Topic: X360sam 0.5 (Read 110 times)

Exobex · « **on:** November 02, 2006, 04:14:00 PM »

Version 0.5 is here!

Now copies the 48-byte version string at $202E - $205D and 32-byte version string at $20BC - $20DB, together with the key area from $4000-$43FF. Your resulting hacked firmware will retain all the Xtreme features, but report back to the Xbox with the same key and SAME VERSION as your original!

From the readme:-

X360SAM 0.5 (build 06.11.02) by eXOBeX
======================================

X360SAM is a small MSDOS application which will take your original Samsung
firmware plus a hacked firmware (such as XTREME.BIN) and will create a new
hacked firmware containing the correct DVD key. This is done using
Sniperkilla's method (copying bytes $4000-$43FF from the original file).

Usage: x360sam <original fw> <master hacked fw> <new fw>
e.g.: x360sam orig.bin xtreme.bin hacked.bin

Note: it does not support long file names - use the short versions please!

Also included are eight batch files:-

SAMREAD.BAT, SAMREADA.BAT, SAMREADB.BAT
To run this, type SAMREAD (or SAMREADA or SAMREADB) followed by the Xbox
serial number,
e.g. SAMREAD 1234567 61005
This will create a folder especially for that Xbox, read the firmware from
the drive, storing it in the folder as ORIG.BIN. It will then use X360SAM.EXE
to create a hacked version (called HACKED.BIN), storing it in the same folder.
SAMREADA.BAT will use XTREM42A.BIN
SAMREADB.BAT will use XTREM42B.BIN
SAMREAD.BAT just calls SAMREADB.BAT anyway.

SAMHACK.BAT
To run this, type SAMHACK followed by the Xbox serial number,
e.g. SAMHACK 1234567 61005
This flashes the HACKED.BIN file (created by SAMREAD.BAT) onto the drive.

SAMREMOD.BAT, SAMREMOA.BAT, SAMREMOB.BAT
To run this, type SAMREMOD (or SAMREMOA or SAMREMOB) followed by the Xbox
serial number,
e.g. SAMREMOD 1234567 61005
This does the same as SAMREAD.BAT but without re-reading ORIG.BIN from the 360.
Useful if you've used X360SAM in the past, but now you want to flash a newer
firmware to the same drive.
SAMREMOA.BAT will use XTREM42A.BIN
SAMREMOB.BAT will use XTREM42B.BIN
SAMREMOD.BAT just calls SAMREMOB.BAT anyway.

SAMORIG.BAT
To run this, type SAMORIG followed by the Xbox serial number,
e.g. SAMORIG 1234567 61005
This flashes the ORIG.BIN file (created by SAMREAD.BAT) back onto the drive.

No need to boot Windows as part of the flash process!

You may need to replace MTKFLASH with your own version (the one included is
customised for VIA EPIA SP series Mini-ITX motherboards with PnP OS disabled).

Don't forget to put a copy of XTREM40A.BIN and XTREM40B.BIN in the SAMSUNG folder!

X360SAM was written in Turbo Pascal 5.5

*** USE AT YOUR OWN RISK - DON'T BLAME ME IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG ***

VERSION HISTORY
---------------
0.5 - Now copies the version strings at $202e-$205d and $20bc-$20db from the
original firmware, so the hacked firmware reports the original version
(well done DeViLs360 and NU-NRG for trying that out first!).
If the firmware version isn't ms-anything, stops with an error.
0.4 - Added I/O error checking, if X360SAM encounters a disk error (because
it's full, for example) it'll delete the partly-created file and halt
with ERRORLEVEL 1 which is now picked up by the batch files.
0.3 - Read/write block size increased to reduce operating time on floppy
drives, logo added, SAMREAD.BAT altered to accommodate XTREME32.BIN.
0.2 - Key area increased in size from $4000-$41FF to $4000-$43FF
(release delayed, hence support for XTREME30.BIN which came out later).
0.1 - Initial release, features 256K filesize check and $4000-$41FF key size.

Textbook · « **Reply #1 on:** November 02, 2006, 04:27:00 PM »

Looks like Klutsh needs to update Xtreme Boot Maker. Well, not really, you can just replace the x360sam.exe

Nice job with this update!

What I really want is a dos-based key validator/checker. I like validating the key in the bins before flashing, so I always have to go back into Windows - it sucks. Every time the keys were correct, but I still won't gamble a $400 system because I'm too lazy to boot into windows.

Exobex · « **Reply #2 on:** November 02, 2006, 04:58:00 PM »

QUOTE(Textbook @ Nov 2 2006, 11:34 PM)

Looks like Klutsh needs to update Xtreme Boot Maker. Well, not really, you can just replace the x360sam.exe

Nice job with this update!

What I really want is a dos-based key validator/checker. I like validating the key in the bins before flashing, so I always have to go back into Windows - it sucks. Every time the keys were correct, but I still won't gamble a $400 system because I'm too lazy to boot into windows.

Klutsh has been asking me about that, but as some machines need more than $4000-$41FF to work, I suspect there's more to the key than just a handful of bytes near the start.

