What's new

Discussion Modding Original XBOX by pulling harddrive and connecting it to PC???

  • Thread starter Xx360xX Sniper
  • Start date
  • Views 35,092
Xx360xX Sniper

Xx360xX Sniper

Newbie
Messages
29
Reaction score
0
Points
35
Sin$
7
Okay i've got a question for you guys. I was cleaning up the other day and found two original xbox's of mine. One of them works and is softmodded with an Unleashed X daskboard/halo 2 mods. The other has error 21 and won't boot to the dash board. From what ive read it looks like the error 21 is a software error mostlikely due to a corrupt harddrive. Which would be likely possible from me attempting a softmod in the early days.

Id like to clone the working xbox's hard drive to see if it fixes the other xbox. Regardless is it possible to connect the hard drive to a computer with a USB>IDE/SATA cable? I understand the format is FATX instead of FAT32 or NTFS.

We'll have doing a little more research I have found out there are programs like Xplorer360 and Party Buffalo that allow you to communicate with the FatX drives and full files off them. Although you can have troubles if your XBOX HDD is locked.
 
Last edited:
Xx360xX Sniper

Xx360xX Sniper

Newbie
Messages
29
Reaction score
0
Points
35
Sin$
7
Nobody? I guess im gunna have to figure this out on my own then. We'll ill post everything that I do up here and maybe someone will jump in at some point.

We'll I will swap the hard drive with the working one and see if my corrupted software diagnosis was correct. Then go from there and do some more research.
 
Last edited:
justkillinpeople

justkillinpeople

Enthusiast
Messages
248
Reaction score
60
Points
85
Sin$
0
you have a few options.

the fastest way would be the following
take a solderless mod chip boot the box the one time with evox and then try and format the system back to stock.
if that works your in biz

I do belive they have programs for the pc that can read/write the xbox hdd but because of the lock i really dont know about pc software i mostly just chipped and tsop flashed as it was way faster then a softmod

I have flashed over 500 units i could have flashed them in my sleep.
rip the box open solder 2 points load memory card hack boot 007 and flash the console. stick evox in and unlock the hdd, upgrade the hdd and reformat. that was it. less time then a softmod
 
Xx360xX Sniper

Xx360xX Sniper

Newbie
Messages
29
Reaction score
0
Points
35
Sin$
7
you have a few options.

the fastest way would be the following
take a solderless mod chip boot the box the one time with evox and then try and format the system back to stock.
if that works your in biz

I do belive they have programs for the pc that can read/write the xbox hdd but because of the lock i really dont know about pc software i mostly just chipped and tsop flashed as it was way faster then a softmod

I have flashed over 500 units i could have flashed them in my sleep.
rip the box open solder 2 points load memory card hack boot 007 and flash the console. stick evox in and unlock the hdd, upgrade the hdd and reformat. that was it. less time then a softmod


What chips are you recommending? I remember in the old days there was the Xecuter chip, I believe an Aladin chip, another one that had a stealth mode. A lots changed since then. I don't even see much of it for sale anymore.

Im willing to solder something in if I can find something like the old chips.
 
Xx360xX Sniper

Xx360xX Sniper

Newbie
Messages
29
Reaction score
0
Points
35
Sin$
7
We'll here is where ive gotten so far. I first tried running chimp by FTP'ing it to my working Xbox. that was successful however when trying to clone it would not go through. I hot swapped the CD drive for the second hard drive and moved the jumper to the slave position as per the marking on the label of the hard drive. However after hitting okay to clone the drive with the progress bar it would not go through. The screen goes black for a half a second and then takes me back to the main menu. There is no error message or anything. I did notice that the HDD was locked. Through chimp and I cannot figure out how to unlock it just yet. Through chimp I have tried all the options to unlock the slave drive and it just won't work. After doing every unlocking option it still comes up as locked when you check the systems security. I even tried putting it back in the "non working xbox" and hot swapping it into the working one with chimp open but it still stays locked.

I have a slayer v2.9 DVD that I just made and that works with the xbox. I also have an xboxHDM DVD that I just made that works with the computer. My problem with the xboxHDM DVD is when botting from that disk it will only see my laptop hard drive and I cant figure out how to make it see an xbox ide drive plugged in through the USB port. My desktop has sata connections so I cannot connect with the desktop either. My options now to continue with the xboxhdm attempt are to purchase some sort of adapter so I can plug my xbox hard drive into a primary drive slot on one of my computers. Im thinking about a sata to IDE cable or possibly a laptop hard drive "dummy" that can relocate the connector for the HDD.
 
