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[blackdiamond]

Hey guys, couldn't find my problem on the forums so far, so could someone plz give me a heads up...?

I softmodded a friends xbox (1.4) yesterday with a new (but already partitioned) 250GIG drive...
I did:
1) put in a solderless chip just to boot the install disc (just held it there with my fingers until it booted)
2) bootet AID 3.01
3) took chip off
4) locked the drive with config magic
5) softmod section: Installed SID 3.1 nkpatcher then patched MS-dash 5960
6) installed evox
7) rebooted FINE!!!!! everything works!!!

did the same on my box today with a 160GIG drive, and it works too...

...BUT only if I can get it to boot. The box just restarts 3 times, just like when you don't solder a chip in correctly or don't position a solderless chip correctly...
This is a virgin board (1.4), never been soldered to it or anything else.

I just restart it 5-10 times, and when the bios (original bios) finally loads up, everything is fine and evox starts up, that means the softmod works, but most of the time it just flashes three times and booting fails...

has anyone experienced something like this..?
thx in advance..

[blackdiamond]

update:

did the same with my 400GB drive... same problem!

The stock drive boots normally! It must be the drives.

What is odd though:
The drive that worked is a 250GB Samsung Spinpoint SP2514N...
The drives that don't work are 160GB Samsung Spinpoint SP1604N and
Samsung Spinpoint HD400LD...

All of them are lockable... hmmm maybe it really is the mainboard?
I have no idea...

Unfortunately I can't test my other mainboard, cause it has the smartxx soldered to it..

another edit:

I have found an inconsistency: The System Settings in evox tell me "BIOS Version: unknown"...
on the box that worked it said something like: "256k something (just like the orig. bios)"
maybe thats the problem. Evox diesn't seem to recognize the bios, even though it's the stock bios..

I didn't flash it though (since i haven't soldered the 2 points to do a TSOP flash (yet))...
  odd-odd-odd

It feels funny talking to myself too.. lol

[Neilor]

It sounds like a font problem, they sometimes need to be tuned to the Retail Bios or additional fonts added to give stability to the mod... there's an option in Krayzies installer to do this, so I'm assuming AID/SID has something similar... check there docs or forum.

[blackdiamond]

QUOTE(Neilor @ Jan 15 2007, 09:32 PM)

It sounds like a font problem, they sometimes need to be tuned to the Retail Bios or additional fonts added to give stability to the mod... there's an option in Krayzies installer to do this, so I'm assuming AID/SID has something similar... check there docs or forum.

ok.. first of all thx for your answer...

I've looked into the fonts issue, but I've come to the point where I don't think this is the problem. I replaced the 160GIG hdd with the stock drive (so now it is unmodded) and all of a sudden I have the same problem:
xbox tries to boot three times and fails. after a few tries it catches on, the bios animation starts and boots the MS-dash.
however, I get the clock screen on every reboot. I change the time... then reboot it, and the time is gone again. and this is the unmodded state!!

Then I tried to boot with my mod-chip on... MS-dash boots and the time screen pops up only once, I put in the time, then reboot... and it saved the time ---> [/b]no clock screen. I can repeat this as often as I want and the time stays.

maybe it has something to do with me wanting to softmod without a gamesave and instead booting from the chip (M8 plus bios) just to start the install disc and then removing the chip...

The reason I don't think it is a fonts issue is that the xbox has no time to even recognize any (real or fake) fonts, as it doesn't even get to the point of loading a bios... once the bios catches on and loads up, everything works (except for the time problem)... but I don't get a clock loop, just to clear things up...

ok sorry for the long text... I just wanted to be thorough, so maybe somebody can see what the problem is...

btw it is a v1.1 mainboard with a thomson drive with no prior mods...

edit: when I come to think of it.. this might not even be a softmodding problem anymore.. darn

best regards,
bd

[blackdiamond]

(bump)

still haven't found a solution... box still FRAGs without chip, but never FRAGs with chip...

if it does boot up (without chip and after 10+ attempts) evox and BIOS checker tell me: "BIOS unknown", xD

I boot with M8+ to get the AID disc running, then softmod... BOX FRAGS most of the time...

anyone?

if no one knows I guess I'll have to attempt a TSOP flash :-/ ...

the f**kin solderless chip wont stay in its place...

edit: I used SID 3.1 btw...

[cerealkillajme]

Not sure why your having that. SID sux, so I'd suggest using something better like Krayzies. I assume since your using AID and a solderless chip you don't have the softmod tools. You can use CASH v1.1 to softmod with a chip, just click the link in my sig and read post #11 for a mini-tutorial on how to softmod a chipped box with it.

[blackdiamond]

QUOTE(cerealkillajme @ Jan 18 2007, 02:07 PM)

Not sure why your having that. SID sux, so I'd suggest using something better like Krayzies. I assume since your using AID and a solderless chip you don't have the softmod tools. You can use CASH v1.1 to softmod with a chip, just click the link in my sig and read post #11 for a mini-tutorial on how to softmod a chipped box with it.

hey thanks!!!
 
I'll look into that as soon as I get home...

[blackdiamond]

@cerealkiller

thx for your disc.. it really rocks.
I have a much cleaner softmod now.

