Softmod Over An Xbox with Xecuter 2.3B Lite Installed?

Discussion about Modding the XBOX, including hardware and software hacks.
Post Reply
Eddard Aardvark
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2016 9:45 pm
Has thanked: 6 times

Softmod Over An Xbox with Xecuter 2.3B Lite Installed?

Post by Eddard Aardvark »

Hi all. You'll have to forgive me as I'm as green as it gets when it comes to the Xbox and its modding potential...

So I recently picked up an Xbox on the cheap at a flea market. To my surprise, I noticed that the bottom of the unit had already been opened at one point- plus there was a tiny cable coming from underneath the front I/O ports. I opened up the unit to inspect further and discovered that a mod chip had been installed: what I think to be the Xecuter 2.3B Lite:

Image

I was excited about the prospect of having all the 'hard work' done for me in having a back door open, even negating the need to softmod it myself via the Splinter Cell exploit. However, having done some research, I've learned that the mod chip is essentially useless without the Bank Selector- plus it seems to be almost impossible to find a replacement one. It does, however, seem to always boot to the default Xbox Dashboard version 5960.

With all this in mind, I've done some thinking and feel that my best option would be to just Softmod over the current bios using the Splinter Cell USB to Xbox method. And then, further down the line, upgrade to a SATA hard drive using this method: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WdstTRnINk

The thing I want to ask is, are there any risks in doing so that I need to be aware of?

It's also worth mentioning that the Hard Drive appears to be a 10.2gb IDE ST310014ACE. I don't think this is the original Hard Drive that came with the Xbox- will this make make softmodding impossible?

Thanks
User avatar
xman
Posts: 1289
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2012 2:30 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia
Has thanked: 55 times
Been thanked: 168 times

Re: Softmod Over An Xbox with Xecuter 2.3B Lite Installed?

Post by xman »

I'm pretty sure that modchip will still work without that bank selector board, it will just revert back to the modchip's default settings. Are you sure the modchip is actually turning on?. There should be an LED that lights on the board to indicate this. Try turning the machine on by using the other front panel button or holding the button for a second or so. These are normal processes to turn a modchip on or off at bootup.
hawsey
Posts: 508
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2012 8:25 pm
Has thanked: 47 times
Been thanked: 30 times

Re: Softmod Over An Xbox with Xecuter 2.3B Lite Installed?

Post by hawsey »

There is no need to do that , If an installer disk will boot like Rocky5 s on here , Hexen or the like then all you will need to to is get a bigger HD , pop it in , put in the installer disk and away you go :-)
I've took chips out of Xboxes only when they are malfunctioning and swapped to a softmod but the chip you have in there already will make things much easier than that .
If you did want to ditch the chip , I am sure TSOP would be the way forward for you rather than softmod .
What do other members think ? I could be wrong here ;-)

Sent by SlimKat FirePhone
User avatar
xman
Posts: 1289
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2012 2:30 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia
Has thanked: 55 times
Been thanked: 168 times

Re: Softmod Over An Xbox with Xecuter 2.3B Lite Installed?

Post by xman »

hawsey wrote: I've took chips out of Xboxes only when they are malfunctioning and swapped to a softmod but the chip you have in there already will make things much easier than that .
If you did want to ditch the chip , I am sure TSOP would be the way forward for you rather than softmod .
What do other members think ? I could be wrong here ;-)
Well I for one, (the one that swears by modchips), is busy removing modchips and TSOPing. I would never consider softmodding over a chip but TSOP over a chip, why not. No real advantage but it does make for a neater interior of the Xbox. I chip every machine still so all have pin headers installed but I then slip in an 8GB stock unlocked HDD with all the softmod on it. The chip enables me to boot with an unlocked HDD. I then install Slayers to lock the HDD. This could be on the unlocked HDD but this is how I do it. Once the HDD is locked, I remove the modchip and reboot the machine. Now that the machine has booted off the locked HDD softmod, I use HeXEn to re-flash the TSOP. Once this is done, I unlock the 8GB "softmod" HDD so it is ready for the next machine and swap it for the new larger HDD. Install Slayers again and rebuild the new larger HDD. Lastly, swap over the .cfg file and bam, machine boots exactly like a modchip but no modchip. This process, I would not recommend for doing just one TSOP mod but I have another 10 machines to do and I've already done 10 so it works for me.
hawsey
Posts: 508
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2012 8:25 pm
Has thanked: 47 times
Been thanked: 30 times

Re: Softmod Over An Xbox with Xecuter 2.3B Lite Installed?

Post by hawsey »

Wow , that sounds really complicated ;-)
So the first thing you need to know is can your XBOX boot an installer disk or play a copy game ?
Next , are you handy with a solder iron ?

Sent by SlimKat FirePhone
Eddard Aardvark
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2016 9:45 pm
Has thanked: 6 times

Re: Softmod Over An Xbox with Xecuter 2.3B Lite Installed?

Post by Eddard Aardvark »

Thanks for the input all. Maybe it's not as doom and gloom as I previously thought.
xman wrote:I'm pretty sure that modchip will still work without that bank selector board, it will just revert back to the modchip's default settings. Are you sure the modchip is actually turning on?. There should be an LED that lights on the board to indicate this. Try turning the machine on by using the other front panel button or holding the button for a second or so. These are normal processes to turn a modchip on or off at bootup.
To my surprise, there appears to be a blue LED that seems to turn on when the Xbox is powered on. I think I've tried all the methods of getting the modchip to boot (Hold down power button, hold down eject button, hold down the white button on the controller)
hawsey wrote:Wow , that sounds really complicated ;-)
So the first thing you need to know is can your XBOX boot an installer disk or play a copy game ?
Next , are you handy with a solder iron ?

