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Xbox360 Forums => Xbox 360 Hacking Forums => Technical DVD-ROM and Modified DVD Firmware Forum => Topic started by: dman776 on May 23, 2008, 12:29:00 PM

Title: Replace Hitachi Drive With A Benq - Is It Possible?
Post by: dman776 on May 23, 2008, 12:29:00 PM

I have a bad Hitachi drive (clunking noise/disc unreadable).
Can I replace it with the more quiet BenQ drive?

TIA

Title: Replace Hitachi Drive With A Benq - Is It Possible?
Post by: dman776 on May 23, 2008, 01:39:00 PM

BTW,
My Hitachi is a 78FK
the BenQ that I have is a VAD6038 (HW ver J-DA1A4, FW ver 63520D)

thx

Title: Replace Hitachi Drive With A Benq - Is It Possible?
Post by: OggyUK on May 23, 2008, 01:24:00 PM

Yes, you can.

You need either:

The unique drive key from the Hitachi 78

OR

Redump the 78's firmware using firmware toolbox to get the key.

Copy this key

Then

Get the desired firmware for your benq (stock/non-stealth or iXtreme)

Open this in Toolbox

Paste the Hitachi 78 key into the box and click replace key.

You will be told the new key has been set.

Click, tools, spoof firmware.

Select Hitachi 78 from the list and click Apply spoof

Rename this file:

BenQ-CFW.bin

That is the file to be flashed to the BenQ.

I can advise you fully but I suggest you follow this before think/assuming or jumping the gun at all and ruining it all!!!!!

If you dont understand or have trouble with any of these steps post back, do not think you know best and try proceeding without confirmation or guidance!!!!

Once these steps have been completed - Report back and Ill guide you through flashing it

Good Luck

P.S - Sorry for the post appearing to treat you like a newbie, its in your best interests trust me.

Actually, best ignore that for now......

Get the drive from eBay?

That f/w revision wasnt retail to my knowledge!

Title: Replace Hitachi Drive With A Benq - Is It Possible?
Post by: dman776 on May 23, 2008, 03:14:00 PM

thanks for the reply.
I am following Textbook's instructions, my Hitachi will not go into mode b.

I d/l'd Slax 2.1 and burned it.
Have a mobo w/VIA sata chipset.
I have the SATA cable from the Hitachi connected to the pc.
I have the XBOX DVD power connector plugged into the Hitachi
I've tried powering on *AT* the same time.
I've tried power the XBOX on AFTER I see the SLAX logo.

Slax boots w/o any errors, but, when I hit the eject on the xbox, the tray ejects (on the first press)...

any ideas?

Title: Replace Hitachi Drive With A Benq - Is It Possible?
Post by: OggyUK on May 23, 2008, 03:19:00 PM

Do you get a spinning up disc message with Slax?

Title: Replace Hitachi Drive With A Benq - Is It Possible?
Post by: dman776 on May 23, 2008, 03:27:00 PM

no.  (unless it scrolled off the screen too fast.)

Don't know if it matters, but, i did open the hitachi drive and there was a small rubber pad stuck to the top lid of the drive.  It appears to cover an windowed-eeprom on the drive.  Could this have caused an issue with the window not being covered?





BTW, i did get the drive off ebay (from HongKong)  :-)

Title: Replace Hitachi Drive With A Benq - Is It Possible?
Post by: podger on May 23, 2008, 06:43:00 PM

You won't be able to flash/read the hitachi if it can't read disks... fw toolbox just won't work...

That component is the motor drive IC.... the pad is either an insulator or a heat conductor or both, but it should be there it's on ll CD/DVD drives.....

There is a few thing you can do.... starting with the easiest, but liest likely

1. You could fix the drive, replace the laser etc.... nah!
2. put the pcb onto another hitachi chassis and see if it reads, if it does, dump the flash, read the key.
3. remove the tsop and read the flash in a programmer, get the key...

Title: Replace Hitachi Drive With A Benq - Is It Possible?
Post by: OggyUK on May 24, 2008, 02:12:00 AM

Is it already hacked???? The Hitachi?

If so, read up on the modeb method by booting with tray ejected.

Title: Replace Hitachi Drive With A Benq - Is It Possible?
Post by: podger on May 24, 2008, 05:35:00 AM

Oggy, wouldn't make a difference, if it can't read disks, he can't dump

Title: Replace Hitachi Drive With A Benq - Is It Possible?
Post by: OggyUK on May 24, 2008, 06:22:00 AM

If he cant get it in modeb it might be readable with originals.

He never stated if it was with originals he was getting unplayable disc.

To be perfectly honest, the clunking/not reading is a sign of poor media too, then he has the issue of spoofing as a drive we know nothing about.

This post has been edited by OggyUK: May 24 2008, 01:23 PM

Title: Replace Hitachi Drive With A Benq - Is It Possible?
Post by: podger on May 24, 2008, 07:16:00 AM

I reckon, this is more to do with his sata card - cable combo... Once the chipset isn't a via or nforce it's hard to speculate on what is going on...

 Try using a different PC and or different sata cables etc...

Title: Replace Hitachi Drive With A Benq - Is It Possible?
Post by: dman776 on May 24, 2008, 09:03:00 AM

my chipset is a VIA.  I have another PC with Intel chipset, but, didn't try it yet.

the hitachi is NOT hacked, so, all discs i tried are original.  I tried many 360 discs, orig xbox discs, and dvd's (none worked).

Should i try unplugging HD (IDE) in the PC?  would it matter?

When the hitachi first started the "clunking", it was still able to read discs.  After a couple days, it stopped clunking and sounds "different".  i can't explain the sound, but, no discs read now.  I almost sounds like they aren't even spinning up to full speed.

This post has been edited by dman776: May 24 2008, 04:03 PM

Title: Replace Hitachi Drive With A Benq - Is It Possible?
Post by: scuba156 on May 24, 2008, 09:39:00 AM

try cleaning out the motor or doing a pot tweak on the laser. there both easy to do and would be worth it

Title: Replace Hitachi Drive With A Benq - Is It Possible?
Post by: scuba156 on June 03, 2008, 12:04:00 AM

in google, search for 'verify benq hexedit' without the quotes, and follow the guide to ensure the spoofed firmware is correct.

you can thn use dosflash to flash the firmware to the benq

Title: Replace Hitachi Drive With A Benq - Is It Possible?
Post by: dman776 on June 04, 2008, 02:56:00 PM

any help?  

please...  :-)

Title: Replace Hitachi Drive With A Benq - Is It Possible?
Post by: podger on June 04, 2008, 03:53:00 PM

You'll get that error with iPrep as it does a MD5 hash check on the file... If it's not an "original" C4Eva iXtreme distro then you will get an error.......

Build your floppy/USB with the original iXtreme bin file.

Then rename the file you prepared to BENQ-CFW.bin and place it in a backup folder i.e.

a:\backup\1234567\12345

then boot the floppy/usb and type

fben  1234567 12345

Have fun!

Title: Replace Hitachi Drive With A Benq - Is It Possible?
Post by: podger on June 05, 2008, 12:14:00 PM

Thats why I told you to run Fben and not start over with dben....

Just put the spoofed file you want in f:\backups\1111111\22222\BenQ-CFW.bin and run fben...

This worked perfectly as if you original drive was the Benq

Title: Replace Hitachi Drive With A Benq - Is It Possible?
Post by: dman776 on June 05, 2008, 12:37:00 PM

THANKS A TON!

My 360 Is functional (and quieter) now!