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[frankfooter26]

Hello,

I am a total noob to this scene and have been doing a lot of reading on this site the past few weeks. Let me first start by saying that it’s really cool to see a forum that really tries to help it’s members.  For that, I thank you.  I apologize for even asking these, but I need some clarification.  Now on to my questions.

I just purchased a Xbox 360 and its being shipped to me as I type, so I am uncertain whether I have a Sammy or a Hitachi as of yet.   I know that I must flash the drive with the latest firmware for the respective drive, and if you don’t load the proper file it will “brick” it.  Other than loading the wrong file, what are the other common ways to brick the drive or toast it?  Is it very common for that to happen?  


I had read that using a SATA to USB transfer cable has worked for some to flash their drive, can anyone confirm this and link me to the one they used?  If  it worked, then how did you load MTKFLASH?


Also I read about changing the DVD burner “booklet” to DVD-Rom, isn’t that only for reading the content off the original game and extracting it?  Or is that true if are just burning an iso image? (I hope that was ok and didn’t break any rules, if so I apologize and will edit).     I have always used DVD Decrypter to burn PS2, and they always work, but I read to use CloneCD only for 360.  Is that the case?


Last question, if I get too nervous about bricking this drive, which mod chip would you recommend to me?  Globe 360 or Fractal 360?  I know that is the chicken shit way out of it, and I probably will do it as I flash my TV receiver all the time and shouldn’t be much different I wouldn’t think.

Any and all suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thank you to everyone

Frankfooter26

[Textbook]

The first thing you will want to do is eject your tray when you get your 360 and see what drive it is.

Samsungs can only be flashed from DOS with MTKFlash.  Check the latest tutorial (first link in my signature) to see if your SATA chipset is compatible with MTKFlash.  Generally, nearly all will be compatible, but will probably need MTKFlash to be hex-edited for it to recognize the SATA ports.  SIL-based chipsets are not compatible and if you have that and a Samsung, I would suggest purchasing the VIA VT 6421L PCI Sata card.

Hitachis are flashed from within Windows.  The only difficult problem with Hitachis is getting the drive into ModeB.  There are a number of ways to do this.  First, you can try booting your PC with the edited Slax Live CD.  With the Hitachi connected, the Slax CD may or may not put the drive into ModeB.  It works with very few chipsets.  You will probably have good luck with the Slax CD if you have a SIL chipset or onboard VIA 8237.  Beyond that, you will have to find more difficult ways to get the Hitachi into ModeB.  You can do the 2-wire trick which will work 100% if you do it correctly, but may be risky if you don't know what you're doing or don't know how to follow directions.  You could "brick" your drive by doing it.  If Slax didn't work, and you don't want to use 2-wire trick, you can use the last resort and purchase an Xecuter or Xeno Connectivity Kit.  These adaptors power the Hitachi drive as well as getting it into ModeB.

Once the Hitachi is in ModeB, you can flash it in Windows rather easily.  This is where people can use either their SATA ports or a USB-to-SATA converter.

The USB-to-SATA converter only works with flashing Hitachi drives.  MTKFlash is only used in DOS on Samsung drives.

My personal opinion on modchips may be biased.  I think everybody is just trying to make money off of what the firmware hackers accomplished.  They are also way too expensive, difficult to install, provide absolutely no benefits over a firmware flash, and are just as, if not more, a drive bricker. (because of the installation difficulty)

EDIT: Forgot to mention booktype/bitsetting.  Some DVD drives have problems reading DVD+R or DVD+R DL media.  It isn't the media itself, but a block on the disc itself.  DVD drives use this booktype information to know how to treat the media it is reading.  Sometimes we can trick the drive by changing a DVD+R DL booktype to a better recognized DVD-ROM.  It's kind of hard to explain, but just think of it as we're faking out the DVD drive to read the media better.

