need Xbox modding tips

I have 98% of all nes/snes/gameboy/gcb roms on there now, with a few choice mame and msx games. I still have 3 gb free.

Why the hell can't I get michael jackson moonwalker to work. I've tried like 3 versions, all crash. This game is so awesome that I cant stand for it not working.

 

Its been over two weeks, so I hardly consider this a double post.

I've recently had a problem with my xbox not starting up. I did a lot of research, and I am 99.99999% sure that I am suffering from the dreaded clock loop problem. Lots of people have pseudo-solutions to the problem, but short of chipping the xbox, I can't find a solution. The best solution I've found is to boot up with an audio cd or dvd inside, or to just randomly start unplugging and plugging stuff in while its on.

Now, when I say that "I can't find a solution", I mean two things. One: I have not tried something that has worked 100% of the time. Two: I can't physically FIND the god damned files I would need to try half of the god damned fixes.

[rant]
Every site pulls this "its in the usual places" garbage. I know what "the usual places" means, but I have never successfully downloaded anything off xbins. I Know how to use IRC, I know how to use my ftp program. Nothing I try lets me download anything. Why is everything surrounding all xboxes so cryptic and secretive? WHY WHY WHY WHY? Finding stuff for any other system is not like this...
[/rant]

Anyways...does anyone have a sure-fire, tested solution to the clock loop problem? (and any associated files I would need to do it myself)

 

I'm sorry I can't help you much with your Xbox problem itself since I'm only familiar with the 360 and the rather tiny bit of homebrew that's public there, but since nobody answered after 20 hours... (which I find a bit weird) I just wanted to at least offer my services as downloader for you, if you PM me the names of the files you need.

 

Thank you for the help. The clock loop problem seems extremely fickle, but I think I have a handle on it. It hasn't done it in the last 2 days or so. When it does happen, I just randomly unplug stuff and (try) to eject the disc tray and put a dvd in. Even if it takes me 10 minutes of farting around, its better than waiting for an hour.

What I am most curious about is a first-hand story of how someone who softmodded their xbox fixed their clockloop problem. What kind of kernel was the xbox? what dash were you using (EvoX, UnleashX, etc)? What exactly did you do to solve it? Do you have the necessary files still or know how to obtain them?

 

Flash the TSOP and never worry about the issue again.

-hl718

 

Can you elaborate? This method seems to require soldering. If I'm going to solder something, I may as well just buy a 20$ modchip and be done with it. This method seems extremely risky too. If you do this incorrectly, there are no second chances. You mess up, you break it.

What files do I need?
All of these methods seem to require doing some Action Replay style savegame transferring and require you to own a specific game. Is there a way to do this without transferring a save and booting a game?
Is there a way to do this without soldering?

I need more info. Thats the problem with looking this stuff up. The info is generally guarded as some G-14 classified information, or people trying to explain are very terse or unclear.

I literally own nothing related to an xbox except the xbox itself and 2 controllers. I do have access to nearly any conceivable computer related hardware needed to hotswap, connect drives, ftp, etc.

 

Flashing the TSOP requires making connections at two points. Basically, all you're doing is write enabling the chip so it can be reflashed. It is an incredibly easy solder job and takes a minute or two, even for a novice. If you odn't want to solder, you can buy an conductive pen and draw in the two traces.

For the flashing itself you'll need a BIOS file (pick your favorite) and then use Evo-X's built-in flash tool (or any other flash tool) to flash the new BIOS to the chip.

Once that's done, you're done.

Since you're already soft modded, you can run custom software so you can just burn and run a Evo-X disc. No need for game saves (they're just designed to boot Evo-X from a save so you can flash).

-hl718

 

do the various bioses do anything different from each other or are they purely cosmetic? I couldnt really care less what my xbox shows at when it boots, but if one offers some kind of options another doesn't, then there must be a "best" one to use. Even if there isn't a best one, can you point me in the right direction by giving me the name of one? I believe I read about one called Cromwell...

also, once you solder the points, do you need to remove the wires you just soldered after you are done? or can you just leave them there?

I'm also a novice with soldering and electronics in general. Is there a correct kind of wire that I need to use to connect these points? For all I know, different wires allow different voltages or something. Like I said, I'm not an electrician here.

 

I think I'm going to try this soon enough. Would be ace. :thumbsup: Got a bit more confidence after flashing my Dreamcast to NTSC-J from PAL.

beretta85, if I'm not wrong flashing the BIOS is basically the same as having a modchip, I think. I doubt a certain thickness of wire is required and I'd imagine if you leave the wires there all it means is that the TSOP is still flashable. :thumbsup:

Any links hl718? ray:

EDIT: Nevermind, looks easy as pie for my 1.0 Xbox. Wish I had a prettier box though.

http://www.biline.ca/xbox_solder.htm

 

As you can see from the photos, it's dead easy.

And unless you have one of the Sharp v1.0/v1.1 systems, you don't even need a wire. It really is a stupid easy job.

