HDShadow
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Everything posted by HDShadow
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That 'distinct' Thomson double spin up disc drive check noise at start or reboot I forgotten about until yesterday when I had to swap the one I have into another Xbox. Suddenly I remembered why I had retired that Xbox from regular use. It always bothered me that sound, I thought there was something wrong with it despite being 100% reliable and not particularly noisy in use. Not until many years later did I read it was normal for the Thomson; still annoying.
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That's what I understood too but surely if C:\ has been reformatted there should be nothing on it, no original MS dash files or anything else unless kwyn manually reinstalled them after the formatting. E:\ likewise. Yet original discs are booting. I was not aware that an original game disc would boot on an unmodded or softmodded Xbox just with empty HDD I thought it at least required some minimum C:\ drive files even if the main GUI was missing/damaged. But perhaps reformatting in this case means something different.
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The pin header I was always going to use; it is just its easier to fit it to the v1.1 because the LPC holes are free of the solder that blocks them on the v1.0. As said, wimping out this time but if it all goes OK I might try chipping the v1.6 next. I am also going to use the larger D0. I do want the LED to turn off when I turn the Xbox off. With a v1.1 does that mean I do not need to do that trace cut and the additional R1 to pin 9 connection? Also looking back at KaosEngineer's posts I'm a bit confused about which pins on the 12 x pin header I need to remove for a v1.1. He said it was unnecessary to remove all 4 pins (as shown in the YT video) but I realise now that was just in relation to the v1.6 Xbox. Which pin or pins can be or more importantly need to removed for a v1.1?
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I was just wondering if an installer disc like AID or HeXEn (DVD-R/ImgBurn) might cold boot and that would be another option if using Splinter Cell or whatever game was originally used for the softmod doesn't work.
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Its interesting that an original game disc still boots if both C and E drives were reformatted. I suppose it depends on the reformatting tool used.
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I really do not like using a Xbox without a working DVD drive. It is so useful, particularly if you're being honest and installing Xbox games from their original discs using DVD2Xbox. So many utility discs are useful to be able to boot too: HeXEn, AID, Rocky5's Extras and on. In the last six weeks I've had two Xbox Samsung 605F disc drives die on me, well not quite dead in one case but the other I'd bought as part of a 'for spare parts' Xbox and it worked for about 10 minutes then refused to boot any disc. Took it apart and the ribbon cable from laser carriage was not just detached, part of the plastic ribbon locking mechanism had actually broken. Irreparable. The second, another used one, partially died today and I'm still not sure why. It has always been dodgy, double ejecting. Done all the usual things to try to get it working consistently but now part of the plastic tray eject mechanism actually appears to have broken. Again took the thing apart so I could test a disc in it directly and it momentarily starts to spin but then stops. Laser does comes on for a few seconds at start with a disc of any sort the tray just reports as empty and now. obviously, can't be ejected. Likely Irreparable. It is still recognised as attached so the softmod still boots OK but as I'm now down one fully working disc drive for my otherwise working Xboxes. I'm getting twitchy and seriously thinking of getting a replacement.
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This is a very interesting and timely post about the 80 wire IDE cables being sold currently on places like Ebay and Amazon. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HDD-IDE-cable-for-Ultra-ATA-hard-drives-CD-DVD-wih-ATA-IDE-40-PIN-CONNECTOR/333009722992?hash=item4d88ed1e70:g:KhUAAOSwsZhcONeY A couple of months ago I bought two 'identical' 80 wire 24" yellow IDE cables with blue, grey, black connectors but only tested one of them. That works fine connecting black to Xbox MB, grey to DVD drive and blue to HDD. However today I tried using the the other one in exactly the same way and I kept on getting LED flashing green/red and eventually an error 09 screen. That's, a bit unusual, supposedly a HDD kernel error. I knew there was nothing wrong with the HDD so I rechecked the connectors, all good, tried again, same thing. But when I went back to the previous 40 wire cable it worked fine as did the other new 80 wire cable I'd tested. Bad cable? Well yes but on a whim I reconnected it blue to MB, grey to DVD and black to HDD, not easy because the cable connector spacing makes it impossible to use in the desired way. The damned thing worked fine! Those cables may look identical but clearly they're wired differently. Also I'd mention that whilst they look the business the top half of each connector is actually not secured to the lower part. Its just pressed together not locked in any way. So when trying to get the connectors out of the often tightly fitted and awkwardly placed Xbox DVD drive for a Chimp cable swap you have to be very carefully where you grip the connector.
