Post by: RiceCake on January 03, 2004, 09:51:00 PM
Recently I noticed how alot of newbs were asking repeat questions. I also noticed people who thought they knew what they were doing. So I decided to create this simple layout on hacks. If you have any problems, please check around the forum, read tutorials (Which some that seem completely different may contain valuable information, such as hotswaps or file signing!) and if you can't find it - post a question, but please make sense. Include all information that you think matters, such as what hack your using, if you used an installer (Such as Morden's Audio Packages), if and how you modified the hack, and any error screens your getting.
Finally when you are typing a post use a descriptive title ('Help ME!!' won't get any major notice, while something like '007 Hack - Can I Upgrade My Hard Drive?' is much better) and avoid using quick forms of text and use periods, capitals, etc! typn like ths doent give u very good details now does it farly iritating actually and i dont like 2 c such crappy skilz...
Oh, and for anyone thinking reading the tutorials is crap, I consider my self a modchip/exploit expert on the XBox console, but I don't even have a modified XBox, nor has 1 bit of a gamesave exploit touched my system...surprised?
For tutorials on some of the below information (Or one containing information on it) can be found at http://tutorials.xbox-scene.com.
Disclaimer:
XBox exploits are designed so while the system is in normal operation, we take control, so its like having a modchip but the MS BIOS has to function all the time. Before you exploit be sure to understand the risks. A few good points are never edit the EEPROM it may cause it to fail to boot, and you might most likely require a modchip to fix it, never delete or edit files on /C/, deleting, editing, or renaming these files may cause the MS Dashboard to fail to load (They are also signed with a very secure key, so replacing it with EvoX won't work), which can be really hard or really easy to fix, but better safe than sorry, backup your hard drive because if you do mess up, its fairly hard to pull the original files outta nowhere, and finally avoid font hacks if possible, many say the clock loop isn't an issue with their XBox but generally you shouldn't push it, because once your in there currently is no easy way to recover, except by swapping the hard disk around.
Please understand the risks before exploiting. It can be safe but acting before thinking can possibly immobilize your system.
====================
It Won't Run!
====================
Q: What the hell, Error 21?! How do I fix it?!
A: Error 21 means your file isn't signed. This can be done with XBEDump by running "xbedump.exe -hack default.xbe". Replace default.xbe with the file you wish to sign, and -hack with -font if your using font hacks, -habibi if your using gamesave or audio hacks, or -audio for other audio hacks. I know having the two different audio hack signings is kinda stupid, but thats just how people decided to make their hacks. If one doesn't work typically the other should!
For a way easier way of doing this, check out the little beauty I whipped up that I call Eazy File Signer!
Q: What the...? I tried to load my audio hack and it says the hard drive is full, or I reached the maximum amount of tracks. Whats going on?
A: Simple, you have the Live 2.0 dashboard don't you? Because MS saw us having fun with the dashboard hacks, and the fact that they allowed copying games, they were fixed when they released Live 2.0. Your only hope is to find a Live 1.0 dashboard and install it to your Xbox, so hopefully you have a backup of it somewhere. A copy can be found on Slayer's disc, although I haven't tried it.
Q: After installing the gamesave exploit to my Xbox hard disk, I always get Error 21 when I try to load the save within the game! I am using an Action Replay card.
A: The recent Action Replay cards somehow corrupt the gamesave, they will not work with the gamesave exploit...period! Buy an Official MS Xbox memory card or a MadCatz memory card, they have been tested and work perfect! And yes you can use them in the Action Replay card reader unlike the manual states. Your PC will just say 'New USB Device Detected' when you insert the memory card (If you need to, follow the exact same driver installation in the manual), and then run the Action Replay software, Job Done!!!
Also, to save a few bucks, you can make a controller to PC USB cable like the one in This tutorial. Please note, if you don't want to use solder you don't need to, just twist together the wires good and wrap some tape around it, also an Xbox to PC cable goes a female Xbox end to a male PC USB cable. After your done, just pop in the memory card and it should work just as the Action Replay system does. This also allows you to use the Xbox controller in the PC like a gamepad! Make sure you buy an extra breakaway cable (The small peice of cable as seen in the tutorial) because if you don't, you could possibly no longer have the controller avaliable.
After that what you'll need is the Action Replay software to start getting stuff to your Xbox. Here's a copy on my website to make it more convenient as digging through Action Replay's website was irritating.
Action Replay Software
Install that application and put your memory card in the controller once its done. It should say some stuff about installing software for your device, point it towards the drivers for Action Replay (The default is 'C:/Program Files/Datel/ActionReplay Xbox/Drivers/'). Then, load the Action Replay software, and drag a 007/MechAssault exploit to the middle window. It should appear as a save, so drag the save it to the leftmost window, should be on the card ready to go :)...
