Topic: Switching From A Hitachi To A Samsung (Read 97 times)

OriginalCompGeek · « **on:** February 04, 2007, 01:16:00 AM »

Why am I sitting up here @ 3:30 A.M writing this tutorial? Because 4 hours ago I set out to exchange my Hitachi GDR-3120L 0059DJ for my Samsung TS-H943 MS25, and just now finished. You might get a kick out of this thread as well.

So, first thing I do since I've never had a Hitachi before is read Textbook's tut on how to flash a GDR-3120's firmware. That was all well and good, but the thing is 6 months old, and a lot has changed.

Since my chipset (Intel 975) wasn't listed in the compatability list I figured I'd go straight to what seemed like it should be the easiest method for me to get to Mode B: hot swap. I had a TS-H943 sitting right here, right? I will tell you, the method did not work for me. I tried for who knows how long to get it to work, I guess my Sammy wasn't showing up in windows, so the Hitachi was never seen at all, whatever. I finally got tired of it and just downloaded Slax 2.1 and burned. 1 minute after I burned it I get a message from Slax telling me: ~"GDR-3120L Detected, switching to mode b." At this point I'm relieved that I got it there/pissed that I didn't do that sooner, anyway, it's been 1-1.5 hours already and now it's time to dump the firmware and get my drive switched.

After getting mode b, dumping the firmware was a piece of cake, but what next? I searched for over an hour trying to figure out exactly how a Hitachi key transferred to a Samsung, there was no post that I could find that explained it, there were a few that went the other direction (Samsung -> Hitachi), but those didn't help me. I kinda thought KDX might be what I needed, but I didn't find the up-to-date versions to be any help. I finally found a post somewhere in a Hitachi->Hitachi conversion thread that showed 360 Firmware toolbox, and based on the GUI it looked like it just might do what I wanted. I opened the "xtrem52a.bin" firmware file, pasted my Hitachi key in there and click "Replace Key." Was this it? Is this all that I needed to do? As it turned out, if you're looking for the solution... YES, this is all you need to do, open your Xtreme Firmware in 360 Firmware Toolbox and enter your Hitachi key and hit "Replace..." But it took me a lot longer to figure that out.

Next I went to flashing my MS25 which then had Xtreme 4.1 on it. For about 10 PC reboots I was typing "mtkflash w /m xtreme52a.bin" and it was just hanging after I chose my drive. I was thinking, "What the crap?!" I booted to windows only to fine that the firmware is name xtrem52a.bin (no 'e'), what a dunce. So I went back into dos and typed it out correctly, I STILL could not get it to do anything but hang. At this point I'm thinking about just stomping on the stupid thing, I don't even know if my firmware key has been inserted correctly or if this is going to work. After yet another freeze I'm sitting there staring at my MS25 thinking about the firmware and it hit me... "You freakin idiot, Xtreme 4+ firmware requires an Enable0800 disc." AHA! So I stuck it in, typed out the mtkflash command, it flashed, wallah, 100% working MS25 drive (With MS28 core firmware, I used the standard Xtrem, not the MS25 version) in a Hitachi v0059DJ Xbox!

Rather long and ridiculous story of human stupidity, bottom line:

Try slax 2.1 to get in Mode B, even if you don't think you're supported before you go elsehwere, i didn't even have to try it twice.
Get your firmware key from the Hitachi key.bin file that any Maximus-GaryOPA firmware flasher will dump.
Open your chosen Xtreme Firmware in 360 Firmware Toolbox 3.0 and paste your Hitachi key in there and replace.
Use that 0800 disc if your drive requires!

And that is how to replace your Hitachi with a Samsung...

THE END

Lice_01 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 04, 2007, 01:51:00 AM »

nice tutorial, one thing though, you might want to mention that you have to spoof the firmware using Firmware ToolBox

OriginalCompGeek · « **Reply #2 on:** February 04, 2007, 10:37:00 AM »

What I listed above is what I did, I didn't need to spoof firmware.

Lice_01 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 04, 2007, 11:14:00 AM »

QUOTE(softbox @ Feb 4 2007, 12:53 PM)

Can i ask how much you paid for the 78 drive? around £20?

Hitachi's usual go for around $70-$75 dunno what that is in £ though.

OriginalCompGeek · « **Reply #4 on:** February 04, 2007, 12:53:00 PM »

It was a 59, not a 78, and it came in a used 360 I bought. I wanted to put my samsung in the 360 instead.