I just know jesterrace is going to come in here and correct me.  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

This post has been edited by Textbook: Sep 20 2006, 05:48 PM

[frankfooter26]

Ok.  I have an ASUS A8AE-LE Mobo with a ATI Radeon XPress 200 chipset.  It is  SATA as that is how my 200gb HD is connected.   Has anyone had any good/bad luck with this chipset as far as being compatible for either Hitachi or Sammy? So do I understand this correctly that Sammy's dont need to be put into modeb, only the Hitachis do?     I have already downloaded the latest flashes from OPA for both drives.  Can you link me to a slax live cd, as I have yet to find that?  Also once I get the drive out of the 360, I have read in the v47 tutorial that I must use a earth ground.  Does that mean I just need to plug them both into the same power strip?  So must I change my hp 740 DVD writer to DVD-rom settings before I burn my iso images?  If so should I use DVDinfopro, and where can I get it as freeware?


Thanks again

frankfooter26

[Textbook]

It sounds like you have a lot of reading to do.  I can tell you right now that I'm 90% sure the SLAX CD will not work with whatever chipset it is that you have.  I don't think ATI Radeon Xpress 200 is your actual SATA chipset either.  It might be, but there's usually a more specific brand.  Samsungs do not have a ModeB.  OPA only makes firmware for the Hitachi drives.  Commodore4Eva releases the firmware for the Samsung drive.  The latest tutorial is v41, not v47.  The "true earth ground" means using a croc-clip wire to connect your PC and Xbox 360 chassis together.  Booktype/bitsetting to DVD-ROM is a feature of the recorder itself, so look up information on your DVD recorder and if it will booktype/bitset or is possible with a firmware upgrade.  You really should do some more reading, many of these questions have already been explained in the tutorial and if you have already read it and are still asking these questions, then you're probably not competent enough to do this yourself.  Flashing the drive is no easy process and if you can't understand the tutorial 100%, you shouldn't be doing it.  Nobody is going to be able to spoon-feed you everything, there is a certain technical and computer skillset that you need as a pre-requisite.  Not to be too harsh, but it doesn't sound like you are ready yet.  Read up more, use Google for stuff you don't know.  Learn about this before trying it.

[frankfooter26]

Thanks for the bitch slapping.  I guess my only option is to get  a modchip installed afterall.  Sorry to have bothered you.

[seerk]

I think what textbook said was no where near a bitchslap and was actually very good advice. All he said was read through lots of posts and get a better understanding of what your doing so when you do come to doing it you won't "brick" your drive. When I first joined here I had no idea what I was doing and there was no way I was touching my new 360 without being clear on everything, so I read lots and lots and after a couple of days I was pretty clued up and flashed my drive easily. Surely doing a bit of research is easier than buying an expensive modchip that's gonna do the same thing and probably be more risky.

[Textbook]

QUOTE(seerk @ Sep 20 2006, 03:53 PM)

I think what textbook said was no where near a bitchslap and was actually very good advice. All he said was read through lots of posts and get a better understanding of what your doing so when you do come to doing it you won't "brick" your drive. When I first joined here I had no idea what I was doing and there was no way I was touching my new 360 without being clear on everything, so I read lots and lots and after a couple of days I was pretty clued up and flashed my drive easily. Surely doing a bit of research is easier than buying an expensive modchip that's gonna do the same thing and probably be more risky.

Amen.

I wasn't trying to say that you can't do it and you shouldn't even try.  I was urging you to learn more about it.  Even with the modchip, you will still have to know about security sectors, dmis, pfis, bitsetting, and compatiblity with burners and media.  Anybody can flash the firmware, but you REALLY need to learn it first.  If I was one-on-one with somebody in person, I could explain everything for them and make sure they understand.  The 360 firmware hack isn't necessarily more difficult than Xbox 1 mods, but it definitely has more steps and things to consider and check for compatibility.  People are making more noob-proof programs all the time, the process is getting a lot easier.  But there will always be stuff that can't be switched out.  You will always have to have a compatible chipset, you will always have to open your 360, you will always have to use DOS for Samsungs and get in ModeB with Hitachis.  Stuff that can be made easier has already happened.  You don't even need to touch a hex editor any more thanks to Exobex and Klutsh.  Of course a firmware flash is more difficult than a modchip.  Installing a modchip is one step - solder.  Flashing the firmware is a lot more.  But really it is a lot safer than soldering wires to your TSOP.