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Testmeet
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Post Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2015 11:15 pm   
Post subject: Soft mod gone awry (user error, of course)
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Hello all, im new to the site and to softmodding. I have two original xboxes and after watching some youtube vids and reading up on it, i decided that I wanted to softmod one of them. I spent the time researching and gathering the mats I'd need. I downloaded SID 5.12 that came with xbmc 3.1. I made my own female usb to xbox dongle cable and fortunately, i got lucky that the first usb drive i used worked. I used splinter cell and got into the sid, where i backed up my eeprom and ms dash, i selected single boot install, and commenced installing the xbmc dash.

Here is where it began to come off the rails. While i was setting up the softmod install, i chose the wrong video format. I should have picked HD, but instead i picked RGB because i was using component. Yeah, I'm a dumb ass... Anyways, it wasn't until after xbmc completely installed that i realized what i had done. My picture, while visible, was almost completely pink and on other screens completely green. Though xbmc had installed successfully, i screwed myself.

I attempted to get back to that SID installer screen but i was unable to. Then i had the brilliant idea of popping in another xbox disc with live on it so that i could "reinstall" the original dash and start over. You're shaking your head right now bc you realize that was my second mistake.

So thats where I'm at. I hit the forums about 3 days ago trying to research what my next move should be, bc I was scared of screwing it up more and scared to post for fear of ridicule. But i don't want to mess it up anymore than i have.

Here's the short of it:
the xbox loads to the original dash. Trying to run the Splinter Cell exploit causes the xbmc dash to engage while the game basically restarts itself inside of that (it's easy to tell bc the screen goes pink). Im able to get back to the dash by pressing L+R+back+start, but there's not a whole lot for me to do that I'm aware of. I have ftp capability, but have read enough to know not to muck with it. I made a HeXEn iso and burned it to DVD-R, but the xbox won't recognize it during cold boot or otherwise. Additionally, if i remove the Splinter Cell disc, the xbox resets and goes back to the stock dash.

What do i do?

Thanks in advance for any and all help given!


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ArchAngle
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Post Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2015 3:51 pm   
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My standard reply would be to use HeXEn and that would, or should, sort out whatever was wrong. If you're 100% certain that HeXEn or other installer/rescue disc can't be booted then that makes things much more difficult.

You say you have the retail MS dash available; if it is NTSC you should be able to enable HD options in Video Settings. They should stick after shutdown/restart and also be applied to XBMC. I suspect this won't work here and whether it does or not it isn't going to fix the main problem ie. that it is booting to the MS dash rather than the softmod XBMC one.

Even though it apparently won't read non-retail discs it can't be back to retail state is you have both FTP access and original Xbox games will cause XBMC to boot. The dash/ softmod is therefore present but damaged.

The best way I can think of fixing this is by FTP, putting in some new MS 5960 stock files to take it back to a genuinely clean retail state. But this is very risky and I've never had to do it so I'm not the one to advise you on this. Same goes for the other options: fitting a chip or using XBHDM to rebuild the HDD.

What might be helpful, it has proved so in the past, is if you can use your FTP client to get and post some screenshots of the files/folders on the root of the Xbox's C:\ and E:\drives.

I'll ask around on some other Xbox forums and see if anyone else can help you sort this out.


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Testmeet
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Post Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2015 8:21 pm   
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Hello Arch and thank you for the quick reply.

Just a point of clarification, though i doubt it changes your assessment much. Putting retail games in will not boot xbmc, they will boot normally like on a retail machine. The only way I'm currently able to access the xbmc dash is by loading splinter cell and running the exploit. Instead of taking me to the SID gui, the splinter cell game resets but then the xbmc is available, which i can tell because the colors get messed up. Im then able to use the button combination to reset xbmc and finally see the xbmc dash where i can use ftp.

Having said that, i will use filezilla to take screenshots of the c and e dirs and post them here if im allowed, or wherever those types of things should be placed. I can also take pictures of the screens to show the ms dash, regular retail game boot up, as well as what happens when i run the splinter cell exploit and then the xbmc dash.

As i said before, i am extremely grateful for any help that you or anyone else takes the time to lend.


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ArchAngle
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Post Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 12:06 am   
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I've asked about this on the main, better populated Xbox forum I also visit and the suggestions there so far are that if you can't use XBHDM or fit a chip then it will have to be 'fixed' by FTPing in some fresh files.

But they too think that is risky.

However your better description of what is happening and what you can still do suggests another possible solution. If you have FTP access and can actually see and use XBMC then you might possibly be able to install by FTP and use HeXEn, more specifically HexIns the HDD install version of HeXEn.

I'll ask about this solution on the other forum and see what some of the gurus there think.

But your latest description also makes the inability to boot HeXEn or another burned installer/rescue disc even more strange. The softmod is clearly still working at some level but why it takes loading a game and reset to get to it and see, if with diffiiculty, the XBMC dash I can't explain.

Have you tried using a standard AV Composite cable instead of the Component one to see if XBMC displays correctly?


