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[mkaltner]

Problem:
    My box will not load a game disk, always loads PBL and upon execution of the bios, crashes and reboots.

Description:
    I installed PBL 1.3.5i to C:\default.xbe and EvoX 3935 to C:\evoxdash.xbe as well as all included folders.  Created C:\Bioses and put xboxrom.bin (from the signed pbl release) there.  I checked the bios and verified that it would open c:\evoxdash.xbe.  Unfortunatly, upon execution of the bios (I guess it was loading the bios because it didn't complain about a file not being found.) it crashes and reboots.  This repeats regardless of whether there is a game disk inserted or not.  I can click A and it brings up the bios menu and shows xboxrom and when I click A again, it crashes and reboots as well.  

What really gets me is, why won't it boot a game disk?  This wouldn't be a problem if it would...

Well, thanks in advance.

[mkaltner]

Well, after watching it loop a couple of times, i noticed it's trying to load F:\Bioses\xboxrom.bin and, well, it's on C.  Not quite sure what I can do to resolve this...

[skorchir]

B. Hot Swap Hard Drive and repair

[webMASTER P]

did you try booting a game? If a game boots, just use the MA/007 exploit to get FTP access, and try a different bios. I am using Evox_M7_ef_bfm and it works fine for me.  

[mkaltner]

Well, I don't feel like researching, purchasing and waiting for a chip so I think I'll try hotswapping first.  Here's what I'm thinking...

Boot a testbox loaded with Win2K
Boot the Xbox to the PBL menu (so that the drive unlocks)
Hotswap Xbox drive to the Win2K box
Use Win2K tools (HDDriver, etc...) to access the files and fix my problem.

In theory this should work.
But there's a couple of unknowns.

The Xbox drive is set to cable-select by default.
In order to swap the drive over, is there any requirements as to physical location (primary/secondary master/slave)?
Could/should I re-jumper the drive or will it work as cable-select?
Would I need to boot the testbox with the Xbox drive initially for the system to acknowledge the drive after a swap?

Anyway advice or suggestions are much appreciated, thanks!

[skorchir]

you need to use a second xbox and make sure u dont unplug the power or else the drive locks again. you need to keep the power going to the drive so it remains unlocked

[mkaltner]

Huh.  Well, I don't think I can convince any friends to allow me to hotswap thier drive.  Are you sure it wouldn't work with the approach I said?  Well, the testbox hardware would have to recognize the drive as well so....

Maybe:
Boot testbox with both drives so that my box detects it. (in slave mode)
Put the drive back to CS and on the Xbox, boot it.
At this point, my testbox should think the drive is there.
Xbox should boot the drive and unlock it.
Then, re-slave the drive and put it back on the testbox.
I would imagine that with the drive unlocked under a Win2K env, I could use the available tools to modify the drive.

Or am I completely wrong in my thinking on this one?

Thanks!

[GomerPyle]