Saving 3 xboxes before it's too late (need advice)

[peterpop]

Hi

First of all: I'm completely new to OG Xbox modding. I have three boxes (and hopefully a fourth on the way soon):

The first one:

My original Xbox I bought way back. Last time I used it, it worked... but that was before my oldest child (now 16) was born!

It is dated 2002-04-04 which according to https://consolemods.org/wiki/Xbox:Versions makes it a version 1.0. Opening it also reveals a fan on the gpu and the controller daughterboard.

The clock capacitor luckily looks in pretty good condition. No leakage.

The second one:

This one I got second hand sometime around 2006. That was the time I got a second Steel Battalion set with LoC. Since I don't have any friends the only way I could enjoy multiplayer was by having a second set myself...

This one is dated 2003-07-27 which makes it a version 1.4. Or maybe a version 1.3 if I use the YWW from the serial number ("5197553 33005"). I also opened this one and found the clock capacitor in good shape

What's important about these two Xboxes is that they are completely vanilla. I have made no modifications to them at all. Other than piercing the stickers to be able to open the cases for what I am describing in this post.

The reason I have kept them this way for so long is due to the Tekki unlock code Capcom released in 2005. Both consoles have it.

The third one:

I actually got this a while back because I wanted to build a dev kit. I never got around to it. Probably because I found out that it's a version 1.6b and so didn't have pads for the extra 64MB RAM.

This one was modded when I got it. I can only believe that it's softmodded because there is no trace of extra chips or wires anywhere. It has UnleashX installed.
 

Ok. So what I want to do now:

1. Remove the clock caps from the two old Xboxes. I believe I can just do that without any consequences (other than the clock requesting to be set every time I turn them on) even when the consoles or unmodded, correct?

2. With the caps out of the way I want to turn them on to check them. Or should I do that before removing the caps? The things I have read about the caps have made me a little weary of turning them on beforehand.

3. Backup all the HDDs to preserve them. This step is what worries me the most. Can it be done without modifying the first two boxes? If I have to modify them, what alterations will be made to the HDDs? I want to preserve them as pristine as possible. But also only if it's meaningful. If I can make a clone without modifying the boxes but the drive image is useles then I of course don't want to do it. What would you suggest I do here?

4. Whether or not I need to mod them to backup the HDDs I want to mod them anyway. It seems to be the only way to make sure the consoles remain usable in the future. My initial plan is to softmod them with Splinter Cell. (The third one is modded so no need to)

5. Replace all the HDDs with newer ones. Preferably SSDs. I have too many 120GB ones lying around. And then storing the original HDDs. The HDD in the third one seems to be the original so whoever modded it didn't replace the HDD.

Anything I should be aware of? Something I am missing/overlooking? Especially with regards to step 3. When looking at the softmodding guide I see steps about nulling the HDD keys. It says "optional" so given that I want to preserve the disks as original as possible is this something I should think about?

[MadMartigan]

1. Correct. Get those things out of the 1.0-1.1 and 1.3-1.4 boards ASAP.

2. Just do it beforehand. It’s not like they’re going to blow up the Xbox, but might as well since it’s in the game plan anyway.

3. There’s been some recent changes to how soft mods operate. FTP could be possible, but I’ll let someone else chime in on this one. There are no alterations made to the HDD besides adding a couple of files to support the mod. You can much more easily grab the data off of them after they’re modded. Wether soft or hard mod. 

4. Answered in #3

5. If you have SSDs lying around then go for it. I personally wouldn’t recommend going to buy one. This is a huge debate within the community. I’ll let you delve more into that with a YouTube video or something. At the end of the day, XBOX was made in 2001 for IDE drives. They’re just not made to utilize the full capabilities of an SSD. 
 

The rest is sort of user preference. Hard mods are all around a better type of mod, but soft mods are excellent for casual users that are only going to play emulators and some Xbox games. Nulling your HDD key is an easy way to not forget your password and give the ability to use that drive in another nulled console with little to no issue. As long as the drive is locked(Soft mods require a lock). If you label the drive for the Xbox it came out of, then there is no real advantage to nulling. It’s also worth noting that nulling the drive can render some existing game saves, useless. That can require another process of resigning your game saves to get them to work again. 
 

Edit: I forgot to say DEFINITELY backup those drives. There is a community database with tons of game files for extra content like DLC for maps and other cool stuff. I don’t know where right off hand, but there is a list of things that are still being looked for and you may have some of it. 

