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[Xbox-Scene]

TheSpecialist's HDDHackr v0.90 - Adds Support for 120GB Drives! Posted by XanTium | April 22 23:45 EST | News Category: Xbox360

TheSpecialist sent us the update of HDDHackr(info) many of you were probably waiting for. With the release of an official 120GB drive by Microsoft you can now use this tool to make your own 120GB Xbox360 HDD using a Western Digital Scorpio BEVS-LAT drive (that's a cheap (~80usd for 120GB) SATA 2.5" PC/laptop drive): Attached is the latest version of the hddhackr. It works with the new 120 gb signature. However, this current version can not dump the hddss.bin file automatically from that drive, you'll have to manually dump sectors 16-22 with a tool like winhex and save them as 'hddss.bin'. After that, continue as normal with the hddhackr and everything will be fine. Also, I'd like to stress that there are 2 versions of the WD BEVS drive out there: the 'RST' and the 'LAT' version. This tool currently ONLY supports the 'LAT' version ! You can find on the sticker of the HDD which version it is. I'll hope to be able to support the RST version of the drive in a future version of this tool. From the official readme: Hddhacker v0.90 by the Specialist. * DISCLAIMER: This tool has only been tested by me. It worked for me. While great care has been taken, this tool may contain bugs and therefore may seriously harm your HDD. Use at own risk !!! * What: This tool will allow you to use HDD's that are not 'certified' by Microsoft. This specific tool is written for use with the Western Digital BEVS series only ! * How to use: Get yourself a Western Digital SATA BEVS HDD. To use this tool, you need a HDD security sector file ('hddss.bin'). If you don't have one, here's how to create one from a valid xbox 360 HDD: - Dumping the hddss.bin file Boot to dos from a writeable medium (like a floppy). Connect an *original* xbox 360 HDD to your SATA controller. Make sure it is the only SATA device that is connected. Now run 'hddhackr -d'. This will create a file 'hddss.bin' and it will save it to the path you've started the hddhackr from. - Modding your Western Digital Now turn off your PC and connect the Western Digital and boot to dos again. Type 'hddhackr -f' from the same path you have saved the hddss.bin file to. This will flash your FW. It will ask if you want to create an undo file. It is advised to do so. This will create an  'undo.bin' file that you need if you want to undo the hack. - Check if it worked Shut down your pc, reboot again to dos and again type 'hddhackr -f'. It should now tell you that the drive should work in your x360. If so, connect it to your x360 and go to your dashboard/system/memory where you should be  able to format the drive. - Restoring your WD to original state If you don't want to use your modded WD in your x360 anymore and you want to flash it back to its original size, then you can now do so. Boot to dos again and run 'hddhackr -u'. This will use the undo.bin file you created before to restore the drive to its original state. FAQ: Q. I get an error when I try to dump hddss.bin from a 120 gb HDD. A. This version can't dump from an elite drive yet. You'll have to dump sectors 16-22 manually with a tool like winhex, save them as 'hddss.bin' and then continue like normal, with the hddhackr. Q. Will this tool allow me to connect a 500 gb drive to my x360 ? A. No. The information on sector 16 is signed and can't be changed. You can only use size where you have a valid signature for. In otherwords, if a bigger HDD comes out, you can use that signature. Q. With which HDD's does this work ? A. It currently only works with the 'LAT' version of the Western Digital Scorpio BEVS series. The 'RST' version of that drive is currently NOT supported Q. Do I need the same size WD HDD as the size on sector 16 states ? A. No. You can use bigger HDD's, but you can't use more than the size stated in sector 16. You can NOT use smaller HDD's than the size   on sector 16 states. For example, you can use a 40 GB HDD with a sector 16 from a 20 GB HDD, but not the other way around of course. Q. Can I use the HDD in my PC again ? A. Of course. The tool comes with an 'undo' option, that will restore the original size. For example, you use a 40 gb WD HDD, you used hddss.bin from a valid xbox 20 gb HDD, so the tool will transform your 40 GB HDD into  a 20 gb HDD. However, you can restore it to 40 gb anytime you want with the undo option. Q. I have a x360 core version and want to use this hack to buy a cheap HDD. But how do i connect it ? A. If you don't have a premium, you can make the HDD internal. One great tutorial that will show you how to do this here. Q. The tool doesn't detect my HDD ! A. First, make sure you are running it from dos, not from a dos box under windows. If the hddhackr does not autodetect your SATA controller (if you have an nForce chipset for example), then you can manually edit the hddhackr to support it. To do this: 1. Find the two ports that your SATA chipset uses for data communication (see the MTKediting thread for more detailed info on how to do this), basically, you need to run 'msinfo32', then go to storage/scsi or storage/ide, depending on your SATA chipset and then look for the two ports that have a difference of 7 between them. For example: I/O-port 0x0000EFE0-0x0000EFE7 I/O-port 0x0000EFAC-0x0000EFAF I/O-port 0x0000EFA0-0x0000EFA7 I/O-port 0x0000EFA8-0x0000EFAB I/O-port 0x0000EF90-0x0000EF9F I/O-port 0x0000E800-0x0000E8FF In this example the two ports you are looking for (with difference of 7) are 0xEFE0 and 0xEFA0 2. Open the hddhackr.com in a hexeditor and search for the string 'port=MPRT' (it is at the end of the file). Now, that 'MPRT' string is 4 bytes long: 0x4D 0x50 0x52 0x54. You have to replace these four bytes with the 2 port numbers (which are each 2 bytes long, so you replace the 4 bytes in total), so in the example above you replace these four bytes with: '0xEF 0xE0 0xEF 0xA0'. 3. If you then start the hddhackr, it will automatically detect that you have edited that string, so it will skip the SATA autodetector and instead use the port numbers you've supplied. Q. Could you do this for my Seagate, Maxtor, Samsung or whatever drive too? A. Yes, but I don't have plans to do so. The cheapest WD drive (40 gb) ships for about $50 and thus is one of the cheapest. It is a lot of work to convert this tool for usage with other brands and I don't think it is worth the trouble. Q. How do I find out if my BEVS drive is a 'LAT' drive ? A. It's printed on the sticker of the drive, in the model name. For example: WD1200BEVS-60LAT0 Q. Will there be support for the RST drive in the future ? A. I'll hope to receive an RST drive soon and then hopefully can find out what's going wrong and be able to support it in a future version of this tool. Q. Where can I donate ? A. Nowhere. Just enjoy Thanks to: Team MODFREAKz for his initial logic board experiments, Loser for his findings on the sector 16, Antman1 and Rutger1413 for supplying info about the new 120 gb signature and everybody else at XS/XBH.   TS in april 2007 Official Site: n/a, by TheSpecialist (TS) Download: here (does NOT include hddss.bin as it's copywrited)