Xbox360Guru · « **Reply #5 on:** February 04, 2007, 01:18:00 PM »

QUOTE(OriginalCompGeek @ Feb 4 2007, 03:00 PM)

It was a 59, not a 78, and it came in a used 360 I bought. I wanted to put my samsung in the 360 instead.

If you tell it to report at a M28 when it's supposed to report as a 0059DJ then you're going to get the e66 error sooner or later.

OriginalCompGeek · « **Reply #6 on:** February 04, 2007, 01:32:00 PM »

O RLY? Well, I happen to know you are incorrect

I was using MS28 core firmware on my MS25 system with no issues, I'm doing the same with my 59DJ system. I've never had an issue.

caster420 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 08, 2007, 02:16:00 PM »

QUOTE(OriginalCompGeek @ Feb 4 2007, 03:39 PM)

O RLY? Well, I happen to know you are incorrect

Well, i happen to know you are incorrect. After the fall update, people began getting E66 when using a firmware that didnt report as a higher version than their original drive version. Go back and read up on it. Maybe you dont have the most current kernel/dash on your 360. This is the reason for there being 28(+/-) firmwares in the current xtreme 5.2 pack, each with different version strings for the appropriate firmware.

Quote from GaryOPA:

The E66 error appears it seems only on those units which people have
used on Live and Upgraded the dashboard since stock version, and
then afterwards have swapped their DVD drive or replaced it with an
older "version build" then what they had before in their system, and
applied the newer "fall update".

End Quote.

Caster.

vinikun · « **Reply #8 on:** February 08, 2007, 04:06:00 PM »

bump

slimgrip · « **Reply #9 on:** February 09, 2007, 03:59:00 AM »

Quick noobish Q??

What did you open the key.bin with to copy the key to paste into fwtoolbox?
I cant open the key.bin in fw toolbox as its only 1kb & gives an error.
If i open it in a hex editor its in hexadecimal format whereas fwtoolbox keys are alphanumeric

Slim

slimgrip · « **Reply #10 on:** February 09, 2007, 04:56:00 AM »

Im trying to put a Hitachi key (key.bin) into samsung xtreme firmware. I also have the was.bin.

Are the keys in the same place on samsung & hitachi drives? ie $4000 - $4200 ??

1st time i did it i opened was.bin(hitachi) in FWtoolbox3 copied the key
Then opened the xtreme5.2 firmware in FWtoolbox3 & pasted the copied hitachi key in & pressed replace.
This doesnt work. i get the "to play this disc bla blah blahh"

Is FWtoolbox3 compatible with samsung FW?

ash1471 · « **Reply #11 on:** February 09, 2007, 05:06:00 AM »

The key in a hitachi drive is located at 4F00 and I dont think Firmware toolbox 3 works correctly with Sammys mate.

ASH

Antman1 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 09, 2007, 05:32:00 AM »

E66 error occurs for some and not for others after the fall update. no one got the e66 error before the fall update but after only some did with different versions of there firmware. I have never had to spoof my firmware but 2 of my friends did have to spoof there firmware. A 360 my friend got that was broken from ebay had a samsung in it and he swapped his hitachi for it and he had to spoof his firmware to look like the 47 but after I fixed the 3 red lights of death on the 360 I put his hitachi in and did the fall update on the console and it worked without spoofing the firmware. at one point it was speculated that it only happens to consoles that are from June of 2006 and up but I found that incorrect as my friends console was from February 2006 and it needed the firmware spoofed.

slimgrip · « **Reply #13 on:** February 09, 2007, 07:07:00 AM »

I have fettled sammy firmware using fwtoolbox3 in the past, used it to patch a sammy key from an orig.bin into xtreme5.2 then emailed back to a m8.

Must be an issue with hitachi - samsung firmware

Although i get the same key from a hex editor as i got from fwtoolbox

Tal1481 · « **Reply #14 on:** February 09, 2007, 08:30:00 AM »

Man this is all making me scratch my head!

I am in a similar position to the guy who started the thread.

I have a sammy drive flashed with 4.2 firmware - I dont have the orig firmware.

I have a hitachi xbox with xtreme 1 firmware - it's a 47D drive - again I don't have the original factory firmware.

How do I go about replacing the Hitachi drive with the samsung drive Do I do as the poster has suggested? Will I avoid the E66 error? The hitachi Xbox hasnt been used in about 4 months - so the latest fall updates are not on that machine.

Regards,

T

PS If any 1 can wirte me a guide with explicit steps - I am willing 2 pay £10 into a paypal account - not a lot of money but at elast it's a gesture ;-)

Author Topic: Switching From A Hitachi To A Samsung (Read 97 times)