(Special Thanks To slimboyfatz for the Q&A. I slightly modified it to include my own, tested Action Replay fix :))
Q: Why can't I load the MS Dashboard? It just goes back to Evox!
A: Easy, the MS Dashboard's set to autoload games and it causes it to close (I think), it works fine with an audio or font hack, when the DVD's ejected.
====================
I Think I Fucked It...
====================
Q: I used the font hack and now I'm in a loop. Whats the quick fix?
A: Unfortunately, there isn't! Because the MS clock will force the Xbox to load the dashboard if the clock is dead, you'll need to let your Xbox sit and loop for hours, and hopefully it'll come out of it. Experiments have been done but none provide a surefire answer (Things like putting in audio CD's and hooking it up to the network to slow down the boot process). If you give up letting it come out naturally, you can hotswap the hard disk and uninstall the hacks, allowing you to boot the regular dashboard, and reset the clock. Or if you have the hard drive key you can use UnlockX to open the hard disk, and you don't need to try the somehwat risky hotswap. Just be sure to relock it and with the exact right password - triple check!
====================
XBox Live
====================
Q: Can I use Xbox Live with my exploits? Can I play backups online?
A: Can you use Live? Yes. With backups, no.
To play on Live with the audio or gamesave hacks, reboot the Xbox and DO NOT reload the exploit (EG loading the gamesave or copying the audio tracks), and then load a genuine game disc. Please note: If you boot your Xbox without a disc in the tray, and an alternate dashboard loads (EvolutionX, Avalaunch, etc.) you are using the font hacks. Alot of newbs lately have been calling the font hacks the '007' or 'MA' hack because they downloaded an installer using a gamesave exploit.
If you have opened your Xbox and soldered any points to flash the TSOP, you cannot use Live without being banned. If someone did an install for you check with them about this. To use Live after flashing the TSOP, you'll need to reflash the TSOP with an MS BIOS, or use a multiboot as described by The Dude.
To play with the font hacks however, is a bit more tricky. Put a genuine game disc in the DVD-ROM, power off the Xbox (Off, as in you can unplug it), and reboot the system with the disc still in the tray. To switch to another game, repeat this process. Yeah, its a bitch.
There's another problem with the audio and font hacks - problem being MS doesn't like the old, exploitable dashboard, and you'll need to upgrade it. Unfortunately the new dashboards not only will replace the font files, but they also have the audio and font exploits fixed! Two things can be done to fix this, and the 'Live still useable' solution poses a risk at being detected by MS. The best thing to do is to not use Live at all, in reality.
Backup the Xbox dashboard (/C/ drive), go on Live and upgrade to the new dashboard, then replace the xboxdashdata folder (xboxdashdata is followed by a set of some numbers, that differ slightly between dashboards, mine's xboxdashdata.1012a700) and the xboxdash.xbe with your backup, leaving the rest (/font/, /audio/, /xodash/...) alone. This will downgrade your dashboard to one that the font/audio hack works, and still leaves the new Live 2.0 dashboard. If you unfortunately dont have a copy of these files, you can find them in the 'usual places' in Slayer's disk, although I haven't tried it, alot of people have had sucess.
====================
Update 1.5: Typo's...
Update 1.4: Disclaimer!
Update 1.3: Removed some useless junk...
Update 1.2: Action Replay stuff...
Update 1.1: Typo's, and a realization that this thing is loooong....
Update 1.0: Added Noob's Notice.
Update 0.9: Removed crap, added "Pro's Section".
Update 0.8: Little edit to the Action Replay section.
Update 0.7: Major-ass Action Replay section...
Update 0.6: Tweaked some stuff (Live + Hotswap).
Update 0.5: Added Live stuff...damn thats long eh?
Update 0.4: Font loop doesn't fall under 'It won't run!'
Update 0.3: Added Live 2.0 audio problem.
Update 0.2: Added bitchin' tired notice.
Update 0.1: Initial Release.
This post has been edited by RiceCake on Mar 24 2004, 10:24 PM
Post by: devz3ro on January 03, 2004, 10:08:00 PM
We appreciate your help
-devz3ro
Post by: RiceCake on January 03, 2004, 10:12:00 PM
No problemo on the help thing. I just got sick of coming in here answering the same thing over and over...
Edit: I'll probably get some webspace to reorganize this thing when I get time.