[FoxRacR17]

Very nice! Thanks for the hard work man!  Is this the drive that it works with?  It doesnt say if its the "LAT" version or not.

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16822136072

[bigmac_375]

YESSSSSSS thanks alot specialist! now i dont have to pay almost $200 for that hdd!

[capboy210]

Thanks for your awsome work!

[dpvnme]

Great! But not until the thing can become an XBMC, I don't see the need for larger hd yet! But great news for the scene.

[Master Reefed]

very nice

This post has been edited by Master Reefed: Apr 23 2007, 04:20 AM

[niwaz888]

Sweet!

[Antman1]

sorry to double post but thought others here may want to see this as well..

Here is how to get sectors 16-22 from the 120gb drive.

1.) Google for and download HexWorkshop and install.
2.) Attach 120GB drive to PC and turn on PC back into Windows.
3.) Open HexWorkshop, Click on "Disk" then "Open Drive"
4.) Select "Physical Drives" in the drop down and select the 120GB Drive from here
5.) Now Click "Disk" and then "Save Sectors"
6.) Now in the "Starting Sector" section put 16 and "Ending Sector" put 22
7.) In the "Target File" box type the location were you want to save the hddss.bin file and call it hddss.bin example: "c:\hddss.bin"
8.) Now on hddhackr skip the step of making the hddss.bin file from original drive and go to the flashing steps! Hope this helps.

____ Final Steps on hddhacker after obtaining your sectors (Per Readme File)________
*Now turn off your PC and make sure it is the only SATA device that is connected. Boot up to Dos with a floppy or more reccommended a flash drive.

* Modding your Western Digital *
Now turn off your PC and connect the Western Digital and boot to dos again.
Type 'hddhackr -f' from the same path you have saved the hddss.bin file to.
This will flash your FW. It will ask if you want to create an undo file. It
is advised to do so. This will create an 'undo.bin' file that you need if
you want to undo the hack.

* Check if it worked *
Shut down your pc, reboot again to dos and again type 'hddhackr -f'. It
should now tell you that the drive should work in your x360. If so, connect
it to your x360 and go to your dashboard/system/memory where you should be
able to format the drive.


One last thing I also forgot to mention. it was also pointed out to me that if you have the USB cable that came with the 120GB HDD in the package that you to use to transfer your data, you can hook that up to your PC with your 120GB HDD and get the sectors that way without even opening the M$ Hard Drive!

Hats off to TheSpecialist he is tha man!

[pimmysays]

so would I save $ doing this or what?

[ScrewinGates]

can any one tell if this hdd is the lat version?i dont see it on anything.if so 80 bucks and a little work then boom big cheap hdd. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)newegg

This post has been edited by ScrewinGates: Apr 23 2007, 04:56 AM

[edwinmcdunlap]

This is awesome..

But do we actually have to have an official 120GB drive to get the hddss.bin from?

[Greenvalor7]

QUOTE(edwinmcdunlap @ Apr 23 2007, 05:11 AM)

This is awesome..

But do we actually have to have an official 120GB drive to get the hddss.bin from?

 You took the question right outta my mouth.  If no one is willing to share a hddss.bin then nobodys saving any cash.  Either way Thanks for the program Specialist your hard work is appreciated!

This post has been edited by Greenvalor7: Apr 23 2007, 05:46 AM

[Mike4]

QUOTE(pimmysays @ Apr 22 2007, 11:56 PM)

so would I save $ doing this or what?

Since the 120GB HDD from MS retails for close to $200 and the typical HDD you would need to get for this would run about $80, I would say yes - this will save you some a decent amount of money.  Of course, if you don't have any experience hacking the xbox, you may want to think twice about doing this yourself.

The one thing I don't see mentioned is the ability to transfer content from your current 20GB model.  I apologize if this has been covered somewhere else, but I haven't seen that mentioned here before.  Of course, that was never a topic I thought about looking into until now.

When I heard the story in the news about the Elite version coming out - more importantly, the ability to upgrade to a bigger HDD - I heard that it would be possible to do a one time transfer of your content to the bigger drive, but you would never be able to transfer back to the smaller drive or any other drive.  Of course, that seemed a little odd to me, but I didn't bother checking to see if that was really the case.

[dmitri]

Someone (with a 120gb hdd kit) should offer a service to upgrade HDDs to 120GB for $100 or so..

-dp

[BrooksyX]

Didn't someone say that your account can get banned from live for doing this? I would like to eventually just replace my 20gb with a 120gb but it is not worth it if I am going to get banned.