CyrusDevX

CyrusDevX

Enthusiast
Messages
157
Reaction score
44
Points
85
Sin$
0
You can Do a full Xbox softmod via "hotswapping" the HDD into the PC's IDE port. The method is simple, xbox apart, hdd ready to swap the xbox ide with the pc ide, after the xbox gets to the boot logo, about mid way thru, quickly pull out the ide from the xbox's hdd and while keeping the power on the hdd plug it into the pc using the PC's Xbox HDM iso, its called something like that "XHDM or XBHDM" just google it and the hotswap method :biggrin:

This keeps the hdd unlocked for pc RW. the xbox unlocks the drive temp during the boot process. For a short time, keep retrying if it doesnt work the first time.
 
Xx360xX Sniper

Xx360xX Sniper

Newbie
Messages
29
Reaction score
0
Points
35
Sin$
7
This keeps the hdd unlocked for pc RW. the xbox unlocks the drive temp during the boot process. For a short time, keep retrying if it doesnt work the first time.

Ahh nice, some good info there. Thanks!!

I do have a few problems I ran into when doing those methods but ill get them sorted. I made an Xbox HDM v1.9 bootable CD for the PC's. Its working fine my problem is my Desktop has SATA connectors for its HDD's. I tried running it with my USB/IDE cable but it would not recognize the device through the USB port. I think I need a SATA to IDE adapter. My only other options are some laptops I have that are IDE but the connector it recessed into the laptop case. And I cant find any "extension" cables or adapters so I could rig it up to work.

Interesting tho, I have a molex power pack so I can keep the HDD powered at all times instead of having to use the Y splitter with the xbox. Maybe I will line the other xbox up with the good one and do the hot swap method as you said and connect it to the good XBOX and see if I can run chimp.

Does it matter where you have the jumper set. I set it to slave to clone it. Do I need to set it back to master to have the xbox unlock it?
 
CyrusDevX

CyrusDevX

Enthusiast
Messages
157
Reaction score
44
Points
85
Sin$
0
The Drive jumper must always be Master when on the Xbox itself. Probably the same when hotswapping, i never messed with my jumper. And no u do need a PC with a native IDE port. The sata to ide wont work because the HDM doesnt recognize any sata ports. Furthermore the sata to ide still is read as a sata drive. The board or unit that converts these two interfaces does that so it will function as a sata drive.
 
Xx360xX Sniper

Xx360xX Sniper

Newbie
Messages
29
Reaction score
0
Points
35
Sin$
7
The Drive jumper must always be Master when on the Xbox itself. Probably the same when hotswapping, i never messed with my jumper. And no u do need a PC with a native IDE port. The sata to ide wont work because the HDM doesnt recognize any sata ports. Furthermore the sata to ide still is read as a sata drive. The board or unit that converts these two interfaces does that so it will function as a sata drive.

Damn, well thanks for the tip! I was about to waste money on the wrong thing there. Im using an XPS 400 desktop. Let me see what else I can find. And just to be clear Chimp won't work unleash I unlock the xbox with XBOXHDM right? Can just do the hot swapping and make chimp run?


Also does chimp give you guys errors when the cloning doesn't fails.
 
CyrusDevX

CyrusDevX

Enthusiast
Messages
157
Reaction score
44
Points
85
Sin$
0
Damn, well thanks for the tip! I was about to waste money on the wrong thing there. Im using an XPS 400 desktop. Let me see what else I can find. And just to be clear Chimp won't work unleash I unlock the xbox with XBOXHDM right? Can just do the hot swapping and make chimp run?


Also does chimp give you guys errors when the cloning doesn't fails.

Np buddy :biggrin:, chimp is the hdd clone tool right? if so u need to get ur 2nd hdd ready by setting the jumper to slave. And then after u do a full softmod on the origninal hdd and have that running. load chimp off that hdd, but before doing so, make sure the new slave mode drive is connected on the ide slave port " the dvd drives connection ". then either using a molex Y cable splitter to power the 2nd hdd or the host pc from before molex connector. So 1st hdd modded and ready to run chimp > disconnect the dvd drive ide socket and plug in the 2nd hdd > supply power to 2nd hdd > run chimp clone to the slave drive > once cloning is done LOCK the slave drive. After all that, disconnect the 1st hdd and replace it with the 2nd, reconnect the dvd drive and set the hdd jumper to master. reboot :biggrin: 
Oh and do the disconnecting of the dvd and connecting of the 2nd hdd while its running. shouldnt cause any probs. maybe try to power the 2nd drive first "molex cable" then plugin the ide socket. most of the plugging and unplugging is done while running. but follow what i said. ALWAYS REMEMBER TO LOCK YOUR HDD AFTER CLONING AND HDM. OR NO BOOT.
 
