HOW TO: Softmod Correctly

After reading another thread, I discovered if a blank disc is in the Xbox, it will in fact boot to the softmod after I press "A" at the clock set screen. While this is a bit of a fix, I was wondering if this is an indicator of a solvable problem

see here - http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_jump.cfm/783201/4744257

 

@enasni

I personally have not seen this , however Creaky did reply to your post on the other thread.

I was just wondering if you have tried doing a "single" boot to softmod only and seeing if that solved it. Or possibly there are a set of softmod files that are corrupt and several people have used them? Its probably the capacitor that Creaky refers to but I would try the "single" boot to see what happens. If not try downloading SID 5.01 and using it to softmod.

 

SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!

I got the saves onto the Xbox (using Xbox memory card with homemade USB adapter, AR drivers, and Xplorer360). They show up on the memory card with the right names and copy to the Xbox HDD. All seems good until I hit A in the game to load the save, at which point I get an error 21 like Droid was getting. I tried both SID 4.0 from this tutorial and 5.01 from your download page, and I tried both Splinter Cell (Platinum Hits version, from Tom Clancy's Classic Trilogy) and MechAssault (original MS02301L, and the save showed up like you said it should). I deleted everything from the Xbox before copying the Linux files. What am I doing wrong??

I tried it on my friend's Xbox too, same results.

 

What do you mean you deleted everything from the xbox before copying files? Like you deleted the C: drive before modding? You do not delete anything before running the softmod. You back up your C and your Eeprom and then run the installer. If you load SC disc to the game save exploit, it will give you the softmod menu. 1st you do your back ups then choose which boot configuration (single or dual) and run the installer..You should not have to delete anything.

 

I just meant I deleted all the gamesaves and music I had on the Xbox (using the stock dashboard) before copying the softmod files onto it. I didn't delete the C: drive or anything--I couldn't get to the softmod menu, so that was not even a possibility. When I try to load the game save exploit I get a flashing red ring with error 21 instead of the softmod menu.

 

Ok, sorry for the misunderstanding...

Are you copying both files from the download to the hard drive? What is the dashboard version on the original dash? Can you get an original game to play even after you get the 21 or are you locked out? maybe find an xbox live enabled game and use it to update your dash before trying to mod? I am just shooting suggestions...

Can you make burn an XBOXHDM disc with modded files and hotswap the hard drive to mod it that way to get it to work again if you are locked out? EXAMPLE http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/332766

Let me add a tip to this thread... if you unplug the dvd drive before you turn on your xbox it will unlock your hdd so that you can write to it....you do not have to guess when to unplug the drive when the logo appears..

 

Yes I copied both files. Kernel 1.00.4817.01 Dashboard 1.00.5960.01
I'm not locked out, games play fine after rebooting.

 

Ok, I am sorry but I have never come across this problem while soft modding over 15 Xbox consoles... i am afraid that I would have to actually have the problem in front of me so that I knew where to go.

What I can suggest is that you check this link.....

http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/536595#3246424

This is Chunkhead's explaination of just about anything you can think of for softmodding and Xbox in general. This person is a BEAST at this process and if you follow everything he says to the letter you should not have any problems. There are tutorials for soft modding, ftping, changing hard drives, hot swap, anything to do with the Xbox.

Maybe, if you can list in order (i.e. #1, #2, etc.) each action you take, in a list, I can pick up on whats going wrong. Im still confused about you get an error 21, but that you can still play games. let me see if this is correct...
#1 you downloaded games saves.

#2 you copied saves to Action Replay.

#3 you transfered saves from AR card to the Hard Drive.

#4 you put it original game disc (007, Mechassault, or Splinter Cell)

#5 you went to "load" and picked the games save for SID.

#6 when you click A to load this save you immediately get error 21 ??

#7 when you reboot the Xbox starts as normal?

