XBOX Dashboard problems

XBOX, but not XBMC4XBOX related discussion
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MarbalTm
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XBOX Dashboard problems

Post by MarbalTm »

My XBOX isn't booting into dashboard anymore. It's softmodded, it's all plugged in properly, but once it gets past the bootup screen, it just goes to a black screen, no error code. I've already tried swapping the hard drives (I keep my original softmodded 8GB hard drive on hand in case of emergencies), and it didn't work. Anyone got any ideas on how I can fix it? Before anyone says to remove the clock capacitor, it's a 1.6 model. It doesn't boot into dashboard, but it boots just fine into games already in the disc drive. I tried booting it up without the DVD and hard drives connected to see if it recognized anything and it gave me an error 7 screen. I then tried booting it just without the hard drive and that also gave me an error 7. This led me to believe that the system did in fact see the hard drive. Reconnected the hard drive and the error screen was gone, but the dashboard still didn't boot up. I wondered if it could detect any save data from the drive at all, so I put in Half Life 2 and it booted it up after I rebooted the console with the disc already inside it (it didn't boot it automatically from the black screen), and I checked the saves. It saw the save and loaded it just fine, so I figured it wasn't something wrong with the hard drive. When I pressed the power button, the hard drive and DVD drive were still powered, with nothing on screen after pressing the button. After a few seconds, they shut down on their own. I figured something may have been wrong with the dashboard, and so I tried Halo 2's XBOX Live dashboard update three times, and it failed each of those times at the half way point, saying to check if the disc is dirty or damaged, when the disc is clean as spring water. I tried Half Life 2 again, and when I overwrote my save, it said it was saved on 06/04/2004. I figured it was a problem with the clock capacitor, so I opened up the console further, and the clock capacitor was in place with no damage to, or swelling from it at all. I don't know what else I can do at this point. I don't know whether to get a modchip, or another OG XBOX console. I have no money for either of those if I were to get one. I've already tried burned discs and none of them worked. Only official game discs work. I don't have Splinter Cell, I don't have softmod save data for Splinter Cell, nor do I have a computer old enough to use XBOXHDM and do the hotswapping trick.

Please, someone help me fix this.
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Re: XBOX Dashboard problems

Post by Coldly-Indifferent »

Can't really help at this point but a further clarification on a few matters might be useful.

You tried cold booting an installer/rescue disc and it didn't work so burned discs (must be on DVD-R preferably burned with ImgBurn) won't boot. That would suggest the console has, for some reason, been reset to retail but either the MS dash is not present or corrupted. Your use of a dashupdater afterwards means one or the other is almost certainly the case now.

When you say your original softmodded retail 8GB HDD doesn't work do you mean it actually doesn't work or that it produces the same problem as your current HDD?

Do have an eeprom backup?
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MarbalTm
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Re: XBOX Dashboard problems

Post by MarbalTm »

I do not have an EEPROM backup as I lost it in a computer reset, and my original retail 8gb softmodded hard drive provides the same error as my current HDD.
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Re: XBOX Dashboard problems

Post by Elurin »

You do not seem to have the required equipment to do any of the fixes. The easiest option would be to buy another modded Xbox for around 15 to 20 dollars. The cheapest would be to buy a Aladdin mod chip on ebay for 4 to 5 dollars including free shipping, although because it is difficult to troubleshoot the problem, this might not fix the current issue and you would need to solder.

You could also buy a controller to usb adapter (2-3 dollars), second hand splinter cell for( 2-3 dollars) and a older usb stick (2-3 dollars). The splinter cell mod files are on iso zone. This would cost you about 6 to 9 dollars. But again the issue could be hardware related which will not be fixed by this.

I do not know if you could do a hotswap with a IDE to sata converter, but these go for about 3 dollars on ebay :)
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MarbalTm
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Re: XBOX Dashboard problems

Post by MarbalTm »

I figured the modchip would be the quicker way due to my current low personal wealth, but like you said, it may not fix the current issue. And I have no soldering ability. But if I can find another modded XBOX for that price, I'll be sure to pick it up if I have the cash for it.
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Re: XBOX Dashboard problems

Post by Coldly-Indifferent »

Grasping at straws here: if you're using a Component cable have you tried it booting it with a standard definition cable type instead?

If the backup original HDD is not working in the same way then, unless it is an incredible coincidence, there might be something wrong with the video output.

You seem to indicate the flubber ie. initial Xbox boot sequence displays OK and that is SD but if your dash is set only for 720p display and, if there is some issue with that, when the dash loads you'd get a black screen. You can get something similar if you're using a PC monitor and make the mistake of region swapping to PAL.

Cold booting most original games would force 480i/480p so they would display OK.
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MarbalTm
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Re: XBOX Dashboard problems

Post by MarbalTm »

I only have the stock RCA composite cables. My TV only has HDMI and native composite inputs, and since I've got my XBOX running video through my Hauppauge, that may be why it isn't working. Though then again, the burned discs don't work and doing a dash update doesn't seem to work, but it's worth a shot. I'll edit this post if native composite inputs work or not.