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I've decided to wimp out on using the v1.0. I had a look at the LPC and did not fancy de-soldering every hole. But I have a v1.1 too I bought used with a dodgy disc drive (605F) which has now given up the ghost so I've had to swap in a replacement one from another working Xbox. Didn't want to do that but for me there's no point in fitting a chip in a Xbox that is not fully functional. Anyway that's a side issue. My question is are there any differences fitting the Aladdin chip in a v1.1 ie. that info about cutting the trace and and wiring R1 to pin 9 or the pin-header stuff?
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Thanks for that, very useful. So it is the left screw that needs to be adjusted. The equally important thing is the multi-meter reading points that should be used.
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Benur75 I've been trying to find a guide for Philips pot tweaking and your description of the technique is clearest I've found. Can you please post a screenshot (use that Amazon one if necessary) and clearly identify the points for reading the resistance value and the particular adjustment screw being referred too. It is the thing in other guides that is not clear. In one YT video the guy mentions the points for taking the readings but does not actually show where they are or the location of the adjustment screw. ------------------------------------ On this matter I have two Philips both /21 and one of those was very picky about media including original Xbox discs. I kept it as a spare. Recently I bought a Xbox specifically for TSOPping which had a properly broken Samsung disc drive. I needed to see if it worked otherwise so rather than swapping in a known good disc drive I used the Philips. The original IDE cable was tatty and badly kinked so I replaced it with an 80 wire one despite it still using an IDE HDD. Much to my surprise the Philips drive started working perfectly. It had originally come from a v1.4 and the new used, now TSOPed, Xbox is also a v1.4 so the only change was that IDE cable. Worth getting an 80 wire IDE cable just to test if it helps with your Philips' drive disc reading. That is if you're not already using one of course.
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Sorry I did read your post and meant R1 to 3.3v (Pin 9) not ground. Do you mean D0 point(s) of any Xbox version's MB can be connected to any ground point and I can safely ignore the chip's D0 pad connection? That is one of the things I was confused about in the 'official' Aladdin XT PLUS2 PDF install manual it mentions not using the chip's D0 pad as its unreliable but only shows the v1.6 D0 MB point connected to a screw pad.
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As said I've already done the BT to Pin 2. Whilst the soldering of that looks 'average' from the wire connection side of the chip looked at from the other side, which will actually be on top when the chip is fitted, it looks pretty good. So cutting that R1 trace and connecting R1 to ground will do the same thing as the 5v wired connection shown in the v1.6 YT video. Yes? The only other thing to do then is the wire from D0 pad on the chip to the appropriate point on the MB. Seems D0able. BTW how easy is it to get the LED off and replace it with for instance a blue one?
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Not done a chip install before but decided to take the plunge and have just received an Aladdin XT PLUS2 including pin-header. Thing is I have two options: install on a v1.0 or a v1.6. I've started by bridging the BT to adjacent GND point so when fitted the chip will be always be on. A bit fiddly and I overcooked the solder on one end but it looks clean enough. The question is what to do now: there are plenty of guides for the the v1.6 but that involves rebuilding the LPC which with my soldering skills I'm not 100% confident about. There is also contradictory information about the pin-header set up too. Some guides remove just one pin others like this very clear YT guide recommends removing four pins. The v1.6 LPC hassle made me tend towards using the v1.0 instead but the guides I've found for that are limited and seem unclear in comparison. Nothing at all about using the pin header, if there are any differences, and the pins that need removing or even what needs to be connected to what. Available pictures are particular poor. It also appears that to use the pin header I'm going to have to remove the existing solder from the LPC holes too. Is the info in the v1.6 YT tutorial about using 5v from the right transistor leg to make the LED only switch on when the Xbox is powered up applicable to the v1.0? Advice/info please.
