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OG Xbox Forums => Software Forums => Xbox Bioses => Topic started by: unknown_citizen on October 07, 2004, 07:10:00 PM

Title: Phoneix Bios Loader - With Modchip
Post by: unknown_citizen on October 07, 2004, 07:10:00 PM
Hi,
I have a modded Xbox (X2 Lite) that, for all intents and purposes won't flash a new BIOS. Consequently I'm stuck with an older BIOS that won't support LBA48 or the full capacity of my new 200GB HD. Is it possible to run PBL (or the Frosted version) to run a newer BIOS and overide my modchip's BIOS, thus allowing me the full capacity of my HD?
Title: Phoneix Bios Loader - With Modchip
Post by: Heykrop on October 08, 2004, 09:39:00 PM
Yes you can use PBL to launch a different bios but some things will not get forced out by the new bios. I know for one that if the boot bios does not have the do not reboot on eject fix and the PBL bios does you still will not be able to push eject without rebooting because that portion of the bios instruction is stored in another location at boot time and is not over written by loading a PBL bios.  I would suspect that the same may be true for the LBA support.  The other issue that may occure would be that if the LBA functions are enabled by the PBL bios you may start having partition errors or data corruption from bouncing between the two.  Not sure on that though. If anyone has first hand knowledge of this please chime in.
Title: Phoneix Bios Loader - With Modchip
Post by: unknown_citizen on October 09, 2004, 01:32:00 PM
Hi,
That sounds about right, if i load up the pbl bios from the xbe then it recognises all my HD (albeit the F drive as totally blank as it was not formatted for 200GB), but when I boot from the chip's bios it goes back down to 137GB with all the F drive showing. Anyone know a way around these problems? Or, failing that, how to flash my bios on the chip? It's an Xecuter Lite 2 with the modchip on/off and flash protect on/off switches - the problem is that the bios won't flash regardless of any of these settings. Guessing there might be a wire or something installed wrong? Only speculating though...
Thanks.
Title: Phoneix Bios Loader - With Modchip
Post by: Dolfhin on October 09, 2004, 02:01:00 PM
Please ignore Heykrop obviosly he doesn't know what he is talking about.

PBL will load a new BIOS in memory for you and supports the Eject fix and LBA support.
Title: Phoneix Bios Loader - With Modchip
Post by: Heykrop on October 10, 2004, 09:53:00 AM
QUOTE (Dolfhin @ Oct 9 2004, 04:01 PM)
Please ignore Heykrop obviosly he doesn't know what he is talking about.

PBL will load a new BIOS in memory for you and supports the Eject fix and LBA support.

 Since when does loading a bios from PBL support the eject fix?  Unless something was changed recently, it did not work.  The section of the bios that gave the eject fix code is loaded to another chip at boot. If an original M$ bios is booted ( that will not have eject fix) and then a PBL bios is loaded on top of that. Most of the functions of the PBL bios will be available EXCEPT the eject fix as the area of the system that holds that info is only writeable durring a cold boot and is not over written by loading a new PBL bios to memory. It is also not changed durring a warm boot or reboot.  Now if something has changed in the last 4 months that I was not aware of then I stand corrected but I don't think that is the case.   The only way you could have eject with PBL is if you booted from a mod with an eject fix bios, then the eject fix code is already loded and makes it appear as the PBL bios also has eject fix functional.  
And obviously you did not read the post where he said he disocovered that the PBL bios did support LBA48 but the problem was that his drive had already been partitioned with a NON LBA48 bios.  

Title: Phoneix Bios Loader - With Modchip
Post by: unknown_citizen on October 14, 2004, 06:50:00 AM
hey, just thought I'd add a reply to say I've succeeded in case anyone else is in the same situation with a non-writable chip. Basically, my mod automatically launched the file evoxdash.xbe when it loaded, so I renamed PBL to that and then told that to load a newer BIOS and then launch avalaunch.xbe - result is I can now see all my hard drive space. I'll give more details if anyone needs them.
Title: Phoneix Bios Loader - With Modchip
Post by: Unreal7000 on October 22, 2004, 09:21:00 AM
I use PBL and it supports eject fix. X2 4981.06 BFM
Title: Phoneix Bios Loader - With Modchip
Post by: Dolfhin on November 04, 2004, 08:56:00 AM
QUOTE (Heykrop @ Oct 10 2004, 04:53 PM)
Since when does loading a bios from PBL support the eject fix?  Unless something was changed recently, it did not work.  The section of the bios that gave the eject fix code is loaded to another chip at boot. If an original M$ bios is booted ( that will not have eject fix) and then a PBL bios is loaded on top of that. Most of the functions of the PBL bios will be available EXCEPT the eject fix as the area of the system that holds that info is only writeable durring a cold boot and is not over written by loading a new PBL bios to memory. It is also not changed durring a warm boot or reboot.  Now if something has changed in the last 4 months that I was not aware of then I stand corrected but I don't think that is the case.   The only way you could have eject with PBL is if you booted from a mod with an eject fix bios, then the eject fix code is already loded and makes it appear as the PBL bios also has eject fix functional.  
And obviously you did not read the post where he said he disocovered that the PBL bios did support LBA48 but the problem was that his drive had already been partitioned with a NON LBA48 bios.

I'm not sure on the details Heykrop but soft modded XBox'es using PBL will allow you to eject the drive without a restart (e.g eject fix). This could of course be because the official M$ BIOS allows Xbe's with a dashboard title to eject the drive without a restart but I can't really comment on that and it's not the thread's subject. Also ''Eject Fix'' is on NKpatcher's feature list so I think the eject fix is something that can be patched.

Indeed you are right on the LB48 and i apologize for my ''not so nice reaction in the first place.

@ hardcoreone
Try using a recent Xcuter or iND-Bios, if i'm right 4979 does support LBA48 but their is no point in using an older bios. Also be sure to use the .67 version and to format your Hard drive (that is format E:\ and F:\ again) with the new BIOS.
Title: Phoneix Bios Loader - With Modchip
Post by: hardcoreone on November 04, 2004, 06:29:00 PM

ok so is there a problem with PBL loading 4979 REPACK?

also, dont i want to just use a .06 bios to have one large F:\ drive?

the reason i was trying to get my 2nd box loadin 4979 was becuase
my cause my 1st xbox is a chipped 1.1 with 4979 REPACK runnin with on large f:\ on a 300gig...

just wanted to prove exploit on stock 10gig (as in: fonts->pbl->4979->evox) and then copy system files from 10 gig over the top of the 300 gig and then lock 300 with 2nd box eeprom, then drop da 300 in the 2nd box and switch her on.... both boxes are PAL..