Sent by SlimKat FirePhone
I'm afraid I'm not proficient with a soldering iron so I doubt I'll be confident enough to do a TSOP. That being said if, if I have a functioning mod chip and can get access the the 'modded' bios then I am perfectly fine with just keeping things as is and installing a larger HDD from there.

I'll take your earlier advice and try Rocky5's installer cd and see if I have any luck.
hawsey
Posts: 508
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2012 8:25 pm
Has thanked: 47 times
Been thanked: 30 times

Re: Softmod Over An Xbox with Xecuter 2.3B Lite Installed?

Post by hawsey »

Great stuff ;-) , hopefully the modchip will work out for you .
I've just ordered a conductive pen to use for a TSOP instead of a soldering iron for an XBOX i have with a modchip which is on the way out , will report back if it works ok .
Good Luck
Eddard Aardvark
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2016 9:45 pm
Has thanked: 6 times

Re: Softmod Over An Xbox with Xecuter 2.3B Lite Installed?

Post by Eddard Aardvark »

Well unfortunately no luck with the boot disk (I used Auto-Installer Deluxe instead by the way; I saw from screenshots that it had an option to boot to another bios I think?). I get an error saying the disk is unreadable.

My Xbox to USB adapter came today and - to my surprise - I have a USB stick that actually works with the Xbox.

What do you guys think I should do from here? Just apply a softmod over the current bios? Or should I see if I use the splinter cell exploit to get access to auto-installer and see if I have luck from there?

Sorry if I'm not particularly clear with my wording here- I'm still very much new to this!
User avatar
MrMajst3r
Posts: 219
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2012 10:35 am
Location: Poland
Has thanked: 10 times
Been thanked: 32 times
Contact:

Re: Softmod Over An Xbox with Xecuter 2.3B Lite Installed?

Post by MrMajst3r »

It will be better to make this modchip working than playing with a softmod.

I have the same modchip at home, I will measure which cables you need to short to turn it on. I see in the picture that you have cables and only the switches are missing.
So, you just need to push a paper clip or thin copper wire into the plug and it should work (no soldering).

Please wait until the weekend.
Image
Eddard Aardvark
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2016 9:45 pm
Has thanked: 6 times

Re: Softmod Over An Xbox with Xecuter 2.3B Lite Installed?

Post by Eddard Aardvark »

MrMajst3r wrote:It will be better to make this modchip working than playing with a softmod.

I have the same modchip at home, I will measure which cables you need to short to turn it on. I see in the picture that you have cables and only the switches are missing.
So, you just need to push a paper clip or thin copper wire into the plug and it should work (no soldering).

Please wait until the weekend.
That's really helpful, thanks. I'll hold off until this weekend.

What do you mean by shorting it exactly?
User avatar
toxicmedz
Posts: 85
Joined: Fri May 22, 2015 4:19 am
Location: Vancouver, WA
Been thanked: 11 times

Re: Softmod Over An Xbox with Xecuter 2.3B Lite Installed?

Post by toxicmedz »

Eddard Aardvark wrote:
What do you mean by shorting it exactly?
He basically means you need to complete the connection between a couple of the wires that would normally be going to the missing switch board.
User avatar
MrMajst3r
Posts: 219
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2012 10:35 am
Location: Poland
Has thanked: 10 times
Been thanked: 32 times
Contact:

Re: Softmod Over An Xbox with Xecuter 2.3B Lite Installed?

Post by MrMajst3r »

As I promised, here is a tip for you:
To turn modchip on, connect second and fourth pin of the cable together. Modchip will start from bank 2.
If you want to start from bank 1, connect second, fourth and fifth pins together.

Here are pictures: http://imgur.com/a/j5Cst
Image
Eddard Aardvark
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2016 9:45 pm
Has thanked: 6 times

Re: Softmod Over An Xbox with Xecuter 2.3B Lite Installed?

Post by Eddard Aardvark »

MrMajst3r wrote:As I promised, here is a tip for you:
To turn modchip on, connect second and fourth pin of the cable together. Modchip will start from bank 2.
If you want to start from bank 1, connect second, fourth and fifth pins together.

Here are pictures: http://imgur.com/a/j5Cst
Fantastic! I'll try this tomorrow and report how it goes.

Thanks again for the help.
Eddard Aardvark
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2016 9:45 pm
Has thanked: 6 times

Re: Softmod Over An Xbox with Xecuter 2.3B Lite Installed?

Post by Eddard Aardvark »

Well I tried connecting the second and fourth ports using a twisty tie with the shielding taken off both ends:

Image

Bingo!

Image

Thanks so much for the help- same goes with the rest of you. I thought I had a modchip that was essentially useless. Only problem now is figuring out what to do next to use this thing to it's potential.
Last edited by Eddard Aardvark on Wed Apr 27, 2016 2:27 pm, edited 2 times in total.
User avatar
xman
Posts: 1289
Joined: Wed Jul 04, 2012 2:30 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia
Has thanked: 55 times
Been thanked: 168 times

Re: Softmod Over An Xbox with Xecuter 2.3B Lite Installed?

Post by xman »

Well to do that you really need a close up picture of MrMajst3r's switch board , (the back and front of it), along with a manual for that chip, ( you'll get that on the net) and then you should be right to see how the board is actually wired up.
Post Reply