VGA Bios modded console not booting into UnleashX, no game options, etc.

[Dochartaigh]

My buddy (who isn't available to ask) did the VGA BIOS mod to my 1.4 original Xbox. I'm having a whole bunch of issues with it... I can put in a game disk and it'll load-up just fine (and color is good, and outputting 480p with the Frozen VGA cable properly), but won't load a Hexen utility disk (ISO pulled from the link on this site, 2017 version, burned to DVD-R) disk for some reason. I can get into an UnleashX dashboard by booting it through the Rainbox Six game, but this UnleashX dashboard looks totally different than the ones I have on my regular non-VGA Xboxes I modded (no option to play games or movies or run apps - initial screenshot is below so you can see what I mean). The dashboards colors also seem to be off, as if the color space is messed-up (but again, in-game the graphics are normal). I can get FTP access once I'm in this dashboard.

Just to get into the original MS Dashboard can be an ordeal – sometimes the drive door has to be open, sometimes have to hold Start I think it is...sometimes just won't do it. I've also rebooted it so many times I've also gotten the "21 Service Required. Call Customer Support" with red ring a couple times now (this Xbox ran for about two years PERFECT before it was modded FYI). Something to note is the ring, if MS Dashboard won't load and it just shows a black screen the ring is amber color. When in the UnleashX dashboard the dashboard seems to work fine but the ring is red...could this just be something that was programmed on purpose so it's nothing to worry about?

So anyway, a bunch of screenshots are below if they help. I'm kinda at the point that if it's easier I would like to just reformat the hard drive and start over (would have to find the YouTube video on how to do this again as it's been a while - think I still have the dual molex power dongle to clone the HDD and a known-working USB drive and controller adapter dongle for it and all that stuff). OR, If I'm just missing something stupid please let me know. What worries me the most in doing this is I know very little about the BIOS mod and how that can effect this 'regular' softmodding process (and the UnleashX dashboard I get has all sorts of VGA stuff I've never seen before so I might need a special version of UnleashX which works with the VGA BIOS mod?).

Here's the ImGur album with some captions:

https://imgur.com/a/P10JTgC

 

[CORE]

Nothing sounds too serious and most of your problems seem Config related.

1st why are u using VGA Mod? when Component Cables are cheap and if u wanna get fancy why not buy Pound HDMi or do an HDMI Mod?

2nd U need to grab few Dashboards and Apps.

XBMC4XBOX Latest SVN
Unleash X
Evolution X
DVD2XBOX
Enigmah Video Switcher
CHIMP
Complex Tools
Xored Trainer Launcher Optional.
XBMC 2.0.1 Final XLink Kai Build Optional.
DVDX2 Optional.

It seems that ur Booting into a pre Softmod Menu.

 

[Dochartaigh]

I'm using a VGA mod because I run these Xbox's on Sony multiformat (240p/480i/480p/720p/1080i) PVM and BVM CRT monitors, and their highest quality video input (slightly/arguably better than YPbPr/Component), is RGBS which the Frozen cable can be configured to output – it merges the separate sync signal of VGA - which is RGBH(horizontal sync)V(vertical sync) into RGBS (the "S" stands for merged sync of the H and V signal). RGBS is also the same exact signal that my NES, SNES, Genesis, Saturn, TurbGrafx16, PS1/PS2, etc. all output so having one unified video signal format is ideal for a retro gaming setup like this.

So it seems like the problem is the guy who modded this installed UnleashX itself, but didn't install the normal apps I'm used to? Honestly the only one app/program I normally use is the one which can load backups of my games, so I'm fine with not installing those others unless they have functionality I need in order to do that.

I will Google (and read the pinned posts here), but I honestly don't even know how to load extra apps to the UnleashX dashboard right now. I think before (on my non-VGA softmodded Xbox's) there was a built-in file browser in UnleashX so I could do something like find and download those programs, unzip them, and copy them to a certain directory via FTP, then enable/load them via that HDD browser program? The dashboard I have right now (unless I missed it) I don't even see the program to browse the HDD to find these programs after I FTP them over, so if you have any info on that I would greatly appreciate it.

How do I get UnleashX to automatically boot-up when I turn the Xbox on? And thank you for the help - it's appreciated (I struck out on the Facebook group I'm on so far about these issues).



Two question for people who have done the VGA BIOS mod before: do I need to do anything special because of the VGA mod in regards to UnleashX and getting it up and running? And is it normal for the UnleashX dashboard to be in this weird color (it's different on my other non-VGA Xbox's)?

 

[CORE]

Your problem seems to be the Config.xml that is the settings file for Unleash X. I see what you mean about ur Monitor should have checked ur pics lol.

