Stuffed up TSOP/Softmod

[Mittyoz]

So I've made a mistake (kicking myself now, but anyway, what's done is done).  So I softmodded using Agent Under Fire which worked beautifully.  I then downloaded Evox andn put it in the Apps folder on E and, stupidly flashed M7 BIOS to TSOP (which I had bridged the solder points).  This worked.  However, now, when box boots I just get a black screen with an orange ring.  Googling this it seems this is because it's look for Evox and can't find it (it's not installed properly).  From what I'm reading this might also be due to the box being both TSOP'd and softmodded at the same time?  The other thing is that when it boots, I still get a Microsoft Splash screen (not an Evox one) but maybe the M7bios I installed doesn't have an Evox Logo?  So I'm thinking I've successfully flashed but need to fix up the HDD to get things running again.

I need to get some blank DVD's to hopefully burn a rescue desk, Hexen or other (maybe OGxbox tool?) 

Hopefully I'm making sense here.  If anyone has suggestion of correct next steps I'd appreciate it . I used to do all this stuff 20 years ago but obviously with the passage of time and a dusty memory things didn't got as I expected!

[Marty]

If your XBOX is truly TSOP flashed, just boot an installer disk like OGXBOXInstaller or Hexen's and rebuild your console any way you like.

[Mittyoz]

Little update definitely not TSOP flashed as it refused to boot from a disc.  I attempted to re-softmod, but this failed.  I can run game discs but dash refuses to load.  I think my only salvation is to create a new HDD (I have a copy of the eeprom data) or otherwise access the existing HDD and fix whatever is wrong there that's causing the dash not to load.  

[Bowlsnapper]

14 hours ago, Mittyoz said:

Little update definitely not TSOP flashed as it refused to boot from a disc.  I attempted to re-softmod, but this failed.  I can run game discs but dash refuses to load.  I think my only salvation is to create a new HDD (I have a copy of the eeprom data) or otherwise access the existing HDD and fix whatever is wrong there that's causing the dash not to load.  

That is so crazy. The same thing literally just happened to a friend of mine. I watched him do it. Orange light, no game booting, stick at a black screen. Dude it's the same problem. He used the softmod installer on Sweetdarkdestiny's TSOP disc. Is that what you used? Nothing against sweet, though. I much respect the man!

[sweetdarkdestiny]

5 hours ago, Bowlsnapper said:

That is so crazy. The same thing literally just happened to a friend of mine. I watched him do it. Orange light, no game booting, stick at a black screen. Dude it's the same problem. He used the softmod installer on Sweetdarkdestiny's TSOP disc. Is that what you used? Nothing against sweet, though. I much respect the man!

I don't see that the OP has used my disc to flash his TSOP or to softmod his console. Not forget to mention that I have never made a disc called " Softmod Installer TSOP Disc." TSOP flashing an Softmodded XBox always was just an option. 

And like I wrote almost 2 years ago and mutliple times: "Bashing" something is way easyer that reporting a bug. How ever. I usualy test the shit I do. 

20 hours ago, Mittyoz said:

Little update definitely not TSOP flashed as it refused to boot from a disc.  I attempted to re-softmod, but this failed.

On which point the re-softmod attemp fails? 

[Bowlsnapper]

13 minutes ago, sweetdarkdestiny said:

I don't see that the OP has used my disc to flash his TSOP or to softmod his console. Not forget to mention that I have never made a disc called " Softmod Installer TSOP Disc." TSOP flashing an Softmodded XBox always was just an option. 

And like I wrote almost 2 years ago and mutliple times: "Bashing" something is way easyer that reporting a bug. How ever. I usualy test the shit I do. 

On which point the re-softmod attemp fails? 

I foresaw that reaction.

I am not bashing, I promise; only stating that I saw it happen with that option on the disc. It is possible that a step was missed and may be what happened to this guy as well, so I was hoping to track down how the softmod was performed in order to pinpoint the problem. I was actually trying to find a reason for the softmod option on your disc to NOT be problematic in the long run and that something may have been overlooked. I have a console that this happened to and replaced for a friend who tried to softmod his console using the TSOP installer, so I am interested in how this turns out. I am sure you usually test the shit you do, which is one of the reasons I respect your work. And since you tested this feature, something must have been done improperly by the person who softmodded both this console and the one I have with the exact same problem, theoretically. Catch my drift?

