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[Grospolina]

@denky:

Okay, you've convinced me.  I've added a question about damage, and a recommendation in red.

@Mullacy:

As long as you pull out the Xbox IDE cable before the error screen comes up, it should be okay.  It won't turn off (or even pulse) the power for an error screen, and it certainly can't reset the hard drive (since it's disconnected).

Still, if you don't think you can get a hotswap to work, then maybe a modchip is a good idea.

[broadbander]

I'm having a strange issue with my hddriver. First of all I tried to do the hotswap with windows booted. Device Manager recognized the Xbox drive and also the hdd driver program found it but when I open hddriver a message came up "Invalid Filename Size!". This error window only have an OK button that it doesn't matter how many time you press it, it will appear again. I can access (ignoring it) the Tools tab to backup hdd or restore it BUT no access to the xbox drive, no system folder or anything. For the record I tried to back up the hd and it finished fine but hddriver, fatxplorer and HD fatXbox Explorer can't recognize my image file so i could restore an exploited version of the image. Anyone help please.

[Grospolina]

That's a very typical error with HDD_Driver.  It's buggy and may require sector editing to get around.  Even after you get around it, it won't let you create directories.

I recommend xboxhdm instead.  I've added a link to my xboxhdm FAQ.

If you insist on using HDD_Driver, then look up the threads concerning this error.  There are several.

[elec_tech]

Thanks for the awesome tutorial, it answered a lot of questions I had.  

I just tried running through it several times with the linux iso from xboxhdm (pausing before HD detection and swapping drives using primary master slot [I disconnected my main drive and set the bios to boot off cd]).  On the xbox I'm trying to reapir, the M$ logo does not come up, so I waited until the hard drive stopped clicking, right before the error comes up (error 16) and plugged it into my PC cable.  After hitting the spacebar, my pc almost immediately recognized my xbox drive (showed the model number on the bios screen) and booted up to the cd, once I got to the screen where you type xboxhdm, the program booted and told me there either wasn't a drive installed on the primary master (it recognized it on the bootup as the primary master) or the drive wasn't unlocked.  

My question is, how come my pc recognized my xbox hd at the bootup screen but not from the program?  I followed the tutorial to a T, and even tried adding the drive through Windows XP, when I tried to scan for hardware changes, it didn't do anything at all.  Am I missing something, or is it possible that their is a corrupt file on my HD that's preventing my xbox HD from unlocking at startup? Thanks for any insight anyone can give.

[krayzie]

The clickin you heard probably cuz it was lockin again so you had to pull out the cable prior to that last clicking sounds. You can really hear a couple of clicking instances. Make sure you pull out the cable as soon as you first heard the drive bein accesed.

[elec_tech]

QUOTE (krayzie @ Jun 18 2004, 06:50 AM)

The clickin you heard probably cuz it was lockin again so you had to pull out the cable prior to that last clicking sounds. You can really hear a couple of clicking instances. Make sure you pull out the cable as soon as you first heard the drive bein accesed.

So you're saying it locks before the error screen comes up (while still on the big X screen?)  I'm going to give that a shot today after work.  My HD makes quite a few clicks right in a row, almost like it is having troubles unlocking/locking, and clicks a lot while on that X screen, so what I will try is disconnecting it right after it clicks before the X comes up.

I just found another thread where someone mentions if you take to long to swap, your HD will lock again.  I'm only taking 5 - 10 seconds max so I don't think that's the problem but I'm going to try getting some longer IDE cables to give me room to work with

[krayzie]

Yeah as the faq mentions it gets locked again before the error screen. I succesfully unlocked it right after the first or second clickin instance. You only have a few seconds before it locks againg though. it also helps if you first pull out the ide cable and then plug it in half so you don't have to wrestle alot to get the cable out.

[Tony52]

when i try hdd driver with the xbox hdd not pluged in it says http://members.shaw.ca/angelamoon52/erorr.bmp ,is that normal?

[Grospolina]

No, that means you have the wrong version of the MFC42D.DLL.  You need to find a different version that doesn't give you that error.

Btw, the reason you need all those extra DLLs is because whoever released HDD_Driver compiled it in Debug mode instead of Release mode.  I wish people wouldn't do that. [end rant]

[Tony52]

cool thx  

[elec_tech]

QUOTE (krayzie @ Jun 18 2004, 01:56 PM)

Yeah as the faq mentions it gets locked again before the error screen. I succesfully unlocked it right after the first or second clickin instance. You only have a few seconds before it locks againg though. it also helps if you first pull out the ide cable and then plug it in half so you don't have to wrestle alot to get the cable out.

Thanks for the tips, I tried it the way you mentioned, swapping as soon as the clicking stops (mine seems to have troubles unlocking, clicking up to 8 or 9 times).  As soon as it stopped right around the transition from flubber to 'X', I swapped with the pc.  A couple of times it recognized the drive in my bootup screen, a couple of times it didn't, but either way xboxhdm said there either wasn't a drive or it wasn't unlocked.  Before that screen on xboxhdm, it said something about too many drives so I disconnected my dvd drive which I wasn't using then my pc wouldn't boot.

Before I started this, I disconnected my PC drive (primary master) and used that empty cable for my xbox drive to swap to.  I also set my PC to boot off my cd writer drive (with the linux.iso in it).  I'm going to try and find another xbox with a hard drive error and see if I can get it to work with a different drive.

Also, people are mentioning using a modded xbox to swap.  Where does the modded xbox have to be in it's boot sequence to perform the swap, at the dash?  Or can I just boot up with and evox or slayers cd and swap anytime after it picks up the cd?  And, when performing the xbox to xbox hotswap, should the cases be grounded together?  If they're both floating grounds I would think in safety it should be done because they could both be at different ground potential?  

[elec_tech]

BTW, the tutorial mentions if the word MS doesn't appear under the X logo to wait until just before the error screen comes up to perform the swap, which is why I waited as long as possible originally.

[krayzie]

QUOTE (elec_tech @ Jun 19 2004, 03:06 PM)

Also, people are mentioning using a modded xbox to swap.  Where does the modded xbox have to be in it's boot sequence to perform the swap, at the dash?  Or can I just boot up with and evox or slayers cd and swap anytime after it picks up the cd?  And, when performing the xbox to xbox hotswap, should the cases be grounded together?  If they're both floating grounds I would think in safety it should be done because they could both be at different ground potential?

I always use my modded xbox to hotswap instead of the pc. I measured a 108 volts between the two xbox chasis so I think it's wise to connect the two together also. Anyway The right moment on the modded xbox is right after or at the same time you hear the dvd drive spinning (with an evox cd in it).  

[elec_tech]

QUOTE (krayzie @ Jun 19 2004, 03:24 PM)

I always use my modded xbox to hotswap instead of the pc. I measured a 108 volts between the two xbox chasis so I think it's wise to connect the two together also. Anyway The right moment on the modded xbox is right after or at the same time you hear the dvd drive spinning (with an evox cd in it).

So I have to time the swap so the dvd starts spinning on my modded xbox at the same time my screwed up xbox gets past the flubber screen (drive stops clicking)?  That sounds like it will be pretty tricky considering my screwed up xbox doesn't always  unlock at the same time.  I'll give it a shot though, I'd rather damage an xbox than my PC

[krayzie]

You can pull out the ide cable from the messed up xbox first. if you did it at the right moment and it is unlocked it will stay unlocked if the ide cable is pulled out. Then you have time to power up the modded xbox (without ide cable connected to the hd) and when you hear the dvd drive spinning quickly plug in the ide cable from the first xbox. If everything is well you can than hear the drive being accesed and you boot to evox fromwhere you have full ftp capability.