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[aneng]

Hi,

The short story is, I have a softmodded XBOX with Evox dash on it.  I screwed up trying to get the original MSdash back to enable 720p, renamed a file called 'xboxdash.xbe' to 'evoxdash.xbe', thinking that would get me the MSdash back and now I just get Error 13 - "Call Customer Support".

I've tried booting from DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD-R and CD-RW versions of; AutoInstallerDeluxe, Hexen, EvoxRecoveryDisk, Slayer's 2.7 Installer - absolutely nothing changes - every time I get Error 13.

I then thought about re-modding it, so I got a USB stick formatted to FATX, used Xplorer360 to inject the Splinter Cell hacks onto it, (I have a USB socket on the XBOX), but..... because I can't access any dash or get it to boot off DVD/CD, I have no way to copy the game saves onto the hard drive, and Splinter Cell won't let me load a profile that isn't on the hard drive.

What can I do ?  I've got no FTP access, can't boot from any of the aforementioned disks and can't apparently re-mod it as I can't copy the files to the HDD.  Arrrgggghhh !!!!  I've been on this since lunchtime yesterday and it's 3:45am now !!!

Are there any softmods that don't involve using the MS Dash to copy files to the HDD ?  All I need to do is rename the 'backupevoxdash.xbe' on the root of C: and it'll boot.... but how the hell do I get access to the files on the drive ??

Help me Obi-Wans..... you're my only hope !!

Ta !

Kev

[fallenangle]

Without the SC gamesaves on the HDD you're not going to be able to boot an installer dash. The softmod is not going to load because you've basically told the machine to boot from a .xbe which is probably trying to launch an online updater or something like that.

The xboxdash.xbe is what the MS dash is before the softmod (confusingly and dangerously for the unwary it remains the same for the E:\Backup MS dash). But on the E:\drive post softmod that .xbe name is typically reassigned as described.

The good news is that this is fixable via hotswapping and then accessing and rebuilding the HDD. The bad news is that I can't advise you how to do it because I haven't done it myself. I know you'll need the eeprom and if you haven't got that then you'll have to buy/build an eeprom reader.

Hopefully somebody like shambles1980 will be around and be able to help more than I can. But you should try looking for the tutorials on hotswapping because I'm pretty sure that's going to be your most likely solution.

This post has been edited by fallenangle: Sep 8 2013, 12:38 AM

[revengeismyfury]

I dont see why hed need a eeprom builder just hotswap the bitch run a hddreading program on an xp machine and then modify your xbe back and copy your gamesave over. Its a tough lesson but always have a exploit game save present. There is an art to hotswapping. Ive done it before took me like 10-20 something tries to get it right.

What always worked for me was to disconnect the dvd drive power the box on wait for it to error out and then swap the ide cable with another machine. Its a lil tricky but if you want it to work you can make it work just keep trying.

This post has been edited by revengeismyfury: Sep 8 2013, 03:52 AM

[fallenangle]

Maybe that will work, I don't know.

I understand the horse has bolted but one thing I do agree with is the safety net of having the SC or other other exploitable gamesaves on the HDD. That can/could have saved you a lot of hassle.

Also, for the same reason, once this is sorted out run HeXEn or another program with which you can upgrade the installation to use a Shadow C protection option.

[aneng]

Thanks for all the replies guys.  In the end I managed to hotswap the drive and rebuild it, then softmodded it with Ndure.  I've finally got it running in NTSC 720p - and after all that effort.... it wasn't really worth it !
The difference is minimal, XBMC keeps resetting back to 'NTSC 16:9' instead of '720p', and - probably courtesy of the cheap component cable I bought off ebay - I'm getting feint vertical ghosting bars down the screen.

I think it's time I gave up on the old Xbox.  I only ever use it for XBMC and development of that for this platform has all but stopped.  Half the plugins no longer work and nobody is fixing them (and I don't know how to).  I only discovered today that you can run XBMC on a Raspberry Pi, and that is definitely still supported and actively being developed.

It's bloody annoying as I spent money on a component cable and a box of DVD-RW discs I have no use for (I was trying to get it to boot from a DVD to fix it before I discovered the hotswap method), and I've ended up with shitty bars down the screen.