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The Controller-S is dismantled with the main PCB out and the joysticks removed. The left joystick mechanism is on top of the PCB (obviously ) and I'm assuming is soldered in place underneath. Problem is, as said, the whole of the left trigger mounting frame prevents access to that. Unless it can be removed I can not see any way of getting at those solder points. There may be problems removing the right stick mechanism too but for the time being I'm just interested in how/whether it is is possible to dismantled that left trigger mount. That is, without damaging it or anything else in the process. The same method is likely applicable to the right trigger too. If I can get at the solder points I think it should be possible to desolder it with braid rather than use an electric solder sucker. Ones like that in the YT tutorial cost £25+ in the UK. There are cheaper alternatives but even those are approaching £20 with shipping. I can get a boxed new one or two used MS Controller-S for that sort of money but thanks for the suggestion. BTW:- One of the reasons I got onto this idea was because I was replacing the left joystick (pads barely worn) in the three Controller-S I'd retired but kept for backup. Two fitted with far less worn thumb pads I thought I try an idea I read about on another forum several years ago. That was to use PS/PSone/PS2/PS3 thumb sticks as replacements. I have plenty of those collected over 20 years from the many retired/broken examples I've kept for spares. It is about the one part of the Dualshock controllers that I never wore out. I couldn't quite believe it would work but even though you have to press the slightly too big 'head' fairly firmly to get it through the Controller-S case's thumb stick hole once done it mounts very firmly in place. Whilst the movement is marginally reduced by the larger diameter joystick column it still works very well. I finished a FPS I've been re-doing this week using it. Even though it takes a bit of time getting used to the feel of a convex thumb pad the firmness of the material and the slight extra height I'd say were actually beneficial.
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I have a couple of Controller-S with the same issue on the left joystick. It simply won't recenter correctly in both cases. I've taken the controllers apart, cleaned out the mounting and even used some plastic friendly lubricant to try and get the stick to recenter consistently. There is clearly some wear and tear issue on one in particular as the mount for the joystick actually sticks when moved to the far left and won't spring back to the centre without manual help. So I thought why not use the right stick mount from the other controller to replace the left one. Here us the problem:- The left stick mounting is over the left trigger mechanism which prevents access to the solder points underneath. The trigger mounting looks as though it is held in place by two tabs but despite all efforts there is clearly something else holding too. But what and is it possible to remove it to get access without damaging anything? Will the replacement idea even work if there is a way of doing this?
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I'm thinking there may have been a fundamental misunderstanding here from what was said in post #3. alexjames2320: have you watched Rocky5's YT Chimp 261812 tutorial? It just sounds as if you've connected up things incorrectly - I won't say what I think you might have done but that tutorial might help resolve this problem for you. The tutorial is slightly out of date as the latest version of Chimp 261812: v1.01 changes the recommended IDE cable swap point, from the DVD drive to the new HDD, to the Chimp Loader screen. Personally I still prefer to swap whilst on the main dash. If you have done that just press A when that Chimp Loader IDE swap prompt screen appears. Rocky5 doesn't actually show the cable swap technique so this alternative tutorial for Chimp 261812 v1.01 does, at least the technique required if not the actual hotswap from around 12'.00 onwards.
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Try plugging the SCART RGB cable in a non-RGB SCART TV socket if available. I've had Chimp problems using specific Xbox versions with particular TVs when using a SCART RGB cable. If this happens I swap to an AV Composite cable with SCART adapter as was supplied with the Xbox originally in PAL regions. But swapping to a non-RGB SCART socket should have the same effect if one of those is not available. If you have any memory cards or USB devices it can affect Chimp. So disconnect them. If the Xbox is connected online - disconnect it too. Check the jumpers on the primary HDD are set to Master rather than cable select. In the past there were reports using cable select could cause problems. Can you boot Chimp 261812 normally ie. without swapping the IDE cable to the new HDD?
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Sounds like it. Which is your main dash: UnleashX ot EvoX? You need advice from somebody who knows how the Xbox temperature readings are made because they should be showing something in all those dashes, certainly not just 0°C.
