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OG Xbox Forums => Software Forums => Development => Topic started by: BenJeremy on October 17, 2003, 11:12:00 AM

Title: EEPROM Recovery Disc?
Post by: BenJeremy on October 17, 2003, 11:12:00 AM
QUOTE

The Installation CD
So when the Xbox is complete, but the EEPROM and the hard disk are still empty and the hard disk is not locked yet, an optical media gets inserted into the DVD drive (this needn't be an Xbox DVD), which contains a properly retail-signed default.xbe built with the XDK that has the allow eject flag set and has the region code set to 0x80000000 ("DEBUG").

When the Xbox kernel initializes, it checksums the EEPROM. If it fails, the Xbox will be in DEBUG mode, i.e. the region code is set to 0x80000000. With the region code set to this value, the kernel ignores it if the hard disk is not locked. Because the region code matches, the kernel will run the executable from CD, which does the following:

  • format the three swap partitions

  • copy XMTAXBOX.XBE from CD to the first cache partition and run it

    Then the DVD can be ejected and put into the next Xbox.



    • Hmmm.....
    Title: EEPROM Recovery Disc?
    Post by: Xbox-Savage on October 17, 2003, 11:36:00 AM
    huh.gif  sounds interesting
    Title: EEPROM Recovery Disc?
    Post by: rzyzzy on November 05, 2003, 09:32:00 AM
    QUOTE
    If bit 30 of the media flag of an XBE is set, the condition of the hard disk is ignored as well. This change allows MS to replace broken hard disks without replacing a valid EEPROM on an Xbox sent in for repair. Before this change, they had to rewrite the EEPROM whenever they replaced the drive.


    If that is true, couldn't an .xbe be created with a softmod and loaded on a stock xbox with no modifications to hardware whatsoever?
    Title: EEPROM Recovery Disc?
    Post by: kkattfish on November 05, 2003, 09:40:00 AM
    huh.gif
    Title: EEPROM Recovery Disc?
    Post by: BenJeremy on November 05, 2003, 11:29:00 AM
    QUOTE (rzyzzy @ Nov 5 2003, 01:32 PM)
    QUOTE
    If bit 30 of the media flag of an XBE is set, the condition of the hard disk is ignored as well. This change allows MS to replace broken hard disks without replacing a valid EEPROM on an Xbox sent in for repair. Before this change, they had to rewrite the EEPROM whenever they replaced the drive.


    If that is true, couldn't an .xbe be created with a softmod and loaded on a stock xbox with no modifications to hardware whatsoever?

    Well, I'd be willing to bet it could be used by DVD-based software to circumvent the clock bug - perhaps solving the issue with exploited Xboxes having clock troubles (as long as the reset occurs AFTER the BIOS is patched)

    This is certainly worth exploring!!
    Title: EEPROM Recovery Disc?
    Post by: Smuggl0r on November 08, 2003, 04:31:00 AM
    QUOTE
    If that is true, couldn't an .xbe be created with a softmod and loaded on a stock xbox with no modifications to hardware whatsoever?


    I think i'm correct in saying that the XBE still needs to be properly signed, as is the original manufacturing disc that locks the hard drive, and writes the eeprom etc.

    Smuggl0r
    Title: EEPROM Recovery Disc?
    Post by: jcmayer1 on November 08, 2003, 08:09:00 AM
    smuggler OI ahev a broken eeprom in my xbox I can,t ever load up my evox dash I get error 13 I cna,t fpt I can,t play games nothing but if it woudl work i would liek to try out your disc.


    p.s if it works it woudl rely help


    thank you
    jc
    Title: EEPROM Recovery Disc?
    Post by: Smuggl0r on November 15, 2003, 02:23:00 AM
    Ok, but what do you mean by it's not working? It was written incorrectly?