HDShadow

It is the classic clock setting error most feared by softmodders - it can't find a dashboard to set the time but you need a dashboard to set the time. But with a chip, if you have a functional disc drive, you might be able to cold boot an installer disc. Failing that formatting/installing a dashboard on PC with FATXplorer should work.

You're saying that with FATXplorer you can now create a 2TB F:\drive rather than, previously, when you had to spit it equally between F:\ and G:\, yes? I too was going to suggest backing up the existing F:\ drive content to PC first and then transferring it back once the drive was correctly partitioned but assumed prtscn did not want to do that as it would take a donkey's age to do.

Hope I have not misunderstood but you are likely going to be unhappy if you do what you said in that final sentence. AFAIK you cannot extend F:\ without wiping its content. Maybe on PC with FATXplorer but I do not know about that. Maybe if you have the, apparently, magic CerBIOS it might be different but in all other cases a 2TB HDD has to be formatted to have less than 1TiB in both the extended partitions ie. F:\ and G:\. n other words it must be split equally. What I do not know also, because I haven't done it myself, is what happens if you clone a 1TB HDD then reformat the clone to create a new G:\ drive in the free space. Whether it reformats both extended partitions and wipes the content of F:\ I have no idea but I think it might do. In short I'd be interested in an authoritative answer too.

It means it was modded at some point but was reverted to 'stock' for sale. It might have network connections but in 'stock' form you cannot FTP to see what is on the HDD. What you're seeing are the left over UDATA/TDATA configuration/settings files for dashboards, apps. emulators etc which the original owner forgot or couldn't be bothered to remove. I'm assuming there are no softmod exploit and installer game saves, most likely from either Splinter Cell or 007 AUF, or Mechassault. Interesting they would remove those but not the other stuff. That could suggest the Xbox was actually chipped or TSOPed. It might be worth opening up the Xbox to check for evidence of that. You might even find a nice chip in situ that needs very little work to get it up running again.

^ Degrees Centigrade or Fahrenheit? My experience with replacing the thermal paste is that it made little difference to the reported temperatures in °C. You risk damaging the CPU/GPU chip getting the heat sink off and plenty of people have broken the irreplaceable plastic heat sink retainers too. So all in all you have to have extraordinarily high temperatures, you're certain is caused by ageing thermal paste, to make it worth the risk. Some people suggest that the hardened, bubblegum-like consistency of the paste MS used in the Xbox is an indication it is old and needs replacing. They're wrong - the thermal paste used is a "phase change" type which is behaving just as intended ie. hard and glue like when at room temperature but softens with heating. That is why you MUST only attempt to remove the heat sinks when they're warmed up.

If .cut is what the shortcut is using as an extension I have no idea if those suggestions of mine will work. That is an Odamex specific extension and, as I said, emulators often have their own protocols. But those examples you provided are not quite what I meant. I think, if it is going to work, it should be like this:- Shortcut path: Odamex Shortcuts\Alien Vendetta\default.cut TBN image path: Odamex Shortcuts\Alien Vendetta\default.tbn I'd try that with a "default.jpg" instead of the TBN if that doesn't work but I've no confidence either of those will. You really need advice from an Odamex user on this matter.

For emulators this may not apply as they have their own file structure but for shortcuts which are just XBEs to get artwork to display for individual XBEs with XBMC or any of its variants you will likely, not 100% certain, need to add individual images manually. TBH I'm not quite clear about exactly how you want this to work and what it is you're trying to do so apologies if this doesn't apply:- For folders containing an XBE or a playable file type eg. MP3/4 you need to use "folder.jpg". I believe it must use the JPG extension but the file itself can be PNG or, I think, BMP too. It may also work with "default.jpg" and, possibly, "default.png" too but as the file type is practically irrelevant it is better to keep everything with a JPG extension. If the shortcuts are 'loose' ie. not in a named individual folder then you probably need to use "name".tbn ie. exactly the same name as the XBE with a TBN extension. It may also work with "default.tbn". Again the actual images can be JPG, PNG or, possibly, BMP too.

To swap the Xbox region, hard of softmodded, you should use the Enigmah Region Changer app which is usually a default app provided with most dash installer or softmod packages. It literally takes just a few seconds to change PAL to NTSC and as long as your TV supports NTSC external input (most PAL TVs have for decades) and a ED/HD AV cable you should have the 480p, 720p and 1080i provide in the video settings menu.

I've been using chipped machines and softmods since 2005, never had a problem caused by the softmod. Most softmod problems are caused by user mistakes and third party, usually kids, fiddling. I use a Xecuter 2.6CE chipped Xbox as my primary games playing machine and a softmod, probably my most used Xbox, as a kitchen media player, mostly for music. I have two other Xboxes set up for Aladdin chip use but with only one currently installed the other is HDD locked so I can use it softmodded without the chip needing to be fitted. I also have a TSOP. In short my experience is that they're all equally good and reliable, depending on your needs and situation.

