Gaming Few Questions About Xbox 360 Modding

[Spartan117H3]

I read the FAQ that's stickied, but seeing as it's dated at '08, I figured I'd just double check with you guys. I know some questions are just speculation and there's no valid answer, but attempts are welcome.

I was recently told that modding a 360 is useless if I wanted to play online. I was also told that a recent update rendered the modded HDD's useless and made it so that the Xbox 360 not read anything except genuine Microsoft HDD's. If this information is wrong, then on to the questions:

A JTAG is just for homebrew meaning it should never be used with online multiplayer games due to banning?

Do you need a JTAG to play backups, can you play backups online? If so, does anyone have any RECENT experience with being able to play them online without being banned/amount of time they've been playing backups online?

Is there any real point to modding a HDD if you're not going to mod your 360?

Is the max size of a modded HDD 120GB or is it whatever you want it to be?

Sorry about the noob questions, new to this stuff.

 

[Originality]

Rather than organize the questions into logical sequence, I'll just tackle them in order of being asked.

The recent update rendered third party memory cards (Datel) useless. Hacked HDDs do still work, because the console thinks they're official.

JTAG is easily detectable by M$, so yes, they should never be used with online multiplayer. There are theories to get around it (e.g. dirty NAND theory), but I'd say better safe than sorry.

JTAG essentially removes the limitations of the console, allowing you to play games from any HDD (USB, or non-M$ attached on top), or play XBLA games, etc. If, like most, your console is not exploitable for JTAG (i.e. dashboard is version 2.0.8xxx or higher), then you'll have to stick with flashing the disk drive with iXtreme. iXtreme LT is the latest version, available for LiteOns and soon BenQ drives. It's a minimalistic flash with minimal safety that allows people to play backups online. For Hitachi and Samsung drives, they'll have to make due with iX 1.51 and 1.61 respectively, which are detectable by M$ and therefore not suitable for online play.

Modding the HDD, to my knowledge, only allows you to stick in a larger HDD and use it. With the JTAG hack, you can use any HDD on top, but without it, you're limited to the few that can be hacked. Likewise, with JTAG, it's any size. Without, it's currently 250GB.

Any other questions, feel free to use search engines, or just ask.

 

[Spartan117H3]

So overall, backups shouldn't be used online, HDD's are fine up to 250GB.

What's the difference between JTAG and iXtreme? I thought iXtreme was a JTAG?

I'm intending to play this xbox online and wanted to figure out what I can get from it without getting banned.

 

[Originality]

iXtreme involves flashing the firmware of the DVD drive in order to remove the check to see if a DVD is real or a backup. With iXtreme LT, going online with backups is fine. With iXtreme 1.61 or below, going online at all (real games or otherwise) is not recommended.

Flashing the DVD drive can require as little as a SATA cable, or as much as pin-lifting and soldering, depending on the make and version of the drive. Dashboard version has no effect on this process so it can always be done.

JTAG hack only works on exploitable consoles (which haven't been updated since last summer). All it does is allow you to run unsigned code which in turn can install alternate dashboards which in turn can run homebrew and thus gain all the glories seen on the Wii, PSP or DS homebrew scenes. iXtreme is limited in that it only serves one purpose - tricking the console into thinking that your backup games are real, and do not allow any unsigned code to run. Additionally, iXtreme 1.51-1.61 can allow you to use the drive to read and backup your Xbox games (LT can't - it's designed to be more minimal to avoid detection), but that's another story.

 

[Spartan117H3]

Interesting, so 1.51-1.61 for backups, then change to LT for playing games? If you're flashing the DVD drive, you'd have to open the case and either void the warranty/remove the sticker safely removing a blowdryer, right?

If I ordered another DVD drive that's preflashed with 1.51-1.61 and flashed my Xbox's drive with LT, I could theoretically leave the 1.51-1.61 connected to my computer for all backup purposes and the LT for playing them all?

LT has nothing to do with the harddrive, right; just plays DVDrips safely? JTAG is the thing that allows you to play games off of the HDD so I should just keep the 60GB that should be coming with my Xbox, right?

