Ok, here's my dilemma (long post, kinda). I have a 1.0 Xbox. I softmodded my 'box a few weeks back. Everything was cool until I lost FTP access for some strange reason. I have EvoX as my dash at the time, but no matter what I did, I couldn't gain FTP access again. So I decided to try another dash (UnleashX worked just fine before). I couldn't get it to load so I deleted the Splinter Cell profile (the entire thing). I noticed I lost my default Xbox dashboard so I couldn't use it to transfer the save back. EvoX (at least the one on my box) had no file management system, the the app that did didn't recognize the memory card. Now keep in mind I was reading tutorials and reading the forums here and other places as well, so I wasn't diving in head first, but still managed to screw up. I downloaded Slayer's Installer 2.6 and loaded it up. Up to this point I didn't have a modchip or I would've bypassed the whole softmod thing. Thinking I could get a quick fix and start over, I opted to restore the C: drive to retail mode using Slayer's. I didn't realize until later that that was for hardmodded Xboxs. So by this point all my Xbox can do is load games and nothing else, no dashboards whatsoever. Then eventually it stops playing games. So I bought an Xecuter 2.6CE. While flashing it froze at the screen with the yellow bar (which means it's erasing the bios to install the new one). When I turn the 'box on it resets itself after the flubber screen perpetually. Before the bios incident, I think I had unlocked the HDD because now when the chip is disabled I get error #5. When I turn the chip on and start the Xbox my box all it does is frag no matter what bank it's set to or what combonation of switches I use to boot it. So, it seems I'm left with three options. 1. Buy a programmer and reflash the chip. 2. Hotswap the HDD. 3. Buy a new Xbox and start over (no thanks). As you may have gathered from the title of the thread, I have a laptop. No desktop, but... I have this: http://www.adstech.com/products/USB_2_Drivekit/intro/USB804intro.asp?pid=USBX-804 I have a 120GB Western Digital HDD in it, but nevermind that, I'm wondering if there is any possible way to hotswap with this kind of setup? Using Xboxhdm, I read that the PC needs to be rebooted with the CD in the drive, and blah blah blah. Follow the traditional method, this would be nigh impossible since the bios does not recognize USB devices. Is there any way to have Windows XP loaded and use DOS to do this? My gut tells me no because I don't think DOS recognizes USB either (curses!), but theres generally more than one way to skin a cat. Although I think this cat is already skinned.
Also, I forgot to mention that I was bright enough to back up most of the C and E drives while things were working, so I have the EEPROM and HD Key along with lost save files, apps, whatever.