This post has been edited by RiceCake on Jan 4 2004, 06:15 AM
Post by: devz3ro on January 03, 2004, 11:09:00 PM
-devz3ro
http://sh0x.tk/
Post by: ddaddy on January 04, 2004, 01:31:00 PM
1,
| QUOTE |
| If you give up letting it come out naturally, you can hotswap the hard disk and uninstall the hacks, allowing you to boot the regular dashboard, and reset the clock. |
How about mentioning that if you obtained the hard drive key when doing the explit then hotswapping isnt neccesary, you can use unlockx to unlock the drive and fix in the usual way.
2,
| QUOTE |
| Backup the Xbox dashboard (/C/ drive), go on Live and upgrade to the new dashboard, then replace all files and folders on the Xbox (/C/ drive) with your backup except the xodash folder. This will downgrade the dashboard to one where the exploits work - but leave you with an updated Xbox Live dashboard, that 'should' work on Live. Although you'll have to do it again each time the dashboard upgrades, and there's a high possibiliy MS will find out a way to disallow such downgrading, possibly banning you for it too. |
Once the dash is updated, you only need to replace the xboxdashdata***** folder and xboxdash.xbe with those from dash version 4920 (found on slayers). This gives you live2 with exploitable dash and wont update again until maybe live3 comes out.
Post by: d0wnlab on January 04, 2004, 02:10:00 PM
| QUOTE |
A: Error 21 means your file isn't signed. This can be done with XBEDump by running "xbedump.exe -hack default.xbe". Replace default.xbe with the file you wish to sign, and -hack with -font if your using font hacks or -habibi if your using gamesave or audio hacks. |
Some of the versions of the audio hacks don't use the habibi key, they use the 'audio' key (xbedump -audio)
Post by: RiceCake on January 05, 2004, 02:25:00 PM
As for downlab, I found out somewhere that xbedump -audio actually signs using the font key, which doesn't work. All the St.db's I could find were habibi (No gay 'Linux' patch).
Could be wrong though...
Post by: slimboyfatz on January 06, 2004, 07:44:00 AM
Q:After installing the 007/Mechassault Gamesave exploit to my Xbox hard-drive..I always get (Error 21) when I try to load the save within the game ....I am using an Action Replay card.
A:The recent Action Replay cards somehow corrupt the Gamesave...they will not work with the Gamesave exploit...Period! Buy an Official MS Xbox memory card, they work perfect! And yes you can use the MS card in the Action Replay card reader..Your PC will just say 'new usb device detected' when you insert the card, so just insert your Action Replay CD when instructed..Job Done!!!
This question has been asked a hell of a lot..even by myself (cough)....Great Thread Ricecake ;)
This post has been edited by slimboyfatz on Jan 6 2004, 03:48 PM
Post by: RiceCake on January 06, 2004, 01:57:00 PM
No problemo, I'll add it.
Post by: stuge123 on January 13, 2004, 03:30:00 PM
Post by: RiceCake on January 14, 2004, 01:43:00 PM
"SYSTEM/ALL/c"
Edit2: Weird, I think this is actually working - even though I thought I'd have to make an entire website for it.
This post has been edited by RiceCake on Jan 18 2004, 07:15 PM
Post by: Grospolina on February 02, 2004, 01:58:00 PM
| QUOTE (RiceCake @ Jan 5 2004, 04:25 PM) |
| I found out somewhere that xbedump -audio actually signs using the font key, which doesn't work. All the St.db's I could find were habibi (No gay 'Linux' patch). |
As I said in a different thread, that's not true. The swapless audio hacks use the -audio key, and it is not the same as the -font key. Here are the actual values as proof:
habibi: XOR 0x2DD78BD6
font: XOR 0x2DD78BD6, user exponent: 3
audio: XOR 0x3DD78AC2
Each of these exploits modifies the public key by doing an XOR operation on the last 4 bytes with the above values. The font hack also changes the user exponent to 3, just to annoy the hell out of people who were using the game save hacks. ;)
Post by: jhgaylor on February 05, 2004, 07:51:00 AM
Jhgaylor
Post by: RiceCake on February 06, 2004, 07:55:00 PM
jhgaylor: Not only is 'noob' an unofficial word and can vary with hundreds of details, it also refers to people who are 'newbies' typically meaning 'new to the scene'. Also that website link you gave me is just some nerdy sites idea on what it is, frankly, its like trying to give details on what 'wazzup' means or what 'dude' really refers to. :P
Either way good luck on the hackin' scene!
...
Just don't take my job! Lol...
This post has been edited by RiceCake on Feb 7 2004, 04:07 AM
Post by: oblox on February 07, 2004, 06:19:00 PM
Post by: RiceCake on February 07, 2004, 05:45:00 PM