 

[Armadillo]

Interesting, so 1.51-1.61 for backups, then change to LT for playing games? If you're flashing the DVD drive, you'd have to open the case and either void the warranty/remove the sticker safely removing a blowdryer, right?

If I ordered another DVD drive that's preflashed with 1.51-1.61 and flashed my Xbox's drive with LT, I could theoretically leave the 1.51-1.61 connected to my computer for all backup purposes and the LT for playing them all?

LT has nothing to do with the harddrive, right; just plays DVDrips safely? JTAG is the thing that allows you to play games off of the HDD so I should just keep the 60GB that should be coming with my Xbox, right?

Yes, you have to open the 360 to flash.

Yes, you can leave another drive that's flashed with ixtreme connected to the computer to backup all your games. Although if you are doing that you want the 1.6 0800 firmware as normal ixtreme has to be switched to the 0800 ripping mode (power drive with tray out), 0800 firmware is permanently in the mode for ripping. You'll also need a power adapter for it (360 drive power connector isn't the same as pc drives)

Lt has a nothing to do with the hdd, it's just a firmware for the dvd drive to play backups. Jtag is the full system hack (games from usb hdd etc). No reason the get rid of the 60GB drive that is coming with it.

 

[Spartan117H3]

Not quite following you with the 1.6 0800 firmware besides the fact that it's permanently in ripping mode, or is that all you're saying?

This will work for the DVD drive and I could use normal PC connectors/use it as a second DVD drive, right?
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-SH-D163B-Kreon-SAT...=item2c534eb0b9
Then I use my normal DVD drive for burning?

I see, so I shouldn't need a bigger HDD, just some DVD discs.

I heard that MS does mass bans in November(Of course there's no real way to tell but I can at least keep up with the news), so I should like not go online then, see if anyone gets banned; if so, flash my Xbox DVD drive back, and wait for another FW if it comes out, right? Lol.

 

[Originality]

The DVD disks have to be DVD+R DL, incase you hadn't heard that yet.

Kreon drives are in some ways similar and in some ways superior to 0800 firmware. 0800 refers to the mode the DVD drive has to be in to rip games. Kreon are special PC DVD drives that have the same function - reading (then ripping) Xbox360 disks. If you want to get a Kreon, it's up to you. Personally I just keep my banned 360 drive on iX1.61 and use 0800 mode (powering it with the tray half open) whenever I need rips, but that requires taking the drive out again then plugging it into the side of my PC, whilst a Kreon drive could just stay in the PC permanently.

The ban wave in November marked the point where M$ could detect iXtreme 1.61 and below firmware and were banning people by the masses. That "wave" technically will never end - they can detect the firmware, so people with that firmware should just not go online. Now that iXtreme LT is out, people lucky enough to have LiteOn drives can go online again - that is if they hadn't been flagged for a ban by previous firmware. In short, LT is that "another FW" that has come out.

 

[FAST6191]

Edit: arrived way to late, I will leave my ramblings up though.

0800 mode is ripping mode and can not play games. It is available in game playing iextreme firmwares other than LT but as Armadillo said it requires you to power on with the tray in a given position to launch that branch of the firmware.
There are however versions of iextreme that allow you to have a drive always in ripping mode at the cost of not being able to play any games on it. These are the ones with 0800 in the name, a nice aside here is they do not require dumping of the serial numbers to work as ripping drives.

Nobody sensible uses kreon drives any more. They will work and dump games but they do not support SSv2 (or even the good version of SSv1) which is highly suggested for new games. Not to mention at that price you might as well buy a RRoD 360 and use that or even a replacement drive from somewhere.

Banning- a field rife with speculation. Accept that it has a good chance of happening but carry on and play it safe- keep the latest hacked firmwares on there, check your discs and otherwise be sensible (avoid playing games before release).
Some people go to lengths that remind me of the million to one chance sketch by Terry Pratchett but I say carry on business as usual. It might help to grab a NAND backup to restore drive installs, save/profile transfer abilities at some point but that is up to you.

