Strange Error on X3 Modded system. Please Help!

[p3t3rpopp3r]

Hi,

Having modded quite a few Xbox's 'back in the day' I've just come back to one of my old X3 custom front panel one's and am getting some slightly odd behaviour.

It was oriiginally all flashed up on the standard 1234 banks and working fine. However, I'm now getting strange errors as sson as I try do boot with the chip on whether I boot normally or into the 256k backup. Although I do seem to be getting different error messages in each case.

The bank lights on the front panel (specifically bank 1 &2) seem to be a bit intermittent but not sure if this is the cause of the problem, I've tried switching to the second 1mb bank also to no avail. Finally I'm running it from an HDMI converter at the moment as I'm waiting for a replacement original SD lead, not sure if this would make any difference.

I'm a bit stuck as I can't seem to find any reference to the error I'm seeing. Been through all my own documentation and searched extensively online but no dice.

Any help would be very very much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

Edited March 2 by p3t3rpopp3r

[KaosEngineer]

FlashBIOS 3.0.1 is booting here.  Not a modified Xbox BIOS for the X3 modchip - X3 BIOS Build nnnn (latest nnnn=3294). 

Are the bank select switches 1-4 set to ON ON OFF OFF? 

This setting selects the first 1MB bank.  The location Team Xecuter suggests installing the X3 BIOS on their X3 modchip.

Is the Flash Protect switch set to ON or OFF?

From the first picture with manf=0x09, dev=0x00, it must be ON.  Protect LED RED.

The entire next line reads, "BOOT: start USB init". 

I'm assuming the console gets stuck at this point?
 

X3 Bank Selection Settings (Switches 1-4)

256k Banks

Bank 1: on on on on
Bank 2: off on on on
Bank 3: on off on on
Bank 4: off off on on
Bank 5: on on off on
Bank 6: off on off on
Bank 7: on off off on
Bank 8: off off off on

512k Banks

Bank 12: on on on off
Bank 34: off on on off
Bank 56: on off on off
Bank 78: off off on off
 

1MB Banks

Bank 1234: on on off off (Set to this when flashing first time with FlashBIOS)
Bank 5678: off on off off

2MB Bank

Bank 12345678: off off off off
 

[KaosEngineer]

What color is the LED backlighting the X3 logo on the X3CP: red, blue or purple?

[p3t3rpopp3r]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply, the banks are set to 1-4 i.e on, on, off, off. The flash protect on the front is turned off (I think) (green).

In the first screen shot (256k backup) the led goes purple as I would expect. In the second (1-4) it goes blue. It also functions normally and goes red when I hold the power on start and the Xbox correctly boots up with the stock MS dashboard.

Yes, at the "BOOT: start USB init" prompt it just hangs, I would expect the menu to come up here but I get no further.

[p3t3rpopp3r]

12 hours ago, p3t3rpopp3r said:

Hi,

Thanks for your reply, the banks are set to 1-4 i.e on, on, off, off. The flash protect on the front is turned off (I think) (green).

In the first screen shot (256k backup) the led goes purple as I would expect. In the second (1-4) it goes blue. It also functions normally and goes red when I hold the power on start and the Xbox correctly boots up with the stock MS dashboard.

Yes, at the "BOOT: start USB init" prompt it just hangs, I would expect the menu to come up here but I get no further.

Sorry the flash protect was red as you say not green, I assumed this was unsafe ie off but that may be my misunderstanding.

[KaosEngineer]

8 hours ago, p3t3rpopp3r said:

Sorry the flash protect was red as you say not green, I assumed this was unsafe ie off but that may be my misunderstanding.

The flash protect state is a bit confusing.

OFF / protect LED red means a BIOS can be flashed to the modchip. (Unsafe state / red - overwriting flash memory IS allowed.)

 ON / protect LED green means a BIOS CANNOT be flashed to the modchip. (Safe state / green - overwriting flash memory is NOT allowed.)

There's also a switch on the modchip that can override the front panel switch.  Always protecting flash from being overwritten when on.

See: x3ce.pdf

 

 

[p3t3rpopp3r]

Ok, thnaks for clearing that up, makes sense.

Still a bit puzzled by the USB init message though, I was expecting to get the flash select menu with dvd / network etc.

Does this indicate a problem with one of the hardware devices? I only ask as my DVD drive appears to have stopped ejecting.

I have some replacement rubber rings to fix this on order so should be able to rectify that within a day or two.

Thanks again for your help.

[KaosEngineer]

6 hours ago, p3t3rpopp3r said:

Still a bit puzzled by the USB init message though, I was expecting to get the flash select menu with dvd / network etc.

After the BootUSB module initializes/checks for attached USB devices: game controllers, DVD dongle, and/or a keyboard, it should print several other messages

Next one being, "Initializing IDE Controller" then "Ready", etc.  

After that information about the attached hard drive should be printed followed by the main menu options.

Are there any devices attached to the controller ports?   

Is there a hard drive attached to the IDE cable? 

I don't recall if FlashBIOS requires the DVD drive to be attached or not.

[KaosEngineer]

I found a video on YouTube that shows the startup messages FlashBIOS 3.0.1 displays when it boots. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqqPRChuPcI&t=150

 

[p3t3rpopp3r]

Ah, that's great thanks yeah I can see the screen I'm getting stuck on just before it initialises the IDE devices and ejects the DVD tray.