Edited February 23 by MadMartigan

[KaosEngineer]

2 hours ago, peterpop said:

The clock capacitor luckily looks in pretty good condition. No leakage.

Many people say this; however, the cap has leaked all over the motherboard.

Please post/share a picture of the motherboard and/or area around the clock cap.

[KaosEngineer]

If not already, check out the Steel Battalion Online subReddit:

• https://www.reddit.com/r/steelbattaliononline/

and Discord server for online multiplayer gaming:

• https://discord.gg/steelbattalion

IIRC, they use XLink Kai to play with others on the Internet:

• https://www.teamxlink.co.uk/

[peterpop]

XBox 1:

[peterpop]

XBox2:

 

[peterpop]

10 hours ago, KaosEngineer said:

If not already, check out the Steel Battalion Online subReddit:

• https://www.reddit.com/r/steelbattaliononline/

and Discord server for online multiplayer gaming:

• https://discord.gg/steelbattalion

IIRC, they use XLink Kai to play with others on the Internet:

• https://www.teamxlink.co.uk/

Yeah, I know about this. Pretty amazing that that community is so strong. I have never participated in it, but I have lingered since sbc.pippin.us through steelbattalion.org, lineofcontact.net and now Discord.

[peterpop]

Ok, so I removed the cap from the second Xbox and turned it on. No problems. So with that Xbox I'm at step 3. My understanding is that the easiest way to backup the hdd is to mod the Xbox first. If I softmod it, what modifications will it make to the hdd and eeprom? I have searched for articles about it, but I'm only finding howtos. I would like something that explains the modifications at a lower level.

I could maybe also use the hotswapping method to backup the hdd. That way no modifications would be made to the hdd, right?

And for the eeprom I saw this video from Tech Hoarder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSe89adGfR0. I guess that would extract the unmodified eeprom?

Edit: It seems most softmodding tools make a backup of the eeprom. If this is a backup of the original eeprom, then that takes care of this. So, is it a backup of the eeprom before the softmod modifies it?

But is it just too much hassle for something that's ultimately unimportant?

 

I have revised my gameplan to also include TSOP flashing the two oldest Xboxes. I have an Aladdin XT Plus2 that I am thinking of putting in the third Xbox (the v1.6 one). And then I think I am getting a version 1.4 with an Xecutor 3 chip in it if everything works out. That one seems like a good candidate for the RAM upgrade.

(This 3 posts a day limit... is it lifted at some point, or do I have to be a paying member?)

Edited February 25 by peterpop

[MadMartigan]

Hotswap method is not highly recommended. It’s best to go ahead with a softmod and then proceed to FTP the eeprom backup files to your PC in labeled folders to keep track of which Xbox they’re for. The softmod tools will indeed make a backup, but only to a folder within the Xbox. So that’s why you need to move them to a pc. Those eeprom files allow you to either build a new HDD for repair, or recover an old one that may have been messed up by accident. Looks like you e a good plan going so far. 

[peterpop]

I softmodded it already. And copied the files over ftp. This already gives me some peace of mind.

Out of curiosity: how do you reverse the process. I.e. remove the softmod to get back to how it was originally?

[MadMartigan]

It is completely reversible. You can pop in one of the multiple installer discs and they have options to completely remove the soft mod and its files. Installer discs such as Rocky5 Extras disc, OGXBOXInstaller, Hexen, etc. 

[NokSueCow]

1 hour ago, peterpop said:

Out of curiosity: how do you reverse the process. I.e. remove the softmod to get back to how it was originally?

I've used Rocky's Extras Disc to reset to factory multiple times when I was first starting out. I made tons of mistakes and didn't feel comfortable trying to fix it with limited knowledge, so I just reset and tried again. You can burn it to a dvd-r using ImgBurn, but I prefer to just ftp it to the Apps folder and launch as a virtual disc. In his softmod files, you'll find an Extras Disc folder, within that is an Attacher folder that has a file in it that says 'place extras disc in here'. Place the Extras Disc.iso in this folder. It should have an Attacher file in it also. Ftp this folder to your Apps and reset the xbox and launch it.

Navigate to the Advanced Options I think it's called, and you'll see a Factory Reset option. It'll ask if you want to keep gamesaves before the reset. If you plan on wiping and starting fresh, I'd recommend backing up the t/data and u/data folders on every xbox, to scan for dlc that has been lost to time. You can browse the original dashboard before doing anything to see if you have any. While scanning through your game saves, if any have a green checkmark or green arrow, it could be valuable. Some games won't even have arrows, but you'll notice the file size is different when you scroll right and left between the main game icon and gamesave. This is likely a title update, and it's hard to notice.