Last edited:
Xx360xX Sniper

Xx360xX Sniper

Newbie
Messages
29
Reaction score
0
Points
35
Sin$
7
Np buddy :biggrin:, chimp is the hdd clone tool right? if so u need to get ur 2nd hdd ready by setting the jumper to slave. And then after u do a full softmod on the origninal hdd and have that running. load chimp off that hdd, but before doing so, make sure the new slave mode drive is connected on the ide slave port " the dvd drives connection ". then either using a molex Y cable splitter to power the 2nd hdd or the host pc from before molex connector. So 1st hdd modded and ready to run chimp > disconnect the dvd drive ide socket and plug in the 2nd hdd > supply power to 2nd hdd > run chimp clone to the slave drive > once cloning is done LOCK the slave drive. After all that, disconnect the 1st hdd and replace it with the 2nd, reconnect the dvd drive and set the hdd jumper to master. reboot :biggrin: 
Oh and do the disconnecting of the dvd and connecting of the 2nd hdd while its running. shouldnt cause any probs. maybe try to power the 2nd drive first "molex cable" then plugin the ide socket. most of the plugging and unplugging is done while running. but follow what i said. ALWAYS REMEMBER TO LOCK YOUR HDD AFTER CLONING AND HDM. OR NO BOOT.


Okay well I ran into a little problem. All my desktops are SATA configuration for HDDs. I do have a few older laptops that have IDE connection for the HDD but they are 44 pin and recessed into the laptop body. So I am thinking to get an IDE extension cable and conversion to 40 pin. I have an external power source so powering the second drive shouldn't be a problem.

I have party buffalo which I find to be a great FatX explorer tool. Also tried Xplorer 360 and FATXplorer. Out of all of them I like party buffalo the best and it is free! unlike FATXplorer. I tried to connect the original Xbox to the PC with a USB connector and reading it with party buffalo but I don't think i can do it while it is locked. Im looking for those cables but am having trouble finding the right ones.



Couple questions:

If I power on the broken xbox with the HDD connected without plugging in a screen will it work to unlock the hard drive?

Once unlocked and unplugged from the IDE port, how long to you have for it to stay unlocked?

Is there no limit on transferring the IDE connection?



One of my xbox's is functional with UnleashedX dash board. Im trying to copy that hard drive onto this broken one that has a corrupted file system that happened from a failed attempt at modding the system. Now shows error 21 if i remember correctly. (I looked it up it was a general software error.)
 
Se7enBudgies

Se7enBudgies

Newbie
Messages
4
Reaction score
2
Points
45
Sin$
0
Okay i've got a question for you guys. I was cleaning up the other day and found two original xbox's of mine. One of them works and is softmodded with an Unleashed X daskboard/halo 2 mods. The other has error 21 and won't boot to the dash board. From what ive read it looks like the error 21 is a software error mostlikely due to a corrupt harddrive. Which would be likely possible from me attempting a softmod in the early days.

Id like to clone the working xbox's hard drive to see if it fixes the other xbox. Regardless is it possible to connect the hard drive to a computer with a USB>IDE/SATA cable? I understand the format is FATX instead of FAT32 or NTFS.

We'll have doing a little more research I have found out there are programs like Xplorer360 and Party Buffalo that allow you to communicate with the FatX drives and full files off them. Although you can have troubles if your XBOX HDD is locked.

Hi. :smile: When I was modding my old XBOX when I was 11. I tried cloning a old soft-mod that had a bad Main board to the HDD that was working just not modded :frown: Sadly the drive would not unlock and it was locked and plus because the revision of the logic board of the XBOX was 1.6 I was not able to do it unless I chipped it. Usually you would have to chip that revision as it was not modifiable or TSOPable. So you will have to attempt launching a softmod package to mod it. Pending on what revision it is. :smile:

Hope it helped.

-Best regards.
 
Top Bottom
Login
Register