I'm wondering if that's the cause of the problem, I hear my tray click as the bay lock disengages but as I say the drive belt is mishappen and doesn't actually eject the tray, wondering if that may cause it to hang?

I have all the IDE devices (DVD Drive and HDD) connected and powered as they should be, ie DVD Drive on first connector HDD on second. Additionally when I boot into the MS Dashboard (mod chip disabled) I can see all my custom apps and dashboards etc on the drive so it must be able to read that.

[Bowlsnapper]

1 hour ago, p3t3rpopp3r said:

Ah, that's great thanks yeah I can see the screen I'm getting stuck on just before it initialises the IDE devices and ejects the DVD tray.

I'm wondering if that's the cause of the problem, I hear my tray click as the bay lock disengages but as I say the drive belt is mishappen and doesn't actually eject the tray, wondering if that may cause it to hang?

I have all the IDE devices (DVD Drive and HDD) connected and powered as they should be, ie DVD Drive on first connector HDD on second. Additionally when I boot into the MS Dashboard (mod chip disabled) I can see all my custom apps and dashboards etc on the drive so it must be able to read that.

Try booting with the DVD drive disconnected and see what it does.

[p3t3rpopp3r]

Hey, so sorry for the delay, been dealing with some family issues so not had chance to look at this again for a while.

So, I'm fairly convinced now it must be something to do with the board itself (1.0). I moved the chip (X3CE) to a 1.4 Xbox and it went into the FlashBios menu fine.

I've cleaned the 1.0 board checked all the solder connections and refreshed the thermal paste but still it won't go into the FlashBios menu when connected to the 1.0 board. I've tried with both the DVD and HDD connected, one or other and neither all with the same result.

Additionally, I've tried a second CE chip in the same Xbox (one with CerBios on it) and that also fails to drop into the menu when I put it into FlashBios on the same Xbox (1.0).

Other than that the board appears to run completely normally, I can happily run X3 Bios 3294 and CerBios without issue, I can also get into X3 Config live and it gives me the options to switch banks and flash though I've not tried this yet in case there's some issue flashing that way bearing in mind the menu problem.

[Bowlsnapper]

9 hours ago, p3t3rpopp3r said:

Hey, so sorry for the delay, been dealing with some family issues so not had chance to look at this again for a while.

So, I'm fairly convinced now it must be something to do with the board itself (1.0). I moved the chip (X3CE) to a 1.4 Xbox and it went into the FlashBios menu fine.

I've cleaned the 1.0 board checked all the solder connections and refreshed the thermal paste but still it won't go into the FlashBios menu when connected to the 1.0 board. I've tried with both the DVD and HDD connected, one or other and neither all with the same result.

Additionally, I've tried a second CE chip in the same Xbox (one with CerBios on it) and that also fails to drop into the menu when I put it into FlashBios on the same Xbox (1.0).

Other than that the board appears to run completely normally, I can happily run X3 Bios 3294 and CerBios without issue, I can also get into X3 Config live and it gives me the options to switch banks and flash though I've not tried this yet in case there's some issue flashing that way bearing in mind the menu problem.

Are you sure the eject button is functioning? Is the status LED turning purple when both buttons are pressed?

[p3t3rpopp3r]

46 minutes ago, Bowlsnapper said:

Are you sure the eject button is functioning? Is the status LED turning purple when both buttons are pressed?

Yeah, LED goes purple and it drops into FlashBios but never gets past the "BOOT: start USB init" bit.

[p3t3rpopp3r]

Just now, p3t3rpopp3r said:

Yeah, LED goes purple and it drops into FlashBios but never gets past the "BOOT: start USB init" bit.

I should add I've also replaced the drive belt in the DVD drive so that's ejecting normally now.

[Bowlsnapper]

1 hour ago, p3t3rpopp3r said:

I should add I've also replaced the drive belt in the DVD drive so that's ejecting normally now.

Edit: My apologies @p3t3rpopp3r. I failed to check the OP. I remember this issue now. Have you tried swapping the DVD-ROM drive in case the drive board is crapped out and holding up the boot? I read through a little bit and didn't see it, so I thought I'd ask.

[p3t3rpopp3r]

10 hours ago, Bowlsnapper said:

Edit: My apologies @p3t3rpopp3r. I failed to check the OP. I remember this issue now. Have you tried swapping the DVD-ROM drive in case the drive board is crapped out and holding up the boot? I read through a little bit and didn't see it, so I thought I'd ask.

Hey, no problem at all thanks so much for your help. 

Yes, I've tried it without a drive and also with a drive from another box (a 1.6 that was working and going into FlashBios normally).

None of this seems to have any effect, gets as far as the USB init message and then just hangs.

[p3t3rpopp3r]

49 minutes ago, p3t3rpopp3r said:

Hey, no problem at all thanks so much for your help. 

Yes, I've tried it without a drive and also with a drive from another box (a 1.6 that was working and going into FlashBios normally).

None of this seems to have any effect, gets as far as the USB init message and then just hangs.

Also I'm fairly sure the DVD drive is fine anyway as I had it playing an audio CD with the mod chip off after I fixed the drive belt and that all seemed to work nicely.