I'm sure I did it right because I tried XboxHDM twice - once with mhackxbox files and the other time with original xbox files.

The problem is that I can't get my PC to recognise the harddrive. My opening screen shows the PC manufacturer and I can't change that even in BIOS. Therefore I don't know exactly when to pause and swap the cables (there's no opening dos-like screens).

1) Is it possible to pause it as SOON as I switch on the PC??
2) Is it possible to swap somehow whilst in windows??
3) I've got my primary drive as a SATA...but bios seems to sometimes pick this up as a primary IDE somehow. Using the secondary IDE makes the PC detect a "SCSI device"...so evidently it's not picking up the harddrive.

Help greatly appreciated!

i did back up the eeprom before i locked it and i unlocked it to install the files because it wouldnt let me otherwise.

do you build this PC? does any device connect to IDE port on PC as normal use?

well follow the IDE cable on PC, YOu should see 2 IDE slots on motherboard.

If you have a SATA motherboard, you may see only 1 IDE slot.

Now you have the PC's hdd is SATA so it connects to SATA port. The IDE slot should be connect to xbox's when you do hotswap.

So goto Bios setup and make sure you ENABLE all IDE ports

so let do this:
- PC's hdd connects to SATA port
- Remove all devices on IDE cables
-turn on PC and log on the windows
-open Device Manager to read the hdd. This time you only see the PC's hdd. Now goto xbox and do hotswap
- Connect xbox's hdd to ide cable on PC. Do not power off the xbox.
- Go back to Devive Manager on PC. Scan for a new drive. Then check the hdd device. You should see 2 hdds now.
- if you don't see 2 hdds, check your settings in bios.
-if you see 2 hdd, open xplorer360 to read the xbox's hdd

Hey Mr.TheReturn :-)
My xbox has the error 16 that goes to 12 when dvd cable unpluggeg.
It doesn't show the white Microsoft logo under the X, when using simple error fix 16 or any fix for that matter my PC doesn't see the Xbox HDD. Please, help me, I am spending a lifetime on this problem. I need your pro tech advise. Thank you!

did you do hotswap before? do you know there are 2 IDE slots on the motherboard? one is Primary and one is Secondary.

download all versions of xplorer360, ms dashboard, mhackxbox.


Ok do this:
- On PC, pc's hdd connect to Primary IDE. Remove all devices on Secondary IDE. turn on PC and log on windows.
- ON Xbox, connect xbox as normal. Disconnect IDE cable from DVD drive.
- now turn on xbox, disconnect IDE cable from hdd when error 12 shown up. Leave xbox power on.
- connect xbox's hdd to Secondary ide cable on PC
- open Device Manager to scan for a new hdd. YOu should see xbox's hdd there.
- open one by one xplorer360 to read xbox's hdd.

If you can not read the hdd, connect xbox's hdd back to xbox. Power down the xbox.
- redo hotswap. This time disconnect IDE cable from xbox's hdd just before error 12 shown up.

if you can read the xbox's hdd, follow my tut to copy files.

First of all, thank you for taking your time to help someone you don't even know, you and guys like you are what's great about an internet :-)
did you do hotswap before? do you know there are 2 IDE slots on the motherboard? one is Primary and one is Secondary.
I never did hotswap before but I know my way around computers :-)
download all versions of xplorer360, ms dashboard, mhackxbox.
did that, thank you

Ok do this:
- On PC, pc's hdd connect to Primary IDE. Remove all devices on Secondary IDE. turn on PC and log on windows.
did that
- ON Xbox, connect xbox as normal. Disconnect IDE cable from DVD drive. Done
- now turn on xbox, disconnect IDE cable from hdd when error 12 shown up. Leave xbox power on. Done
- connect xbox's hdd to Secondary ide cable on PC Done
- open Device Manager to scan for a new hdd. YOu should see xbox's hdd there. I don't see it

I tried it so many time, different ways and no matter what, can't seem to see it on PC. I read your tut few times, read all these pages and I still can't figure out why it doesn't show. Thank you for your help!


- open one by one xplorer360 to read xbox's hdd.

If you can not read the hdd, connect xbox's hdd back to xbox. Power down the xbox.
- redo hotswap. This time disconnect IDE cable from xbox's hdd just before error 12 shown up.

if you can read the xbox's hdd, follow my tut to copy files.

hey the return id like to add another thing i had 3 ide ports one 4 cd one 4 hdd nd one 4 floppy i had to unplug both the floppy and the cd and use the cd ide one before it would work

just thought id let ya know

@ufo59

Can you give more details how the connections in PC after you connected xbox's hdd to PC? What connects to Primary cable and Secondary cable.

did you enable the Secondary slot in bios setting?



@trav_555
well there are 2 IDE slots (primary and secondary) on motherboard. So 2 ide cables connect there. On each IDE cable has 2 connectors.

