HDShadow

Yes, a multi-meter can be a very useful to have for a range of purposes for electronics projects, DIY and car maintenance in particular. I'd actually recommend spending slightly more than that. I've owned cheap ones I've had the selector wear out and the battery cover tabs breaking, that sort of thing. I eventually shelled out £30 on one I'd seen being used in both a car repair and a DIY TV program. There's also the £10 cheaper (4000) version available with less accessories. On YT there are dozens of beginners guides for using multi-meters.

I don't like it when something is resolved but we don't actually understand why the problem was occurring in the first place. As for XBMC's file manager being dodgy for copying/transferring files that's just wrong. There are problems with the GUI and the bizarre decision to remove progress bars and transfer info from copying tasks (supposedly to speed copying up) with the XBMC v3 series. That means with some skins there is no visual indication anything is happening even though the copying is proceeding normally. You only get intermittent info, flashing on screen when a new file/folder starts transferring. IMHO it was an unhelpful and unnecessary backwards step in XBMC4Xbox's evolution. I often use a pre-v3 XBMC version where, with the same skin, it has a progress bar and transfer info window on permanent display whilst doing such tasks. However having praised XBMC otherwise and acknowledging UnleashX's file manager own quirks I too prefer using UnleashX's for almost everything.

If you're using UnleashX as your main dash you do not need a 'third party' tool to do this. UnleashX has a built in controller/remote shortcut feature: System > Settings > Control Panel > Gamepad/IR Remote. Just select a controller button from the list and browse a path to the "default.xbe" or primary XBE of whatever app or dash you want to launch. When restarting, booting, rebooting or IGR simply, gently, hold down the appropriate controller button and that will launch whatever you've dedicated to it.

Although you used XBPPartitioner v1.3 to format the extended partitions did you actually check afterwards (or since the problem occurred) that there is no ER (ERror) against either? If its not that then I'm guessing a CerBIOS issue but I'll leave others far more qualified to trouble shoot this than I am.

The question is why the games, which will boot on Xbox start up, do not launch from the EvoX dash zono is using? Whether the games are auto or manually launched from the dash it should not make any difference. The DVD drive is, obviously, working. Does launching a dashboard actually lower the power to the DVD drive and weaken an ageing laser to the point it can't read the disc? That's not something I've read about being a possibility or come across myself. Still, cleaning the laser lens and the whole DVD drive in general is good advice anyway and it might work. Its certainly shouldn't exacerbate the problem if done with care.

Name length of those files, perhaps? Have you tried copying them direct from the original disc using either the XBMC or UnleashX file manger? If they still won't copy then I suspect it was something like that. What I can confirm is that (PAL) Halo 2 Classic version (original disc) installed, without any problem as far as I can remember, on my chipped Xbox which uses a Hitachi DVD drive. There's no specific ACL patch for it either AFAIK. Are you using an original disc or 'backup' ones? If the latter I'd think the original download might be at fault. There's a good chance that if you tried using 'different' download sources that they were actually all originally from the same archive so the fault would repeat for all of them. EDIT I'm currently retrying the install with DVD2Xbox on the same machine and just as I started posting this the 03b_newmombasa.map copied without issue and................just now the 07a_highcharity.map finished copying too. So it is not an unsupported character or path length matter. Finished copying: 14 mins 37secs and no files failed to copy. Just read your last reply and it is an odd problem but if you have them installed now OK that's the most important thing. I cannot see any reason why those particular maps wouldn't copy using DVD2Xbox, they're large map files but not the largest ones and the names do not include any unusual characters. Using a particular disc drive should not cause a problem with those two but not with other maps. BTW meant to ask about Halo 2 maps but having uninstalled the game and Halo as well to save space on the 160GB HDD I was using I've never got around to them. Thanks to your problem I now have Halo 2 installed again on a 1TB HDD so I wondered how they are used. I assume they're just multiplayer but I don't recall there being a multiplayer option in the main menu. Enlighten me.

