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[BenJeremy]

I installed a Xenium (thanks, Moo) this weekend, replacing the Chameleon in my v1.1 Xbox and using the Solderless adapter that's been working fine with the Chameleon for a few months now.

After getting it to boot successfully, and flashing the software, since I had the box open, I set about the task of swapping the hard drives (Maxtor 60Gb and 120Gb drives).

...then I started running into problems. There seems to be a delay between power up and when the drive is ready, and if XeniumOS "misses" this, it fails to proceed to the QuickStart (Gamepad display) or Main Menu displays and hangs after clearing away the Xenium/Cromwell startup messages.

If I cycle power quickly, after the drive is warmed up, it boots fine. Non-power-cycling Reboots are, of course, just fine as well.

Switching drives back to the 60GB helped, but it exhibited the same problems, just slightly less frequently.

I suspect that a small IDE Startup delay, a feature that's settable in most PC BIOSes, would help solve the problem.

I'd like to hear if any others have had this problem.

[Heet]

Ya BJ ive had numerous issues including what your talking about.  I dont know what I did different but all of a sudden it booted.  Then I go to play PGR2 at 2:00 am this morning and nothing is right.  It frags, then I put on the chammy, works fine, then put Xenium back on and it freezes at OS screen.  Bah, back to Chameleons.

*btw BJ ive just read a couple of other threads with same issue and its been logged as a bug over at www.ozxodus.com although your description and probable cause is more in depth than what ive seen but a lot of other people are saying they need to reboot their box 4-5 times to get it to boot.

[HSDEMONZ]

Hmm... I'll need to try and reproduce this error.  

I've installed more Xeniums than just about anyone here.. but admittantly.. not any using MAXTOR as replacement upgrade drives.

Most were WD drives.. and many of the unlockable flavours.

.. and most were on early motherboards. (I've still never touched a 1.4 or 1.5 board with ANY modchip.)

I'll buy some MAX 160's tonight and test.. no 120's locally ATM.

BenJ... Which version of XBOX you sportin' ?

Can I assume stock IDE cable? or upgrade/replacement IDE cable?

[BenJeremy]

Standard v1.1 (Samsung DVD) in this case, with stock cables.

Both drives work fine, otherwise... I have had several FlashFXP sessions running between both of my Xboxes (one with the 60GB, the DevBox with the 120GB), maxing out on the speed at times (10+mbytes/sec).




Note: Overall, I'm impressed with the Xenium so far. I really want to keep it, as it makes my life, as a developer, much easier. Not dealing with switches is a good thing on an Xbox used by two children.

I'm looking forward to the next revision of the XeniumOS (it is flashable, right?) with enhancements and enevitable fixes. As somebody stated in the OzXodus forum, besides an IDE delay, another noce feature would be the ability to not check for the DVD drive on startup (Cromwell).

[Artifex]

Some questions....

Are both drives attached, and jumpered properly?  (and NOT on CS?)

Is it hanging before the xenium logo, AT the xenium logo, or AFTER the xenium logo - in the main menu?.... or some mix...

Cromwell's ATA/ATAPI support is lackluster, to say the least.  I suspect that some of these issues will be resolved in the update (yes, XOS is updateable), and the rest should be resolved down the road.

But... I've still not heard of an ETA on the update.

--Artifex

[HSDEMONZ]

QUOTE

I'm looking forward to the next revision of the XeniumOS (it is flashable, right?)

Yes.. and it's ready shortly. Most of these reported bugs are already fixed.

Your setup duplicates 2 machines I can do the test with.. granted.. still using only MAXTOR 160 (since you had MAXTORS)  I might be able to scrounge a MAXTOR used 120.. but I'd hate to use ancient and abused hardware for the test. I'll see what I can do.

I'm glad to finally hear from a dev that is encouraged.

I'm inherently lazy.. and the less I gotta screw with switches personally.. the better.