Jesus.

20 hours ago, Mittyoz said:

Little update definitely not TSOP flashed as it refused to boot from a disc.  I attempted to re-softmod, but this failed.  I can run game discs but dash refuses to load.  I think my only salvation is to create a new HDD (I have a copy of the eeprom data) or otherwise access the existing HDD and fix whatever is wrong there that's causing the dash not to load.  

Nothing will load now. The system is bricked. I am only saying this because I have a console in my possession with this exact problem. You can boot with another unlocked stock drive and try to TSOP flash, or you can install a chip, which will enable you to run an installer disc.

What is the manufacture date on the underside? This was attempted on a 1.6. so I'm wondering if yours is as well. Theoretically, it shouldn't make a difference as I don't even think a BFM bios is used, but who knows.

[sweetdarkdestiny]

4 minutes ago, Bowlsnapper said:

I foresaw that reaction.

I am not bashing, only stating what I saw it happen with that option on the disc. It is possible that a step was missed and may be what happened to this guy as well, so I was hoping to track down how the softmod was performed in order to pinpoint the problem. I was actually trying to find a reason for the softmod option on your disc to NOT be problematic in the long run and that something may have been overlooked. I have a console that this happened to and replaced for a friend who tried to softmod his console using the TSOP installer, so I am interested in how this turns out. I am sure you usually test the shit you do, which is one of the reasons I respect your work. And since you tested this feature, something must have been done improperly by the person who softmodded both this console and the one I have with the exact same problem, theoretically. Catch my drift?

Jesus.

Again. He didn't used my disc in the first place / at all! Not for his softmod nor his attemp to TSOP. I do not offer the option to flash the M7.bin. There is only a m7_TSOP.bin on it and it's clear written that this is to reascue TSOP's and should only be flashed to a Modchip and not a TSOP. 

And again, because I Love the repead my self over and over again, I never made a disc called " TSOP Installer ". 

And since is his xbox turn on and how it seams and loads PBL and swaps out the bios it should be fixable. Something there must block it from loading. 

Finaly cuz softmodding is nothing I'm that frim with let's tag @Rocky5 to see if he has a solution for the problem. 

[Bowlsnapper]

6 minutes ago, sweetdarkdestiny said:

Again. He didn't used my disc in the first place / at all! Not for his softmod nor his attemp to TSOP. I do not offer the option to flash the M7.bin. There is only a m7_TSOP.bin on it and it's clear written that this is to reascue TSOP's and should only be flashed to a Modchip and not a TSOP. 

And again, because I Love the repead my self over and over again, I never made a disc called " TSOP Installer ". 

And since is his xbox turn on and how it seams and loads PBL and swaps out the bios it should be fixable. Something there must block it from loading. 

Finaly cuz softmodding is nothing I'm that frim with let's tag @Rocky5 to see if he has a solution for the problem. 

Well, I don't want you to repeat yourself.

This IS however the same issue, so indeed maybe Rocky5 can tell us what's going on and I'd be interested in that. At this point, I'm sure a step was skipped, somehow. I just don't know what it is.

Does the orange light indicate that PBL was loaded? I'm accustomed to it being indicated with a red light, but perhaps I'm being ignorant. I couldn't get this thing to load ANYTHING, and that is what he has stated, so that's why I'm telling him it's bricked... at least for now. Maybe discs just refuse to load from boot when inserted and that is a setting of the dashboard being loaded, or the BFM? I do know the boot screen still works, but after that, blankness

[sweetdarkdestiny]

7 minutes ago, Bowlsnapper said:

Well, I don't want you to repeat yourself.

This IS however the same issue, so indeed maybe Rocky5 can tell us what's going on and I'd be interested in that. At this point, I'm sure a step was skipped, somehow. I just don't know what it is.

