Haines_Underwaraz

You're right, using a PC drive would be a better first option. I hope he figures it out.

If I had an xbox like this I would first try to clean the laser eye on the DVD drive to get it to read (search for guides). Try just cleaning with q tip and alcohol. You may see info about pot tweaking- just know not all drives benefit from this and already maxed (adjustment may damage laser). I'd first test the drive with an official game or legit DVD, if that works burn one of the tools disc referenced above. Second option is to unlock the drive over it's com port. If you happen to have an FTDI FT232 adapter laying around you(common if you do things with arduinos). Use my method of unlocking and relocking the drive to access the files. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X9YJdMUA1vZKSTEyvfA2OhaHScy0f6wzLk0nE7q9vLw/edit?usp=sharing Third option is to hotswap the drive when it is an unlocked state. Then you'll have access through FATXplorer. Something like this Otherwise if you're forced to buy something, I'd go with a modchip https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GWQXP62/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1. Install along with a new HDD built with Xboxhdmusb.

I put together a package with all the software needed. I also included the SVF file generated by ISE's impact. This is now the easiest method for programming OpenXenium's CPLD chip. After setup, it's just one click. Merry Christmas and enjoy! https://sites.google.com/view/xc9500xl-with-openocd-ft232r/home

You are correct, this method only gets the unique HDD key of the current locked drive. If all you have is an FTDI 232 USB adapter this is a safe way to gain access through the Seagate HDD. Unlock, load up soft mod, relock, and gain full access. If you have an EEPROM reader, dumbing the contents of the EEPROM is definitely better. This was primarily an exercise in futility, there may be some good snippets in my code for working with Seagate HDD diagnostics in python. Or even dealing with bi-directional serial interfaces in general.

It's possible to unlock and relock the Seagate HDD over the COM port. I wrote up some instructions and a python script to automate the process. Files and instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X9YJdMUA1vZKSTEyvfA2OhaHScy0f6wzLk0nE7q9vLw/edit?usp=sharing