However, I still have the reboot problem and I still get "BIOS:Unknown" instead of "BIOS: 256 Retail etc..." like on the other box I softmodded.

Also, the time resets on every boot (2:00 a.m. 6/6/2004). It never resets with the chip enabled though.

As for the booting problem, I have found out that this only happens if the box is hot (especially the gpu-heatsink burns my fingers) Maybe it'll help if the box is closed and the airflow gets better, keeping the heatsinks cooler.
It doesn't do this with the chip enabled however, so I'm pretty much clueless.
anyway: thx again for the great work on your disc

if anyone else bothers to read this and has a similar problem, I'd be happy for any tips you might have

best regards, bd

[blackdiamond]

a little **BUMP** from my side...

I can reproduce the error... on first boot it always works right away. The box will run for hours, without problems. AS SOON as I reboot, it hangs. After it cools off, I can restart it and it'll work.

This is the oddest error EVER... with a modchip I can reboot without probs, no matter how hot the cpu&gpu are. With ANY SOFTMOD it will have this issue...

Oh well, thx 4 reading this!

Maybe somebody has had this with one of their boxes???

[krayzie]

it does sound like a font problem. And it may indeed vary from hd to hd since the bootimes differ on each hd. Try setting a kernel specific font and optionally add S.xtf files to increase the landingzone.

Also the bios unknown is nothing to worry about. you can easily set it to anything you like by adding your bios hash in the config.ini.
The time thing is a bit strange. Looks like the fonts set the time after the xbox is unplugged too long. Try setting the time in the msdash and see if that helps.

[blackdiamond]

QUOTE(krayzie @ Jun 14 2007, 08:31 PM)

it does sound like a font problem. And it may indeed vary from hd to hd since the bootimes differ on each hd. Try setting a kernel specific font and optionally add S.xtf files to increase the landingzone.

first off.. thx for your respone.

I'll try to do the font changes you mentioned. Sounds like it could work... (at least thats one I haven't tried)

QUOTE

Also the bios unknown is nothing to worry about. you can easily set it to anything you like by adding your bios hash in the config.ini.
The time thing is a bit strange. Looks like the fonts set the time after the xbox is unplugged too long. Try setting the time in the msdash and see if that helps.

As for the time error, I already set the time in msdash, but it resets anyways. With the little chip i hold in place, the time never resets. oh well, it would be enough to get the box to boot/reboot whenever I want to, without having to wait 10min+ to get it to cool down. The date/time can stay at 1980 or whatever.

I'll go put the box back together now, and try some more...

kind regards, bd

[triggernum5]

Is it possible that any eeprom settings have been edited before the softmod?  Different eeprom configs can be jerks to softmods..  The scenario you describe sounds like not even an unmodded hdd would boot in it if not even the X-Logo appears..  FYI, the hdd is unlocked when the M$ text appears below..  If you aren't even seing the X then I doubt different fonts or nkpatcher will help you (atleast with the bootup, SID never was something I trusted)..

[blackdiamond]

QUOTE(triggernum5 @ Jun 19 2007, 02:06 AM)

Is it possible that any eeprom settings have been edited before the softmod?  Different eeprom configs can be jerks to softmods..  

no, I have never changed any eeprom settings, but I might not know exactly what settings you mean.

QUOTE

The scenario you describe sounds like not even an unmodded hdd would boot in it if not even the X-Logo appears..  FYI, the hdd is unlocked when the M$ text appears below..  If you aren't even seing the X then I doubt different fonts or nkpatcher will help you (atleast with the bootup, SID never was something I trusted)..

I put the original unmodded (locked) 8gig drive back in, just to check, and it boots fine every time... no reboot issues... even after gaming.

I am not using SID anymore. I used cerealkillajme's CASH v1.1. Same problem though...

I am ruling out any HDD errors, as it boots perfectly with a solderless chip in place (and the 160Gig drive)...
With the softmod (and the same 160Gig drive) it boots fine, as long as the the box is cold. In the mornings I just turn it on and it works.
HOWEVER, it starts acting up (FRAGS), whenever I reboot after, lets say, 10minutes of gaming/videos etc.  After it cools off ---> boots fine.

So it acts like a hardware error, but it only occurs with the softmod (hence: NO hardware error). Thats the part I can't understand.

Well, I'll keep trying...  thx for your answers.

[triggernum5]

By eeprom settings I mean MSDash settings..  Language, parental stuff etc..  But yea, I'm stumped..  If the M$ text doesn't appear below the logo, then the hdd shouldn't even be getting unlocked, and thus software issues should be a moot point..  I'd be interested to know what the 400GB hdd behaves like with a stock Msdash installed (like an unmodded drive), if you can pull that off without too much hassle..
Beyond that, if it works as it should the box is old enough to run with much older exploits employing older nkpatchers or Phoenix BFM bios loader you might try..
Also, are the jumpers configured for master, or cable select?  Can't hurt to try switching that..  It should work with either config, but I've seen wierder things..
Quick question..  Does a dvd in the drive change anything?
Lastly, if its a 1.4 and you can solder decently then tsop flashing is also an option