Does the orange light indicate that PBL was loaded? I'm accustomed to it being indicated with a red light, but perhaps I'm being ignorant. I couldn't get this thing to load ANYTHING, and that is what he has stated, so that's why I'm telling him it's bricked... at least for now. Maybe discs just refuse to load from boot when inserted and that is a setting of the dashboard being loaded, or the BFM? I do know the boot screen still works, but after that, blankness

The orange light indicates that the BFM bios has been loaded. And from there it seems have problems. Maybe finding a dash or something else causeing it to fail. 

If the OP is still able to use a expoid and if he gets at least to the first screen of the Softmodding tool I could come up with a solution. If not, only Rocky could maybe help. 

[Bowlsnapper]

16 minutes ago, sweetdarkdestiny said:

The orange light indicates that the BFM bios has been loaded. And from there it seems have problems. Maybe finding a dash or something else causeing it to fail. 

If the OP is still able to use a expoid and if he gets at least to the first screen of the Softmodding tool I could come up with a solution. If not, only Rocky could maybe help. 

I can't get an exploitable game to load so I can't get the system back into the softmod menu.  So for now, I'm stuck until a workaround is found.

@Mittyoz... WAIT, did the softmod work before you flashed the TSOP? It booted successfully? It must have if you were able to flash the TSOP... At any rate, the TSOP flash is technically a hardmod, and mixing that with a softmod is NEVER a good idea, and it makes softmodding pointless if you are able to do so. You now have two mods on top of each other.

[Mittyoz]

10 hours ago, Bowlsnapper said:

That is so crazy. The same thing literally just happened to a friend of mine. I watched him do it. Orange light, no game booting, stick at a black screen. Dude it's the same problem. He used the softmod installer on Sweetdarkdestiny's TSOP disc. Is that what you used? Nothing against sweet, though. I much respect the man!

No I used Rocky5.  And it worked fine.  The reason it's playing up now is that I attempted to flash the TSOP (from inside Evox, with an M7 bios) while still softmodded and as mentioned that's broken something.  Sweetdarkdestiny is not to blame (and If I'd had their disk to begin with, I probably wouldn't be in this situation but that's my own fault for not doing enough research to begin with!).  

I can boot up Agent Under Fire, and when I attempt to re-soft mod it just reboots the xbox and restarts AUF.  I also can't attempt to recopy the softmod files back to the xbox hdd because I can't get into the dashboard to do that.  I think my only way out is to either build a new HDD (which I was planning to do anyway) but I need a Sata/IDE adapter to before I could use it.  As I think I mentioned, I've got the eeprom backup from the console, so I should be able to do that.

A burnt disc does not boot, making me think I'm definitely running a stock bios, but why the orange light?

Also:  When games boot, the light stays green.  

As mentioned also before:  My Xbox boot splash screen says "Microsoft" not Evox or anything else.  

The other thing to note is that on occasion when loading the light flashes green, but it takes ages for the MS logo to appear, but then it does, and then black screen again.

If there is some "Soft" way out of this then I will gladly attempt that while I wait for a SATA/IDE adapter to arrive.  

EDIT BTW definitely not blaming Rocky5 either, as Rocky5 can't allow for my idiocy and stupidity when designing their softmod!!!  IF there were some way to use AUF to run something from a memory card (I have a usb adapter cable) that might fix this or allow me to check files on the HDD or whatever, I would certainly give that a try.  

EDIT number 2 this is a v1.0 box.  

 

Edited November 26, 2023 by Mittyoz

[FrostyMaGee]

13 minutes ago, Mittyoz said:

No I used Rocky5.  And it worked fine.  The reason it's playing up now is that I attempted to flash the TSOP (from inside Evox, with an M7 bios) while still softmodded and as mentioned that's broken something.  Sweetdarkdestiny is not to blame (and If I'd had their disk to begin with, I probably wouldn't be in this situation but that's my own fault for not doing enough research to begin with!).  

