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XboxHDM v1.9 for Dummies
=================== ~Staff Note~ ===================
There are updates to XboxHDM but I haven't found any tutorials on how to use the new version. My guess is it is the same process but has been updated so you can use an IDE to USB to connect the Xbox hdd to your computer instead.Here's the newest files
- XboxHDM 2.2
- USB version 2.3 Beta 2
- [Click here to view this link] update where you can use USB-to-IDE (possibly SATA too) - GUI updated by Rocky5
If anyone has an updated tutorial, we would love to display it!
=================== ~Staff Note~ ===================
This guide is 100% not my work. It was created by a member at xbox-scene who goes by the name 'textbook' and all credit goes to him. Since xbox-scene is down, I have tried my best to bring this very informative tutorial in-house so it does not get lost again.
XboxHDM is an incredibly useful tool for anyone who owns a modded Xbox. It can restore HDD's back to a factory state, rebuild partitions, clone HDD's, and lock/unlock HDD's. It is especially useful to people who own a softmodded xbox. Usually if something bad happens to your Xbox and its softmod breaks somehow, you will turn to XboxHDM for help to fix it.
That being said, XboxHDM can be picky. Sometimes it can be difficult to find an older PC that it likes to run on without giving errors or acting strangely. Sometimes it does'nt like how you have your drives configured on the IDE channels (master and slave configurations). But it works wonderfully when set up properly.
Pro tips
- If you don't have an older PC anymore, ask around friends and family. Someone might let you borrow it or even give it to you.
- Some PC's will just refuse to work properly with XboxHDM. If this happens, you have to find another PC.
- PC's with SATA interfaces will not work. You need IDE.
- Try to have your Xbox HDD set as Primary Master and your CD\DVD drive set as Primary Slave since it seems to be more compatible. Other configurations DO work though.
- ALWAYS keep a backup of your Xbox's eeprom.bin on your PC. As long as you have this file on hand, you can ALWAYS recover from a broken softmod or upgrade your HDD.
What You Need
- [Click here to view this link]
- A clean copy of the Xbox hard drive C: and E: files
- Get C: files HERE
- Follow these instructions to make your own E: files
- Create a new folder on your desktop and name it 'UDATA' (all caps and no quotation marks)
- Create a new folder on your desktop and name it 'TDATA' (all caps and no quotation marks)
- A copy of your Xbox's eeprom.bin
- You can get it a few different ways:
- Run the EvolutionX dashboard and select the option to backup your eeprom. You should find it in E\backup
- Run any recovery disc (AID, SID, HeXEn etc.) and select the option to backup your eeprom. You should find it in E/backup
- On your Xbox navigate to E:\UDATA\21585554\00000000\backup. It could be in there already
- Once you have it, you need to open an FTP session between your PC and your Xbox and copy your eeprom.bin to your desktop
- NOTE: If your Xbox's softmod is "broken" and you cannot obtain your eeprom, its possible that you can hotswap instead
- You can get it a few different ways:
- An older PC with IDE device connections inside (not SATA)
- Your Xbox with the lid removed
Make a Bootable XboxHDM CD Image
1. Extract xboxhdm_v1.9.zip to your desktop
After you unpack, you will find these files inside the xboxhdm folder:
- linux (folder)
- cygwin1.dll
- make-DOS-floppy.bat
- make-iso-lin.sh
- make-iso-win.bat
- mkisofs.exe
- rawrite.exe
There are also some other readme files, but you need the ones listed above.
2. Extract MS Dash 5960.rar to your desktop
After you unpack, you will find these files:
-Audio (folder)
-fonts (folder)
-xboxdashdata.185ead00 (folder)
-xodash (folder)
-XBox Book.xtf
-Xbox.xtf
-xboxdash.xbe
3. Copy the files for the xbox C: drive from MS Dash 5960 and put them in xboxhdm\linux\C
4. Copy the files for the xbox E: drive that you created and put them in xboxhdm\linux\E
5. Copy your Xbox's eeprom.bin to xboxhdm\linux\eeprom
6. Double click on make-iso-win.bat. It will bring up a command prompt and create a file called linux.iso in the xboxhdm folder
7. Burn linux.iso with your favorite burning program.
Set Up Your Computer and Xbox
1. Change the drives connected inside your PC so that your CD/DVD drive is Primary Slave and the Xbox HDD is Primary Master. You can also change it so that the CD/DVD drive is Secondary Master and the Xbox HDD is Primary Master. Do not disconnect the Xbox power cable that plugs into the Xbox HDD. As a precaution, disconnect any HDD's inside your computer already.
2. Power on your Xbox and boot your PC with the XboxHDM boot disc you created
NOTE: If you need to hotswap, now is the time to do it
Booting XboxHDM and Unlocking the Xbox HDD
After you boot you will see this screen:
Choose 3) --Boot linux with locking/unlocking utilities--
If you get a message that says "You passed an undefined mode number", press SPACE to ignore it.
You will see this screen:
Type "unlockhd -a" (no quotes) and press ENTER to unlock you hard drive.
You will see a screen that looks similar to the one below:
Reboot your PC. DO NOT reboot your Xbox!
NOTE: In order for drive to unlock, you needed to have your eeprom.bin in xboxhdm/linux/eeprom. If you are hotswapping, skip this step.
