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Xbox360 Forums => Xbox 360 Hacking Forums => Modchip Development / Research => Topic started by: boco77 on April 09, 2007, 06:01:00 AM

Title: Questions About Flashing/modding My 360
Post by: boco77 on April 09, 2007, 06:01:00 AM

Ok I'm interested doing this but was wondering which is the best way? Everyone says I should flash the firmware with extreme instead of modding it with a chip (like the HM one?). Theres no way i'm opening up my 360 to do this so i'll be sending it to someone. I'm just worried about a few things:

1. What if MS release a update to their console that bricks modded/flashed xbox 360's? Or is this impossible as the flashing/modding cant be detected?

2. I have a launch PAL 360 will it play verbatim DL media fine? Also is it picky with the burner used too? I just have a average Liteon DL burner.

3. If i want to change the firmware in the future after its flashed how hard is it to do this? Will I have to open my 360 just to upgrade/downgrade the firmware?

Title: Questions About Flashing/modding My 360
Post by: ydgmms on April 09, 2007, 09:26:00 AM

1) during the fall update, some members that had a samsung flashed were bricked. they put a new check on the system and the modded firmware didn't pass and got stuck in some sort of loop or something and bricked.
cant say for sure about hte future....your guess is as good as anyone elses....

2)Shouldn'tmatter anymore.

3) Yes

Title: Questions About Flashing/modding My 360
Post by: LIVE Prophet on April 12, 2007, 12:55:00 AM

1- Well, honestly, if you are going to spend the money to ship it out to someone for an install, using the NME v1.2 might be your best option, especially if you are afraid of MS updating your console and bricking your drive. See, the NME does not overwrite your original firmware, it just sort of "adds" to it, therefore system updates will not brick your drive. Flashing your drive will leave you vulnerable to MS being able to brick your system, especially now that they are trying hard to crack down on us hackers.

2- As for the type of disc and burner, Verbatim are the best, but you should experiment with some cheaper kinds because you could save a lot of money. And for the burner, if you use the NME v1.2, you should be able to use just about any burner. I would recommend you burn at a slow speed though for optimum writing performance. Otherwise, if you flash you should still be able to use that burner because it is a pretty reliable brand name.

3- Yes, you would have to open your Xbox 360. If you plan on updating the firmware later yourself then it is pretty pointless to send it off to someone for a flash because if you dont know how to do it yourself you would have to ship it out and pay someone to flash it every time you want an upgrade.

Title: Questions About Flashing/modding My 360
Post by: caster420 on April 12, 2007, 05:27:00 AM

QUOTE(ydgmms @ Apr 9 2007, 10:57 AM)

You are giving the wrong impression. Their drives were not 'bricked'. Since they had flash a ms28 firmware to a ms25 drive (or vice versa), they were receiving E66. This still occurs today if you have an updated kernel and try to use a drive firmware that reports as something different than what originally came with your system. This is not a bricked drive - you simply have to reflash your firmware with the proper version strings. This is not a reason to push modchips, which are a waste of money in my opinion. Since the fall update, there has been two subsequent kernel updates, neither of which has changed the status of firmware. I think you should note that if they do start banning people due to modified firmware, patch on the fly systems (modchips) are no different, as the modified responses are being sent to the 360, which is potentially detectable, just like a flashed firmware. You would still be banned and wouldnt be able to use your chip, so dont feel safe simply because you are using a patch on the fly system.

Caster.

This post has been edited by caster420: Apr 12 2007, 12:44 PM

Title: Questions About Flashing/modding My 360
Post by: ydgmms on April 12, 2007, 09:27:00 AM

QUOTE(caster420 @ Apr 12 2007, 05:58 AM)

My point was that it has been detected via some check that caused some drives to fail... And that it can be again...

Title: Questions About Flashing/modding My 360
Post by: sosotiit on April 12, 2007, 11:59:00 AM

First, @ydgmms I commend you for your effort in this forum. At times, I know XS can be very much flashing focused and it can be frustrating

for those believing in the modchip solution. I am not here to take position for or against FW vs modchip

That said, it is not the first post I see saying the fall update bricked drive, and used in a way to advocate the use of modchip. I need to clarify some of the arguments made on that subject.