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Are you swapping between skins or is that happening on one particular skin for each dashboard? Not all skins include main menu temperature information. But if its not that I do not know what would cause this. There must be temperature sensors somewhere but I have no idea if they're incorporated into the chips or are separate MB devices. Neither UnleashX or EvoX (in particular) are trust worthy in regard to the actual temperatures shown (XBMC is the only one I trust for accuracy) but UnleashX is consistent and so helpful, even if inaccurate.
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Sorry.... swap what? I think there's been some misunderstanding. He accidentally forgot to eject the disc at the relevant point, that's problem. The AUF disc rebooted and, he says, that resulted in the blank screen and no GUI situation he now has. As said I'm suspicious that he has added to the problems by trying to use a dashupdater.xbe (from Halo 2) but that was, apparently, after he had retried using the installer and AUF just rebooted when he clicked on the Load Mission option. Actually its very good karma - its called being helpful. The original Xbox using community is much larger than this one forum. It also distributes useful information to a much wider audience and perhaps reduces the number of posts repeating questions that have been answered many times before.
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Came across this on another Xbox forum: guy tried to softmod with Rocky5's XBSMT using AUF. Installer worked to a point but at the stage where you're meant to reboot, eject the game disc and the softmod install completes he forgot to eject the AUF disc, it booted and the softmod did not complete. Result blank screen and from the sound of it the Xbox is still effectively in retail state but now without the retail MS dashboard. It cold boots original game discs including AUF but running the exploit again just reboots the console and the game reloads. It apparently won't cold boot burned discs, getting that confirmed just to be sure, but it means he can't use Rocky5's Xtras disc or any other recovery disc. The poster also said he tried to run a dash-updater afterwards to restore the original MS dash but 'it did not work'. I'm skeptical about that and am concerned it might have added another level of complexity to the problem. Likely no eeprom backup available but, again, that has to be confirmed. What to do? My thought in the absence of other better advice is to delete the AUF game saves and try with SC or MechAssault or TH4 but I know from my own experience that re-softmodding like that does not always work, the games have a tendency to reboot rather that launch the installer.
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I'm pretty sure Splinter Cell was bundled with Xbox in PAL regions. I think my translucent Green LE came with it just in a plastic sleeve. It is not marked as Not For Resale. The other bundled games you'd get as standard in PAL regions were twin games on one disc: Sega GT2002 and JSRF - unlike the Splinter Cell disc they are marked as Not For Resale. Typically though games that come bundled with a console (not just the Xbox) are marked or their cases as Not For Resale. The GC Legend of Zelda Collection is another example I've seen many times being sold in places like CEX in the UK.
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If the MB has a TSOP chip it is not a v1.6. Those ST ones often are faded to the point you can barely make out what they are. But if you know they're not Winbond or Sharp, I've never seen either of those being difficult to identify, then that's all you really need to know.
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Whether the HDD is or is not locked is almost certainly irrelevant. If the chip is working the lock status shouldn't make any difference and any discs, original retail games discs or burned ones (DVD-R) should cold boot on a chipped machine, its pretty much what it is there for as prtscn has already said. The chip or its connections are most likely broken. Whether it is a 'simple' repair like SS_Dave says it could be or not who knows but I think it would be a sensible idea to replace that horror with an Aladdin type or better. We get so many posts here and on other Xbox forums urging users to 'update' or 'upgrade' their softmods or dashboards for various and not always good reasons. But this looks like an obvious candidate for a chip upgrade particularly in the circumstances.
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Breakdown Won't Load, Stuck On Black Screen
HDShadow replied to Mavox1's topic in General Xbox Discussion
Regional settings? Are you sure what you downloaded was correct for your Xbox's region? Only time I've seen a blank screen is when the game is regionally locked. Although it depends on the TV the v1.6 480p issue you allude to usually does not result in a blank screen. The game just plays in 480i. Breakdown is also not on the list of known games with v1.6 480p display problems either. If you have the Enigmah region swapper try using PAL instead of NTSC or visa versa but before swapping make sure your TV actually supports the alternative region mode or you may have a problem switching the Xbox back. It could be the download of course. Just because other games from a "reliable" source worked does not mean they all do.
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Board startup date: April 23, 2017 12:45:48