Post by: DazJWood on March 30, 2006, 11:49:00 AM
I have been researching the softmods and chips and am still not sure I know which way to go.
I modded my XBox about three years ago with an Xecuter 3 chip and its been working great ever since and I have had no problems at all with it. After reading up about softmodding there seems to be a myriad of different ways of doing it with various all in one solutions. It appears very confusing as to what the best option is. Also there seems to be loads of cases of people softmodding there XBox's then a little while later there XBox falling over somehow and failing.
Generally the only main problems with chipped XBox's seems to be the initial chipping. I am fairly proficient at soldering and am swinging towards chipping again because it seems a more reliable way of modding.
I am not concerned about XBox Live as I will be using the XBox to stream media from my PC. So I will be wanting to install a bigger hard drive also.
I realise that there are a few hardware modifications that can benefit from a chip being installed, such as the front panel add ons and IR mods. Although I know these can be done also without a chipped XBox, albeit with a little more modification. Other than this is there any advantage or disadvantage to choosing softmodding over hardware modding (via chip)??
Thanks in advance guys and excuse my probably obvious question, (I feel like I have researched this to death but seem no closer to a definitive answer lol).
Daz
Post by: deadparrot on March 30, 2006, 12:02:00 PM
Post by: krayzie on March 30, 2006, 12:21:00 PM
Post by: sppyro on March 30, 2006, 01:09:00 PM
I recommend using Krayzie's Ndure Installer. Quite Possibly the best softmod installer out there (Kudos Krayzie).
-sppyro
Post by: chorizo1 on March 30, 2006, 02:52:00 PM
QUOTE(krayzie @ Mar 30 2006, 01:21 PM) 
have a somewhat understanding on how to not screw up softmods
EXACTLY. that is #1 way to fuck up a softmod.
Here's some softmod tips:
1) DO NOT FORMAT ANY DRIVE especially E and C
2) DO NOT DELETE THE GAMESAVES FROM XBOX
3) DO NOT UNLOCK THE HDD--DO NOT UNLOCK THE HDD--DO NOT UNLOCK THE HDD
4) BACKUP YOUR EEPROM.BIN TO YOUR PC (it's useless if you leave it in the xbox and it messes up)
Post by: Rubber Chewbacca on March 30, 2006, 03:30:00 PM
so now im softmodded and i think it is a bit easier but not as good. modchips let me choose which bios to load and lets me go to my ms dashboard. 
Post by: Epaige on March 30, 2006, 03:54:00 PM
QUOTE(Rubber Chewbacca @ Mar 31 2006, 12:37 AM)
on my xenium spice one of the pins broke off
so now im softmodded and i think it is a bit easier but not as good. modchips let me choose which bios to load and lets me go to my ms dashboard. You can go to ms dash with ndure soft mod.
Post by: Rubber Chewbacca on March 30, 2006, 04:07:00 PM
nvm
Post by: krayzie on March 30, 2006, 09:43:00 PM
This post has been edited by krayzie: Mar 31 2006, 05:44 AM
Post by: Neilor on March 31, 2006, 04:27:00 AM
The Harddrive upgrade is pretty straightforward, it might be a little bit longer, but how often do you upgrade your harddrive?
The same things that screw up a softmod can screw up a chipmod, if someone is going to format their C: or E: they'll still end up with a messed up mod... the only difference is all chips will recover with a boot CD/DVD.... but if you browse through the Evox forum, it's full of folks looking to create boot CD's after formatting a drive.... if someone is dumb enough to format their system, they're probably not up to the task of creating a boot disk...
The Lock/Un-Lock problem is still there with a softmod, but it is balanced by the Virtual C and EEPROM's which a chip doesn't provide.
This post has been edited by Neilor: Mar 31 2006, 12:30 PM
Post by: DazJWood on March 31, 2006, 08:34:00 AM
Post by: krayzie on March 31, 2006, 08:38:00 AM
QUOTE(DazJWood @ Mar 31 2006, 05:34 PM)
Sorry to be thick but what's the unlock / lock problem?
It's just that with softmods your hd needs to remain locked at all times. I don't see how this would be a problem though
Post by: Trusty Mutsi on March 31, 2006, 11:38:00 AM
QUOTE(sppyro @ Mar 30 2006, 09:09 PM) 
One thing to remember when softmodding: Back Up, Back Up, Back Up your eeprom.
I recommend using Krayzie's Ndure Installer. Quite Possibly the best softmod installer out there (Kudos Krayzie).
-sppyro
How bad of a screw up can the backed up eeprom fix? I've been fortunate so far, but can it help even if you completely erase your C: drive, or screw something else up majorly?
Post by: BigSteel on March 31, 2006, 11:38:00 AM
QUOTE(Trusty Mutsi @ Mar 31 2006, 07:38 PM)
How bad of a screw up can the backed up eeprom fix? I've been fortunate so far, but can it help even if you completely erase your C: drive, or screw something else up majorly?