Do you have a Mod Chip Installed or MotherBoard preFlashed because it looks like it preFlashed with EVOXVGA BIOS and if so why SoftMod? I will have quick look for you and post back.

 

[Dochartaigh]

Here's the contents of Config.xml in E:\dashboard. I don't know if there's multiple config files but this is the one I found first:

https://pastebin.com/yZE7yGgW

 

[CORE]

Well that definitely is not of the UnleashX in the Pics can u take screenshot or pic of what is in C:\ and E:\ directories.

 

[Dochartaigh]

I edited my post (don't know if you saw it) with an actual/proper pastbin link where I had (I think) the same as you have for that part of the code which is:

<List Text="Games" Sort="On" Auto="On">
<Path>E:\Games</Path>
<Path>F:\Games</Path>
<Path>G:\Games</Path>
<Path>E:\HDDLoader</Path>
<Path>F:\HDDLoader</Path>
<Path>G:\HDDLoader</Path>
</List>
<List Text="Applications" Sort="On" Auto="On">
<Path>E:\Apps</Path>
<Path>F:\Apps</Path>
<Path>G:\Apps</Path>
<Item Action="TextEditor">Text Editor</Item>
</List>

But I copied and pasted yours in and FTP'd the file over. First it booted to a 'error 21 contact service page' (could have been bad coincidence), but it still didn't boot to the UnleashX menu, and I had to load that through Splinter Cell. Anything I missed?

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Well that definitely is not of the UnleashX in the Pics can u take screenshot or pic of what is in C:\ and E:\ directories.

Added screenshots of C and E drive to Imgur album.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Well that definitely is not of the UnleashX in the Pics can u take screenshot or pic of what is in C:\ and E:\ directories.

Added screenshots of C and E drive to Imgur album.

 

[CORE]

Ur not Booting into a standard UnleashX you seem to be Booting into a Custom Menu ur Pastebin post seems standard which indicates it not the same there is another config file but that is not the root cause it your Boot Settings.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

ind-bios.cfg that should be it if u open that in notepad and pastebin

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

It should be what dictates what Default Dashboard is.

 

[Dochartaigh]

That's what I'm seeing too - a totally non-standard UnleashX dashboard (before it enters the dashboard the UnleashX logo comes up - albeit green - so it's definitely UnleashX of some sort). I have a feeling this is some special version meant for the VGA BIOS since there's all those VGA options in there I've never seen before...

So where to go from here? Have you ever dealt with a VGA BIOS? If the settings for the VGA BIOS are hard-coded to the BIOS itself, think I would be safe re-doing this install the way I always softmodded before? --I'm afraid I'll miss something specific to the VGA part of this install which may brick the system...

 

[CORE]

If you open up iND-BIOS.cfg in notepad look for DASH1 , DASH2 , DASH3 etc.

 

[Dochartaigh]

In that area it says:

DASH1=\Device\Harddisk0\Partition2\evoxdash.xbe
DASH2=\Device\Harddisk0\Partition1\Dash\UnleashX\unleashx.xbe
DASH3=\Device\Harddisk0\Partition1\Dash\EvolutionX\evoxdash.xbe

And here's a Pastbin of the entire thing if that helps:

https://pastebin.com/VkYSfVyq

If you look at the Imgur screenshots there's a place where I can choose things like dual-retail, dual-altdash, tri-altdash, etc. Maybe try one of those and see if it loads another dashboard (like the regular UnleashX dashboard?). Maybe find/download a new version of UnleashX and put the files via FTP into "\Device\Harddisk0\Partition1\Dash\UnleashX\"? ...still don't know how to make it boot into UnleashX on system startup though (been getting here through Splinter Cell game).

 

[CORE]

Yes try to Boot one of the others it should be one of those I think it probably just the Boot order.

it usually involves holding down a button on controller or press eject to power on instead of power.

 

[Dochartaigh]

OK, so I can get it to automatically boot into the weird non-standard UnleashX dashboard. I'm not going to try the "dual-altdash" version which says "This option will let you beet to an alternative dashboard when you turn the xbox on with the eject button. The location of this dashboard is e:\dashboard\altdash\default.xbe".

I'm going to find/download (hope there's a link in this subforum...which i'm currently failing at finding...or via Google too...maybe i saved it from the other installs...going to look) a regular UnleashX dashboard, and place it in that \altdash folder and see if it works.

Sound like a plan? I'm hoping that will do two things: let me use a friggin REGULAR!!!! UnleashX dashboard like my other Xbox's have, AND when I power on with the power button (instead of eject button), I'm hoping it'll boot into the weird/non-standard UnleashX dashboard which seems to have those VGA BIOS options I might need at a future point in time.

 

[CORE]

Yep just make sure the file name the same evoxdash.xbe > evoxdash.xbe

 

[Dochartaigh]

delete.......