Help softmodding xbox NTSC-J

[Frizzo]

Hello there everyone!

I posted a little bit around but then I considered the many peculiarities of my situation and decided that it was better to open a new topic.

I am going a little bit out of my mind trying to softmod an Xbox 1.00 fw 4034 NTSC-J. I am aiming to play some titles in english and therefore softmod is a must. I am not totally inept with soldering iron but if I wold like not messing around with the motherboard.

I checked my options and it seemed that Hotswap was the best alternative. I found a couple of posts on reddit (here from Rocky5 and here).

The second post is interesting because essentially presents my same case and the OP resolved with a previous copy of XboxHDM 2.3 Beta 2 and ndure 3.0 but then in the comments another poster said you can just use the XBHDM utility of Rocky5softmod. This was a long route. I thought to start from the easiest way to edit files in the HDD through hotswap: Xplorer360.

I planned to use Xplorer360 with the error 12 unplugging the dvd drive but it gave instead the error 11. The error 11 was just the start, I tried other ways to unlock the drive but it still does not show up in Xplorer360 (despite it showed up in DISKUTIL many times).

Used other hotswap strategy. In-game technique seemed the one that produced the best effects since it came up in the DISKUTIL but still never on Xplorer360. I dropped Xplorer360. I upgraded to XboxHDM 2.3 Beta 4 I planned to do with the Rocky5 Build 1.1.8v/Installer Variants/XBHDM. I was able to connect it to the PC via ide-usb cable, check in DISKUTIL and check with XboxHDM 2.3 Beta 4 that the hd is "ATA secutity is: enabled, pw Level Max, not locked, not frozen [sec5]."

I would like to make a backup and I want to move the rocky5 files now. I moved the XBHDM build from the "installer variants" folder in Build 1.1.8. load the XBHDM for the drive.  When I load the xbrowser in XboxHDM and press f2 for menu it gives me a "Cannot open file /usr/local/share/mc/mc.menu". f4 (edit) blanks the page with "C" [Read only] line 1 of 1 --100%-- which factually makes the XBHDM crash (no way to go back). IN A NUTSHELL: from here I am lost... what should I do? I run everything as administrator but no luck. Should I first unlock the drive and disable ? no Disable? i am really confused...

I dont have the eeprom reader so i cannot extract it in that way. I order solder ink pen but it will take time but worst scenario I think I might TSOP, but does that too need a softmod first?

Anyway I think that I must be close... any suggestions on how to proceed ?

 

Sorry for the long post and thank you for reading!

[sweetdarkdestiny]

In case you have a raspbarry pi on hand: https://github.com/grimdoomer/PiPROM

Video tutorial : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSe89adGfR0

[Frizzo]

1 hour ago, sweetdarkdestiny said:

In case you have a raspbarry pi on hand: https://github.com/grimdoomer/PiPROM

Video tutorial : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSe89adGfR0

Thanks.I watched all these video and loved them but I do not have raspberry pi.

I am left only with the hope that someone more expert than me can tell me how to install the ROCKY5 softmod through XBHDM on a stock console... worst scenario I can follow the exact route of the OP here and later upgrade to Rocky5. It is just that is my absolute first time with an XBOX. Here in Japan are quite expensive and pricey.

[HDShadow]

Softmodding using exploit/installer game saves has always been considered, and is IMHO, the easiest way of modding a Xbox. You do have to have a working DVD drive and, of course, an original copy of one of the exploitable games along with a softmod installer package of course.

Hot-swapping with its inherent danger to the hardware is difficult to do successfully. There is some 'questionable' advice out there about provoking a particular error message which will "unlock the HDD" but the best YT tutorials on hot-swapping make it clear getting the swap point/timing right is not that simple. If it was installing a softmod or fixing errors this way would be a far more popular solution.

I have done a successful hot-swap with Xplorer360 but I tried so many times before it worked I was about to give up. Nowadays you're best advised not to to use Xplorer360; if you do successfully unlock the HDD FATXplorer is thing to use.

Whilst I've not tried doing this myself my experience with FATXplorer is it is a far more reliable and better tool for getting stuff from PC to a FATX formatted Xbox HDD. Only minor downside is that It does have to be properly installed on the PC rather than, like Xplorer360, used as a 'portable' program. 

[Frizzo]

13 minutes ago, HDShadow said:

Softmodding using exploit/installer game saves has always been considered, and is IMHO, the easiest way of modding a Xbox. You do have to have a working DVD drive and, of course, an original copy of one of the exploitable games along with a softmod installer package of course.

Hot-swapping with its inherent danger to the hardware is difficult to do successfully. There is some 'questionable' advice out there about provoking a particular error message which will "unlock the HDD" but the best YT tutorials on hot-swapping make it clear getting the swap point/timing right is not that simple. If it was installing a softmod or fixing errors this way would be a far more popular solution.

I have done a successful hot-swap with Xplorer360 but I tried so many times before it worked I was about to give up. Nowadays you're best advised not to to use Xplorer360; if you do successfully unlock the HDD FATXplorer is thing to use.

Whilst I've not tried doing this myself my experience with FATXplorer is it is a far more reliable and better tool for getting stuff from PC to a FATX formatted Xbox HDD. Only minor downside is that It does have to be properly installed on the PC rather than, like Xplorer360, used as a 'portable' program. 

Thank you for your post. I was going to follow exactly that game save way. Only question is that NTSC-J are exploitable only with ASIAN version of the game. I had this passage unclear and in fact I purchased Splinter Cell (Japanese version) sure to be able to softmod that way. The Asian versions here go for around 70-150 USD and it is honestly a no-go (i found for a bit less than 200 a 2tb pre-worked console with even the 128mb ram upgraded lol). I will try FATXplorer but I cannot find much about how to use it. I am also confused because on the website it said it was a software for purchase (like 25USD)... Do you have any wiki or github of the exact version you mentioned?

 

EDIT Is because of this whole mess that I find myself looking for an alternative way to softmod... I wanted to know if it is possible (like I think it is) to use XBHDM 2.3 beta4 to backup data after hotswap and how to put the data of the softmod there... I was looking for some detailed insights on that matter, but again thank you!

Edited November 16, 2021 by Frizzo

[HDShadow]

https://fatxplorer.eaton-works.com/3-0-beta/

[Frizzo]

Thanks, I was looking at it and just when I was ready to try I gave Xplorer360 a last chance. Just then I managed to connect it with Xplorer360 and moved in the softmod installer files. The trick was apparently to totally unplug the USB-IDE connector from the USB and then do quickly the swap... or at least so I think. what it matters is that I backed up the eeprom and I am ready to mod thank you for your help!