Pinecone is a handy tool to scan for missing dlc, however, Harcroft is working on an App for the xbox from what I hear, to make it much easier. With Endgame's release, it'll be even easier, no softmod needed to scan.

Another neat feature of Rocky's factory reset option, is he installs an audio track that is part of the uddae exploit. This allows you to resoftmod at any time, without the need for a game disc or softmod files. I've done it multiple times and it's very easy. Just copy/paste and rename the audio track and it's modded again. The instructions are included in his softmod package.

I recently put a 60GB OCZ Agility II in one of mine and noticed a difference immediately. Seek times are non existent. XBMC4Gamers and Emustation are much more responsive, compared to my WD20EZBX. It was my original ssd for my pc when I built it in 2010 and has been lying around forever. Figured I'd try it out to test.

[peterpop]

Ok, so now I've made the TSOP writeable. I checked with the XBOX Bios Checker 5.0 which says the chip type is ST yadayada (TSOP?). But now I don't really know how to best proceed. According to https://consolemods.org/wiki/Xbox:TSOP_Flashing#Flashing_with_XBlast_OS_.28recommended.29 the recommended way to flash is with something called XBlast OS. It instructs me to use the XBlast OS application XBE. I have no idea where to find that. I could also go the utility disc way, but there's a big fat warning to not use the DVD drive. I also used the bios checker by copying it just like NokSueCow wrote in the post above about the extras disc. So I wan't to be a good citizen and do what's recommended, but I find the instructions a bit lacking.

When I figure that out (that is, when someone tells me how  ) the next thing is the bios. How on earth am I supposed to pick a bios? https://consolemods.org/wiki/Xbox:BIOS_Features lists a lot, but I have no clue what to choose. Some are for modchips I guess. Those are not applicable to me right now since I'm going to TSOP flash it, right? The page links to a chart on archive.org from 2016. Even for Xbox modding I think that's a bit old. So are there any general guidelines I can take when choosing a bios? Or maybe a newer up-to-date comparison chart? Or maybe I am so lucky that there's only one obvious choice that everyone is using nowadays?

[Bowlsnapper]

1 hour ago, peterpop said:

Ok, so now I've made the TSOP writeable. I checked with the XBOX Bios Checker 5.0 which says the chip type is ST yadayada (TSOP?). But now I don't really know how to best proceed. According to https://consolemods.org/wiki/Xbox:TSOP_Flashing#Flashing_with_XBlast_OS_.28recommended.29 the recommended way to flash is with something called XBlast OS. It instructs me to use the XBlast OS application XBE. I have no idea where to find that. I could also go the utility disc way, but there's a big fat warning to not use the DVD drive. I also used the bios checker by copying it just like NokSueCow wrote in the post above about the extras disc. So I wan't to be a good citizen and do what's recommended, but I find the instructions a bit lacking.

When I figure that out (that is, when someone tells me how  ) the next thing is the bios. How on earth am I supposed to pick a bios? https://consolemods.org/wiki/Xbox:BIOS_Features lists a lot, but I have no clue what to choose. Some are for modchips I guess. Those are not applicable to me right now since I'm going to TSOP flash it, right? The page links to a chart on archive.org from 2016. Even for Xbox modding I think that's a bit old. So are there any general guidelines I can take when choosing a bios? Or maybe a newer up-to-date comparison chart? Or maybe I am so lucky that there's only one obvious choice that everyone is using nowadays?

Use the TSOP flashing tool. In the OP I explain how I use the tool to flash the latest version of Cerbios.

Edit: You can use the "Xblast Only" version near the bottom which will make this MUCH simpler for you. Just run the exploit and it will immediately run XBlast. Then you can net flash Cerbios from your PC over the network.

As for the latest version of Cerbios:

That is the one we're all using these days.

[MadMartigan]

@Bowlsnapperhas you linked to the goods. If it gets to be too overwhelming(it’s a lot to take in), you can reach out to one of us in DMs or on discord if you have it. I don’t mind walking you through it all. It’s really a simple process after the learning curve. 

[peterpop]

5 hours ago, MadMartigan said:

@Bowlsnapperhas you linked to the goods. If it gets to be too overwhelming(it’s a lot to take in), you can reach out to one of us in DMs or on discord if you have it. I don’t mind walking you through it all. It’s really a simple process after the learning curve. 

