SID 5.11 Help needed if you know TYVMIA

[biddle]

So I modded my old XBOX with the SID 5.11 (I think) and then used FTP to add more old emulator images to make it fun for my grandkids but then the oldest grandkid did "something" clever (I have no idea what wasn't there) and the machine reverted to it's original boot state (unmodded) and I am wanting to get it back to modded again.

Any ideas or suggestions on how to do this and I would very much appreciate if someone could point me to instructions on how to build the old SID boot USB that goes with the Mechassault DVD - still got my custom USB cable and DVD but need to build a new SID USB because no idea where the old one went.  You'd be making seven grandkids and one grandpa very very happy (Christmas morning level happy) 

Thank you in advance for any info you can offer me! 

[Bowlsnapper]

11 minutes ago, biddle said:

So I modded my old XBOX with the SID 5.11 (I think) and then used FTP to add more old emulator images to make it fun for my grandkids but then the oldest grandkid did "something" clever (I have no idea what wasn't there) and the machine reverted to it's original boot state (unmodded) and I am wanting to get it back to modded again.

Any ideas or suggestions on how to do this and I would very much appreciate if someone could point me to instructions on how to build the old SID boot USB that goes with the Mechassault DVD - still got my custom USB cable and DVD but need to build a new SID USB because no idea where the old one went.  You'd be making seven grandkids and one grandpa very very happy (Christmas morning level happy) 

Thank you in advance for any info you can offer me! 

Not that my advice is always helpful, but I would suggest a hardmod if you're capable of it.

However, if you must softmod, it's only a 4 wire hookup, since the controller ports are USB anyway. Just hook em up and you're good, dude in fact, the colors may even match. Not sure on that one, though. If you need to, I can mail you a cable. I have 3.

[biddle]

1 hour ago, Bowlsnapper said:

Not that my advice is always helpful, but I would suggest a hardmod if you're capable of it.

However, if you must softmod, it's only a 4 wire hookup, since the controller ports are USB anyway. Just hook em up and you're good, dude in fact, the colors may even match. Not sure on that one, though. If you need to, I can mail you a cable. I have 3.

I already have the modded USB cable and an old flash drive, I just need to figure out how to put the SID511 files on the old USB (again) and run the usual MechAssault backdoor boot into that USB sounds about right?

Thank you for the quick reply. I have no clue about a hard mod but sounds like something I could easily mess up...

[Bowlsnapper]

21 minutes ago, biddle said:

I already have the modded USB cable and an old flash drive, I just need to figure out how to put the SID511 files on the old USB (again) and run the usual MechAssault backdoor boot into that USB sounds about right?

Thank you for the quick reply. I have no clue about a hard mod but sounds like something I could easily mess up...

Are you asking how you would access the filesystem and place the files on the drive?  FATXplorer for that.

[biddle]

11 minutes ago, Bowlsnapper said:

Are you asking how you would access the filesystem and place the files on the drive?  FATXplorer for that.

I think what I am asking is how do you create the SID5.11 USB drive?

[Fringle]

28 minutes ago, biddle said:

I think what I am asking is how do you create the SID5.11 USB drive?

Can't verify it's validity but a quick internet search lead me to this which might be helpful.

 

[Bowlsnapper]

36 minutes ago, biddle said:

I think what I am asking is how do you create the SID5.11 USB drive?

If you need the files I'll zip them for you and all you'll have to do is drag and drop them, then copy them over to the Xbox HDD after plugging in.

 

Why were the files deleted after your initial softmod? I would just keep them on the HDD in case you need them again

[KaosEngineer]

On 9/28/2023 at 12:13 PM, biddle said:

So I modded my old XBOX with the SID 5.11 (I think) and then used FTP to add more old emulator images to make it fun for my grandkids but then the oldest grandkid did "something" clever (I have no idea what wasn't there) and the machine reverted to it's original boot state (unmodded) and I am wanting to get it back to modded again.

Any ideas or suggestions on how to do this and I would very much appreciate if someone could point me to instructions on how to build the old SID boot USB that goes with the Mechassault DVD - still got my custom USB cable and DVD but need to build a new SID USB because no idea where the old one went.  You'd be making seven grandkids and one grandpa very very happy (Christmas morning level happy) 

Thank you in advance for any info you can offer me! 