 

[Spartan117H3]

So, buy this instead of a Kreon drive and flash it. Any idea how I can mount/where I can get a power cable so that I can keep the drive on my PC?
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-BenQ-VAD6038-DVD-R...=item4a9ebaaecf

I'm not quite following a few things. So 1.61 0800 does not require dumping the serial from the original 360 drive and SSv2 is a security check that microsoft has implemented in new games which you need to play backups online? What is Originality talking about with being "lucky enough to have LiteOn drives?"

NAND Dump using Jasper 256?

 

[FAST6191]

Most people opt for something like:
http://www.360xtractorpro.com/360xtractorp...ease_proto2.jpg
It comes with a power adapter for the 360 DVD drive and takes a standard molex in.
The slightly more industrious people opt for something like http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=668247 as you can usually find or make most of those voltages quite easily.
I can not say I have ever bothered to wire in a 360 DVD drive to my PC for the long term, the only real problem will come with the "feet" on the DVD but that should only take a screwdriver to sort.

"Luckily enough to have a liteon"- at present the only firmware remotely safe for live is the lite touch aka LT firmware which has thus far only seen a liteon version. Some more should be coming but delays and the like mean we have not seen any.

The straight up 0800 (indeed any 0800 mode) does not require the serial, the serial is only there to authenticate the drive to a stock 360.

Re SSv2 this is the thread I would usually point at http://www.xboxhacker.org/index.php?topic=13854.0 but you have it about correct.

You want a link to the NAND dump stuff, easiest way to set about this is probably to read the uncripple your banned 360 guides: http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=697231
Having a NAND backup ahead just allows you to drop the old one back in if MS erase it. If you have to grab one after the fact then it gets annoying as you can see on that thread.
edit: perhaps http://pictures.xbox-scene.com/xbox360/fre...s-jasper%29.png

 

[Spartan117H3]

I saw something about HD and standard 360 DVD drives, does this even matter?

Any idea what the dimensions of the drive is, is it a standard sized computer DVD drive as in it should fit in a 5.25" bay?

Oh I thought the "LiteOn" was referring to a company for a second which confused me, I get it now though. Yeah I searched and read about the SSv2 thread before you mentioned it, was just double checking.

As for the forums.xbox-scene.com links, I gotta read those at home, school computer blocks it. Truthfully, I only want to mount the DVD drive in my computer because I have open slots on my computer case, I'm lazy and it's easier than flashing my 360 drive every time just to burn discs.

 

[FAST6191]

HD drives were an addon for the HDDVD format, they never played games and you can forget about them.

I would bust out my callipers and tell you exactly but I do not feel like pulling a 360 apart right now. Personally I would not leave the drive in the case all the time to use as a day to day drive- they are less than brilliant as standard DVD drives (troubles reading various media, formats and the like). Worst case scenario is you have a case without many holes (vendor machines are big on this) and either have to drill a hole or use a plate to screw to.

As a lesson in bypassing the blocks is not something I care to do right now the first link comes down to:
http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa189/y...p/360/sch-1.jpg
Mainly just a pinout for the DVD drive power cable (it is not quite standard but nothing special).

The NAND stuff:
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/9356/sp...amzephyrfal.png

 

[Spartan117H3]

I'm home, I saw the links, it seems that both the NAND Dump needs soldering, I don't want to do that because well, the XBOX is going to be new and under warranty.

About the 360 Xtractor pro, it basically plugs into the DVD Power port and converts it into a female 4 pin molex connector which I can use on my computer?

 

[FAST6191]

The xtractor or devices like it do have that functionality but on top of that they will have eject buttons, acts as a USB-serial conversion board for the liteon probes) and so on.

 

[Spartan117H3]

From what I've seen, I'd have to leave my computer case open and the drive out due to the on/off button and how it's connected to the drive. It's also about $32.

Couldn't I just buy this:
http://www.easymg.com/xbox-360-dvd-power-a...228295187d0d91f

 

[Armadillo]

That'll do fine for just powering the drive. You're still going to have to leave your case open though for access to the power and eject buttons.