As long as you have the eeprom.bin file you can fix anything
Post by: DazJWood on April 02, 2006, 04:03:00 PM
Either way I want to change the hard drive and put in a bigger one. Can anyone give me a link to where an up to date hard drive compatability list might be. I have had a good browse round and I cant find one anywhere! I'm sure there must be though.
Cheers guys,
Daz
This post has been edited by DazJWood: Apr 2 2006, 11:05 PM
Post by: ikecomp on April 02, 2006, 05:03:00 PM
http://xboxdrives.x-pec.com/
Post by: DazJWood on April 09, 2006, 05:55:00 PM
Post by: [Captain_America] on April 09, 2006, 09:06:00 PM
And for the hdd upgrade, HerE
The softmod guide wont be exact to your softmod, cuz you ARE going to use Krazies NDURE v1.1. But its very simple, just follow the on screen steps and BACKUP your EEPROM to your PC!
There are are some helpful links in my sig for you if you want to use a usb device to transfer the gamesaves.
I would just take a look at most of those links. GooD luck, and don't worry if it doesnt all work out on the first try
Post by: kurt_powers69 on April 10, 2006, 11:36:00 PM
.
Post by: DazJWood on April 25, 2006, 05:27:00 AM
Well I thought I had.
I followed the two guides Captain America put in his post.
I installed Krayzie's NDure 1.1 and everything went exactly as planned. I changed my dash to XBMC (Is there any advantage to having Evox over XBMC? Should I have kept my dash as Evox and installed XBMC as an app??).
Everything was working fine.
So I thought I'd install a bigger hard drive. I used a Maxtor 200gb. Followed the second guide to install a bigger hard drive. This went exactly as described. I got a little stuck when my PC would not lock the hard drive using XBoxHDM but I used an older PC and it worked fine.
I installed the hard drive into my Xbox. Booted it up and low and behold the softmod has disappeared and my original MS Dash is there. I started the Splinter Cell exploit again to see that the softmod appears to be still there as it gives me the option to remove it. I FTP'd into the box and all the files seem to be there. I am guessing this has something to do with this shadow C or virtual C image.
Can anyone give me any ideas (in simple talk
) where to go from here?Is there no dummy guide to install a bigger hard drive when using this exploit package?
Excuse my ignorance over this. I thought I had read up enough on softmodding but it seems I still am in the dark on a number of things.
Thanks in advance,
Daz
Post by: cerealkillajme on April 25, 2006, 09:03:00 AM
The best way I think would be to boot the exploit and select to remove the softmod and restore from HD backup. Then you won't be modded and can boot the exploit again to install it. I think that would fix things and when you re-install the softmod it should all work.
Post by: ikecomp on April 25, 2006, 11:44:00 AM
Post by: ikecomp on April 25, 2006, 02:40:00 PM
Post by: [Captain_America] on April 25, 2006, 07:31:00 PM
). So how did you get the other GB back?
Post by: [Captain_America] on April 26, 2006, 05:41:00 AM
Post by: tzedek on April 26, 2006, 02:36:00 PM
Post by: danielmid on April 26, 2006, 04:50:00 PM
Post by: MasterGouken on April 26, 2006, 04:55:00 PM
I have noticed if i use XBMC whilst ftp'ing it only shows C,D,E and F drives. If i change to Avalaunch it shows C,D,E,F,X,Y and Z partitions. I have to refresh the right pane in FlashFXP if i change dash. This might be your problem.
Post by: [Captain_America] on April 26, 2006, 05:44:00 PM
Post by: ikecomp on April 26, 2006, 07:39:00 PM
And to captain america, if you have the .6 nkpatcher installed and want to switch to .67 without redoing the softmod just load up krayzies extras using the game save exploit or by just taking the extras folder and placing it in the applications folder on your hard drive. Once you load up the extras you should be presented with the option to switch to nkpatcher.67
Post by: [Captain_America] on April 26, 2006, 08:51:00 PM
Post by: ikecomp on April 26, 2006, 09:43:00 PM
Also make sure they are both enabled in your dashboard
Post by: ikecomp on April 27, 2006, 08:49:00 AM
Post by: [Captain_America] on April 27, 2006, 10:47:00 AM
Post by: [Captain_America] on April 27, 2006, 02:49:00 PM
also, i need to upgrade my eeprom using config magic. i followed the directions someone gave me before and it didnt work.
Post by: ikecomp on April 27, 2006, 05:22:00 PM
In other words when your reboot you will get an error 6 meaning your xbox can't unlock the hard drive using the eeprom stored on the xbox.