However.. the customer is always right.. so I'm still installing alot more Xecuter chips then Xeniums. (They like the switches and lights)

[BenJeremy]

QUOTE (Artifex @ Feb 2 2004, 12:34 PM)

Some questions.... Are both drives attached, and jumpered properly?  (and NOT on CS?)

Not on CS? That's the way I've ALWAYS set my drives. It's worked every time so far. The 60GB has booted fine for months in the v1.1 with a Chameleon and X2 4977 BIOS, but has issues with the Xenium (less so than the 120GB drive).

Obviously, both HD drives are not in simultaneously.... I was switching between the 60GB and 120Gb drive, the DVD drive was never disconnected. At first, I thought the 120Gb drive was causing it to hang, but both booted fine on my "dev" Xbox, a v1.0 running an X2 Pro with the Debug BIOS.

QUOTE

Is it hanging before the xenium logo, AT the xenium logo, or AFTER the xenium logo - in the main menu?.... or some mix...

The XeniumOS logo screen is displayed, some text appears on the screen (too "fuzzy" to make out on my big-screen TV), then the text goes away, leaving the original logo screen. No menu or gamepad image appears.

If I cycle power quickly, after about three or four tries, it might boot. Quick Start setting doesn't matter. Button presses do nothing when it hangs.

QUOTE

Cromwell's ATA/ATAPI support is lackluster, to say the least.  I suspect that some of these issues will be resolved in the update (yes, XOS is updateable), and the rest should be resolved down the road.

Well, if it fixes the problems without requiring a delay, then cool.... I just want to avoid having my wife and older boy complain about the Xbox not working now   and still have the ability to change BIOSes (very nice feature) without remembering dipswitches.

QUOTE

But... I've still not heard of an ETA on the update. --Artifex

Hopefully soon... at least for the most pressing bugs. Sometimes, updates targeted at a few bugs end up fixing a few others that were side-effects.

[Artifex]

I suspect the CS may be the issue.  Not sure, though.... I've just noticed some problems w/ CS in cromwell.

Try with master/slave explicitly set, and see if that helps?

--Artifex

[BenJeremy]

QUOTE (Artifex @ Feb 2 2004, 02:53 PM)

I suspect the CS may be the issue.  Not sure, though.... I've just noticed some problems w/ CS in cromwell. Try with master/slave explicitly set, and see if that helps? --Artifex

Cool, I'll give that a try tonight.

[Heet]

*Ok NM im gonna sit back and wait on fixes.

[BenJeremy]

Well, switching to "Master" seems to have helped a little bit, but I still got hangs, always from cold power on.

So, no joy

Hopefully, the IDE support will be cleaned up a bit in the next update of XeniumOS.

[Heet]

Ya they are workin on that too or so Ive heard.  I hardwired my dongle in a couple boxes and ive found thats why im having so many issues.

[HSDEMONZ]

However.. that does not reflect on your situation.. cause you have a 60 and a 120. Could be differences there.

I'm still waiting for my first bad experience.. I have them with every chip sooner or later.

[BenJeremy]

QUOTE (HSDEMONZ @ Feb 3 2004, 07:13 AM)

Why am I not able to reproduce these problems... I don't have LIVE.. but I do have a communicator plugged into my Type S controller in PORT one at all times. Hmm.. Oh yah.. Ben.. Sorry to take so long.. didn't have a 120 I could use.. but purchase 2 of the 160 models..  didn't have any issues. played with them for a few hours.. on/off// cold/warm boots watch Porn on it.. er..   However.. that does not reflect on your situation.. cause you have a 60 and a 120. Could be differences there. I'm still waiting for my first bad experience.. I have them with every chip sooner or later.

Yeah, dnno.... nothing unusual plugged in, just one controller, though I may make sure it's an M$ controller (currently a cheapy).

[BenJeremy]

Damn cheap ass gamepads! Must be a timing issue when they initialize or something. Time to go out and buy some real M$ controllers.