I'm trying to keep X360SAM as "unintelligent" as possible, as there's less to go wrong.
0.5 is the first version to actually pay any attention to what it's copying, specifically it checks for the "ms" in the version string. This is a rudimentary check to ensure the original firmware isn't from a different drive on the IDE bus!
Examining the DVD key would potentially take me into KDX territory, and I don't want to go there.

Sinner666 · « **Reply #3 on:** November 02, 2006, 07:05:00 PM »

I just want to keep heaping praise on you.

Thanks.

BigSteel · « **Reply #4 on:** November 02, 2006, 08:48:00 PM »

"Don't forget to put a copy of XTREM40A.BIN and XTREM40B.BIN in the SAMSUNG folder!"

Would this also work with 4.2 by putting the 4.2 files in the folder and renaming them to XTREM40A.bin?

llsTixll · « **Reply #5 on:** November 02, 2006, 08:58:00 PM »

I flashed my MS28 using X360SAM v0.4. Should I reflash my MS28 again using this version? Or not bother?

Shaner99 · « **Reply #6 on:** November 02, 2006, 09:17:00 PM »

QUOTE(llsTixll @ Nov 3 2006, 05:05 AM)

I flashed my MS28 using X360SAM v0.4. Should I reflash my MS28 again using this version? Or not bother?

I'd say you wouldnt need to if you didn't get the E66.

max29 · « **Reply #7 on:** November 02, 2006, 09:28:00 PM »

when using x360sam on a floppy to boot do i need to put the mtkflash and x360sam files on the root of the floppy drive or leave it in the folders it comes with when i downloaded the x360sam?

Perkele · « **Reply #8 on:** November 02, 2006, 09:44:00 PM »

QUOTE(BigSteel @ Nov 3 2006, 03:55 AM)

"Don't forget to put a copy of XTREM40A.BIN and XTREM40B.BIN in the SAMSUNG folder!"

Would this also work with 4.2 by putting the 4.2 files in the folder and renaming them to XTREM40A.bin?

It's a typo and should be "Don't forget to put a copy of XTREM42A.BIN and XTREM42B.BIN in the SAMSUNG folder!" (as seen in the batch files)

1212kiwi · « **Reply #9 on:** November 02, 2006, 09:52:00 PM »

Nevermind, made a new topic.

This post has been edited by 1212kiwi: Nov 3 2006, 05:53 AM

Dravor · « **Reply #10 on:** November 02, 2006, 10:22:00 PM »

QUOTE(Exobex @ Nov 3 2006, 01:05 AM)

Klutsh has been asking me about that, but as some machines need more than $4000-$41FF to work, I suspect there's more to the key than just a handful of bytes near the start.

I'm trying to keep X360SAM as "unintelligent" as possible, as there's less to go wrong.
0.5 is the first version to actually pay any attention to what it's copying, specifically it checks for the "ms" in the version string. This is a rudimentary check to ensure the original firmware isn't from a different drive on the IDE bus!
Examining the DVD key would potentially take me into KDX territory, and I don't want to go there.

Thanks for your hard work on this. So what we gain here is that users who got hit with the E66 error can use this to get a better working firmware which will keep them from getting this error?

That and I suppose it's good there's no chance of someone accidently getting the firmware off the wrong drive, although if they followed the directions...

Great work!

Samy`D · « **Reply #11 on:** November 02, 2006, 11:12:00 PM »

Hmm never thought about changing the drive version in the firmware....
Out of curiosity, is the folllowing scenario possible?:

1) New Xbox360, ms25 samsung drive (new early this year anyway...)
2) Flashing merrily away, keeping up with updates etc, until your at X4.1a
3) Dash update completely succesfull.
4) Decide to update to 4.2 and think hmm this idea seems pretty good, I should keep my original version numbers!
5) next log in - sees a drive downgrade = E66!

In case you didn't guess - this is exactly my situation. Now hush you naysayers, I'm not to saying that I will try it out, Ill just leave mine as MS28 as it updated at works perfectly, but HYPOTHETICALLY is it possible that this could happen?

S

Edit: Oh, and Dravor there was a report of a E66 with a ms25->28 upgrade, and after changing the fware version (As this does), no more error, so yes to your question!

This post has been edited by Samy`D: Nov 3 2006, 07:14 AM

ZakMcRofl · « **Reply #12 on:** November 03, 2006, 12:39:00 AM »

Ask youself: do you want a firmware that reports as MS25 although it has features that MS25 doesn't have? Because this is exactly what this fix does.

Exobex · « **Reply #13 on:** November 03, 2006, 12:41:00 AM »

QUOTE(Perkele @ Nov 3 2006, 04:51 AM)

It's a typo and should be "Don't forget to put a copy of XTREM42A.BIN and XTREM42B.BIN in the SAMSUNG folder!" (as seen in the batch files)

Yep, typo. Updated in two locations in the readme, forgot about the third! Probably a typo in the readme in the Samsung folder, too!

Klutsh · « **Reply #14 on:** November 03, 2006, 12:55:00 AM »

Updating to XBM today I hope, Also going to be adding a few extra features if I can.

I am still looking at getting the key confirmed in DOS, It's not that easy as the actual 16 byte string is not always in the same place.

Author Topic: X360sam 0.5 (Read 110 times)