Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2013 11:26 pm Post subject: Using an SATA tower to boot to xboxhdm disk
Hi SPPV,
I'm at an impasse right now.
I don't have access to an old PATA tower to use xboxhdm on the linux DVD-R I burned. All the towers I have access to nearby from friends etc. are SATA based.
Could I simply order an SATA to PATA adapter to hook my 320GB PATA Hard drive to it and then run boot to the DVD-R and run xboxhdm from there?
Or would I just be better off trying to buy an old PATA tower for an overinflated price at a local used computer shop?
SPPV V.I.P. Lifetime
Joined: Sep 13, 2010 Posts: 2644 Location: Kamloops BC Canada
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 2:51 am Post subject:
SATA towers are useless for this. You need a moldy oldy IDE tower
halofan102 Moderator
Joined: Jan 17, 2013 Posts: 451 Location: Murica
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 3:54 am Post subject:
Well I'm doing a search online for one to buy used and cheap.
I'm trying to do google searches that would give me a nice timeline of all the models that have been produced since 1996 or so.
Id rather not go to a local used computer shop because they'll probably try to pawn a used one off on me for too much.
Is there a particular cheap brand (Dell etc.) of windows computer tower you would recommend I look into purchasing?
SPPV V.I.P. Lifetime
Joined: Sep 13, 2010 Posts: 2644 Location: Kamloops BC Canada
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 3:58 am Post subject:
You want something with an AMD CPU and minimum 64MB RAM (128MB or higher is better). Try to avoid HP brand as they need the BIOS tweaked to lock HDDs. I find clone towers work better than mass produced.
My old dev tower was a clone and worked awsome but it died. Now Im stuck using a an HP-Athlon64 tower and I gotta smack the thing around like a red headed step child to work proper
halofan102 Moderator
Joined: Jan 17, 2013 Posts: 451 Location: Murica
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 4:31 am Post subject:
Ok so I'm still new to the technical terms for towers so I'll need to ask some more questions lol
I do a search on say, Amazon, but my searches for PATA Dell Computer Tower didn't give very good results for old towers.
So let me line up my ducks here and figure out the best way to search for a cheap as$ tower
What was the last year (approximately) when these Windows based computer towers switched over completely from PATA to SATA? Did the transition happen in 2003 or so? I'm just wondering what is the latest date any proper tower should be.
What would you say is a reasonable price for one of these old PATA computer towers used? Would you $50 max, lower or higher?
EDIT: What is so special about a 'clone' computer tower? Are they usually cheaper, can one search for them by typing 'clone computer tower'?
From what your telling me if I search on amazon, for example, I should search under desktops, then use a search term such as 'PATA AMD CPU 128MB-1GB RAM' or just 'AMD CPU >128MB RAM'?
Thanks again SPPV
SPPV V.I.P. Lifetime
Joined: Sep 13, 2010 Posts: 2644 Location: Kamloops BC Canada
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2013 8:52 am Post subject:
It doesn't have to be just IDE it can have SATA ports as well. The reason towers like HP and dell are not as nice for this is that they use shitty motherboard with lame BIOS that don't support things like disabling auto detection. HP uses Pegasus boards which are the shittiest mobos ever made. Dell and many others use foxconn which is a close second on the shitty scale
Just search for pcs with IDE and amd CPU. Don't worry about the RAM not likely your gonna find one with less than 256mb RAM
Craigslist and egay are good places to look for old cheap towers
halofan102 Moderator
Joined: Jan 17, 2013 Posts: 451 Location: Murica
Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 3:29 am Post subject:
Hey SPPV someone is offering me a cheap tower on craigslist for about $20.
It has SATA + IDE ports but it's a Compaq D538 tower (2003).
Google searching appears to indicate that this desktop tower was made by HP, which you suggested is not great brand for xboxhdm purposes.
However I asked the seller about setting the BIOS to boot from the CD/DVD drive and they emailed me to say that it is possible to set the BIOS to boot from the disk drive.
Does this sound like it will work for autobuilder's xboxhdm disk? Or do you need a photo or some more specs before giving your judgement?
Thanks
Prehistoricman Moderator
Xbox Version: 1.6 crystal Modded: Xecuter 3
Joined: Oct 09, 2011 Posts: 406
Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 6:32 pm Post subject:
It doesn't need to be purely PATA (I think!). Almost all mobos have an IDE connector, even new ones. _________________
halofan102 Moderator
Joined: Jan 17, 2013 Posts: 451 Location: Murica
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 7:59 pm Post subject:
@ SPPV,
I got a pretty sweet deal lined up here. A guy is offering me a 15'' LCD monitor with VGA connector and a Compaq D538 tower all for $40!
