Xbox boots into black screen

Discussion about Modding the XBOX, including hardware and software hacks.
FlexibleHead
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Re: Xbox boots into black screen

Post by FlexibleHead »

Yes, opinions seem to differ about whether it's worth paying the extra money for the Startech. I've read a lot in the process of doing this (as someone who's never done anything remotely moddy before) and there are those that say the generic adapters are perfectly reliable, and those that hate them and swear by the Startech because it's (they claim) a better build quality, less prone to failing, and operates faster.

Buried in the reviews for the Startech on amazon.co.uk I found another guy from a couple of years ago mentioning the exact same issue specifically with using it in an Xbox with a Kingston A400 (it was him that was suggesting it wasn't actually SATA III compatible, which Startech have since debunked for me). So I'm just going to go with the initial black screen being a weird wrinkle of using it with this particular SSD. Eject button kick-off notwithstanding, it does seem to work really well so far.

And yup, got the jumper set to Master, although having it on Cable Select seems not to make any difference.
FlexibleHead
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Re: Xbox boots into black screen

Post by FlexibleHead »

*Sigh*... So actually, if you switch the power off at the wall overnight with the Startech installed, it won't boot to UnleashX with the eject button when you switch on again the next day. Just stays at the black screen. It's like it's forgotten. I took it out and put it back in and it worked with eject again, but basically I give up with the Startech. I'm going back to the green adapter which boots slower but at least behaves predictably.

Glad I kept the box. That's 15 quid I can get back from Amazon.
rainpro
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Re: Xbox boots into black screen

Post by rainpro »

I too was having the black screen come up. I disconnected and then reseated the power cable that connected to the molex to the startech (the small one below the IDE pins) and it started booting the splash screen after that. Problem now is I'm getting a 08 error code. One step at a time I guess haha. Hope it helps.
adarog
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Re: Xbox boots into black screen

Post by adarog »

Hi together

New here and ... I am the next one with a black screen :-(

My Xbox was softmodded with UnleashX using hotswap method. It worked very well afterwards.
Recently I tried to make it starting the orig MS-Dashboard (because I wanted to change som vid settings there as I hoped they could resolve my screen issues).
During that I seem to have messed up important file, I assume.
Sadly that was 3 weeks before I now recognized that the xbox is in a bad state.. so I cant remember which files I changed. But even if I could remember .... I only get a black screen :-(

Situation now:
- Xbox shows XBox Logo and some seconds later the MS-Logo appreas .... than a blank black screen.
- LED still green (not orange), DVD tray could be opened/closed.
- No rescue mode with Start+Y Key
- Original Games are started successfully
- Hexen 2020 DVD doesnt start.
- XBox doesnt start ftp server but requests IP Adress (stated by my router ;-) )

What can I do?
I do have a EEPROM Backup here, if that might help.
If I should perform hotswap for getting access to the hdd - okay, fine. But what to check?

Hopeing for help since I dont really find any "unbricking" Howto.

Greeetings - Adarog
Coldly-Indifferent
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Re: Xbox boots into black screen

Post by Coldly-Indifferent »

Sounds like the softmod is still OK and that you've just messed up your main dash installation somehow.

How did you burn HeXEn?

The only 'universally' compatible disc media is DVD-R (and good brand should be OK) preferably burned using ImgBurn as its default settings. Using its "Write image file to disc" option at slowest supported compatible speed is known to produce reliable results.

You'd probably need to cold boot the disc too.
adarog
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Re: Xbox boots into black screen

Post by adarog »

Hu

Thanks for your recommendation  

I tried to burn 2 different install discs (HExen and another one) with lowest possible speeds on two different dvd recorders (one has 4x as slowest and the other one 8x).
On Verbatim DVD-R and intenso DVD-R ... nothing boots.
Always the green XBOS-Splash screen, followed by the MS-logo and some seconds later a black screen again  

Any other way here? I believe (but not sure) that the HDD is "locked" - thus hotswapping is not posible, right?

Thanks anyway so far ... hoing for another possible ways ... and best regards 
Coldly-Indifferent
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Re: Xbox boots into black screen

Post by Coldly-Indifferent »

Yes, with a softmod or retail state Xbox the HDD is (and must be) locked to be able to use it.

If you still have the original softmod exploit/installer files in place and the original game disc you used to softmod the Xbox then try cold booting that.

It would allow you to get to the installer dash (which is a modified UnleashX dash) and allow you to fix the problem via the file manager or by FTP.
adarog
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Re: Xbox boots into black screen

Post by adarog »

Hi
Thanks again - sadly I gave that SplinterCell-Game away long time ago. :-(
Can I do anything with the EEPROM Backup, which I backuped on my notebook?

BR
adarog
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Re: Xbox boots into black screen

Post by adarog »

..okay - by hot-siwtching the cables I have access to the hdd.
Was a hassel to get to work (was the 30th try the HDD was detected on the notebook .. but Ok)

Which filey you would have a look at 1st? Is there some XBE, which is booted 1st?

BR
adarog
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Re: Xbox boots into black screen

Post by adarog »

Another cry for help with some more investigations:

1) I found the original 8GB Xbox HDD which has also the softmod on it. This boots as expected.

2) While having that connected, I could also boot all different InstallDiscs I tried in between. So no burning issue, I expect. 

What could I do next? 