Kids have an uncanny way of easily breaking softmods.  You might try Rocky5's Xbox Softmodding Tool which has better safeguards in place instead of the older easily broken softmods such as SID.

If you are stuck on using SID, try powering on the console with the Eject button.  SID 5.11 could be installed with dual-boot mode functionality.

Power on the Xbox with:

• the Eject button boots into the installation menu, or
• the Power button boots into the replacement dashboard.

If Eject doesn't start a menu to reinstall the softmod, SID 5.11 can be downloaded from the link in the tutorial at se7ensins.com:

https://www.se7ensins.com/forums/threads/how-to-softmod-your-xbox-with-sid-5-11.556/

Which downloads the RAR archive file:

Softmod.Installer.Deluxe.v5.11.Final.Xbox-Hq.rar

[biddle]

On 9/28/2023 at 2:53 PM, Bowlsnapper said:

If you need the files I'll zip them for you and all you'll have to do is drag and drop them, then copy them over to the Xbox HDD after plugging in.

 

Why were the files deleted after your initial softmod? I would just keep them on the HDD in case you need them again

Thanks KaosEngineer.  Really appreciate the extra effort links and all! Nice (trying to combine my replies)

Bowlsnapper.. The kids took some option I never would not sure how they got it to boot without the usual custom mod menu like it was original again almost. Think it might have been they used it to launch an old DVD which was stored on the HD and that reset/repaired something in the bootup menu? Maybe?

I will get it setup and try a few things this weekend.

One other question - is a 256MB thumb drive large enough to build a rescue boot drive for this system or should I find an old 8GB or 16GB or would those larger ones not work?

[FrostyMaGee]

11 minutes ago, biddle said:

One other question - is a 256MB thumb drive large enough to build a rescue boot drive for this system or should I find an old 8GB or 16GB or would those larger ones not work?

I don’t recall for sure about the rescue/boot size. I want to say that may be too small. I can say, from my experience, the Xbox gets real bitchy about thumb drives. I went through a handful of old 256mb and only had one it liked. Also I’ve never run into one that liked anything over really 1gb. I’m sure there are a few but I think 2gb is about it. Maybe a few 4gb. There are some compatibility lists out there on brands and sizes. I just had a bunch of old ones ranging from 256mb to 1gb with no useful purpose anymore so I just started trying them until I found a few the Xbox would recognize and format. Finally a new use for the 256mb flash drive. Lol. I know I’ve gotten 1gb to work but I unfortunately don’t recall the brand. I want to say it was an old lexar. 

[Bowlsnapper]

1 hour ago, biddle said:

Thanks KaosEngineer.  Really appreciate the extra effort links and all! Nice (trying to combine my replies)

Bowlsnapper.. The kids took some option I never would not sure how they got it to boot without the usual custom mod menu like it was original again almost. Think it might have been they used it to launch an old DVD which was stored on the HD and that reset/repaired something in the bootup menu? Maybe?

I will get it setup and try a few things this weekend.

One other question - is a 256MB thumb drive large enough to build a rescue boot drive for this system or should I find an old 8GB or 16GB or would those larger ones not work?

 

40 minutes ago, FrostyMaGee said:

I don’t recall for sure about the rescue/boot size. I want to say that may be too small. I can say, from my experience, the Xbox gets real bitchy about thumb drives. I went through a handful of old 256mb and only had one it liked. Also I’ve never run into one that liked anything over really 1gb. I’m sure there are a few but I think 2gb is about it. Maybe a few 4gb. There are some compatibility lists out there on brands and sizes. I just had a bunch of old ones ranging from 256mb to 1gb with no useful purpose anymore so I just started trying them until I found a few the Xbox would recognize and format. Finally a new use for the 256mb flash drive. Lol. I know I’ve gotten 1gb to work but I unfortunately don’t recall the brand. I want to say it was an old lexar. 