If this is correct then it sounds, to me, as though the installer files are corrupt. Try deleting the files from both your AR and hdd, downloading them from here...
http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/557450#3371151
again, thanks to Chunkhead...
all the download files you need for the xbox are located in this thread, installers, dashboards, emulators, disc copy software, XBMC...
If you need help with any of this let me know.

 

Correct except I used a regular xbox memory card and USB adapter instead of Action Replay. I followed Chunkhead's instructions, and got the files from his links. I tried deleting them and copying them multiple times, tried different versions... no luck. Maybe I can copy them from the Xbox back to the computer and compare the files to make sure they didn't get corrupted in the transfer--I don't think this is the case but I'll try it if I can.

 

OK, now I saw this question posted in this thread by hossiam in August 2008 but never saw a reply to the question... I have the same problem, but on a slightly more expansive scale.

I have a chipped box (SmartXX), I have 3 unmodded Xboxes (kernels 4034, 5530 & 5838), all run the 5960 dash and I've also d/l'ed "clean" 5960s - just in case there was something corrupt with my own 5960 (on 3 different boxes???). These are all PAL boxes. I have original 007 AUF (EA01302E), MechAssault (unfortunately MS02308L), and Splinter Cell (US01210E) discs, all PAL and none are Platinum Hits. I have Krayzie's gamesaves aswell as the ones posted on Chunkhead's d/l page in both SID 4.0 and SID 5.01.

I've FTP'ed the saves and installer (in turn) to the chipped box, and copied them to my original Xbox 8MB memcard, and used that to transfer the saves and installers (in turn) to the unmodded Xbox HDDs.

HERE'S THE PROBLEM:-
MechAssault: loaded the Linux profile, game settings were all "UNKNOWN", and was greeted with "cannot run Linux" - I kinda expected that.
Splinter Cell: loaded the Linux profile, hit "A" twice on checkpoints and was greeted with a black screen for 30 minutes before I turned it off.
007 AUF: loaded the Linux profile, "loading from Xbox" for approx 5 seconds, then greeted with that familiar, interminable black screen.

I don't get either of the SID's starting up. I pull the discs out and the boxes are stock and unscathed.

Yeah, I used the PAL saves!

PC repairs, I know inside-out, I've been doing that shit since 1996... Softmodding I'm teething on right now, never done that before!

I'm familiar with restoring Xboxes back to stock, done about a dozen of those in fixing someone else's screwed softmods (you think he would've stopped after the second one). Been restoring these with XboxHDM and Xplorer360, so I'm a bit of an expert at hotswapping (self-proclaimed, of course).

I have two questions:-
1.a) What's with the black screen on all three Xboxes?
1.b) How do I get around that?
2. I saw the Cheater C in C4RN1's sig, can that be Xplorer360'ed to the unmodded C:\ with a heap of apps thrown into my self-created E:\ and assume that the drive is then softmodded?

Your expertise will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
KRuZY1 (aka free-user)

 

Man i swear i'm getting famous...

Anyway this sounds like an odd problem but i'm pretty sure you can get all of them working.

If i were you i would go though and figure out the versions of your xbox's and label them in some way so you can reconize them.

Here's a link here
http://www.xbox-scene.com/versions_1.php

I usually take a dremel and write on the bottom of mine. After that you can try my cheater files.

Updated ones are here
http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/780792#4728065

It should all work on a pal xbox, though i never tried. You can always load an AID disc and use the enigma video switcher if it is in ntsc.

You can either hotswap my files or put them in xboxhdm and go that way. If you completely lock up the drive you can always upgrade to a bigger drive and use an eeprom reader to get the eeprom off the motherboard. If the xbox boots a green screen you can always fix it.

Either way you should be able to get them all modded one way or another.

Good luck, and feel free to pm me if you get stuck or have problems

 

Thanks for the speedy reply C4RN1, your fame DOES preceed you.

I wasn't sure whether your Cheater C would negate the need for installing NDURE via XboxHDM or not. (Could I please bother you for a confirmation on that?) Sounds too easy! EDIT: Found the answer to this in the thread you linked to.