There is no important data on my ReplacementHDD - Should I wipe my larger HDD and restart with ... which tutorial? 

I really really struggle with my IDE-HDD apater (cant make hotswap possible a 2nd time). So would be perfect if I could switch HDDs without hotswapping cables? 

BR -
Coldly-Indifferent
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Re: Xbox boots into black screen

Post by Coldly-Indifferent »

Several options if you have a working softmodded HDD.

1). You can use the original softmodded retail HDD and clone it with Chimp 261812 to a new HDD or the, wiped, 'problem' HDD.

You should be able to do the latter by using Chimp to unlock the HDD as Slave after its swapped in however sometimes that does not work.

2). Using the working softmodded retail HDD get the eeprom from the Xbox (which you've done) and build a new Xbox HDD on PC using XBHDM and then lock it

3). After unlocking the 'problem' HDD, as it is already FATX formatted, repopulate it with clean softmod files using FATXplorer. Again you'd either need to hot-swap or have the eeprom available to lock it afterwards.

Not sure if FATXplorer supports Xbox HDD locking/unlocking so you'll have to research that yourself.
adarog
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Re: Xbox boots into black screen

Post by adarog »

Hi
I tried 3) but with another spare HDD - just in case.
Sadly the xboxhdm is not able to lock (option 3) this drive - neither to unlock (option 4) or to check (option 5)
If I now connect that drive to the xbox I get Error 13. That what I needed to expect I believe.

Option 1 shows the disc
Option 2 started qemu and I succesfully passed the process.
Option 3/4/5 state (after selecting the 2 for the hdd in the 1st step) that the smartctl needs another argument (see below). But since smartcrt is shipped with the download so ...

Code: Select all

smartctl 6.2 2013-07-26 r3841 [x86_64-w64-mingw32-win8] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-13, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

/dev/sdc: USB bridge [0x04b4:0x6830] type is ambiguous: '[unsupported]' or 'usbcypress'
Please specify device type with the -d option.

Use smartctl -h to get a usage summary

Press any key to continue
Than I googled a bit and found the adding "-t sat" would help - and I added it to the smartctl command in checklockhdd.bat

Sadly that gave me next issue:

Code: Select all

smartctl 6.2 2013-07-26 r3841 [x86_64-w64-mingw32-win8] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-13, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

Read Device Identity failed: scsi error unsupported scsi opcode

A mandatory SMART command failed: exiting. To continue, add one or more '-T permissive' options.
Press any key to continue
As of here I added "-d sat,12 -T permissive"

Code: Select all

smartctl 6.2 2013-07-26 r3841 [x86_64-w64-mingw32-win8] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-13, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

Read Device Identity failed: scsi error unsupported scsi opcode

ATA Security is:  Unavailable
Press any key to continue
And now reddit / google end for my searches. :-(

Any idea? Bad USB-IDE-Case - just try another one? (dont know if I will be able to find one in 2022 ;-) )


BR
adarog
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Re: Xbox boots into black screen

Post by adarog »

...continued:

I found "-d usbcypress -T permissive" for my USBIDE by checking
https://www.smartmontools.org/wiki/Supp ... SB-Devices

Than I added that to the smartctl commands.
Option 5 (checking) gives me now:

Code: Select all

smartctl 6.2 2013-07-26 r3841 [x86_64-w64-mingw32-win8] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-13, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

ATA Security is:  Disabled, NOT FROZEN [SEC1]
YEAH!

Sadly the "lockhdd.bat" Option 3 ives me

Code: Select all

ATA Security is:  Disabled, NOT FROZEN [SEC1]
smartctl 6.2 2013-07-26 r3841 [x86_64-w64-mingw32-win8] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-13, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

raw drive serial=30535841314a4c56303833353937
raw drive model=4153534d4e552047444830344c3020
drive serial=533041584a31564c383035333739
drive model=53414d53554e472048443430304c44
security_password=f7981b6373720f83cc02f0b58ef527ce50e293b4000000005a00000000000000
ATA SECURITY SETPASS failed: Non-SMART commands not implemented
Press any key to continue
Now I am lost :-( Crying for HELP, please!


BR
adarog
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Re: Xbox boots into black screen

Post by adarog »

Hi again,
One step further: With another USB->IDE ADapter I was able to lock the new HDD. YEAH
So the HDD was successfully written and locked by xboxhdm23usb.

Inserting it to my xbox gives me Error 13. If I insert one of my burnded loader discs it turns to error 14.
What can I do? Google just states to reinstall the dash - but that should have been done by xboxhdm23 ?!

BR
Coldly-Indifferent
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Re: Xbox boots into black screen

Post by Coldly-Indifferent »

Error 13 suggests that however you installed it the dashboard is not where it should be.

I do not know enough about XBHDM to be able to explain how that can happen let alone offer a solution.

With eeprom available it should be fixable even if you have to set up another HDD to do that but I think you need advice from somebody who knows XBHDM more than I do so that whatever the problem was it is not repeated.
adarog
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Re: Xbox boots into black screen

Post by adarog »

Tried another XBOXHDM 2.3 Beta 4 Download - and copied the C drive to that ... works. :-)

WOHU - Thanks for the effort.
Even my screen issues have gone with this new setup. :-)

In the end it was a hassel since my crappy USBHDD and a buggy xboxhdm download.


BR
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