Using XboxHDM's Hard Drive Tools
After your PC reboots you will see this screen:
Press ENTER to select 1) --Boot VGA Console with xbox-drive utilities--. If you get a message that says "You passed an undefined mode number", press SPACE to ignore it.
You will be see this screen:
Type "xboxhd" (no quotes) and press ENTER. If your Xbox HDD is set as Master you will see this screen:
Type "yes" (no quotes; you have to type out "yes") and press ENTER and you will see the option screen:
This list of options are tools to do different things to the Xbox HDD. The commonly used ones are detailed below so keep reading.
Option #1: Build a New Xbox HD from Scratch
**This restores your Xbox HDD back to a factory state (unmodded)**
Type "1" (no quotes) in the option screen and press Enter. It will bring you to this screen:
Type "yes" (no quotes; you have to type out "yes") and press ENTER. It will build the partition tables and reboot your PC to activate them.
Once your PC reboots, follow the same directions again and choose Option #1 again. Your Xbox HDD will be formatted in the FATX format and files will be copied.
Option #2: Rebuild C-Partition on Existing Xbox-drive
**This restores only the C Drive to a factory state (unmodded). E Drive remains untouched**
After rebooting, go to the option screen. Type "2" (no quotes) and press ENTER. It will ask you to type "yes" or "no". Type "yes" to continue or "no" to abort and press ENTER. By continuing, it will format your C:\ drive:
and then, if you have the C: drive files on the CD, it will copy the files from the CD to the Xbox C: drive
Type "yes" (no quotes) and press ENTER. Clean C: files will be copied to the Xbox C: drive
Option #3: Clone Xbox HD
**To use this option, a formatted Xbox HDD is installed and set to Primary Master, a CD/DVD drive is installed and set to Primary Slave, and another new blank HDD is installed and set to Secondary Master. Other configurations may also work.
Type "3" and press ENTER. XboxHDM will list available drives attached to the primary and secondary IDE channels:
To start cloning, you have to enter your Xbox HDD's physical address. In this case its "hda". So type "hda" (no quotes) and press ENTER. From the picture above, you can see there is another hard drive attached to Secondary Slave. In this case, it's physical address is "hdc" so enter "hdc" as the destination drive and press ENTER. Now it will ask for confirmation. Type "yes" and press ENTER and your HDD will be cloned.
NOTE: Cloning takes a very long time and there is no progress indicator. Wait around 2-3 hours to clone a complete 120GB drive. For cloning stock drives with extra apps, games, etc., it takes about an hour.
Wait for the job to finish. It took about 12 minutes to clone the stock HDD with nothing extra installed (no games, apps, or movies; only the original stock files) and with the F: drive already formatted. If you have more stuff on your Xbox HDD it will take longer.
Make sure your new HDD is unlocked before you clone. When you are done cloning, make sure you lock your new HDD with the xbox eeprom. See the section below labeled, Locking your Xbox HDD
Option #4: Install F-Drive
**This will write and format the F: partition table to your HDD if it is larger than 8GB**
NOTE: If you are working with a blank HDD or one not formatted in FATX, you need to perform Option #1 first
Type "4" (no quotes) and press ENTER. XboxHDM will scan your HDD and tell you if you have enough free space for an F: partition. If you do, you will be asked to type "yes" to write the table or "no" to abort. Type "yes" (no quotes) to continue and press ENTER. It will write the partition table and reboot:
After you reboot, once again go to the option screen and type "4" again. Your F: drive will be formatted.
**Options #5 and #7 were not covered in the original tutorial. Option #6 is not necessary**
Locking your Xbox HDD
After you boot to XboxHDM, choose 3) --Boot linux with locking/unlocking utilities-- and press ENTER
You will see this screen:
Type "lockhd -a" (no quotes) and press ENTER to lock your hard drive. Again, make sure you have eeprom.bin in xboxhdm\linux\eeprom
You MUST lock your HDD before you install it back into your Xbox. If you don't, your xbox will likely give you an ERROR 5 and you will have to use XboxHDM again to lock it. This only applies to softmodded Xbox's. Xbox's with modchips or TSOP flashes do not need a locked HDD to function.
Locking and Unlocking Your HDD with a Master Password
**A master password can be used to unlock a locked HDD if you lose the eeprom for that HDD. The Xbox hard drive DOES NOT have a master password by default. A master password is ONLY set when a HDD has been locked with XboxHDM. The master password is >> XBOXSCENE
To unlock your locked HDD with its master password, boot into XboxHDM and choose 4) --Boot to DOS with HD unlock tools-- and press ENTER.
Type "atapwd" (no quotes) and press ENTER
You will see this screen:
Use the arrow keys to select the locked drive and press ENTER. A menu will appear. Select 'SECURITY command set' and press Enter.
Another menu will appear with different options. Select 'UNLOCK WITH MASTER PASSWORD' and press ENTER. Type 'XBOXSCENE' (no quotes, all caps) and press ENTER. The command will complete so press ENTER again.
You can also disable (turn off) locking on that HDD by selecting 'DISABLE WITH MASTER PASSWORD'. This will cause your HDD to not re-lock if it loses power. However you still need to lock it again if you plan to use it in your Xbox. You can re-lock it normally as described in the above section labeled 'Locking your Xbox HDD'.
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