EDIT: It didn't work. Still fails to load the dashboard.
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Re: XBOX Dashboard problems

Post by Coldly-Indifferent »

Pity; I assume that test was done with just a direct connection to the Composite inputs on the TV.

I'm pretty sure the Xbox has now been partially returned to retail state by your dashboard update attempts ie. games boot but burned discs do not. But trying two different softmodded HDDs and having the same display problem with both and retail disc booting/playing OK too suggests it is not a HDD problem as such.

I'd check all the cable connections from/to HDD and DD, HDD/SATA adapter jumper settings and maybe try a new IDE 80 wire cable or SATA adapter (if used) just to eliminate those as possible causes as much as anything.

What about a power issue to the HDD? Are you hearing the HDD spin up like it should on boot?
Last edited by Coldly-Indifferent on Fri Jan 26, 2018 5:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: XBOX Dashboard problems

Post by Elurin »

Even more unlikely but interesting to check is if the jumpers for master/slave are still in the correct place.
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MarbalTm
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Re: XBOX Dashboard problems

Post by MarbalTm »

I do indeed hear the HDD spin and start up as it should (it's all I can use for storing my saves as I have no controller memory units), but as for the jumper settings? I'll have to check that. I don't use a SATA to IDE converter as I have no spare SATA drives.

EDIT: Still didn't work. I had it set to Master w/ Slave Present before, and set it to Master, and no changes to the dashboard issue were changed.
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Re: XBOX Dashboard problems

Post by Rocky5 »

You lost all chance of easily fixing it when your ran the XBL update from Halo 2.

You need to hotswap or clone your original softmodded hdd to the new one again.

Now there is zero reason your original hdd shouldn’t boot, since that was in a working state after you cloned it to the new hdd. ( I’m assuming here )

So put your original hdd back in and boot it up and hold the back button, keep it held down for a minute or so and see if it boots UnleashX into safe mode.

Also what colour is the LED when you boot the stock drive?
( after the Xlogo screen )
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MarbalTm
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Re: XBOX Dashboard problems

Post by MarbalTm »

The LED color is either yellow or green (I'm partially colorblind, it's not very easy for me to tell the difference between bright greens and bright yellows), but it looks more green than yellow, so I will assume it is green. Holding down Back to boot to safe mode didn't work, but I do still have my files from my XBOXHDM disc from when I softmodded the original HDD, so perhaps I could try that again with the new drive? It might not work, but it's worth a shot.

EDIT: I forgot to mention, having a disc in (an official one, not sure about burned discs) or pressing the eject button with or without a disc inside has the LED flash off and on. After further searching on the internet, it appears that the flashing off and on of a green LED means there's a bad EEPROM image. Not sure how there's a bad EEPROM in it, though... I didn't flash my EEPROM to a different one from another version console, nor do I or did i wish to do so.
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Re: XBOX Dashboard problems

Post by Rocky5 »

The flashing green led just means the Xbox reset.

Try a burned disc, that way you know 100% it’s not booting the softmod.
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MarbalTm
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Re: XBOX Dashboard problems

Post by MarbalTm »

MarbalTm wrote: Tue Jan 23, 2018 5:41 pm I've already tried burned discs and none of them worked. Only official game discs work.
I said that in the first post of the thread. I can understand why it may be missed, since the post was quite long.
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Re: XBOX Dashboard problems

Post by Rocky5 »

MarbalTm wrote: Sat Jan 27, 2018 11:24 pm
MarbalTm wrote: Tue Jan 23, 2018 5:41 pm I've already tried burned discs and none of them worked. Only official game discs work.
I said that in the first post of the thread. I can understand why it may be missed, since the post was quite long.

If your original hdd that was softmodded isn’t loading burnt media then you have botched both drives softmods. There is no other reason it would stop working, both drive never magically formatted or removed files from there C partitions.

Unfortunately I don’t know what’s up, if original media is playing then your drive isn’t in an error16 prone state, so you have done something at some point.
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MarbalTm
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Re: XBOX Dashboard problems

Post by MarbalTm »

Unfortunately so. Looks like I need another XBOX.

EDIT: Or a modchip. It'd be easier just to get another XBOX, though.
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Re: XBOX Dashboard problems

Post by Elurin »

Do you live in Europe?
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MarbalTm
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Re: XBOX Dashboard problems

Post by MarbalTm »

No, I'm in Canada.
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Re: XBOX Dashboard problems

Post by MarbalTm »

I don't like to double post just to bump the thread, but I managed to extract my EEPROM backup from my 8gb hard drive today!
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Re: XBOX Dashboard problems

Post by centos »

I everyone. Last week I tried to softmod my xbox with splinter cell hack, but I accidentaly erase all C:\ and E:\ Files. So I use xboxhdm for rebuild my hdd and the process was successful. Put my pendrive in the xbox for moving splinter cell savegame, access in the "memory" section and when I selected my usb, the xbox gone to crash with the error 21. The same thing appened when I tried to access in the xbox's hdd memory. The games are loading perfectly and I can save and load any savedata, but if I access in the hdd memory appear the error 21. What's the problem? Someone who can help me? Thanks.
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