As for the specific BIOS, it's been awhile since I've messed with the original Xbox hardware, but there should be a BIOS listing on Xbox-Scene.com. Near the end of the Xbox lifespan, there was a lot of similarities bewteen the various hacked BIOSes and no real clear "best" one. I'll have to see if I still have an old box laying around to even tell you which one I used.

The Cromwell BIOS you mentioned is for running Linux, not for playing games.

Some of the useful features of hacked BIOSes are no DVD drive check (boot the system with no DVD drive), no region check, VGA out support and no need to use a locked hard drive (making upgrading hard drives as easy as replacing a hard drive on a computer).

Once flashed, you're also covered in case of any royal screwup. If you need to recover just boot off of an EvoX disc and restore the HD contents via FTP or even just boot directly off an auto-intaller disc.

The only Xbox that cannot use a TSOP flash is the v1.6 system as that shipped with a ROM rather than a flash chip. You need a mod chip or a soft mod for that revision of system.

As for the solder points, leaving them in doesn't hurt. You're just leaving the system reflashable. Cutting the traces makes the chip read-only once again.

-hl718

 

I would suggest Evox-M8, it tends to do the job for most of us. I personally use a customized xecuter x2 bios tho.

 

I have a 1.0 Xbox

edit: ah, I took it apart, and near the R7D3 point, the TSOP chip says "ST" on it, so I'm assuming I have an ST and not a Sharp.

So is it really that easy? There are two sets of two points that just need a dab of solder between them, like this? Being sure not to put too much and connect something else to it, of course.

Would you mind PMing me either one of these bios files, or linking me to them? (please dont tell me go to 'the usual place').What do you mean by "tends to do the job"? Does this actually install a new dash on my xbox? I was under the impression that this simply replaced the xbox boot screen with a custom one. Will I still be able to use UnleashX after flashing the evox-m8 or xecutor 2 bios?

So, assuming I get the two points soldered correctly, all I will need to go is boot up evox (which I can do from UnleashX), and there will be an option to flash a bios from the bios directory? Will I be prompted to select a bios to flash, or will it just pick one from the bios directory?

Sorry for all the questions, but I like to be AB-SO-LUTELY sure I know what I'm doing before I break something.

double edit: I am SO confused now about this clock loop problem. When I don't want it to happen, it happens. When I try to induce it (leaving it unplugged for 3 hours, disassembling it, etc) it DOESN'T DO IT. ughhhh I don't know what to do.

 

Yes,its easy.I flashed a V1.1 which is the same process.Just use Evox to flash your onboard bios and make sure to use a 1 MB bios and I also recommend X-ecuter 2 bios as well.If you have any problems feel free to contact me on MSN if needed.

And here is a nice guide.
http://www.i-hacked.com/content/view/37/62/1/0/

 

Seems like a very nice tutorial.

I (finally) can download off xbins. I got the xecutor2 4981.06_256k.bin bios and I am using the XBTool to configure it. What I don't quite understand is that the tutorial says

"FILE SIZE: OK, once you have configured your BIOS on how you like it, choose your correct file size. If you have a V1.0/1.1 WITH SWITCH click on 512 KB BIOS. If you have a V1.0/1.1 WITH NO SWITCH, check 1024 KB BIOS. "

What is this WITH SWITCH? is it a physical switch?


Also, since my xbox is already modded, I won't need to do all that Raincoat / 007 stuff. Like I said before, I can boot EvoX (its in C:\EvoX\evoxdash.xbe). Should EvoX still be able to flashthe bios properly? I was brave and picked the flash bios option before I've done any soldering, and I see its looking in the proper directory for the bios files.

I feel pretty confident about this. At the very worst, itll be 20 bucks down the drain and i'll have to get on ebay and see if I can buy a cheap xbox with an error code (i can fix it).

 

Yes,since use a can use a 1 mb bios on 1.0 and 1.1 motherboards use can use a switch to split,one for a retail bios and one for a hacked bios but if no switch than use a 1mb bios,also you really don't need to configure the bios.If you want I can backup my own bios and send it to you or just use a 1mb Evox-M8 bios.

 

well, Im pretty sure I needed to configure the first boot .xbe file to point to my UnleashX dash (xboxdash.xbe). I also fiddled with the colors for fun.

 

Ok just be careful.

 

Could you use an Xectuer X3 BIOS do you think? I'll have a look into that EvoX-M8 BIOS too.

EDIT: Nevermind, read the X3 BIOS is only for the X3.

Uh, my Xbox isn't loading a dashboard. I just flashed with the above Xecuter 2 BIOS. I'm playing a game off of a DVD fine and my AID 4.4 disc boots, but I get no dash.

Erk. D:

 

This scares me.

 

A softmodded xbox is set up a lot different than a hardmodded xbox.
As long as the flashed bios is working than just format the hdd using Aid or Slayers then install a dash of choice.