You may have the smaller slot on motherboard that is for floppy disk drive.

Can you give more details how the connections in PC after you connected xbox's hdd to PC? What connects to Primary cable and Secondary cable.
did you enable the Secondary slot in bios setting?

Primary IDE = PC HDD, jumper on CS or Master
Secondary IDE = Xbox HDD, jumper on CS or Master
Bios Secondary slot enabled in Bios (if PC runs as PC it always shows all drives on primary and secondary - so I am assuming it is)
Still, no matter what I do, xbox hdd is a no show. Once again, if the xbox hdd was not working it would give a different error, wouldn't it? Thanks for your help, I appreciate it!

Yep if your hdd is totally dead, you could have error 16 too.

and that would explain why it doesn't show up on my PC, doesn't it?
So, what would be my next option besides buying a mod chip. Any suggestions? Thank you!

Besides this one, I can get a hold of one that is softmoded and possibly one that has a modchip but would not be able to take the mod chip out and put it in mine... I am all ears :-)

Yep, you can pull out the modchip on other box and install into this broken one.

But you have to check to see the version of 2 xboxes are the same or not. You install modchip differently on each version of xbox.

If you can't pull out the modchip, you need the eeprom reader.

I can't take the modchip out, it is not my xbox and it looks like I can't use the softmoded one in anyway to help the broken one, so it will be the BUY mod chip way. Either way, thank you so much for all your replies! Appreciate it!

if you buy the modchip, you can buy another xbox like $60 now.

Just my opinion

Hi There,

I recently used your hotswap method to repair and softmod an xbox. It worked wonderfully! Thanks so much for the wonderfully written tutorial. I do have a question, though. I used the mhack files to get evox on my machine. If I wanted to boot to UnleashX rather than evox, how would I go about changing this? I've attempted to change the dash, but it doesn't seem to want to boot to anything other than the factory dash and evox. I have been able to add UnleashX as an application in evox and boot from there, but I would prefer to boot straight in if possible. Any assistance you could provide is appreciated. Thanks.

So do the ftp. List all files and folders on ROOT of C and E drive. List all files and folder inside the DASHBOARD folder.

If there is any chance, backup eeprom.

I can you help you out.

Thanks for the reply. In C, I have Audio, fonts, xboxdashdata185EAD00, xodash, XBox Book.xtf, Xbox.xtf,and xboxdash.xbe. In E, there is Apps, Backup, Cache, Emulators, games, Saves, Screenshots, Skin, TData, UData, evox.ini, evoxdash.xbe, items.txt, and sid4-hd.bin. I don't have a Dashboards folder.

what are in the apps?

Here is what you need to get:

- the complete working Unleash. If not, your xbox can't not load any dashboard.

- get ftp connection. ftp unleash to root of E drive.

Let me know what are in the ROOT of E drive before doing any thing else.

Xbox media Center is in the apps folder. I have Unleash. I downloaded it via chunkhead's Software Download page. My ftp connection is set and I have sent unleash to E as you requested. The unpacked unleash folder contains:

Config.xml
Default.xbe
English
French.xml
German.xml
MetallicAtmosphere.zip
Readme.txt
Spanish.xml
Unleashx0.39.0222A.nfo

I am assuming this is complete?

So now on ROOT E drive, you should have these:
Apps
Backup
Cache
Emulators
games
Saves
Screenshots
Skin
TData
UData
evox.ini
evoxdash.xbe
items.txt
sid4-hd.bin
Config.xml
Default.xbe
English.xml
French.xml
German.xml
MetallicAtmosphere.zip
Readme.txt
Spanish.xml
Unleashx0.39.0222A.nfo

IF NO, Hold right here.

did you load this unleash dash to see if it work?

IF YES, follow these steps:
- connect ftp
- goto E drive
- rename evoxdash.xbe to evox.xbe
- rename Default.xbe to evoxdash.xbe
- reboot xbox. It will load unleash as default dashboard.


Let me know.

Hi I have a slave drive on PRIMARY IDE (no master on this cable)
On SECONDARY IDE I have master and slave DVD-RW drives.

Then my boot HDD is on a separate SATA slot on mobo.
Which IDE should I use for the xbox - should I take out the slave HDD on the PRIMARY IDE and just use that cable??

BTW, The last time I plugged in a HDD when the PC was running, it crashed my windows...how would I plug in the xbox one in windows if this happens??

My BIOS does not have anything remarkable, I know both IDE are activated (cos normally I use them both anyway) and I don't think there's anything else I can configure in regards to IDE channels.

Thanks

Thanks Return that worked like a charm! I see now what I was doing wrong. Thanks again and take care!

Originally posted by TheReturn:

---

If you can't pull out the modchip, you need the eeprom reader.

---

the Return, thank you for all your help! Now I'll go and built myself an eeprom reader :-)
I'll be back. Keep up the great work. Much appreciated! ufo59