Possibly - it won't do any harm to try. Backup the existing PAL default.xbe before doing it of course. As said I have no idea what had been done, if anything, to modify the 'patched' default.xbe that eventually worked with the modded GTA:SA version that had the problem. Up to you but I'd be tempted to suggest you just download and install the full NTSC version anyway even if only to test it.

There is a patch* somewhere for this often reported problem which, I think, has probably nothing to do with the BIOS or at least that particular BIOS. Typically on a NTSC/region swapped to NTSC Xbox the PAL game runs the GTA: SA intro in 480p but on the start screen it swaps to 480i. For me I didn't have any problem with the PAL GTA: SA/Vice City double pack version from disc or installed. However there's a mod version of GTA: SA which adds dinosaurs and other stuff I tried later and I did have that issue. * On another forum I was given a link to a 'patched' version but it didn't solve the problem then someone else there provided another one which did. It might just have been the NTSC version default.xbe for all I know but there is that option to try if no other solution is offered here.

It looks like everything is working as it should - what you're missing is a mod dashboard at least in the locations the BIOS is set up to boot from. In the absence of such a dashboard all(?) BIOS are set to revert to launch C:\xboxdash.xbe as the last resort. This is the original MS dash XBE. With softmods this is not the case, the name is reused for other purposes but in the case of a chipped machine the C:\ drive is basically in original retail state but with an added dashboard XBE which is launched by the BIOS in preference. If that is not there that MS dash XBE is used - this is exactly what is happening here. The error 5, if you try to use the original BIOS, is also exactly what you'd expect if the HDD is not locked. That is the norm when using a chip. So all that is necessary is to install a new dashboard using an installer disk: typically that will add C:\evoxdash.xbe as all(?) BIOS, unless modified, are set to boot that name XBE as the primary dashboard. Just make sure when you use an installer disk you use the hardmod dash install option, not the softmod one.

Thanks for the info. But wouldn't it be useful if the chip (any chip) menu did include an installer?

The evidence suggests the HDD is locked but to another Xbox. It would surely explain why you're getting error 6 both with the chip on and without it. If the HDD is unlocked you'll get error 5 when trying to boot using the original BIOS but it should boot using the chip/BIOS options. As suggested earlier, it could be a HDD fault, so the obvious thing to suggest is try installing a new, clean HDD. You'll need need either a working DVD drive and an installer disc or to pre-prepare the HDD for chipped Xbox use on PC with FATXplorer. If the chip is working correctly it should boot or, in the case of an empty HDD and installer disc, allow you to format the HDD and install a dashboard. Looking at the first pic: with that Slayers SmartXX menu option available you will probably be able to avoid the need for an installer disc when fitting a new HDD. If you can launch Slayers in any case it might give you other possible solutions too (File Manager and FTP access?).

A bit radical throwing out a perfectly decent HDD - I specifically bought a Seagate 2TB Barracuda because it was cheap and I needed the storage space for PC backups. It may be slow for primary drive use and particularly externally via USB v2.0 but I'm using it in a dual eSATA and USB v3.0 external housing and its plenty fast enough with either for that purpose. CrystalDiskMark shows it is far faster than the 500GB Seagate used in a USB v2.0 external enclosure I was using for backup before that.

I note the HDD concerned is a 2TB Seagate. Only a few months ago here or some other Xbox forum I speculated/asked about whether the HDD type fitted had an effect on performance. I was thinking about this because I'd been doing some research on backup HDDs for my PCs and had been made aware that whether the HDD is CMR/PMR (Conventional Magnet Recording/Perpendicular Magnetic Reording) or SMR (Shingled Magnetic Recording) can significantly affect read/write performance. All Seagate Barracuda HDDs over 1TB are SMR, which is slower. I was thinking the original Xbox, because of the age of its technology, might be having problems reading and writing to this type of drive causing the lag. This is pure guesswork, I have no IT hardware qualifications to know if such a thing is even possible but it seems plausible that it could be involved. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shingled_magnetic_recording If all other Xbox Seagate Barracuda 2TB users don't have the same problem maybe it could be a Xbox version specific issue? So the obvious additional question to ask is what Xbox version is being used in this case?

