re-softmodding question

[Peppe90]

I'll write the whole story to avoid any misunderstanding.

There are 2 Xbox xonsoles involved.

 

I softmodded the first Xbox (1.6 model) years ago with SID 5.11 or 5.12 using Splinter Cell.

Then, years after (in 2020...), I used @Rocky5 1.1.7 softmodding disc to upgrade from the old sofmod (I used the apposite option). Everything was fine.

 

The Xbox PSU died, so I bought a second Xbox (it should be a 1.2). 

I softmodded it with 1.1.9 Rocky softmodding tool (using Splinter Cell PAL, as with the previous Xbox). Thus I used the eeprom backup to lock the HDD (1TB SATA HDD full of games) I had in my previous Xbox, to the new console (I use xboxHDM 2.3 USB for locking/unlocking from PC, it perfectly works using a old 2.0 IDE/SATA to USB adapter).

 

Finally I installed the new HDD into the new Xbox (just connected it without changing anything else for testing...) and got error 13/14/21... I thought the Rocky5 1.1.7 softmod on the HDD could be the problem (i'm not much expert, maybe the softmod was installed in a different way on the 1.6 and couldn't work on this 1.2 Xbox), So I formatted C Drive on PC and installed the clean 5960 Dashboard. It didn't solved.

 

After all this mess I thought to replace the original 40 wires IDE cable with the 80 wires one I was using on the previous Xbox. That was the only problem, the 1TB SATA III 2,5" HDD could't work correctly with the old 40 wires IDE cable.

 

In conclusion, now the HDD is perfectly working but it is pratically unmodded. What should I do now now? Take into account these two things:

1. As I said I didn't actually uninstalled the softmod. I simply formatted C Drive and put clean 5960 dash on it (using XboxHDM and FATXplorer from PC).

2. The HDD is full of games on F and G Drives and also has a lot of gamesaves, DLCs, applications and dashboards on E Drive which I don't want to delete.

 

Can I simply use Splinter Cell 1.1.9 normal softmod installation? E Drive will be safe?

Edited April 17, 2023 by Peppe90

[Peppe90]

I done the softmod, it seems everything went fine.

As soon as the softmod finished, it rebooted and automatically started XBMC exactly as it was setted before (I don't even remember how I set it this way, however E:\XBMC\default.xbe takes precedence over everything. Indeed I have dashboards shortcut xbes to put into a fake XBMC folder for changing dashboard at boot).

The only thing I noticed, when I go on UnleashX dashboard it says softmod version 1.1.8, I seems to remember it was named 1.1.9 when I softmodded the original HDD. I used the same files.

Edited April 17, 2023 by Peppe90

[nikeymikey]

12 hours ago, Peppe90 said:

I done the softmod, it seems everything went fine.

As soon as the softmod finished, it rebooted and automatically started XBMC exactly as it was setted before (I don't even remember how I set it this way, however E:\XBMC\default.xbe takes precedence over everything. Indeed I have dashboards shortcut xbes to put into a fake XBMC folder for changing dashboard at boot).

The only thing I noticed, when I go on UnleashX dashboard it says softmod version 1.1.8, I seems to remember it was named 1.1.9 when I softmodded the original HDD. I used the same files.

If its all working then either leave the mod alone and just play some games, or crack out the tools and hardmod the console now

[Peppe90]

Games and emus perfectly work. I think I'll upgrade the mod with the apposite option just to be sure and also to know which version I actually have (files are from 1.1.9.  Perhaps I get 1.1.8 'cause I didn't deleted UnleashX save file).

[Peppe90]

I upgraded to 1.1.9 for a clean softmod and everything went fine. I also installed configmagic and updated the new Xbox eeprom (chenged as the old one), so gamesaves are working.

