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[XBLH C3R34L K1LL3R]

Hi, My brother used to work testing 360 games for M$ and he told me that there was a memory card they used to test if games worked on all kernel versions. You would just plug this mem card in to the console and turn it on and it would flash the kernel back to the launch version. I was wondering if anyone else has heard/used this before and if anyone would be able to create this. This would be a great help to me and many people when it comes to 360 development.

[No_Name]

I will be nice to you today.

There are alot of things you can do with development/debug hardware that you cant do with a retail unit.

This means anything that he could have done wont be possible on a non-test 360.

[XBLH C3R34L K1LL3R]

They were all retail consoles.

[Amnitrix]

Ok, here we go again.  The whole, my cousin, or the my brother , or any other family members, "works for Micro$soft and they said "yada, yada, yada...."  This stuff is heard all the time, if this were true, then let your brother tell it and not you.

[XBLH C3R34L K1LL3R]

Sorry but i find that very pathetic saying that. He didn't directly work for microsoft he worked for a company called volt who is run by microsoft to test games before they are released. I would get my brother to explain it but he is too busy working so i am writing it for him.

[HeK _014_]

Ok Let's set this straight...

I used to work for a subsidiary of Microshaft called Volt... within that company we were in charge of testing pre-release 360 games using functional test cases set by MS. We used both Development machines and Retail Machines to carry out the test cases.

One test we carried out on all games was called a Title Based Update, in which we had to make sure that the game disc would check the xbox kernel and update if it was older than the one contained on the disk.

To do this we had a memory unit which was called the 1888 Tool, which would flash the kernal back to the very first version.

The process consisted of inserting the memory unit whist the 360 was in standby then turning it on... the 360 would then flash the kernel and display a green screen on the monitor for just a few seconds and then shutdown.
Then we would take the memory unit out and when the 360 was turned on it would have the 1888 dashboard.

This tool does not work on Dev 360's and only works on retail units.

@Amnitrix - You happy now???

[xnoelahg]

QUOTE(HeK _014_ @ May 20 2007, 10:34 PM)

Ok Let's set this straight...

I used to work for a subsidiary of Microshaft called Volt... within that company we were in charge of testing pre-release 360 games using functional test cases set by MS. We used both Development machines and Retail Machines to carry out the test cases.

One test we carried out on all games was called a Title Based Update, in which we had to make sure that the game disc would check the xbox kernel and update if it was older than the one contained on the disk.

To do this we had a memory unit which was called the 1888 Tool, which would flash the kernal back to the very first version.

The process consisted of inserting the memory unit whist the 360 was in standby then turning it on... the 360 would then flash the kernel and display a green screen on the monitor for just a few seconds and then shutdown.
Then we would take the memory unit out and when the 360 was turned on it would have the 1888 dashboard.

This tool does not work on Dev 360's and only works on retail units.

@Amnitrix - You happy now???

 You didn't by any chance, clone it, did you? (or backed it up to a PC)

[No_Name]

Just to nitpick here Volt is not a subsidiary of MS, Volt is whats called a vendor.

[HeK _014_]

QUOTE(xnoelahg @ May 21 2007, 04:42 AM)

You didn't by any chance, clone it, did you? (or backed it up to a PC)

lol no unfortunately not, at the time I didn't think it was worth the risk... but thinking now I wish I had, but that's why I'm here... to see if anyone has had experience with this tool and may be able to recreate it.

QUOTE(No_Name @ May 21 2007, 06:37 AM)

Just to nitpick here Volt is not a subsidiary of MS, Volt is whats called a vendor.

Yes you are right... my mistake, sorry... the company that hired me was called Volt... the company I was hired to work for was called VMC... now go pick on someone else, lol  

[mrdlouisd]

I find this pretty intresting. We have Volt out here in Phoenix as well, there a staffing agency here, I've gotten some jobs threw them. Would have been nice if someone could have snagged it, you don't have any friends working there anymore?

Some people around here are sure fast to bash, I can understand seeing post like this before, but it seems like these boards in a whole are bash friendly.

[DrPepperFan15]

a memory card eh?

So when did you test the games... before the 360 was released or after

[HeK _014_]

QUOTE(DrPepperFan15 @ May 21 2007, 10:04 AM)

a memory card eh?

So when did you test the games... before the 360 was released or after

Yep just a simple memory unit...

The testing is on all Pre-Release titles... so the testing started before the console was released publicly and will continue until the next machine comes out(if one does)... in which testing will move onto that machine.

QUOTE(mrdlouisd @ May 21 2007, 09:49 AM)

Some people around here are sure fast to bash, I can understand seeing post like this before, but it seems like these boards in a whole are bash friendly.

haha yeah... I've been on these boards quite a while although I don't usually post much if at all... I noticed quite alot of bashing... but nowadays where can you find a forum that doesn't, lol oh well

[e5frog]

Isn't it likely to believe that the software on the 1888 needs to be encrypted correctly, or have the right keys?

And what about burnt efuses?

[caster420]

QUOTE(e5frog @ May 21 2007, 12:24 PM)

Isn't it likely to believe that the software on the 1888 needs to be encrypted correctly, or have the right keys?

And what about burnt efuses?

That is like saying the kernel update you download from live needs to be encrypted properly.  Or, the HD-DVD upgrade discs you can download and burn to cd to upgrade your kernl must be encrypted first.  The console encrypts the kernel (it whatever form it comes it, dont ask me) with the per box key from the hypervisor.  The per box key from the hypervisor is based off of the fuseset in the cpu.  Efuses arn't burnt (imo) but they have their values, resulting in different encryption of the per-box sections of the kernel.  This would prevent you from using a dump of a prior kernel where they did change these values, going from 4548 to 4552 for example.  To prevent this from happening, you remove r6t3, which disables the efuse power supply, and thus, no more chaning values.  That way you can downgrade from 4552 or any future kernels that call for a change in efuse values.  

So, if this device exists, i see no reason why it would not work, as your kernel would be encrypted to match the current per-box key.  It would be a true blessing to the scene if someone could get their hands on it, assuming its use wasnt disabled in current or future kernels.

Caster.

[HeK _014_]

QUOTE(caster420 @ May 21 2007, 06:49 PM)

So, if this device exists, i see no reason why it would not work, as your kernel would be encrypted to match the current per-box key.  It would be a true blessing to the scene if someone could get their hands on it, assuming its use wasnt disabled in current or future kernels.

Caster.

At last some post's with real meaning...  

The device does indeed exist... as for it being disabled I'm not sure it would be unless M$ found out that it was out on the scene, but then they would have to provide some other means of allowing the testing companies to downgrade so it would just end up going in one great big circle, lol