Softmods, particularly ones like Rocky5's, are almost as safe to use as any other modding method as long as you know what not to touch and don't let anyone else (kids and 'mates') mess with the console. There are tools built into Rocky5's softmod that might allow you to recover it, whatever has happened in this case but you'll need advice from someone who knows its ins and outs better than I do. But I will say this: updating should be considered very carefully before doing it and backing up everything should be mandatory. That used to be stressed on Xbox forums when softmodding. Not so much now as softmods are better protected and chips are cheap and widely available users have become complacent. I'd argue that with a softmod you should set up a backup mirror softmodded HDD as part of the process. I've long recommended using the original HDD for that purpose. Once softmodded, clone it to a bigger HDD. Replacing the HDD with a bigger one is a primary reason for modding anyway. You then store that original softmodded HDD for last ditch recovery use in a case like this.

Something definitely is not right if you're using the very noisy x5 fan speed and the reported temperatures with an UnleashX dash are still 60°C+.

What I meant by checking the airflow around the console is just to make sure the Xbox has plenty of space around it and can vent the hot or warm air away from the console. The air being expelled will not be at 61°C if that is what you thought.

It is dependent on the airflow around the console, ambient temperature and fan speed but those are not untypical of what UnleashX will report in hot weather 30°+C with the fan at the default setting x1 (20%). I've never had to increase the speed of the fan beyond x2 (40%) to keep the temperatures <60°C (just) even on the hottest UK summer days as there were this year with ambient temperatures often above 40°C. Check what XBMC reports under the same conditions and if after a couple of minutes that is still showing temperatures >60°C with the fan at x2 (40%) then there is cause for concern. But if not don't worry too much. Keep an eye on the temperature and it does not drop in cooler ambient conditions or goes above 65°C action is needed. No doubt some here will say you should replace the thermal paste but as others here will attest that rarely has any dramatic effect on the reported temperatures.

I'm thinking it has got to be a weird BIOS thing if you can see it using HeXEn's file explorer from disc only ie. not any other way. I'd suggest not moving stuff around until we're certain what is going on but I see no problem in you using HeXEn from disc to get FTP access and backup everything on F:\ to PC. The content of E:\ is accessible, yes? Try creating an E:\UnleashX or E:\Apps\UnleashX folder and copying in an UnleashX dash "default.xbe" (copy it from HeXEn if needs be - HeXEn > Dash > UnleashX > unleashx.xbe and just change the name to default.xbe). Launch that from your dash and use its file manager to check if it sees the content on F:\. Do make sure F:\ is enabled in the UnleashX main menu System > Settings > Storage > Harddisk Settings (its right at the top). If this installed UnleashX dash can not access the contents of F:\ then a BIOS problem seems a possible explanation but the best course of action to take if it is that I'm not qualified to advise on such matters. BTW when UnleashX launches it will create a default config.xml and item.xml in the UnleashX folder. The default config.xml for UnleashX v584 (the final version) is fairly sparse. It only contains E:\ and F:\ paths for Games and Apps but if you have either of those folders on F:\, after rebooting the test UnleashX dash, they should show up or the content list be added to E:\Games and E:\Apps respectively in the main menu content listing too.

How can you launch an emulator XBE directly from the file manager? That contradicts what you described earlier. Can you see the 'missing' content in the file manager? If so it sounds like it is just a XBMC Source path issue. With a basic XBMC install the games, emulators, apps are set up as sources using just E:\ drive paths eg. E:\Apps or E:\Emulators. If the previous XBMC user settings are missing for some reason you'd need to redo ie. add the F:\ drive path locations again for those folders as sources. Under the main XBMC menu: Programs you should have an Add Source option or it can be done via the White button context menu.

C:\ and E:\ free space are pretty typical and for a 200GB HDD with stuff on it 48GB+ for F:\ appears plausible. If it was empty you'd expect 170+GB. It is worrying that you can not see the content via FTP. The default 16KB cluster size for extended partitions should be good for a 200GB HDD but it might like to just check with XBPartitioner v1.3 that there is no ER (ERror) flag against Partition 6 (F). I doubt that is the problem in this case but it needs to be ruled out.