I can boot up Agent Under Fire, and when I attempt to re-soft mod it just reboots the xbox and restarts AUF.  I also can't attempt to recopy the softmod files back to the xbox hdd because I can't get into the dashboard to do that.  I think my only way out is to either build a new HDD (which I was planning to do anyway) but I need a Sata/IDE adapter to before I could use it.  As I think I mentioned, I've got the eeprom backup from the console, so I should be able to do that.

A burnt disc does not boot, making me think I'm definitely running a stock bios, but why the orange light?

Also:  When games boot, the light stays green.  

As mentioned also before:  My Xbox boot splash screen says "Microsoft" not Evox or anything else.  

The other thing to note is that on occasion when loading the light flashes green, but it takes ages for the MS logo to appear, but then it does, and then black screen again.

If there is some "Soft" way out of this then I will gladly attempt that while I wait for a SATA/IDE adapter to arrive.  

 

Just as a quick note on the sata adapter…you will also need an 80 wire 40 pin ide cable to replace the stock ide cable otherwise you’ll run in to problems. Apologies if you already knew that or had already mentioned purchasing one in tandem with the adapter. Just wanted to mention in case you didn’t so you could avoid that issue as not having one will cause an error as well. 
 

If you have the ability to take out your current hdd and hook it up to your computer you could try running fatxplorer or Xboxhdm to rebuild it since you said you already have the eeprom backup. That would be a good test to see if rebuilding the current drive via external means solves your issue or changes anything. Just a thought anyway. 

Edited November 26, 2023 by FrostyMaGee

[Bowlsnapper]

21 minutes ago, Mittyoz said:

No I used Rocky5.  And it worked fine.  The reason it's playing up now is that I attempted to flash the TSOP (from inside Evox, with an M7 bios) while still softmodded and as mentioned that's broken something.  Sweetdarkdestiny is not to blame (and If I'd had their disk to begin with, I probably wouldn't be in this situation but that's my own fault for not doing enough research to begin with!).  

I can boot up Agent Under Fire, and when I attempt to re-soft mod it just reboots the xbox and restarts AUF.  I also can't attempt to recopy the softmod files back to the xbox hdd because I can't get into the dashboard to do that.  I think my only way out is to either build a new HDD (which I was planning to do anyway) but I need a Sata/IDE adapter to before I could use it.  As I think I mentioned, I've got the eeprom backup from the console, so I should be able to do that.

A burnt disc does not boot, making me think I'm definitely running a stock bios, but why the orange light?

Also:  When games boot, the light stays green.  

As mentioned also before:  My Xbox boot splash screen says "Microsoft" not Evox or anything else.  

The other thing to note is that on occasion when loading the light flashes green, but it takes ages for the MS logo to appear, but then it does, and then black screen again.

If there is some "Soft" way out of this then I will gladly attempt that while I wait for a SATA/IDE adapter to arrive.  

EDIT BTW definitely not blaming Rocky5 either, as Rocky5 can't allow for my idiocy and stupidity when designing their softmod!!!  IF there were some way to use AUF to run something from a memory card (I have a usb adapter cable) that might fix this or allow me to check files on the HDD or whatever, I would certainly give that a try.  

EDIT number 2 this is a v1.0 box.  

 

I need @Rocky5 here now. Lol, I am solidly confused. This console gets the orange light but a BLACK screen after attempting the tsop disc softmod. Boot screen will play, but blankness afterward, and no audio either. Something about it must have been improperly prepped for the softmod is all I can think of. And if you are seeing the microsoft logo, I would think you are booting a stock bios...

 

8 minutes ago, FrostyMaGee said:

Just as a quick note on the sata adapter…you will also need an 80 wire 40 pin ide cable to replace the stock ide cable otherwise you’ll run in to problems. Apologies if you already knew that or had already mentioned purchasing one in tandem with the adapter. Just wanted to mention in case you didn’t so you could avoid that issue as not having one will cause an error as well. 
 

If you have the ability to take out your current hdd and hook it up to your computer you could try running fatxplorer or Xboxhdm to rebuild it since you said you already have the eeprom backup. That would be a good test to see if rebuilding the current drive via external means solves your issue or changes anything. Just a thought anyway. 