He believes the tower was produced by HP at the time in 2003. Might be able to get a 250GB PATA hard drive from him for a little more added on too.
Would using the Compaq D538 tower with autobuilder (i.e. your forked version of xboxhdm) really be that difficult? Or is just a matter of changing some of the settings in the BIOS? The seller said the tower should be able to boot straight to my DVD-R containing the ISO of my xbox.
Thanks
Amiga1200 V.I.P. Lifetime
Joined: Jun 19, 2012 Posts: 461
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 8:37 pm Post subject:
^^ if you set computer bios boot priority to the optical disk drive (and disable other boot sequences keeping the target hdd visible in bios settings) and the iso/disk was built correctly then YES, the computer should boot straight off the linux based disk!
if your building custom content for the autobuilder disk, direct it to E directory (or higher as you may have the hdd to back it?) before you run the linux iso maker!
(have to say it as habit but GET the eeprom handy and place that in "linux.iso/backup/EEPROM/" directory.....sorry but it's best repeated for fewer x-bricks)
study the enclosed documentation to the autobuilder setup before use!
have fun!
[edit]...have the optical drive on channel 0, flyer 1, ide socket 1 (nearest to motherboard) and set jumper to MASTER then....
have target hdd to be prepared for the xbox on channel 0, flyer 1, socket 2 and set jumper to SLAVE! (both ide/PATA items on the same flyer, optical drive nearest to MB and the hdd furthest from it!)
then go for it! _________________ to all my friends... farewell and all the best to future prosperity... and remember, be excellent to each other!
halofan102 Moderator
Joined: Jan 17, 2013 Posts: 451 Location: Murica
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 10:22 pm Post subject:
Hey Amiga,
SPPV said " Try to avoid HP brand as they need the BIOS tweaked to lock HDDs."
What does one do to the BIOS on an HP tower in order to allow it to lock hard drive disks? If I do that through the BIOS, will that allow xboxhdm or SPPV's autobuilder to lock hard drives while using the linux.iso dvd?
Thanks
Amiga1200 V.I.P. Lifetime
Joined: Jun 19, 2012 Posts: 461
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 10:42 pm Post subject:
^^ depends on the computer?
HP is known to refuse an xbox formatted hdd (or create one because it won't boot the xbhdm disk) but if that thing is an old dinosaur, chances are it will make an xbox hdd!
it was also SPPV who told me about the older hp's that worked! (dual ide but some one channel sata towers as well) as i was warning people from using them being "hp" an all...
the bios has FUCKALL to do with "locking the hdd...that's down to xbhdm alone!
if the computer boots the xbhdm disk and the ide is compatible with the computer...(as in you get to a menu screen on xbhdm and it prepares the hdd) then your good to go!
you'll need to research your bios settings as illustrated in my above post!
i'm NOT here for decoration, i'm just trying to help!
SPPV IS the god of xbox SO his words is FINAL as far as i'm concerned!
all you need to know about xbox hdd preparation exists as a tutorial or on one of his hdd builder kits!
i'll let you to it!
[edit]...typo....
[edit again]...can't say I recall mentioning hp myself, i was just giving the basic rundown of how to go about using xbhdm but......o well, as you were! _________________ to all my friends... farewell and all the best to future prosperity... and remember, be excellent to each other!
Last edited by Amiga1200 on Fri Mar 08, 2013 10:59 pm; edited 2 times in total
Amiga1200 V.I.P. Lifetime
Joined: Jun 19, 2012 Posts: 461
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 10:42 pm Post subject:
[omit]....i'm HATING the button placements here....sorry about this....i tried to [edit] my original post but... _________________ to all my friends... farewell and all the best to future prosperity... and remember, be excellent to each other!
halofan102 Moderator
Joined: Jan 17, 2013 Posts: 451 Location: Murica
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 11:03 pm Post subject:
Hey Amiga,
Ha yeah I had trouble with the buttons at first too! Got used to em after a while
Amiga1200 V.I.P. Lifetime
Joined: Jun 19, 2012 Posts: 461
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 11:11 pm Post subject:
aye!
i've bungled on a few "double-posts" besides this one,,,
you're right, i'll suss it out in the end! _________________ to all my friends... farewell and all the best to future prosperity... and remember, be excellent to each other!
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