You can make one if you have access to a machine with a serial port:
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=668247
Otherwise (or you want a USB version) the most it is going to cost you is the price of a game, there are several available but careful when you do buy one as they can come in two halves; one to power the drive (aimed at all drive models) and another to read the liteon 7 series key with the former being the more expensive.
I did a quick writeup of the liteon drives the other day:
http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=174016
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=668247
Otherwise (or you want a USB version) the most it is going to cost you is the price of a game, there are several available but careful when you do buy one as they can come in two halves; one to power the drive (aimed at all drive models) and another to read the liteon 7 series key with the former being the more expensive.
I did a quick writeup of the liteon drives the other day:
http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=174016
Okay, you say that... but where could I go order one?
It was hard enough even finding placest hat would sell the DS and GBA flashcards, because so many of them were shady to begin with, or had really poor reseller ratings histories. And no, my computer does not have a Serial port at all (yet strangely enough, there is a BIOS option listed for it - someone @ eVGA must have been lazy to not check for that on a 680i BIOS).
Further, with that connectivity kit, will I be able to then flash the iXtreme firmware and go with it? Or will I have to find another 360 and take its drive as a donor now?
It was hard enough even finding placest hat would sell the DS and GBA flashcards, because so many of them were shady to begin with, or had really poor reseller ratings histories. And no, my computer does not have a Serial port at all (yet strangely enough, there is a BIOS option listed for it - someone @ eVGA must have been lazy to not check for that on a 680i BIOS).
Further, with that connectivity kit, will I be able to then flash the iXtreme firmware and go with it? Or will I have to find another 360 and take its drive as a donor now?
We left the need for a donor drive when flashing systems with liteon drives behind in December last year.
If your BIOS has it there may be a serial port on the motherboard (similar to how you have more USB ports or maybe just a header) but I will skip over it for now.
Where to buy, not had to look for US shops in a while but http://www.consolesource.com/ecomm/catalog...-p-1-c-213.html (one of the affiliates of the 'temp), I have and use a maximus myself.
As for will it be enough, you may have to spring for a SATA card (VIA6421 usually) but my nvidia onboard sata works for every liteon I have done.
CPUZ will tell you what you have but a quick scan of the eVGA site says NVIDIA on your board which is a good sign.
CPUZ:
http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php
If your BIOS has it there may be a serial port on the motherboard (similar to how you have more USB ports or maybe just a header) but I will skip over it for now.
Where to buy, not had to look for US shops in a while but http://www.consolesource.com/ecomm/catalog...-p-1-c-213.html (one of the affiliates of the 'temp), I have and use a maximus myself.
As for will it be enough, you may have to spring for a SATA card (VIA6421 usually) but my nvidia onboard sata works for every liteon I have done.
CPUZ will tell you what you have but a quick scan of the eVGA site says NVIDIA on your board which is a good sign.
CPUZ:
http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php
I know for a fact there is no serial port physically present on this motherboard. There is no mention of one in the motherboard manual, and I have a much older machine with a DFI nForce2 chipset; that has a serial port, but my current system certainly does not. I don't know why eVGA decided to leave that option in the BIOS, especially when there isn't a single serial port anywhere to be had.
As I said, no serial port ANYwhere.
So I'd need to order the maximus extractor, the spear, *and* that VIA card? after the nightmare I had with a VIA chipset, I have to go buy another of their shitty product to do this?
As I said, no serial port ANYwhere.
So I'd need to order the maximus extractor, the spear, *and* that VIA card? after the nightmare I had with a VIA chipset, I have to go buy another of their shitty product to do this?
The Xtractor is aimed at people flashing the older drives which you could do with just a sata port (the drives use a semi proprietary power connector and has some other features like eject and mode B for hitachi)
The spear is an addon for it that allowed you to read things from the liteon 7 series drive (every other model can be flashed with just a sata port).
The sata card needs to be of a certain sort as some (most) do not allow a form of raw command sending (probably a bad term to use but I have forgotten the actual technical term at this point in time), the VIA 6421 chip (and the cards that were made with it) is the main one people found that allowed this for all the various 360 drive models (and submodels) so it became ingrained in 360 flashing guides, forums and mindsets of people using/making them.
Some of the later model NVIDIA cards (nforce 2 tends not to work- your current model is a higher version) work too and I also heard that liteon drives were fairly good with other most sata models but I have yet to try it. Personally I suggest you try the onboard and then if you need to get one you can buy such a card from a big vendor (usually for about $10) and have it sitting on your doorstep a day later.
Also know that the drive once flashed will have the key available to be read via a sata port alone and you should also get a copy of the key if you farm it out to someone else- the probe is only really a one time thing. For what it is worth I would happily do it for you but I suspect shipping would render such a thing worthless for you and I am not planning on being stateside for a while.
Also I would not like to say it as hard fact but at this stage in the game new firmwares are for new drive models, bugs or made in reaction to a move made by MS ("wave 3" discs for example) so there is a good chance you will not be updating for quite some time (if ever).
The spear is an addon for it that allowed you to read things from the liteon 7 series drive (every other model can be flashed with just a sata port).
The sata card needs to be of a certain sort as some (most) do not allow a form of raw command sending (probably a bad term to use but I have forgotten the actual technical term at this point in time), the VIA 6421 chip (and the cards that were made with it) is the main one people found that allowed this for all the various 360 drive models (and submodels) so it became ingrained in 360 flashing guides, forums and mindsets of people using/making them.