All you need to boot is the C partition. The C partition is only Megabytes. Not even a gig. H

However, if you want to boot more than discs, I would create occasional backups in fatxplorer and an external SATA bay with a HDD of your chosen size backing up the active drive to the backup drive. If anything happens, just remove the HDD from the Xbox, place it in the slave bay with the backup drive as the Master, and restore to your active HDD.

https://www.amazon.com/RSHTECH-Aluminum-External-Duplicator-RSH-DS01/dp/B09NNJQKDJ/ref=asc_df_B09NNJQKDJ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=647248209079&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13097551928384208732&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031738&hvtargid=pla-1600930598784&psc=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw69moBhBgEiwAUFCx2IRryWAi3sl8LR5TMjDuSlC56TwRw0ArlIengC-ICwwCZfIwU2C4sxoC0HYQAvD_BwE

[KaosEngineer]

4 hours ago, biddle said:

Thanks KaosEngineer.  Really appreciate the extra effort links and all! Nice (trying to combine my replies)

Bowlsnapper.. The kids took some option I never would not sure how they got it to boot without the usual custom mod menu like it was original again almost. Think it might have been they used it to launch an old DVD which was stored on the HD and that reset/repaired something in the bootup menu? Maybe?

I will get it setup and try a few things this weekend.

One other question - is a 256MB thumb drive large enough to build a rescue boot drive for this system or should I find an old 8GB or 16GB or would those larger ones not work?

The original Xbox memory unit is only 8MBs in size.  Most softmods can be installed using it.  

The maximum size of USB flash drive that the Xbox can access is 4GBs.  If the Xbox accepts it, the 256MB drive is large enough.  The other two drives are too big. 

[biddle]

Before I roll up my sleeves and dig in can anyone explain what this recommended "Hard mod" is compared to the Softmods and why it is preferable? Maybe a link to a Youtube about how to make it happen? I never use the old Xbox as an Xbox and really only want to make it into an emulator machine permanently because the kids seem to like that way more anyway than playing Xbox games of which there are only a few DVD's anyway (it was still playing several of those off the hard drive anyway).

So the original Xbox is at it's core just an old PC?  Any chance we can build an Xbox equivalent from scratch using old PC parts? I know combining threads and questions sorry but I am new and it only lets me do like two posts per day or something 

[prtscn]

37 minutes ago, biddle said:

Before I roll up my sleeves and dig in can anyone explain what this recommended "Hard mod" is compared to the Softmods and why it is preferable? Maybe a link to a Youtube about how to make it happen? I never use the old Xbox as an Xbox and really only want to make it into an emulator machine permanently because the kids seem to like that way more anyway than playing Xbox games of which there are only a few DVD's anyway (it was still playing several of those off the hard drive anyway).

So the original Xbox is at it's core just an old PC?  Any chance we can build an Xbox equivalent from scratch using old PC parts? I know combining threads and questions sorry but I am new and it only lets me do like two posts per day or something 

Softmod, if you dont do any additional hardware mods. (Cheaper, safe option).

Hardmod, when you want hardware mods like VGA cable, RAM mod, CPU mod. (pricey, requires soldering equipment ant skill to solder).

And with hardmod you dont need HDD key. Insignia live is dependent on HDD key and some xbox games.

You can actually make XBOX dev tower PC:

 

[Bowlsnapper]

6 hours ago, biddle said:

Before I roll up my sleeves and dig in can anyone explain what this recommended "Hard mod" is compared to the Softmods and why it is preferable? Maybe a link to a Youtube about how to make it happen? I never use the old Xbox as an Xbox and really only want to make it into an emulator machine permanently because the kids seem to like that way more anyway than playing Xbox games of which there are only a few DVD's anyway (it was still playing several of those off the hard drive anyway).

So the original Xbox is at it's core just an old PC?  Any chance we can build an Xbox equivalent from scratch using old PC parts? I know combining threads and questions sorry but I am new and it only lets me do like two posts per day or something 

A hardmod does not trick your stock bios into loading a renamed ms dashboard .XBE file. When you accidentally bork your dash setup or HDD in any way, a hardmod will allow you to boot an installer disc, which will enable you to use live applications such as file browsers and dashboard installers, among many other things. It's a pretty decent safety net. Like @SS_Dave says, "Softmodding is like masturbating. It gets the job done but it's nothing like the real thing." A softmod is tricking your console into running unsigned software. A hardmod actually enables your console to run unsigned software and has the added benefit of giving you a safety net. It gives you more control and more flexibility to fix mistakes and customize your console. A hardmod basically makes your Xbox into a practical PC, if the analogy makes sense.