ok
so i used the 007 exploit to get ftp back
went in and looked thru the drive
2 directories and 1 file had updated dates and times from when i got the online update.
so i went back in and restored these 2 directories xodash , xodash data 1012a700 and this file xboxdash.xbe
from my backup of the HD.
loaded up the save game on my AR, put it on the HD, loaded up MA went to the campaing RUN LINUX worked fine..glitched out to the eVox screen. - replacing those 2 dirs and the dash file fixed it.
so i rebooted, didn't access the drive or ftp, just glitched out and rebooted.
got the MS dashboard, so all is good.(took the game disk out obviously)...went in and deleted the MA save file.
loaded up MA again, went to multiplayer, play live, got the msg "there is an update for xbox live, you must take the update to connect..blah blah blha" so i took the update...for the second time now.
rebooted the xbox to MS dashboard...just to make sure all is good.....loaded up the MA save to the HD(run linux)
loaded up MA went to campaign load , RUN LINUX......and it froze.
so i repeated the first few steps....007/ftp/replace directories and file/rebooted
back into MA ....campaign...load...RUN LINUX
worked fine.
so i'm concluding and you can do your own tests and make your own conclusions....that MS has PATCHED something to stop the MA exploit.....at least for a 3944 bios which is what i have.
so now i will lay warning out to people NOT to take the update in the stream, and find an alternative way to update the dashboard, if you need to.......i saw something in another post about loging into your xbox with xftp and running the update off of a retail Unreal Championship disk.....so perhaps that is the way to go.
also just to clarify...the 007AUF hack still works....so the warning here is for people that only own MA and don't have access to 007AUF for whatever reason.....i just went and bought a used copy today at gamestop for $14 so i wouldn't have to worry about MA anymore.
soooo GOOD LUCK TO ALL
blah