If it wasn't unlocked you wouldn't be able to have booted any dash. You're talking about the 200GB softmodded HDD you mentioned, yes? What was used to softmod it? I can't think of any reason C:\, E:\ and F:\ drive content could be "effectively empty", the XBMC file manager showing nothing and the Xbox be booting at all. If you have FTP access what does that show as the content of those drives? What does mean "effectively missing" mean exactly? My thought is that whatever is wrong, with the HDD unlocked, you should use PC tool: FATXplorer and get any content backed up. I would suggest doing that before trying to fix anything.

It depends if the old HDD in the first Xbox was locked or not. If it was, as it must have been for the softmod to boot, except in very specific circumstances that are unlikely to apply here, you can not just transfer a locked HDD from another Xbox to a new machine. The HDD needs to be unlocked and unless you have the eeprom backed up to PC you have problem. If the old Xbox MB was really damaged you might not even be able to use an eeprom reader to get it off the old MB. TBH doing that anyway will be more work than installing a clean, empty HDD to the the newly chipped Xbox and setting it up from scratch. Even if was unlocked - being a softmod there's a good chance it would not boot anyway unless the BIOS used was customised to do so.

Those who created artwork packs might have different recommendations depending on the screen format but the size I've used for the dozens of custom icons I've created for things like homebrew games, alt game saves*, apps, emulators etc which works well with both XBMC and UnleashX is 256 x 256. Keeping the file size down below 50KB by using JPGs or 'optimized' PNG helps with the latter. It is particularly important with UnleashX as that has some sort of total dashboard menu icon memory size limit (possibly 100MB). As you approach that you'll get progressively bad slowdown at boot and icons will eventually go missing. With both XBMC and UnleashX .PNG or .JPG image files are often interchangeable, you can just change the extension. With XBMC that is more useful because certain uses require .JPG rather than .PNG. Also with XBMC .TBN (thumbnails) can be either .JPG or .PNG. You just change the extension to .TBN. It may also work for .BMP with XBMC which that supports unlike UnleashX. *Alt game save icons ie. TitleImage.xbx and SaveImage.xbx can be created from .JPG or .PNG but the PC XBX Tools program, preferred to the very crude Xbox Image Converter, requires that they're converted to a .DDS image file, of a specific type too, first. A graphics program like Paint.net has plugins to do that. Oddly XBMC's file manager won't display .XBX image files using its picture viewer whereas UnleashX will. BTW the XBX Tool is picky when file naming. Name the .DDS as a single word or number ID and, when prompted, name the .XBX to be created exactly the same. It also does not seem to like long folder paths and whilst I try to avoid working on the desktop usually for this purpose it may help resolve any error messages you may get when using this converter program.

If the Xbox was modded and it sounds like it must have been or how could it be unlocked you should check for a an E:\Backup folder to see if a copy of the eeprom is in there. If not but the Xbox has exploit game saves still in UDATA check the installer: E:\UDATA\21585554\000000000000\ for a Backup folder. Its the default location for an eeprom backup save before/during/after install if another location was not specified. Otherwise you likely going to have to go down the eeprom reader route and TBH that is as much hassle as fitting a cheap chip so the latter is probably the better solution to getting the Xbox booting again.

I'd be looking at the actual folder path and file names in a file explorer too. In particular, especially if you've renamed anything yourself, check for accidental spaces that have been added between or after characters/names. I noticed that in your earlier post here (although probably just a typo) you typed "XBMC - Emustation" rather than "XBMC-Emustation". It could be something like that. Other thing is: where exactly is the "default.xbe"? I ask because I have an uninstalled zip of XBMC Emustation and when unpacked on PC it is set up like this: XBMC-Emustation (folder) and inside that > .emustation (folder), system (folder), default.xbe (file), splash (logo image file). I would assume that is how it installs. If your installation does not match then that could be the problem.