Some installer discs will throw a fit if the drive is not preformatted, so this is good advice. However, I'm not sure if this is the cause of the current issue.

[Mittyoz]

I also don't have an IDE USB or IDE to sata Adapter to plug the xbox drive into a PC either (I used to have all this stuff... but somewhere along the line it all vanished after I sold my original Xbox way back when).    

Thanks Frosty for the IDE cable advice.  I haven't ordered the adapter yet either, so will see how I go.  I have multiple SATA drives sitting here I can use, they aren't big ones either (like 128gb SSDs).  

Edited November 26, 2023 by Mittyoz

[sweetdarkdestiny]

18 minutes ago, FrostyMaGee said:

If you have the ability to take out your current hdd and hook it up to your computer you could try running fatxplorer or Xboxhdm to rebuild it since you said you already have the eeprom backup. That would be a good test to see if rebuilding the current drive via external means solves your issue or changes anything. Just a thought anyway. 

This. 

30 minutes ago, Mittyoz said:

I have a usb adapter cable) that might fix this or allow me to check files on the HDD or whatever, I would certainly give that a try.  

Do that. Hook up your HDD to your PC and unlock it with your eeprom backup. Format the drive (Backup what you need first). 

After that here are the files needed :

https://mega.nz/file/REdUEApD#jW8JpoyLuMqGW5yOZbTH98Hr83-2TuELbQISkhbbKDg

C & E folder. Copy the files to the partitions. 

It also include the 007 NTSC save game exploid which you then can launch to flash your TSOP using the included flasher with cerbios 2.3.1. 

 

I should read new postings before hit sendening so scratch everthing above

Edited November 26, 2023 by sweetdarkdestiny

[Mittyoz]

Thanks Sweet I was looking for the C/E files (I didn't back mine up, only the eeprom files).  This should come in helpful once I can access a drive (albeit either a new one or the old one).  Once I get an adapter (which ever one it ends up being, or maybe I'll just buy both) I'll reply here and update you all.    

[FrostyMaGee]

18 minutes ago, Bowlsnapper said:

I need @Rocky5 here now. Lol, I am solidly confused. This console gets the orange light but a BLACK screen after attempting the tsop disc softmod. Boot screen will play, but blankness afterward, and no audio either. Something about it must have been improperly prepped for the softmod is all I can think of. And if you are seeing the microsoft logo, I would think you are booting a stock bios...

 

Some installer discs will throw a fit if the drive is not preformatted, so this is good advice. However, I'm not sure if this is the cause of the current issue.

Thanks. Yeah it might not be the cause but it would at least eliminate a possible cause. With a softmod he would see the flubber screen with the Xbox logo and then it’s supposed to load the soft mod screen (in this case rocky5). I think it’s trying to since the light is turning orange but something is not loading correctly. That’s why I thought the rebuild be a good test just to see if you could get past that issue. It’s a moot point currently since he can’t hook it up to his comp to try a rebuild though. 
 

I wonder if a hdd rebuild would work for yours though Bowl? I May have missed where you already tried that though. If so my bad. 

[sweetdarkdestiny]

33 minutes ago, Bowlsnapper said:

..... after attempting the tsop disc softmod .....

Ok for blind and the deff one last time. I never made a TSOP Disc. 

So name the right disc with the option you have used (They are numbered on purpose ) so I can look into it. If you can't well -> jftsu. 

[FrostyMaGee]

13 minutes ago, Mittyoz said:

Thanks Sweet I was looking for the C/E files (I didn't back mine up, only the eeprom files).  This should come in helpful once I can access a drive (albeit either a new one or the old one).  Once I get an adapter (which ever one it ends up being, or maybe I'll just buy both) I'll reply here and update you all.    

Those are definitely useful files to have that @sweetdarkdestiny linked. Do you have a usb sata adapter for your computer? If so you could try building a drive with one of the sata hdds you have sitting around. Though you’d still have to wait for the sata to ide adapter and cable for the Xbox to test it out.  Having the ability to build the sata hdd on your computer would still come in handy in case you’re unable to build it via the console. 
 