It IS a lot to take in. But when you're not in a hurry and can take your time reading up on stuff it's a lot of fun. I'm learning all sorts of new stuff. E.g. I didn't know that ATA drives had built in security. I thought it was MS specific to the XBox.

Finding the right ressources is quite the adventure.

6 hours ago, Bowlsnapper said:

Use the TSOP flashing tool. In the OP I explain how I use the tool to flash the latest version of Cerbios.

Edit: You can use the "Xblast Only" version near the bottom which will make this MUCH simpler for you. Just run the exploit and it will immediately run XBlast. Then you can net flash Cerbios from your PC over the network.

As for the latest version of Cerbios:

That is the one we're all using these days.

If I go to the XBlast-only links the first one links to an NTSC version. I never really said that I'm on a PAL system, sorry . And the second one (from Dark Destiny) has two dead links.

So I used the 1fichier one and downloaded OGXBox XBlastOS MC TSOP Flasher v2.1.0 8MB BASIC (07.12.2023).rar, extracted until I reached "OGXBox XBlastOS MC TSOP Flasher v2.1.0  8MB BASIC\Flasher\21585554\000000000000\XBlast\XBlastE\XBlast". Ftped that folder over and started default.xbe from there.

I just need to be sure that that is the correct version. On my screen I see this:

The web form (when started of course) asks for the bios file, but also for a name. What is the name used for? Can I write anything there?

[Bowlsnapper]

43 minutes ago, peterpop said:

It IS a lot to take in. But when you're not in a hurry and can take your time reading up on stuff it's a lot of fun. I'm learning all sorts of new stuff. E.g. I didn't know that ATA drives had built in security. I thought it was MS specific to the XBox.

Finding the right ressources is quite the adventure.

If I go to the XBlast-only links the first one links to an NTSC version. I never really said that I'm on a PAL system, sorry . And the second one (from Dark Destiny) has two dead links.

So I used the 1fichier one and downloaded OGXBox XBlastOS MC TSOP Flasher v2.1.0 8MB BASIC (07.12.2023).rar, extracted until I reached "OGXBox XBlastOS MC TSOP Flasher v2.1.0  8MB BASIC\Flasher\21585554\000000000000\XBlast\XBlastE\XBlast". Ftped that folder over and started default.xbe from there.

I just need to be sure that that is the correct version. On my screen I see this:

The web form (when started of course) asks for the bios file, but also for a name. What is the name used for? Can I write anything there?

The "Name" is what shows up at the bottom of the screen when selecting the bios manually in xblastOS, I am not sure where this name is stored, but I think it will show up in XBlast if ever run as an XBE on your system. So just type in "Cerbios" for the name.

0.56 is the one that is on the kit and that is plenty sufficient. You should not have an issue. Go ahead and flash. Once you do, make sure that the Cerbios HDD files/folders are on C so that you can have your ini and boot animations.

Did you select an appropriate UDMA mode as outlined in the Cerbios thread OP?

[peterpop]

On 2/26/2024 at 9:18 AM, Bowlsnapper said:

The "Name" is what shows up at the bottom of the screen when selecting the bios manually in xblastOS, I am not sure where this name is stored, but I think it will show up in XBlast if ever run as an XBE on your system. So just type in "Cerbios" for the name.

0.56 is the one that is on the kit and that is plenty sufficient. You should not have an issue. Go ahead and flash. Once you do, make sure that the Cerbios HDD files/folders are on C so that you can have your ini and boot animations.

Did you select an appropriate UDMA mode as outlined in the Cerbios thread OP?

Well, I asked Discord and because I don't have the SATA adapters yet, I just chose the hybrid one. It works flawlessly. I did run into some problems right after flashing where I booted to a black screen. Popping in the tools cd (to get ftp access) and clearing out the C drive solved it. I guess it's something to do with shadowc (which I don't really know how works/what is). But it's working now.

So I have moved on to the first xbox, and I actually noticed a patch of dust around the capacitor. I can't see anything on the cap itself. Anyway, the cap is removed, I cleaned the area and the box boots fine. So now it's on to modding that one too.

[MadMartigan]

Be extremely careful when you’re tinkering with the files. You normally don’t want to touch the shadowC and rarely want to mess with C files. You cause some nasty little issues that way. It’s probably best just to let the installer discs do it for you since they’re mostly updated and the process is automated. Some Xboxes take a little longer to boot after a flash also so that’s worth keeping in mind also. Not to say you won’t get the occasional hang.