Some of the later model NVIDIA cards (nforce 2 tends not to work- your current model is a higher version) work too and I also heard that liteon drives were fairly good with other most sata models but I have yet to try it. Personally I suggest you try the onboard and then if you need to get one you can buy such a card from a big vendor (usually for about $10) and have it sitting on your doorstep a day later.
Also know that the drive once flashed will have the key available to be read via a sata port alone and you should also get a copy of the key if you farm it out to someone else- the probe is only really a one time thing. For what it is worth I would happily do it for you but I suspect shipping would render such a thing worthless for you and I am not planning on being stateside for a while.
Also I would not like to say it as hard fact but at this stage in the game new firmwares are for new drive models, bugs or made in reaction to a move made by MS ("wave 3" discs for example) so there is a good chance you will not be updating for quite some time (if ever).
It is funny how complicated it can sound to flash an xbox 360 drive. When you actually do it you will realize it is fool proof and can take under 5 minutes.
I find RobinHoodsPlayground to have the best tutorials around, check them out:
http://robinhoodsplayground.com/forum/view...eafaa6f7f51a03f
I find RobinHoodsPlayground to have the best tutorials around, check them out:
http://robinhoodsplayground.com/forum/view...eafaa6f7f51a03f
Yes, it does sound extremely complicated as I read through these different bits, and then all the required hardware for the job.
I'm also not exactly thrilled about the idea of buying a VIA-based anything, given that many years ago when I first tried to build my own computer, NVIDIA hadn't yet got into chipsets, and thus VIA was my only choice for an AMD system; long story short, I was so traumatized by that event, I nearly swore off all building there and then. But at the least, in a last-ditch the nForce 1 came out then, and I gave it a chance. It was such a welcome improvement; just a shame it too had that infamous VT6202 that VIA then decided to ditch support for altogether as soon as Windows XP came out. But the rest, as you would say, is history.
Unfortunately, the hardware buy will have to wait a bit longer.
I'm also not exactly thrilled about the idea of buying a VIA-based anything, given that many years ago when I first tried to build my own computer, NVIDIA hadn't yet got into chipsets, and thus VIA was my only choice for an AMD system; long story short, I was so traumatized by that event, I nearly swore off all building there and then. But at the least, in a last-ditch the nForce 1 came out then, and I gave it a chance. It was such a welcome improvement; just a shame it too had that infamous VT6202 that VIA then decided to ditch support for altogether as soon as Windows XP came out. But the rest, as you would say, is history.
Unfortunately, the hardware buy will have to wait a bit longer.
codezer0 said:I know for a fact there is no serial port physically present on this motherboard. There is no mention of one in the motherboard manual, and I have a much older machine with a DFI nForce2 chipset; that has a serial port, but my current system certainly does not. I don't know why eVGA decided to leave that option in the BIOS, especially when there isn't a single serial port anywhere to be had.
As I said, no serial port ANYwhere.
So I'd need to order the maximus extractor, the spear, *and* that VIA card? after the nightmare I had with a VIA chipset, I have to go buy another of their shitty product to do this?
The serial port was probably included as separate piece that can be optionally attached. The newer boards do this.
Okay, sorry to dig up this old thread again, but i finally got myself (financially) sorted, and thus should be able to afford buying the equipment I need now. And hopefully, if I get everything I'd need (to be able to flash more than just my own Lite-On), I can start offering a service around for those who'd want to get their 360's modded too (and help pay back the equipment
).
So, at least to cover flashing my own Lite-on 7k drive, I need:
- the Maximus Extractor linked,
- the xtractor spear (for a solder-free method), and
- this *expletive* VIA SATA card, correct?
Would be nice if I could use the 680i SLI motherboard's SATA ports, or even the Silicon Image 3114's on the NF2 Infinity my oldie is based off of. Or should I just get the VIA card to be safe?
Also, can I safely assume all this kit will be able to let me flash other people's drives as well?
So, at least to cover flashing my own Lite-on 7k drive, I need:
- the Maximus Extractor linked,
- the xtractor spear (for a solder-free method), and
- this *expletive* VIA SATA card, correct?
Would be nice if I could use the 680i SLI motherboard's SATA ports, or even the Silicon Image 3114's on the NF2 Infinity my oldie is based off of. Or should I just get the VIA card to be safe?
Also, can I safely assume all this kit will be able to let me flash other people's drives as well?
Silicon image probably won't work. There is no reason the onboard on the 680i shouldn't work. Nforce sata controllers can do everything the via ones can, just for some reason no one ever mentions them, they just all blindly jump aboard the via bandwagon.
The only other issue that I would forsee with the VIA card right now is that I wouldn't be able to install it in my main computer, as the one available PCI slot is being occupied by my new X-Fi, while the other is now covered up by the 8800GTS that sits in its adjacent PCI-E slot.
But I suppose I can put it into my older system, which has PCI Slots to spare, and would spare me from having to risk my main system for anything.
But I suppose I can put it into my older system, which has PCI Slots to spare, and would spare me from having to risk my main system for anything.
An update.
Ordered the three parts yesterday. I reasoned that it'd be better to have that card, than to not get it, later need it, and then have to order it anyway. And unfortunately, nobody local carries any VIA-based SATA cards either.
Ordered the three parts yesterday. I reasoned that it'd be better to have that card, than to not get it, later need it, and then have to order it anyway. And unfortunately, nobody local carries any VIA-based SATA cards either.
Okay, got the stuff today. xtractor, spear, and the VIA card (just in case). Any further advice before I pop the 360 open again to see if I can get this done?
