Hotswapping Xbox HDD with IDE-USB converter help

Are we sure the USB adapter isn't resetting the drive when it's plugged in?

I've only successfully used an internal ide port, not a USB adapter.

 

Not really sure honestly :-\

I'm trying again, the error 16 wasn't connecting to it and yeah I'd expect it wouldn't unlock easily :-\ right now I'm trying error 12 and now the USB to ATA/ATAPI bridge adapter is showing up finally. Btw, if your curious I'm using Ultimate Boot 4 Windows OS to do this because my main Windows XP OS is very slow

I'm now using Xboxhdm v2.1 full gui for the procedure this time, now how do i set the device so the program can detect? So i could use unlockhdd.bat

 

I don't know how you found that out,but in any case a 1.4 doesn't relock the drive at all on error 11 and 12. I had a 1.4 (which now is dead due to erased TSOP)which I softmodded by forcing error 12 then hotswapping as soon as the FRAG sequence appears. I could tell it worked as XBOXHDM would read it fine and wouldn't complain about being unable to read the partition.

Strange though,this trick didn't work on a 1.0 (with the 4034 kernel),forcing me to hotswap at the dashboard. Still had success softmodding it in the end.

 

Maybe it depends on what boot ROM version was in use - but it's definitely not safe to assume that the drive would be unlocked on an error 11, because I've dealt with quite a few Xboxes where it wasn't. That's why I went to pulling the cable just as the dash was loading - the timing is slightly critical, but once you get it it works 100% of the time.

 

As far as I know,error 11 won't unlock the drive at all. At least my 1.0 wouldn't.

Another thing,this Xbox is the only one I couldn't trigger 12 on. Every DVD unplug trick I tried,ranging from just unplugging the IDE cable to disconnecting the drive completely would give Error 11. I had to boot to the MS dash,wait until there was no HDD activity (which took me about 5-6 seconds or so) and then do the IDE hotswap. I had a 80pin IDE cable on the Xbox though,but I guess that wouldn't make any difference.

 

That's probably the best method if you can do it, but the problem the OP has is that he's getting an error 16, and hence the dash never loads at all. The reason I mentioned the unplug DVD drive / error 11 thing is that a lot of old guides recommended it if you couldn't boot the HDD - but it only ever worked on very old boot ROMs. All the more recent ones seem to relock the drive when they put the error screen up irrespective of the error code.

Another option is to do what I did when I was dealing with a lot of broken xboxes, which was to build a pogo-pin adapter so you could temporarily install a modchip and burn a DVD that had a script on it that reformatted the C: partition and then copied over the dash and softmod. You still had to open the box, but it was a lot less hassle.

 

Building a EEPROM reader would have been easier somehow,as he could just build a new (and bigger if he wants) drive with SID5 and lock it with the EEPROM.

 

Please edit your posts, instead of triple posting.

 

my apologies but can you sorta answer my question if you don't mind? It won't happen again

 

I would if I knew the answer.

 

oh my mistake, btw why doesn't Xboxhdm 2.2 wants to run anymore? Because everytime i make an iso of it and then use a linux usb installation program and then running it via bios it never works

 

You should just be able to start it by burning the ISO and boot by CD-ROM that's it.

 

Alright, i'll give it a try and thanks

 

um, do you guys have a workable MHDD or a similar program for Slax linux? because i'm trying day & night figuring out how to get my Seagate ST41001 A Hard Drive to Unlocked even though it is recognised on the computer as sdc on linux and on Windows with HDD Copy program.

P.S And btw, i've finally got XboxHDM to work via USB

 

do you have the ata key to unlock the disk?

 

ATA key? no, and i'm quite unclear to how on doing that exactly. btw, is there really a switch mechanism on that particular hard drive? cuz i've read it somewhere (unless the guy was being a troll)

 

The HDD eeprom, you'll need it if you aren't hot swapping..
Easiest way is acquire you HDD eeprom (it contains your HDD key)

1. Save that eeprom.bin into the XBHDM iso
2. Boot iso
3. Unlock Drive
4. Do whatever it was you waned to do
5. Lock Drive

Now to get your eeprom there are a few methods:

Boot up SID (Softmod installer delux), you'll need a exploitable game, dump EEPROM and FTP that too your PC

or

Build a EEPROM reader and copy eeprom from motherboard (this contains the HDD key)





How to load up SID >



NOW ONE THING, your USB ATA adapter may not even be compatible with XBHDM or may even have some voodo preventing you from using ATA security commands or what not

Who said that?

 

A guy named philmccan from this forum here: http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?/topic/538614-seagate-st310014ace-unlock/

EDIT: Actually i've found a epprom usb adapter made in mind for the Xbox at on eBay for a very decent price. So, i'mma check that out once i get paid or whenever soon! also i was watching this video on using the computer's ide cable (not usb adapter of course) and he was able to use Xplorer360 without the need for a epprom backup and was gonna stick to doing that instead probably since my backup'd one is still on the Xbox's harddrive in the E:\ partiton

 

Great news everyone!! I've finally re-installed the stock Xbox Dashboard files and error 16 is finally gone for good and has the Microsoft logo underneath when booted up!

Bad news is now i got a error 21 and have no clue what i got missing or did wrong, then again it could be that i've removed it while i was on the partition Dell menu (the boot selection one) after logging out of Slax. Do you guys have any clue on how to lock it (since i don't have an eeprom.bin present except for the fact it's backed up to my E partition)

P.S do you guys have any clue on how to use xbrowser so i can grab my eeprom.bin there? Thanks a ton for the help guys! couldn't have done all of that without your support!

 

Try fatX explorer to browse the unlocked drive http://dwl.xbox-scene.com/~xbox/xbox-scene/tools/harddrive/FATXExplorer.zip

PS that guy on ebay, I haven't heard much good about him posting stuff