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OG Xbox Forums => Hardware Forums => General Hardware/Technical Chat => Topic started by: Lee_5 on June 19, 2004, 04:40:00 AM

Title: Adding A 2nd Hard Drive
Post by: Lee_5 on June 19, 2004, 04:40:00 AM

I'm wanting to have 2 HD's hooked up at the same time. This seems to be a major bug for alot of people because there aren't any IDE switches to completely disconnect one HD while the other is working.

I found a this tutorial for adding a 2nd DVD drive, that will allow you to read the crappy CD-R's. It involves using a SPDT switch on the 23rd IDE wire. Since there was no switch on the power in this tutorial, I'm guessing that by having just the 23rd wire on this switch, that will allow you to have more than 2 items connected to the IDE cable, without having conflicts that cause the Xbox to act up. Am I correct?

The tutorial seems to have worked for 2 DVD drives, so would it work for 2 HD's?

Title: Adding A 2nd Hard Drive
Post by: opjose on June 19, 2004, 09:09:00 AM

Forgo trying to hook up two drives this way.

Your best bet is to make an external removable drive bay.

You must also ALWAYS unplug the AC power cord (and hit the Xbox on button) before swapping drives, else you'll hurt the IDE electronics.

Title: Adding A 2nd Hard Drive
Post by: lordvader129 on June 19, 2004, 08:05:00 PM

i doubt it will work, as opjose said, it will hurt the electronics, IDE devices arent designed to be hotswapped lie\ke that, look how many people kill their HD trying to install a font exploit

Title: Adding A 2nd Hard Drive
Post by: opjose on June 19, 2004, 09:02:00 PM

The drive bay idea which people have suggested is the best alternative at the moment.

Title: Adding A 2nd Hard Drive
Post by: HELLTICK on June 20, 2004, 04:36:00 PM

I've been swapping Hdd's...via mobile-rack ever since Evox came out...Never unpluged the console...just power it down and give it 10 secs or so before you remove it from the dock.

Title: Adding A 2nd Hard Drive
Post by: opjose on June 20, 2004, 04:38:00 PM

The on board capacitors store up a charge which is normally released in a controlled fashion to the motherboard electronics via regulation circuitry.

When you unplug the AC and hit the power button there is enough of a charge still left that the motherboard BEGINS a startup cycle. However the remaining energy is depleted within .3 seconds or so. Sometimes you'll actually see the LED light up!

Anyway this depletes the remaining charge on the capacitors.

If you don't do this, you run the risk of shunting current to the (external) IDE drive which unlike the xbox, is probably better grounded and hence forms a nice path for the current.

So YES it is essential do perform this step to avoid damage.

Now having said that, the power supply always keeps a trickle charge purposely running to the Xbox electronics.

So no you cannot easily ground away any excess current without having to deal with the above.

This is yet another reason I've stated that some form of bus isolation is required to avoid damage. The xbox is effectively "on" otherwise and not designed for this type of thing.

The ideal solution would be a keylock on the external drive that does three things at once.

a )  It removes AC power
b ) It discharges any remaining power by initiating a startup on the Xbox.
c ) It unlocks the drive

... in that order.

However doing all of this is not trivial, though not inordinately difficult either.

Title: Adding A 2nd Hard Drive
Post by: opjose on June 20, 2004, 05:29:00 PM

QUOTE (HELLTICK @ Jun 21 2004, 12:52 AM)

Hmm...two years with my hdd's and no data-loss...must be doing something right.

You may never get a flat tire either, so why not just throw away the spare?

No that's rather poor logic... the old

"well it works for me...".

Yeah uhum, ok. Go right ahead and do what you do...

Just don't advocate it, and be the cause of a bunch of newbies blowing up their machines as a result.

There are already a slew of posts from people who have done just that here.

Let's not add toasted newbies to the flaming pit of burned Xboxes.

Title: Adding A 2nd Hard Drive
Post by: opjose on June 20, 2004, 06:01:00 PM

GREAT MOD! BTW.

I just wish there was a way to get removable trays in there.

Title: Adding A 2nd Hard Drive
Post by: DirtyDeeds on November 02, 2005, 05:29:00 PM

               

Easy just go to llamma.com look for the dual HDD mod.

All you have to do is get a 4 divice ide cable and make a power switch and you are done

             

Title: Adding A 2nd Hard Drive
Post by: sparrowbluejay on November 02, 2005, 08:52:00 PM

I have one of those old external IDE switches ....  should be in the atik...
Do you remember them? the ones in a metalic box, five ide conectors on the back and one selector on the front... do you think this kind of external switches could do a nice job?... I'm not planning to go 2 HDs right now, but now I'm reading you and I wonder if it works.

(Yes, they are IDE, not printer, serial o paralel sockets)
I bought one 10 years ago in Computer USA ... I think. If not, then was in Office Max.
I think they were for servers and I get mine just by error, I never used it.

Try to get one, they shoud be a lot cheaper now.

Title: Adding A 2nd Hard Drive
Post by: deacon187 on November 02, 2005, 10:45:00 PM

QUOTE(sparrowbluejay @ Nov 3 2005, 12:07 AM)

I have one of those old external IDE switches ....  should be in the atik...

Title: Adding A 2nd Hard Drive
Post by: lordvader129 on November 02, 2005, 10:47:00 PM

QUOTE(DirtyDeeds @ Nov 2 2005, 05:40 PM)