd remote using that rather than XBMC.

I use the MS dash once in a while and I'm unlocked.

[ChadTower]

No, I'd imagine that if you locked it and lost the code, you would not be able to reformat because you can't access it.  You'd have to find a way past the lock, which basically means having the key.

I meant could you put a locked drive in a PC and format it?

That's exactly what I was explaining.  No.

[Grasshopper]

I've done it! Done what? I hear you ask. I've finally fitted a modchip to my Xbox, and more importantly it still boots.

It's hard to describe what a kick I got when the machine booted successfully and the alternative boot screen appeared showing that the modchip was working.

However, the soldering was far harder than I anticipated. I've always considered myself to be a pretty good solderer. But having seen some of the YouTube videos of people modding their Xboxes with ridiculous ease, I might have to downgrade my soldering skills to mediocre.

[ChadTower]

Did you do a wired install or one of the shaped PCBs that bridge to existing joints with blobs?

[Grasshopper]

Did you do a wired install or one of the shaped PCBs that bridge to existing joints with blobs?

Well the Xbox that I modded was a 1.4 (I've also got a 1.6) so all I had to do was solder in the header pins and solder two wires from the modchip to the D0 and BT points. I did however complicate my life a bit by rigging up a system so I could completely remove the modchip without having to do any desoldering.

[ChadTower]

Oh yeah, those PCBs are only for the 1.6.  I forget that, I've only done that rev.

[Grasshopper]

Oh yeah, those PCBs are only for the 1.6.  I forget that, I've only done that rev.

Yeah, the 1.6 would have been significantly harder to mod. The reason I bought a 1.4 was because it can output VGA without an expensive external adapter. However the relative ease with which it could be modded was a nice bonus.

[northerngames]

yeah the v1.6's lack alot of things compared to the other models they don't even have solder pads for ram upgrade's the video chip gets to hot on alot of them and they like to burn the little lpc fuse up for no reason but sometimes cuased by sticking the v1.6 mobo in a non v1.6 case without removing the peg and metal in the case and it pops them fast I repaired around 30 of them fuse's on dead v1.6's just myself.

[Grasshopper]

Incidentally, I'm not really sure what to do next. Can anyone here point me in the right direction? I'd rather not spend hours wading through the Xbox Scene forums reinventing the wheel.

I know that there are boot disks available that will install an alternative dashboard. But I'm thinking it would be prudent to back up everything I can before doing any experimenting, so if necessary I can easily return the machine back to its factory state. Can anyone recommend a good boot disk that could do this? As a bare minimum I'd like to back up the entire contents of the hard disk and obtain the hard disk unlock code. It would also be desirable, although not essential, to backup the BIOS (both the modchip BIOS and the TSOP).

With regards to the hard disk, could I simply FTP all the files over to my PC or are there pitfalls that I need to be aware of such as hidden boot sectors, hidden system files, filename incompatibilities etc.?

Thanks in advance.

[northerngames]

check for the most most current either will do.
slayers
A.I.D. (auto installer deluxe)

[ChadTower]

I did it all by hand according to the instructions that came with my mod chip (x3).  If you really want a backup, the best way to do this is to upgrade the HD now, and keep the original as your backup.

[Hoagie_one]

I've done one solder job on an xbox, two solderless, and dozens of soft mods.  I like the solderless myself.