Two unbootable 1.6 consoles. Two TSOP 1.0's. can the former be revived?

[codezer0]

So, since fall break gave me time off work, and I was able to discover a local maker's club venue that is depressingly only open late nights, I was able to make time and appreciate of their help and expertise... long story short, both of my working 1.0 Xbox consoles are now successfully TSOP flashed, with I think it was X2.5035 BIOS.

So, in personal inventory, last I checked, I have the following:

• 1.0 Xbox, TSOP flashed, stock 8GB hard drive
• 1.0 Xbox, TSOP flashed, 120GB IDE hard drive
• 1.6 Xbox, soft-mod with EvoX dash (not sure how, since I don't recall making that choice in xboxHDM and used the same disc on all consoles)
• 1.6 Xbox, soft-mod with UnleashX dash
• 1.6 Xbox with an error 05
• 1.6 Xbox with error 16

I recall someone saying that it was possible to re-prep the hard drive(s) for each of the error'd Xbox's with one that was already TSOP flashed, but so far my Google-fu is turning up nothing on the matter.
I've also been trying to see if I could even find a solder-less mod-chip that could work on up to a 1.6 xbox console, since it would make the process of diagnosing and fixing up these consoles a heck of a lot easier than trying to source a new IDE-capable motherboard. No luck there, either. Since a few shops here sometimes do sell "broken" and "for parts" consoles for really cheap, the ability to use something like that to then help me get them up and running again would be a tantalizing prospect.

I also did pick up a SATA-to-IDE adapter that I'd like to use... but so far my attempts at using it with a 1TB or 2TB drive on either TSOP'd Xbox seems to just yield nothing. But that would be a separate question to look out for.

So I guess the questions are as follows (in relative order of importance):

1. Is it possible to use either TSOP Xbox to prep a hard drive or repair the data on either that are booting straight to error, so that they could start working again?
2. Would Chimp (with a soft-mod) or HeXEn boot disc be better for prepping a really large capacity drive?
   1. I heard some grumbling suggesting that a modern BIOS would be better off using .06 instead of .67 to basically make an enormous F drive as opposed to separate F & G drives, which would certainly be appropriate if I'm trying to shove a 1~2TB drive in either console. Is there a preferable method to handle for either situation (i.e. is one more preferable than another in a soft mod vs TSOP situation) ?
3. Since eBay seems to be going out of its way to aggravate and frustrate me at the time of this writing, where would I be able to find a suitable Xbox mod-chip for dealing with a system that simply won't boot otherwise? Thinking about it presently, such a tool would be invaluable for troubleshooting a console without having to try and hunt down an older computer or motherboard for the job.
   1. This one has started to become more important, because this old AMD 939 system I was using for running xboxHDM is now toast, and trying to find a working motherboard anywhere that still has IDE slots is unfairly difficult and/or expensive (usually, both).
4. I remember way back that using 80-pin PATA cables improved performance on an OG Xbox; however, presently I can't seem to find them at all, much less with the kind of length to be usable inside a stock console form. Is there a place for a viable option to pick up some more of these? It might be standard connectors, but it seems compared to every IDE cable I've come across with any of the motherboards I've used that feature them, the connectors are backwards compared to what the Xbox layout needs.

 

[DinohScene]

Only way how to get the 1.6 xboxes working is to chip them or know the HDD key of them and build a HDD.

The Error 16 box however would be tricky.
Could be a failed old softmod or could be that the clock mechanism is fucked.

You can make 80 pin IDE cables yourself.
Nothing much needed other then a flat cable and lose IDE connectors.

 

[paulttt]

Wow, this is a blast to the past, so please excuse me if I get anything wrong here.

Error 16, if I remember correctly is corrupt dash files. You could use CHIMP to rebuild the drive if you could unlock the drive. What I might suggest is to attempt a hotswap from the 1.6 to one of the TSOP boxes, then FTP the correct dash files to it.


For the error 05, your going to need either a modchip installing to relock the drive/allow it to boot from an unlocked drive. OR if the drive is unlocked from a previously failed softmod, you might get lucky and have the old EEPROM dumps on the E partition. What you could do if you have the EEPROM dumps is, use CHIMP to relock the drive, then it should boot.

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Didn't realize @DinohScene had replied. His advice is worth a fuckton more than mine

 

[DinohScene]

Error 16 is clock related.
Not something you can fix that quickly on a 1.6 box.

However, if OP did previously attempted softmodding then yeh, he can try that on the Error 05 box.