Post by: [Captain_America] on April 27, 2006, 06:48:00 PM
Post by: ikecomp on April 27, 2006, 07:58:00 PM
Post by: [Captain_America] on April 27, 2006, 08:23:00 PM
Post by: The Reepr on April 27, 2006, 08:53:00 PM
Post by: ikecomp on April 28, 2006, 08:25:00 AM
QUOTE(The Reepr @ Apr 27 2006, 10:00 PM)
Okay, if you can't afford about 20 bucks (50 for an xecuter) than softmod, but if you can afford it, get a modchip. I softmodded my xbox and fucked myself over with not being able to touch any files, or make any changes to what the auto installer installed as a bundle. Modchip=XBL, also, many things are easier with a modchip, as stated above, a HD replacement is easier, as well as keeping your M$ dash perfectly out of harm's way ( It was part of my getting screwed over.)IF YOU are broke, I reccomend the Auto Installer deluxe, it has many options for you (dash select, preinstalled sjkins, already made emus, etc.) But, dude save up a couple bucks and pick one up ( save a dollar more up and get the best, an xecuter) Just check out everything before you do this. I would stay away from softmods unless you are totally new to the scene, or you are broke. So you choose. Hope this helps
Even though this question has been answered I choose to add a couple corrections on the above statements
- AID and SID are plain garbage. You should use krayzies installer or one of the other ndure exploits
- Softmods allow you to play on live just like chips. You can either cold boot or dual boot to achieve this
In my opinion you should not mess with the files on your xbox if you are new to modding because as you have already shown through your experience, if you don't know what you are doing you can seriously screw up your xbox.
But if you make a backup of your eeprom you can recover from virtually any softmodding mishaps through the use of xboxhdm.
What are you gonna do if you have a soldering mishaps or if you're having problems with your solderless chip popping out of place. Theres are no sure fixes for these issues
Post by: krayzie on April 28, 2006, 08:30:00 AM
QUOTE(The Reepr @ Apr 28 2006, 05:00 AM)
I would stay away from softmods unless you are totally new to the scene, or you are broke. So you choose. Hope this helps
I would say the exact oposite. Only start with softmods if you are not new and have a fair deal of knowledge so you know what and what not to do. If you are new and don't want to invest in understanding in what you are doing you are better of with a chip.
Post by: DazJWood on April 29, 2006, 02:31:00 PM
This time however I went in to Krayzie's Extras then FTP'd into the Xbox and copied the C & E folders over. I then used XBoxHDM to write an ISO and as before installed this onto a 200Gb hard drive.
After installing this back into my Xbox I am just greeted with a Xbox Live setup screen that doesn't allow me to press or action anything. I thought that copying over the C drive whilst in the Extras section would copy it over in modded state.
I can still run games and get back into the exploit but the other weird thing now is that the CDrive backup that is done on the E drive when you install the softmod is gone. It is also gone from the stock hard drive.
I don't know how this could of happened because I definitely haven't deleted anything but the folder is not there.
What can I do now? I was going to remove the softmod but without the CDrive backup it won't work obviously!?!
Help??
thanks,
Daz
Post by: Epaige on April 29, 2006, 07:27:00 PM
QUOTE(krayzie @ Apr 28 2006, 04:37 PM)
I would say the exact oposite. Only start with softmods if you are not new and have a fair deal of knowledge so you know what and what not to do. If you are new and don't want to invest in understanding in what you are doing you are better of with a chip.
Yeah ive been modded for a year or so know..And never had a chip..With Ndure its so easy..
Post by: DazJWood on April 30, 2006, 03:11:00 PM
Post by: DazJWood on May 01, 2006, 02:45:00 AM
Service required. Call Customer Support.
Plus loads of other languages. It now won't boot any games and doesn't move off this screen.
What do i do now?
Help?!?
Daz
Post by: DazJWood on May 01, 2006, 04:04:00 AM
Dumbo as I am I forgot to reconnect the power lead after changing the hard drives around yesterday. So once connected back up properly I reinstalled the stock C files to the CDrive backup folder on E and then removed the softmod. Then I reapplied it and all seems well
Cheers all,
Daz
Post by: [Captain_America] on May 01, 2006, 08:30:00 AM
I have my F and G drives enabled and formatted
I just stilllll have to get around to changing the eeprom maybe tonite.
If someone can post what i do with the newest version of configmagic that would be nice. or when i get home i can do some searching
Post by: dohopoki on May 01, 2006, 12:28:00 PM
QUOTE(krayzie @ Apr 28 2006, 10:37 AM)
I would say the exact oposite. Only start with softmods if you are not new and have a fair deal of knowledge so you know what and what not to do. If you are new and don't want to invest in understanding in what you are doing you are better of with a chip.
Agreed, for about a year and a half I followed xbox-scene and xbox-linux project before I made the move to softmod my xbox. I still screwed things up a couple times but I had the knowledge of how to fix them without even asking how and no harm was done.
Up until then I had been playing on friends chipped boxes and I have to say I'm able to do everything on mine I liked doing on theirs and all it cost me was 5 bucks for ethernet cord (which was a luxury expense that I would've made with a chip too). Softmod my vote.
Post by: [Captain_America] on May 01, 2006, 03:04:00 PM
QUOTE
What's this changing eeprom about?
Basically, i need to change it if i want to play on live with my new hdd.
This explains it ---> Marriage Theory
Post by: krayzie on May 09, 2006, 08:36:00 AM
Post by: DazJWood on May 13, 2006, 03:17:00 PM