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Testmeet
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Post Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 1:05 am   
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Hello again. No i havent tried using regular composite; i may or may not still have that av cable... it seems like it shoukd work sinceall the color data woukd be coming through one channel, hut that still leaves the boot problem. :/

Your post got me to thinking about something. I dont recall this xbox being able to play dvd movies ever, so i wonder if i have that brand of dvd drive that really only reads the games. I know they all should be able to read dvdr, but it was only a thought.

As for the ftp idea, I'm all ears (or eyes for that matter) but not too impatient to wait for concrete instruction.

I'm going to capture some screenshots of the dirs in the meantime and post them here.


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ArchAngle
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Post Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 4:07 pm   
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If the DVD drive was having difficulty reading anything other than Xbox games before then that would of course explain why it won't boot a HeXEn or other rescue disc.

The problem is usually due to one of three things: a worn laser that needs a potentiometer adjustment, a dirty/dusty laser lens or incompatible media.

DVD-R is the only media type which is known to work with all the different disc drives which were used in Xboxes. However it can be picky and I know some people report issues with certain brands. I've had problems with a couple of batches of Maxell DVD-Rs in the past so I never use them now.

Not reading retail DVDs (CDs too?) only reading Xbox games is actually quite unusual but that would point at it being a laser problem.

I've just been to the other forum and this is a slightly edited version of what one of the best and most respected Xbox gurus there, Rocky5, suggested:-

"With full FTP access he can do three things:-

1) reinstall fresh softmod saves & reload the exploit.
2) download & install one of the many discs that function from the hdd & load that via the file manager.
3) download this:-

https://www.dropbox.com/s/a29t3b3fqywt2kg/prep.zip?dl=0

& place it in E & run the default.xbe located in the prep folder via the file manager. (the latter will install my softmod & fix his issue)"

I can't guarantee the content of the link but it does come direct from Rocky5 so I'd trust it. He has given the same advice on the other forum before for a similar case to yours and is probably part of his very noob friendly full softmod package: 2014 Softmod Kit

If you Google his name and that then follow your nose you might well be able to find and get help from the man himself or other similar experts. Smile


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Testmeet
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Post Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 8:46 pm   
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Arch,
I've downloaded the link that you/he provided.
Thank you so much for taking your own time to repost my issue in the other forum as well as bring the responses back here! I will do as you suggested and google his name and the like for extra information.

A million thanks again!

I'll repost with any successes or failures that follow.


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Testmeet
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Post Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 9:48 pm   
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Hi again Arch. I'm not sure if I did this incorrectly or not. But here are the steps i followed.

1. Downloaded the prep.zip
2. Extracted the prep folder from prep.zip to my desktop and placed prep.zip inside the extracted prep folder.
3. Used ftp and copied prep folder to E: on the xbox
4. Accessed xbmc on the xbox and opened file manager
5. Navigated to /prep and ran default.xbe

The next thing that happened is the screen went blank (green still) and then it changed to alot of colored stripes like it was trying to do something. Then it reset back to the retail dash and told me that my disc could not be recognized (like i said before, i have to use splinter cell to get to the xbmc dash). I ejected the disc, put it back in and the game loaded. I ran the exploit and im back to xbmc now. From all appearances, it doesnt seem like anything worked, so im certain i didnt do it right.

I hate to have you keep running back and forth with my issue, though I've certainly appreciated it! What is the other forum where you sought help? That way i can register and ask.

Thanks again![/i]


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ArchAngle
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Post Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2015 12:34 pm   
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I do suggest that you go looking for Rocky5 as I hinted that you should do earlier. I've not used his softmod myself so I'm really not the one to sort out any problems you might have with using it.

However, sorry but I have to ask this: did you unzip the download and put the unzipped "Prep" file on the E:\drive? Also something to check is if in unzipping it you accidentally put it into "Prep" named sub-folder. That's very easy to do with some unzipping programs.

I've just downloaded the folder myself and it all looks very normal to me. On the the E:\drive you should have an unzipped "Prep" folder and directly inside that the contents shown in my attachment.

Using the XBMC file manager clicking on the default.xbe in the "Prep" folder should have booted and run the installer. Be certain it is the default.xbe in that folder you click on and not any other default.xbe found on the E:\drive or elsewhere.

It would much easier for you if you were getting advice direct from Rocky5.

I would probably be breaking the rules here by telling you directly where to find him as it is on another forum. That's why I haven't done so but I'm certain you're not going to get any other better help here so it really is your best option if it still doesn't work.

If anyone can sort you out it is him or one of those other guys there who are still seriously into original Xbox modding. Several regulars there are or were also regulars on what was the other best Xbox forum at the time. But like this, once far more active, forum that too now has very low traffic.



Contents of Unzipped Prep Folder.png
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Contents of Unzipped Prep Folder.png




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Testmeet
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Post Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2015 12:50 am   
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So it turns out i did have the prep folder nested inside another. The good news is that worked and my issue is officially solved!

Thanks again for the help! I'm now in the process of adding emulators. Wish me luck when i go to upgrade the hard drive! Laughing


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ArchAngle
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Post Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2015 11:25 am   
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Good to hear it was finally sorted.

For the HDD upgrade use the installed version of Chimp2618.


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