 

[codezer0]

So, from what you're saying, I'd still need a chip of some kind. But considering these likely won't be the only Xbox consoles I run into that might have these kind of problems, I'll need one I can basically drop in and take with me once repaired. Presently the closest I've seen to be able to make that happen is to link a chip to something I've seen called an Xapter, if I could even find one for sale. Last listing I saw on eBay of all things, some dude was trying to sell the xapter by itself for $175 USD, which is way above what these systems cost me. It claims to work with any modchip, but the only chip I've seen that's even somewhat reasonable in price is an Aladdin XT. CAN said chip even be converted into a solder-less fashion?

Wow, this is a blast to the past, so please excuse me if I get anything wrong here.

Error 16, if I remember correctly is corrupt dash files. You could use CHIMP to rebuild the drive if you could unlock the drive. What I might suggest is to attempt a hotswap from the 1.6 to one of the TSOP boxes, then FTP the correct dash files to it.


For the error 05, your going to need either a modchip installing to relock the drive/allow it to boot from an unlocked drive. OR if the drive is unlocked from a previously failed softmod, you might get lucky and have the old EEPROM dumps on the E partition. What you could do if you have the EEPROM dumps is, use CHIMP to relock the drive, then it should boot.

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Didn't realize @DinohScene had replied. His advice is worth a fuckton more than mine

IIRC, the one with the Error 05 was indeed soft-modded, but, like an idiot, I accidentally ran config magic and unlocked the drive then powered it off before re-locking it, which is probably why it's puking up that error message. Problem is I can't find the directions to fix it anywhere. I do recall seeing one set of instructions that required a TSOP flashed Xbox that could be used to revive it, but I've not seen it again since.

If I could do that, then I'd only have to worry about the Error 16 system.

 

[paulttt]

Error 16 is clock related.
Not something you can fix that quickly on a 1.6 box.

But isn't the clock issue directly related to the dash not being correct? So if a valid dash was present and signed wouldn't this circumvent the error?


Sorry mate, not trying to be argumentative, it's been a while since I last dabbled with original XBOX stuff.

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So, from what you're saying, I'd still need a chip of some kind. But considering these likely won't be the only Xbox consoles I run into that might have these kind of problems, I'll need one I can basically drop in and take with me once repaired. Presently the closest I've seen to be able to make that happen is to link a chip to something I've seen called an Xapter, if I could even find one for sale. Last listing I saw on eBay of all things, some dude was trying to sell the xapter by itself for $175 USD, which is way above what these systems cost me. It claims to work with any modchip, but the only chip I've seen that's even somewhat reasonable in price is an Aladdin XT. CAN said chip even be converted into a solder-less fashion?
IIRC, the one with the Error 05 was indeed soft-modded, but, like an idiot, I accidentally ran config magic and unlocked the drive then powered it off before re-locking it, which is probably why it's puking up that error message. Problem is I can't find the directions to fix it anywhere. I do recall seeing one set of instructions that required a TSOP flashed Xbox that could be used to revive it, but I've not seen it again since.

If I could do that, then I'd only have to worry about the Error 16 system.

In that case, Could you not stick the drive in one of your TSOP boxes. Launch a Dash from a CD/DVD, then FTP and retrieve the HDD key from the backup configmagic (hopefully made). You can then relock it with chimp.

 

[codezer0]

In that case, Could you not stick the drive in one of your TSOP boxes. Launch a Dash from a CD/DVD, then FTP and retrieve the HDD key from the backup configmagic (hopefully made). You can then relock it with chimp.

Launch a dash? You mean launch Hexen?

 

[DinohScene]

But isn't the clock issue directly related to the dash not being correct? So if a valid dash was present and signed wouldn't this circumvent the error?


Sorry mate, not trying to be argumentative, it's been a while since I last dabbled with original XBOX stuff.

1.0-1.5 boxes don't really care about the state of the clock (modern softmods ignore it at all).
Basically, you can rip out the clock cap in a 1.0-1.5 xbox and it'll just boot up saying the clock is invalid.

1.6 boxes however require a clock cap/whatever 1.6 has to be present in the system
Hence it throws up that error.

 

[paulttt]

Unleash X, or EVOX. Anything with an FTP server.

 

[codezer0]

In that case, Could you not stick the drive in one of your TSOP boxes. Launch a Dash from a CD/DVD, then FTP and retrieve the HDD key from the backup configmagic (hopefully made). You can then relock it with chimp.

