Help! I bricked a softmodded Xbox

[drfsupercenter]

So I bought this already softmodded Xbox on eBay. It had some Evolution Xbox mod or something - it wasn't XBMC like I wanted. The odd thing was that I was unable to use the stock dashboard, the option was there but you couldn't select it. So I connected via FTP and tried to switch the names of the two dashboard files, thinking that would make it load the stock dashboard again.

Instead I get an error 13. I can still boot retail discs, but nothing else wants to work. I could literally just switch those two files back if I could somehow get write access to the HDD... but there in comes my problem. I don't have a computer with IDE handy, but instead I have an IDE to USB converter - I tried the hotswap method a few times (loaded up Splinter Cell, made a new profile, then swapped IDE cables) - but yet nothing works. If I try to open it in hex, just to view the contents, I get "the operation timed out due to an I/O read error"

Does the hotswap method no longer work? Or do you *need* an IDE connection so you can have it read the drive upon boot? I have an old computer at home, and will be home in a couple weeks - so I can wait until then if needed. It seems like it should be fairly simple to do, as I KNOW exactly what I did - but sadly I don't have any of the files backed up to my computer... they're only on the hard drive which is now a paperweight.

Anyone have any ideas? Additionally, I have another virgin Xbox that has not been hacked yet. If I use SID on that, could I somehow read the hard drive of the other console and unlock it?

 

[Sicklyboy]

It's going to need to be a direct IDE port on a motherboard, not an adapter.

Additionally, you'll find that some motherboards don't want to work with it. My MSI 790FX-GD70 doesn't work with the hotswap tool (hangs). My older Asus A8N-E works flawlessly with it though. Also you don't even need to boot a game to unlock the hard drive, just boot the console and wait about 10 seconds and it'll be unlocked. I do not know if that still applies, given your circumstances though with the Error 13.

I'd suggest you make a backup of the drive once you get it working again.

 

[drfsupercenter]

Well, as far as the error goes - if I boot a retail disc like Halo 2 or Splinter Cell, couldn't I just create a save (which will write to the hard drive, thus unlocking it), and then hotswap?

I will have to wait until I get home, then. I find it odd that it won't work with a USB adapter...

 

[drfsupercenter]

Ah, OK I have another question.

I tried every flash drive I own and actually got one to work with the vanilla console - it's a 2GB Kingston DataTraveler and it will format the drive as FATX. However, whenever I try to actually copy a save to it from the Xbox, it errors.

I opened the freshly formatted drive in HxD and made a backup - I am able to open that in Xplorer360 and add folders and whatever else. Then I can restore the image in hex. Not sure if it's some weird I/O error on the flash drive or what.

But anyway - what I need to know is - where do the contents of Xbox saves go? I have the SID install files downloaded, and I notice there's a UDATA folder with some stuff inside that. Do I just put UDATA on the root of the drive and copy everything else as-is?

 

[Sicklyboy]

I wasn't aware the drive needed to be written to to unlock it, as it's locked from reading as well.

Granted, it's been a while since I fiddled with this stuff.

I'm also no master with it.

Regardless, whatever works for you is what you should stick with. My method might save you... thirty seconds? Yeah, don't bother doing something different lol.

I take it you modded it at first using a savegame exploit? I'm just hoping your motherboard works with the hotswap.

 

[drfsupercenter]

No, I have two systems. One is vanilla - completely untouched, besides me opening the case up. The other was previously softmodded (I don't know how), and that's the one I bricked.

I was hoping I could mount the memory card using the softmodded system and copy the SID files to hack the vanilla system, but I didn't get that far.

 

[jefffisher]

if you have the harddrive key or eeprom backed up then you can just reformat with xboxhdm. if not then you'll need to hotswap to get those files.

 

[drfsupercenter]

The guy who originally modded it might have one of those backed up... if I can find them, is there a way to do it with a USB enclosure? The only xboxhdm thing I saw was incredibly stupid and required the hard drive to be on /dev/hda, which it often won't be. That, and it had no USB support

 

[jefffisher]

i don't think there is any way to lock or unlock it without an IDE, if you can find the original files, or have an exploited savegame already on the xbox to get them. then you could perhaps mail the drive to someone with an IDE to have them properly format it for you.

 

[WhoRuJudge]

Try booting the xbox with the DVD drive open.

Some softmods have a sort of safe mode with that that has an ftp server built in.

Then you would be able to go back and undo the renaming.

 

[drfsupercenter]

That was the literally the first thing I tried, LOL.

Now it won't even boot my discs, it used to, which is weird.

 

[steveroo]

I have a similar problem.

I screwed up by saying okay to install ndure with an old dashboard. my theory was since I'd never duoboot it'd be okay.

installation failed when said the hard drive was full. I turned on my xbox and the new modded dashboard worked.... but when I tried to load an emulator I ftped the system would reboot.

hotwapped the xbox again and restored my backup and tried the softmod again but had the same error with error 13 after rebooting. I loaded a burgerking game successfully. rebooted the system now black screen. oh, oh. I burned a slayer 2.7 disc but the system won't load it.

so, how do I finish up this softmod?

 

[DinohScene]

Steve, you still have access to FTP?
You have a backup of your C drive?

If so, restore the C drive and delete everything else.
Then resoftmod it.

 

[steveroo]

I can't connect through ftp. Any other suggestions?

 

[steveroo]

I got my xbox up and running again by following these instructions

have xbox open, disconnect dvd drive IDE cable (on xbox) power up xbox with AV cable connected, you will get an error, but the xbox HDD will now be unlocked, keeping the xbox hdd connected to the xbox hdd power cable, disconnect the IDE cable from the xbox drive


power on PC hit pause to stop it booting at post, connect IDE cable from PC to xbox - boot AID or slayers or whatever you want, and follow the instructions.

from http://www.assemblergames.com/forum...-(Via-Hotswap)-an-xbox-and-adding-a-larger-HD

I just rebuilt the C drive and volla a happy steve in his pajamas. now its time for a shower.

 

[DinohScene]

Aye sweet!

Cheers on finding it out for yourself ;]

 

[steveroo]

I had to follow your steps too DinohScene. What I had done was revive the console. I had to reinstall the softmod for it to work properly.

 

[Plstic]

Personally, I would flash the TSOP or get a modchip so if you mess something up you can use AID with no problem. There's really no point for softmods anymore.

 

[DinohScene]

Plstic is right.
If you can bridge 4 points on your Xbox mobo then you can load up Raincoat (I believe it was) to flash your TSOP with a hacked BIOS.
That way you'll have a fallback ;]