Had a quick scan through the replies so maybe I missed it but couldn't this problem be, possibly, because technoob is not using an 80 wire IDE cable? It fits the evidence: PATA drive works perfectly, switch to SATA + Adapter and there's a problem. It has to be either the cable or the adapter or both.

The IEC C7 'Figure 8' also known, apparently, as 'Shotgun' or 'Infinity' is a ubiquitous power cable type used for almost everything with a power draw of <500W. They use, typically, a pair of 0.75mm² core wires and in the UK are fitted with mains plugs with a 3 Amp fuse. Watts = Amps x Volts so that means it should be good for up to 750W equipment but you should [b]always[/b] play safe and never use it for more than 66% of its rated fuse capacity. 0.75mm² core wire itself is rated for 'up to' 6 Amps but this rating varies with length and use conditions but it is generally stated as being OK for up to 1440W equipment. In short with the original Xbox's <100W power draw the cable is, assuming it is of good quality and meets the specified electrical standards, is actually way over spec. The replacement MS Xbox power cable, issued to all Xbox owners who applied at the time is even more over spec. The UK/EU version does include a useful inline switch which may or may not have a circuit breaker/RCD function too. The only problem I've had with any Figure 8 cable is when the connector plug itself is badly manufactured and does not locate firmly enough in the receiving socket. That can lead to it becoming loose and electrical arcing a possibility.

I wouldn't be; I've had some stuff in the XBMC\System\python folder that refuses to FTP as well as other in both the plugins and the script\.modules folder too despite having the Auto FATX limiter, found in the XBMC Network settings menu, enabled. It can get really annoying when FTPing direct between Xboxes using UnleashX's File Manager FTP client too; it will consistently fail on certain XBMC files/folders and that can include some which have already been FTPed from PC to the first Xbox OK. BTW isn't the OP using XBMC4Xbox ie. vanilla XBMC already? The Auto FATX limiter is usually enabled by default in the XBMC/XBMC4Xbox downloads I've used but still worth checking that.

It may be an individual file that is causing the problem - I'd suggest trying to FTP it one folder at a time and try to identify the culprit that way. Try CoreFTP if you have some problem with FileZilla; that has always worked when I've had trouble with the latter but I do find it noticeably slower.

As I said on another forum where the OP posted this too: most DVD drive issues are due to ageing and not to do with software or BIOS being used.

Try finding the Auto Fill option (or whatever it is called on your TV) in the TV's main menu first, that is usually set as the default so it may be all you need to get an acceptable WS display maybe to use one of the the other preset display options. If you do get into the service menu: good luck but it is on your own head if you do manage to do that. Be very careful. for the reasons already mentioned, and take notes of the default/existing settings before changing anything.

The problem must be a game display issue if the dash is displaying correctly through the same AV cable type being used for that as for the games. A possible clue is that the audio is not affected. That is typical of a regional video format issue. It seems unlikely but there is a possibility you've just being playing regionally locked games and additionally, possibly, your TV does not like NTSC or something like that. However I'm not ruling out the softmod settings here either, it can not be a coincidence that the problem only appeared after the softmodding. The protection given by modern softmods may extend to the video output too. Perhaps ED/HD is being forced for games or something like that. I haven't used Rocky5's XBSMT since the very early days so I'm not qualified to even suggest where to look to fix this if it is that or similar but there are others here who are.

It should just be a TV formating issue that can be deselected if you trawl through the TV's usually ghastly Settings > Video GUI. What the option is called tends to vary and how it does it can vary too. On my newest TV it is called Auto Fill on others it might be a different name but when enabled it most typically does exactly what you've described. It incrementally stretches out a non-WS source eg. 4:3 format image from the centre so that at the edges the stretching is at its greatest. My experience is that it looks awful on some TVs but on others, which seem to do it with a mixture of zoom and stretch it looks better. Many Xbox games do not support true WS or fake it using a 3:2 format which is why you see this problem. Personally I am happy using 4:3 but on my Xbox gaming TV, a WS CRT, one of the reasons I bought it is because entering the service menu is so simple. The geometry options available are well presented and user friendly so easy to alter for just such cases. I play a lot of such Xbox games full WS with minimum distortion and no meaningful loss of picture content as the games are usually designed to allow for overscan anyway. Accessing the service menu is not recommended even if you can find out how to do that for a particular TV model. The TV manaufacturers' GUIs are variable and in two cases I have experience appallingly bad. There's also the danger that merely entering the menu will will cause a factory reset of everything too. Personally I'd love to have a TV with full geometry controls available to the user for cases like this but I doubt that is ever going to happen. We'll just have to make do with the preset video display options the manufacturers think we want/need.

Assuming you're using the HDD ready downloads or the extracted Redump content: more info needed about exactly how and where the games are being installed. What main dash are you using? You should not need to play the games directly from their default.xbe using a file manager. If they are installed correctly they should appear in your Games main dashboard menu entry.

