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[PerfectModifications]

[bebrewer1]

but do you really need 2 xbox's if you can boot from the 'F' partition for evox when your modchip is on or booting from 'C' with the retail bios that can't see the 'F' partition?  until i see evidence to the contrary that this works for the new version of the live dashboard, i'll have to assume that it does.

[PerfectModifications]

QUOTE (bebrewer1 @ Jul 12 2003, 10:04 PM)

but do you really need 2 xbox's if you can boot from the 'F' partition for evox when your modchip is on or booting from 'C' with the retail bios that can't see the 'F' partition?  until i see evidence to the contrary that this works for the new version of the live dashboard, i'll have to assume that it does.

Yeah, that would be AWESOME. I really don't want to have 2 xbox's or have to switch between HD's. It just totally detracts from the whole "experience", if you know what I mean.  

[skierdb526]

i dont think its anything we cant overcome

[brienj]

[Videogamebuyer14]

Jesus. Sounds like M$ is turning into Skynet for god's sake. What? Has XBL turned self aware? Anyways... From what I've heard, live is a great opportunity but, they overdo it and charge you without consent. That's not the MS I know... Oh wait. Yeah, it is.

[Clownwipe]

QUOTE (shanafan @ Jul 10 2003, 04:41 PM)

There is still the modchip issue. Some people may forget to turn it off

I was thinking about this, and it would be no big deal at all to make a "one or the other" solution.

Just get a knob and build a little cat5/modchip-toggle box.  You turn the knob right, it completes the modchip circuit and breaks the connection on one (or more) of the wires from the cat5.  Turn the knob left, it breaks the modchip toggle and completes the ethernet.  Use a knob with a decent resistance and you'll have zero "oops"ies.

I'm not sure what the ethernet connector on the mobo looks like, but I'd imagine it would be easiest to have the selector as a seperate box.  xbox - cat5 - selector box - cat5 - router/internet/etc.  You would also have the modchip enable wire running outside the box too.  It'd be pretty damn unsightly, but it would work and you wouldn't do anything by accident.

That does change the "spies while its offline, reports while its online" issue.  One at a time..

[Clownwipe]

QUOTE (brienj @ Jul 16 2003, 10:50 PM)

Is everybody forgeting one little thing, who the hell actually boots up into the MS dashboard when their Mod Chip is turned on?  If the MS dashboard is not run, it can't detect your Mod Chip is on.  LOL The rumors just get bigger and bigger.

True, but if you have XBox Live, then you have broadband and are online.  If you have broadband and are online with XBL, there is no reason at all not to have the latest dash.  Continuing, if /everyone/ on XBL will have this new dash, games can require that they be launched from that dash.  (Or whatever scheme they come up with.)

Moral of the story is that it'll definately be a back and forth battle.

I'll probably end up just getting a used/refurb/whatever cheapo just to have "stock."

[brienj]

It doesn't matter what dash they install, if you have a BIOS that loads Evox or some other xbe file at bootup, it doesn't freaking matter!  Why does nobody listen?  Am I talking to myself?

Ok, I will spell it out for you.

Lets say I have a modchip with a BIOS that loads Evox at bootup (Even Evox on the C: drive applies here) and I have a switch to turn the mod chip off so the MS BIOS will load.

Ok, everybody still with me.  Good.

Scenario 1:
Well, I turn off the mod chip and turn on the Xbox, the Xbox will load the supposedly upcoming updated dash and it searches for a modified BIOS, and it detects the MS BIOS, so it passes the check, no flags are set, NO ban.  This of course would not apply to the people that don't have a mod chip and use the font exploits and complex loaders and other crap because they are too cheap to get the reliable mod chip.

Scenario 2:
Well, I turn on the mod chip and turn on the Xbox, the Xbox will load Evox, totally bypassing the supposedly upcoming updated dash and Evox does not search for a modified BIOS, there is no detecting of your BIOS, there is no check, no flags are set, NO ban.

Scenario 3:
Game wants to only be run from the supposedly upcoming updated dash.  Insert game with Evox running, making sure that auto launch of DVD is off, xbcopy to the HD, apply the patch that will be available within a week from some gracious hacker so you can play the new game without it wanting to run the supposedly upcoming updated dash.  You can play your hacked game all you want from the HD or burn it to DVD if you prefer.  As in the previous scenarios, you are still NOT banned from Live.

That's it, thank you in advance if you actually read the post and followed it through logically then you can come to the conclusion it doesn't $^$%#&&* matter if they update the %%^$%&^% dashboard!  END OF STORY!!!

[mrRobinson]

QUOTE (brienj @ Jul 17 2003, 12:02 AM)

That's it, thank you in advance if you actually read the post and followed it through logically then you can come to the conclusion it doesn't $^$%#&&* matter if they update the %%^$%&^% dashboard!  END OF STORY!!!

I didn't read through every post to see what your yellin about but isn't it possible for the MS dash to check and see if you aren't using the original hdd?  I dont see that as being something too hard for them to implement...

So... scenario:
mod chip off but 120GB hdd in xbox... you turn on ms dash loads with new update, they see different hdd, ban.

of course for those with the orig hdd, no problem...

[brienj]

The original MS BIOS can not "see" past 8GB so they can't check for a larger HD.

Any more what ifs?

I love how everybody is always full of conjecture and what ifs instead of sticking to the facts.  I hate to be getting so angry, but stick with facts and until the dashboard is even released, don't worry about any what if scenario, it will be bypassed within hours, if not minutes by somebody.  Just play your Xbox and have fun, geez.

[mrRobinson]

QUOTE (brienj @ Jul 17 2003, 12:24 AM)

The original MS BIOS can not "see" past 8GB so they can't check for a larger HD. Any more what ifs? I love how everybody is always full of conjecture and what ifs instead of sticking to the facts.  I hate to be getting so angry, but stick with facts and until the dashboard is even released, don't worry about any what if scenario, it will be bypassed within hours, if not minutes by somebody.  Just play your Xbox and have fun, geez.

You know, smart ass, it was a rhetorical question...

They don't need to scan 8GB of your hard drive to know whether or not you are using the original or a different hdd. (let one of the smart developer type's on this forum to give you the details)

They can in FACT implement the scenario i described.  

You see every console made has survived and made money despite or without being significantly hurt, by the mod scene. What is new in this situation is a new bios (modded) being able to go onto a paid service (live) which not only negatively impacts those msft customers who purchased live and their live games but paves the way for new and much more damaging attacks to live, msft, and game cheating.  By not allowing just a mod chip enabled on live they have already leveled the playing field so as not to hurt them or danger their "service".  Fortuneatley for us they do not see those who have a larger hdd but can only use the "features" it gives them offline as a significant threat, as I don't believe they should.  However, that isn't to say some braintank at Micros0ft hasn't thought ahead as to where modders may take the next step hence increasing the threat level and thus msft enacting the scenario I described.  

[brienj]

Well, give me the details, I would love to hear them.

I posted facts, lets have you post some, I have been wrong in the past, but I've never heard of such thing, and I believe that most people that say they can detect a different HD than the standard don't know what they are talking about.  If you don't "lock" your HD, then yes they can, but if you keep it locked, you are safe.  Sorry I forgot to add that one little detail.  Everybody make sure you lock your hard drive too.  Ok, now you're all safe.

[brienj]

But I guess that only matters if the serial number in the EEPROM doesn't match the one of the HD, eh?