Ah well... live and learn.  I think I'll go and order a Pi.  Pity really, as the old Xbox is a solid bit of kit.

Thanks again.

[shambles1980]

have a look over at xbmc4xbox they do a lot of good work over there..

any reasonable softmod should have installed atleast the recovery version of the game saves when it was added.
If it didnt i dont know why not...

its a good idea to add your own in any case.

you could probably have booted halo 2 or a later live enabled game too.
that MAY have updated your dash if you tried to go onlive and then you would have had ms dash back to add your files.

any way glad you have it fixed now, sorry to hear your giving up on the old girl.

[aneng]

Ah ! Maybe not so fast after all.... !!  I discovered that even though it was claiming to be in 720p - it wasn't.

The secret turned out to be;-

Boot Xbox (by default it goes straight into the UnleashX screen).
FTP over the Enigmah NTSC/PAL switcher files into E:\Apps\Enigmah
Whilst you're there, create an empty file called 'EEPROM_off.bin' in the root of E:
Reboot
Run Enigmah from the UnleashX screen (in 'Applications') and pick NTSC (obviously you must have a five-plug component cable).
On the controller, press both L & R triggers and the Black button - Xbox will reboot.
From the UnleashX screen, choose 'MS Dashboard' (and if you've followed the full Kingroach's NDure mod install, it should fire up the MS Dash no problem).
Choose 'Settings', 'Video', then set it to 'Widescreen' and enable the various HD resolutions you need.
Reboot by pressing both triggers on the controller AND Black AND Start buttons.
You should find that the UnleashX screen now appears much sharper (if not, check in 'System', 'Settings', 'Video Display' for 'Enable 480p / 720p / 1080p etc' - also check that under 'Video Mode' it says 'NTSC M'.
Once you can see it's definitely sharper, FTP back in and delete the 'EEPROM_off.bin' file from the root of E: (this is just to make sure it remembers the settings after a reboot).

Hopefully, that's it.

I doubt I'll be getting a Pi just yet, now that I've managed to get my old Xbox working as I wanted after all !

[fallenangle]

The reverting back to the previous setting is exactly what is meant to happen if you've installed a softmod with Shadow C protection. It is does this for very good reasons but, like so much of this stuff, unless you've read the right tutorials nobody tells you that to change the settings permanently you have to temporarily disable that Shadow C protection.

There have always been a significant number of threads here by people who've run into this 'problem' and other similar hassles caused by using Shadow C protection. I've pointed out in the past the irony that there are more of these types of posts than from those who have had problems caused by NOT having Shadow C protection.

That is definitely not a suggestion Shadow C protection is a bad idea just when recommending it those that do point the person at an appropriate tutorial. That's why HeXEn is the recommended tool of choice here as it does indeed explain many of these things

[aneng]

I tried booting Hexen - in fact I tried half a dozen different boot discs, on different media - not one of them would boot - every one went to an error 13 after trying and failing to read the disc.

I began to think maybe my DVD drive was faulty, but it boots original game discs no problem.  I even bought Verbatim DVD-RW discs and burnt them at 1x speed on two different machines - still no joy.

What's that all about ?

Incidentally, my Xbox now boots into Xbox Live mode from the eject button and UnleashX from the power button.  I have no use for the Live mode, so does anyone know how I can change the booting behaviour so that it boots straight into XMBC from one of the buttons and into UnleashX from the other ?  This is the final hurdle I need to overcome.

Many thanks !

[SPPV]

One word for ya "Babylon" Cold boot it (put it in the XBOX, turn off and and back on) Then softmod it. #1 you can just enable 720P from your modded dash with it, #2 no rename search for xbe bullshit, just click MSdash in the menu and MSDash boots (but you dont need it lol)

ANd it dont matter what softmod you used, it can unmount the Shadow C, if disc based unmount fails (shouldnt but might since its an outside in approach) VIA HDD wont fail. It uses a hardcoded backdoor in NKP thats been in place for like 4 or 5 years.

This post has been edited by SPPV: Sep 12 2013, 08:35 AM