Hope you have luck with it and by all means keep us updated. 

[Bowlsnapper]

27 minutes ago, sweetdarkdestiny said:

Ok for blind and the deff one last time. I never made a TSOP Disc. 

So name the right disc with the option you have used (They are numbered on purpose ) so I can look into it. If you can't well -> jftsu. 

@sweetdarkdestinyHAS NEVER MADE A TSOP DISC.

I'm speaking of the TSOP install package. The softmod installer is an option. That is what was used on the console I have.

Have I rectified this mistake? Or should I get on my hands and knees and beg for forgiveness? 

[sweetdarkdestiny]

9 minutes ago, Bowlsnapper said:

Sweet, you're acting like an ass. Chill out. Enough with the stupid disc wording. Quit getting defensive and hung up on it. You and I both know YOU NEVER MADE A DISC.

I'm speaking of the TSOP install package. The softmod installer is an option. That is what what used.

FUCKING CHRIST. Go back to normal already.

When two ppl do the same, it's different? Well well well..... 

And I still don't know for what I have to search for. But I give up on that cuz seems to be a waste of time...

 

If someone wants to download/mirror something of my uploads, do it within the next 24 hours.

[Bowlsnapper]

5 minutes ago, sweetdarkdestiny said:

When two ppl do the same, it's different? Well well well..... 

And I still don't know for what I have to search for. But I give up on that cuz seems to be a waste of time...

 

If someone wants to download/mirror something of my uploads, do it within the next 24 hours.

I state that you clearly did not make a disc, so I don't know what you WOULD be looking for? Maybe let it go?

Anyway, If there's any information I can extrapolate about this console, I would be happy to do so, I just don't know what I would do... Should I perhaps get an IDE/USB adapter and look at the contents of this HDD? I know you say that you would defer to Rocky for softmodding, but I thought I'd offer.

[Mittyoz]

Found xboxHDM Beta4, and have built a drive using Sweet's files (thanks again).  It's just a 128GB SATA SSD I have lying around.  Re Sata/IDE adapters... is there any particular one, or will any thing work?  I'm looking at this BULK SATA To Pata IDE Converter Adapter Plug&Play 7+15 Pin 3.5/2.5 Sata HDD D | eBay

 

the 80 pin IDE cable is a bit more annoying as you all know it needs to be a particular length and finding one locally  in Oz is a bit difficult these days.  The thought occurs that once you have modded the box properly you could dump the optical drive completely and mount the SSD where the Optical drive was to save cable length, so if that was the plan a shorter cable would be fine, just have the drive hanging out the back while you set it all up I guess.  

[Bowlsnapper]

25 minutes ago, Mittyoz said:

Found xboxHDM Beta4, and have built a drive using Sweet's files (thanks again).  It's just a 128GB SATA SSD I have lying around.  Re Sata/IDE adapters... is there any particular one, or will any thing work?  I'm looking at this BULK SATA To Pata IDE Converter Adapter Plug&Play 7+15 Pin 3.5/2.5 Sata HDD D | eBay

 

the 80 pin IDE cable is a bit more annoying as you all know it needs to be a particular length and finding one locally  in Oz is a bit difficult these days.  The thought occurs that once you have modded the box properly you could dump the optical drive completely and mount the SSD where the Optical drive was to save cable length, so if that was the plan a shorter cable would be fine, just have the drive hanging out the back while you set it all up I guess.  

What is it that you are trying to do at this point? Use this HDD to TSOP flash? 

PLEASE do me a favor and only use a Startech. It's only a few bucks more. I am following a thread that is saying that samsung B and F drives seem to have an issue with the adapter, but other than that, I would feel secure with the purchase. You will also be able to achieve UDMA-6 with it, as it uses Marvell.

[Mittyoz]

My DVD drive is a Thomson.

At this stage yes I'm trying to get the box running again with original dash so I can do another softmod, and attempt to flash the TSOP again with Cerbios, which I can do with the files Sweet has provided.