Many thanks for the links. I've always referred to the various versions by their kernel numbers (because of NDURE3), which I've already written on the pretty little M$ sticker on the bottom of each console. (Will remove drives to find appropriate video chip manufacturers shortly)

Thanks for the link to the updated Avalaunch Cheaters, already had that page open prior to getting your reply. Great minds think alike!

I'll keep the AID in mind, but doesn't that need to be loaded via the Xbox's ROM? Which would require it to be modded already so that it can read from a burnt disc. Or can you do that through a PC via hotswap and booting from the AID disc?

I spotted the tutorial on the EEPROM reader some time ago and bookmarked that page for reference, should I ever need to build one.

I'm chuffed at the speed of the response, many thanks C4RN1

EDIT: I haven't locked up a drive yet!

 

God that makes me laugh

Yeah it really does seem pretty simple because it is. Just replace your files with mine and it should boot avalaunch. Just make sure you put the contents of the folders in the main folders so you don't have c:/c/files because the xbox will instantly throw an error 21.

For the AID disc the xbox will have to be modded but i have faith in my cheater files, i know that if you put them in the right places it will work. You would still be able to load the disc (it takes about 45 seconds of black screen then loads) and then you can switch the video if you need to do so.

I've never used ndure or slayers because that was after i learned how to mod. Just remember xboxhdm is for either modifying a drive or making one from scratch and locking/unlocking purposes. Xplorer360 can be used for modifying files but you have to be careful. Make sure your drive doesn't relock on you because it can corrupt a partition. Usually if you have it all planned out and do it quick you won't have any problems. I have had people report that using xplorer360 will corrupt your drive, just be careful.

 

That's got to be worth a bit of a giggle aswell.

Well, I should be posting back a success story shortly then!

Thanks again, C4RN1, you've taken a mass of work out of the process with your Cheaters. Props to you!!

EDIT: Painless success on the 4034 with the Cheater from your sig (little steps for the old box), 1st victim. It automatically retained my PAL config. Tested with a couple of backup games successfully.
Curious about it not accepting my manual IP settings, but no big deal! Haven't spotted a Save or Done button on the IP settings page... mind you, I only skimmed through everything in testing, didn't look too hard.
Also, it tells me that I have no F:, but it's given me X:, Y: & Z:, even though F: & G: are enabled in the settings. These 3 Xboxes all have the original 10GB drives in them and it would be convenient to have the F: rather than the X:, Y: & Z:, how would I achieve that?
Is there a way of backing up EEPROMs with Avalaunch, or do I need to FTP ConfigMagic or something similar to an Apps folder on E:?
Is there a manual for Avalaunch? Although it's a fairly simple interface.
On a side-note:- What bothers me greatly, is that about 2 months ago (when I scored these 3 free Xboxes) is that I'd considered Ghosting the HDD on my nephew's Xbox which I'd modded through Splinter Cell about 4 years ago (not my own game-disc, but that of a friend whom I no longer see). With the info collated in the Ghost image I should be able to extract to the new Xbox HDD via hotswap, and done! Softmodded!
But then I figured that if it was that damn easy then someone would've put up a Ghost of a modded partition years ago. I'm pretty sure that you can Ghost FATX, but won't be quoted on that without researching a little more.

C4RN1, thanks a million! I am very, very grateful for your information, your tools, your speedy response, and your willingness and patience in dealing with an ol' boy like myself. Like I've mentioned previously, I've been fixing and building computers since 1996, and have been the owner over the last 4 years of a PC repair business, but Xbox are unfamiliar territory to me. Thanks.

KRuZY1 (aka free-user)

 

Before i mod. How do u put on roms and howmbrew on it after its modded

 

this is my 1st time trying to softmod my xbox 360 arcarde which i got yesterday. what softmod version do i use i havent a clue please help

 

This is not the 360 forum....you have to ask in the proper place sorry..

 

I did so how do u do it.