 

I have one last question. Perhaps someone has the "Xbox image converter" program? I'd like to use it for creating some icon files to put into save folders. I cannot find it anywhere online aside here: Xbox Image Converter - XBox Image Converter (formerly known as Image To XBX Converter) is a Windows based application that allows you to convert a standard PC style image file into an XBX or TBN file for use on your XBox console. XBX files are used in the Microsoft dashboard to display icons for saved game data and in the neXgen dashboard to display pictures in the storage selection menu. A TBN file is used as a thumbnail image in XBox Media Player.<br> <br> Current Release: v3.0 - Xbox Homebrew Software Database - Xbox Screenshots, Xbox Tutorials, Xbox Downloads, Xbox Cheats, Xbox Developers, Xbox Downloads, Xbox Bios, Xbox Dashboards, Xbox Auto Installers (xbox-hq.com)

But it is a corrupted upload.

[KaosEngineer]

Yes, I found a copy of it in the Wayback Machine's archive of the www.ozxchip.com website:

http://web.archive.org/web/20031206035248fw_/http://www.ozxchip.com/downloads/xbox_image_converter_3.0.rar

 

[Peppe90]

Thank you very much! I searched on archive.org (typing the program's name) but didn't thought to look for the official website.

 

Another question about games with long file names. I have some of them. For example True Crime New York (PAL). I installed it from the original disc using DVD2XBOX back then. I seems to remember DVD2XBOX shorten too long file names, so all the files should be into the installation folder.

However when playing the game I noticed some graphic problems. I guess DVD2XBOX doesn't edit the file names on the executable accordingly so I need to edit them manually.

I just have to look for the original file names and rename them accordingly, that's enough right? For example here:

Let's pretend the file "arial 12 spanish.fab" is too long, so I rename the file to "arial 12 spa.fab"

I'd simply need to hex edit the file putting "00" in hex string for the 4 bytes freed. There something else to take into account?

 

Like this is good?

 

 

 

Edited April 22, 2023 by Peppe90

[KaosEngineer]

On 4/22/2023 at 2:38 PM, Peppe90 said:

I'd simply need to hex edit the file putting "00" in hex string for the 4 bytes freed.

Yes.

Quote

There something else to take into account?

Remember to rename the file on the hard drive to what you changed it to.

Edit: And, save a copy of the original unedited default.xbe file.

Does this game have any files with names over 42 characters in length (that includes the 4 for the dot and 3 letter extension - so 38 characters before the dot)?

[Peppe90]

Yes I always leave the clean default.xbe on folder installation (I have all of them patched with flicker f***er since I have the Xbox connected to a CRT Tv through SCART-RGB).

 

The default.xbe I opened on the screenshot example is from another game (Powerdrome). It doesn't have long filenames.

 

True Crime New York have long file names, yes. There's an Xbox HDD fix pack you can find online that also have it: 

True Crime - New York City [NTSC-U] [HDD File Names Fix].rar

This has a bat file, I guess for automatically editing the default.xbe

But I want to be sure 'cause sometimes there are differences between PAL and NTSC versions. I have also some other games with too long filenames.

[KaosEngineer]

10 hours ago, Peppe90 said:

True Crime New York have long file names, yes. There's an Xbox HDD fix pack you can find online that also have it: 

True Crime - New York City [NTSC-U] [HDD File Names Fix].rar 20.15 kB · 1 download

This has a bat file, I guess for automatically editing the default.xbe

But I want to be sure 'cause sometimes there are differences between PAL and NTSC versions. I have also some other games with too long filenames.

I run games with long filenames from XISO disc images instead of HDD ready files.

[nikeymikey]

15 hours ago, KaosEngineer said:

I run games with long filenames from XISO disc images instead of HDD ready files.

This is the way forward, it makes much more sense than hex editing xbe's and changing filenames etc. 

[Peppe90]

I know but as I said I patch the XBEs for the flicker filter. It can happen also to connect the Xbox to a HD-Tv, I can use 2 or more executables on each game, just rename the one I want to use. I easilly corrected the dialogs on Silent Hill 2. I also "modded" a game (Still Alive) with italian language I extracted from the PC version (PC version has italian) and many other similar things (like RBR, GTA: SA and other games mods).

Having games in folders easilly allows any customization (you can also put the covers.tbn into each game folder, same thing with icon.png for UnleashX).

This is why I prefer this way. After all, games with long filenames are just a few (in my case at least).