Okay, I'm still not entirely clear. So you're saying I could basically boot HeXen disc on a TSOP box, hot-swap in the afflicted hard drive, and then simply use its utility to lock the drive? is that correct?

 

[paulttt]

So, put the drive from the 1.6 into the TSOP box. Boot it with hexen. Then FTP to it and see if the eeprom backups are present.

If they are, you could use config magic to relock the drive.

 

[DarkGabbz]

Okay, I'm still not entirely clear. So you're saying I could basically boot HeXen disc on a TSOP box, hot-swap in the afflicted hard drive, and then simply use its utility to lock the drive? is that correct?

You need to lock the drive with your hddkey which is in the eeprom backup then lock the hdd with the hddkey in the eeprom.

 

[codezer0]

You need to lock the drive with your hddkey which is in the eeprom backup then lock the hdd with the hddkey in the eeprom.

Okay, so, I guess that's the paradox. I gotta find a way to retrieve the EEPROM key off the console that's experiencing that error, to then re-lock it somehow.

So, help me understand. I feel like I need to break it down.

I do have a couple of TSOP flashed consoles. At least on those, I could presumably boot straight to Hexen 2017 disc. But I don't recall if it inherently can launch an FTP tool. Or whether said FTP would support me basically hot-swapping another hard drive into place. So that's part of my concern right there. Or would I be able to actually access it from a Windows PC?

 

[DarkGabbz]

Okay, so, I guess that's the paradox. I gotta find a way to retrieve the EEPROM key off the console that's experiencing that error, to then re-lock it somehow.

So, help me understand. I feel like I need to break it down.

I do have a couple of TSOP flashed consoles. At least on those, I could presumably boot straight to Hexen 2017 disc. But I don't recall if it inherently can launch an FTP tool. Or whether said FTP would support me basically hot-swapping another hard drive into place. So that's part of my concern right there. Or would I be able to actually access it from a Windows PC?

You can just access the hdd with any windows pc with IDE using xplorer360 then you can use xboxhdm to lock it with the eeprom backup.

 

[codezer0]

You can just access the hdd with any windows pc with IDE using xplorer360 then you can use xboxhdm to lock it with the eeprom backup.

Could xboxhdm be ran in a command line, perhaps? Or would I basically have to burn a new disc just for it?

As it is, the PC I preferred to have set aside to boot the disc with xboxhdm is... dead. Leaking capacitors forced me to scavenge what's left of it. As it is, right now I've been unsuccessful for the past couple of months looking for something newer that still has IDE on it. And if what I've learned from in-laws is true, I need something that is computationally strong enough to handle live capture from a modern capture card without dropping frames like my Core 2 Quad PC currently would be, if not for NVENC encoding being an option.

 

[Tomobobo]

Bro idk if it's worth the trouble but I seem to recall once using xboxhdm with a pci ide adapter. Fuzzy on that but I think a few manufacturers are compatible. Here's an example.

But is the problem that you can't find a chip? Cause I'd just chip it and scrap the locking stuff, it's a pain.

A site called modchipcentral has an aladdin advance xt that says it's 1.6 compatible.

Oh you said you wanted solderless.... Hmm. it's really not too hard to solder in. I installed a solderless spider chip in a 1.6 box like 15 years ago. Once a wire popped out but the user was able to get it back in. It was a funny looking thing and a funny thing to install.

 

[codezer0]

I can't find a solder-less modchip at any price, so I can re-use it across consoles, and get them back in service. If I got to the point where I could start turning around and selling these consoles, paying extra per box to install a chip would get rather expensive... both in what I'd have to sell for and what it'd cost me to fix them up. A solution like that would give me the most elegant solution for getting the consoles from error/dead to operating again. But I literally cannot buy it, at any price.

Researching myself for another PC, the quick-n-dirty would be finding a new socket 939 board so I could recycle the most of the salvaged hardware, but I also came to realize that the Core 2 Quad 6600 in my old main PC is just not going to be near enough for handling capture duties if I am indeed going to be receiving a new Elgato capture card this year (as a gift). Right now, trying to find something new enough with native IDE on it, is like trying to find video of a unicorn, doing lines of Coke with Charlie Sheen, at the back of a Best Buy parking lot. Heck, I can't even find a single PCI-E IDE controller card that has two IDE slots on it. And no current PC platform has even PCI, let alone IDE, though I might be able to find a modern Ryzen or intel board with PS/2 at least. And given my experience with eBay as of late (including their admins blocking a well-deserved negative feedback because of their complete failure of service), I have even less desire or ability to trust any seller on eBay than I previously thought I had left.