If the original download files are faulty or there's something missing then FileZilla is not going to report any error when you FTP them to your Xbox. Can you post some file manager screenshots of where/how the games are installed and the content; typically that will be E, F or G:\Games\Game Name\content?

It could be a bad dump or missing files after FTPing as ^ ^^ suggested but it also could be something else quite simple like: how they were installed. From the sound of it the OP is not having the problem with just one game. I can't recall if I've ever seen an HDD installed game provoke that dirty disc error, I think not, usually you just get a blank screen and/or the dash reloads. So more information about how they were installed might help.

A cross-over cable is really nothing special it is simply an ethernet cable with some of the wires reverse connected to one of the plugs. You can turn any standard 'patch' ethernet cable into a cross-over by cutting off the plug one end, teasing out the sets of internal wires' twisted pairs, connecting them, opposite to opposite in a new plug you then crimp in place. DIY ethernet plugs, preferably shielded ones, are easily found online and all you need is some decent wire strippers and a good crimping tool. For some odd reason some designers of such tools use a 'comb' for pressing the plug's penetrator connectors through the wires. That means each tooth of the comb needs to be precisely position over each penetrator. In the cheapest ones there is too much play and when you crimp one, or more of the penetrators is pushed at an angle so it doesn't go through the centre of the wire or misses it altogether. I'd also recommend, if you can find them, using pass-through ethernet plugs rather than the standard, more ubiquitous sealed end ones. The pass through type have exit holes for each wire going into the plug which means you can get them straighter and flatter inside the plug before crimping. That makes it less likely you'll get a bad crimp. If the crimpers are designed for pass-through plugs they will slice off the ends cleanly as part of the crimping action.

Once it is modded and a dash installed all you need to swap the region is a Xbox app called Enigmah (Region Changer). It usually comes as standard with most dashboard installs but is easily found anyway. It literally takes seconds to swap between PAL and NTSC and TBH once you've swapped to NTSC you'll rarely want to or have to use PAL again as most PAL Xbox games support NTSC. However though the Xbox itself is not region locked ie. even in original retail state a PAL Xbox may be able to play a NTSC game, there are a number that are region locked both PAL and NTSC. You also need to be aware that whilst Xbox dashboards do support the higher resolutions 720p/1080i most Xbox games only support 480p. So if you have the monitor/TV set to 1080i with an HDMI adapter it will be scaling the display from 480p. Widescreen support is also an issue too - there are games that don't support it and others which use the NTSC 3:2 'WS' 720 x 480, not true 16:9. There is an ongoing project to patch Xbox games for 16:9 and 720p so Google that if such matters are of interest.

The material the 'belt' is made from has a significant effect on the resting diameter it needs to be. That's why I always go with, allegedly, XB360 drive belts. Materials like rubber bands are softer and stretch more so do not grip the tray drive wheels as well and will very likely stretch/deform very quickly. I tested a genuine original Xbox Samsung drive belt after hot water/cooling/drying reconditioning and that fitted over an old circular (no longer in circulation) UK £1 coin with a little stretching. That coin was exactly 22.5mm so I took it that the original Xbox drive belt was 22mm in diameter. That is the same as the 'genuine' XB360 Samsung drive belts too but I use the term 'genuine' with skepticism as the material of the ones I've bought have been softer than the definitely original Xbox Samsung ones. I'd guess anything between 20mm and 24mm diameter will work, depending on the material. But one thing I have found is that if you go tighter than 20mm, particularly with a harder, grippier material, it actually exacerbates the tray opening/closing problems. If it is too tight the belt slips on the drive drive wheels or brakes them so much you can hear it straining the tray eject/close motor.

I'm still interested as to why the problem occurred. I had never heard of the dd (data duplication) command line tool before this thread but it sounds like it is just a cloning tool so why didn't it work? How was the new HDD mounted during this process? The suggestion for the requested work around with the 3TB HDD in question - to flash the existing BIOS to CerBIOS is OK but a bit extreme when you can still use the 3TB HDD with the current BIOS. There's a <1TiB max size limit for each of the F & G partitions (Extended Drives 6 and 7) but this means you get significantly more than 2TB, divided equally between F and G, when using a 3TB HDD (3,000,000,000,000 Bytes)

UnleashX can be installed as an app very simply too. So you can keep the current primary dash then switch to UnleashX as required. I'm interested as to why the OP wants to this main dash swap. Most of my primary dashboards have been and are UnleashX for many reasons like its file manager. But a significant one is also because I've created/edited a whole load of skins for it over the years and spent a lot of time getting them as good as possible. It is an on going project I go back to regularly when I have spare time but don't fancy a game. BUT for any multi-media use XBMC is simply better. UnleashX's music player has a broken GUI so when I wanted to set up a Xbox for 'kitchen' use where music playing and the occasional DVD primarily, using XBMC as the main dash was a no brainer.