The fall update did not brick drive and was not part of a scheme by MS to detect drive with flashed firmware. It was only a few of the drives that had a different identification (ms25, ms28, v46, v47...) than the original ID associated to that motherboard. The fact that the drive had an original FW (Replacement drive) or a hacked fw (with an ID not matching the MB) was causing exactly the same problem. On the other hand all the console with flashed FW with the proper ID had no problems. In fact, if one of those replacement drive with original FW that had the E66, had been equipped with a modChip then it would have had the same problem.
So the E66 error at the fall update was about which ID was on the drive, not whether the Fw was flashed or original.
Brick: The corrective measure for those with the wrong ID, whether in an original or hacked FW, were only a few bytes to be changed in order to correct the ID of the drive. Anyone bricking his drive over that, could have done it with any operation on a modchip just the same.
Detection: There was no detection meant by ms, because if ms had wanted to make the life of hacked fw owner difficult it would not have been the minority having a replacement drive (whether original or hacked)!!!, they would have targeted those with the hacked FW!!! A software integration issue at best, that is all it was.

From all the updates, this was the only impact ever and as indicated nothing demonstrate intent to detect and significant impact. Now will future upgrade try to detect modified system, no one knows, just like it would not be adequate to pretend that modchip would be saved from any impact. Aside from intentional detection, future mishaps like the E66 may happen again affecting original FW and/or hacked FW and/or modchip, who knows??

anyway lets be careful , not trying to make your life difficult, but letting people believe that hacked firmware is more/less targeted than chip would be pure speculation and therefore misleading.

BTW, I started a pinned faq, if you have suggestion do not hesitate to PM me

rgds, soso

Title: Questions About Flashing/modding My 360
Post by: ydgmms on April 12, 2007, 10:21:00 PM

I'll admit I dont know as much about firmware as you and other firmware-erers(?)...flashers (better word), know.

And when the E66/E74 errors popped out, lets be honest, it only affected flashed players. And I'll be honest, I only saw the beginnings of the threads (hell it was on the front page). So yeah I say brick, because at the time, thats all I read was 'omg MS brickerorzd my driverz!' I knew it had been fixed for some and for future flashes, but also read that (again at the time) it looked permanent on some drives. Hence me sayin brick.

I'm also aware it was more of a side effect, and not a direct action on MS parts. But, it could easily have been.

I did say that his guess was as good as anyones as far as detection in the future. But so far, it was detected - not directly, but it was. A new check was implemented, drives that had been flashed - more often than not - seemed to have failed the check.

I kind of akin it to the marriage theory back during Halo 2 release. MS logged two items, if one changed it was assumed the xbox had been modded in some way.

But yeah, I tend to stick around here cuz its what I know. I ever only post about flashing when its the basic tsuff... hardware etc...

This post has been edited by ydgmms: Apr 13 2007, 05:22 AM

Title: Questions About Flashing/modding My 360
Post by: caster420 on April 13, 2007, 05:35:00 AM

QUOTE(ydgmms @ Apr 12 2007, 11:52 PM)

I did say that his guess was as good as anyones as far as detection in the future. But so far, it was detected - not directly, but it was. A new check was implemented, drives that had been flashed - more often than not - seemed to have failed the check.

It would have been no different than someone having bought a replacement drive that was a different version/model, flashed their key to it, and then recieved E66 after the fall update. That was sosotiit's point, in that it isnt firmware related. It was at that instance but in reality it is not a direct detection.

Caster.

Title: Questions About Flashing/modding My 360
Post by: sosotiit on April 13, 2007, 06:30:00 AM

Guys, you are two extroardinary contributor at XS, it is sometimes good we clarify our views, it is done.

No offense was meant by anyone, back to techno

,

Who knows, maybe new drive will only be hackable firmware or modchips??? maybe not both!!!

@ydgmms , if you have stock for that FAQ let me know man,
rgds, soso

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Xbox360 Forums => Xbox 360 Hacking Forums => Modchip Development / Research => Topic started by: boco77 on April 09, 2007, 06:01:00 AM