Question about fixing corrupt EEPROM with Cromwell

[AZImmortal]

I'm considering buying a broken Xbox and from the description (flashing red light and no audio/video), it looks like the EEPROM is corrupt. I found this guide using Cromwell to fix the EEPROM, but since I don't already have a backup of the original EEPROM, I'll need to flash a donor EEPROM. How exactly does this affect the hard drive, which is obviously (at least initially) locked to the old EEPROM? Does updating the Xbox with the donor EEPROM also automatically lock the hard drive to the donor EEPROM? Or will the old hard drive basically be dead to me with no way to unlock it?

[nidge]

I'm considering buying a broken Xbox and from the description (flashing red light and no audio/video), it looks like the EEPROM is corrupt. I found this guide using Cromwell to fix the EEPROM, but since I don't already have a backup of the original EEPROM, I'll need to flash a donor EEPROM.

This sounds good, I have an xbox with a bad TSOP flash, I wonder if Cromwell could fix it?
You could try an EEPROM reader, available on ebay with software here...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Xbox-EEPROM-R ... 20b7bc6d04 You will need a PC with a 9 pin serial port though.

[nidge]

I just found this on ebay, while searching for the Xbox EEPROM reader, will it work with the Xbox EEPROM's?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USB-Port-24CX ... 256d0b838c

[professor_jonny]

How exactly does this affect the hard drive, which is obviously (at least initially) locked to the old EEPROM? Does updating the Xbox with the donor EEPROM also automatically lock the hard drive to the donor EEPROM? Or will the old hard drive basically be dead to me with no way to unlock it?

if the eprom is corrupt it might be just part of it and you may still able to get the hdd key out of it.

do a dump of what you have before you over write a donor eeprom image.

there are tools to reconstruct the eprom if it is partly stuffed.

if the eprom is gone the thing would be to try the backup master passwords if it is locked.

[AZImmortal]

nidge: Cromwell will only update the EEPROM, not flash the TSOP.

pj: Can you let me know what those tools are? I don't work with the EEPROM much at this level (I actually almost never work with the EEPROM since I flash the TSOP whenever I can and immediately unlock the hard drive).

[spicemuseum]

I'm considering buying a broken Xbox and from the description (flashing red light and no audio/video), it looks like the EEPROM is corrupt. I found this guide using Cromwell to fix the EEPROM, but since I don't already have a backup of the original EEPROM, I'll need to flash a donor EEPROM. How exactly does this affect the hard drive, which is obviously (at least initially) locked to the old EEPROM? Does updating the Xbox with the donor EEPROM also automatically lock the hard drive to the donor EEPROM? Or will the old hard drive basically be dead to me with no way to unlock it?

Unless you know the details of the EEPROM used to lock the hard disc, the hard disc is (to all practical purposes) bricked, you won't be able to unlock it. No real loss with a standard hard disc, though...

[AZImmortal]

Unless you know the details of the EEPROM used to lock the hard disc, the hard disc is (to all practical purposes) bricked, you won't be able to unlock it. No real loss with a standard hard disc, though...

This was my assumption but wanted to confirm since I've never fixed a corrupt EEPROM before. I'm hoping that pj's suggestion might work if he can let me know what to do (and if I'm not feeling too lazy to build a reader). I also found this guide for unlocking the hard drive with no HDD key, so I might try this as well. I wouldn't be terribly sad about losing the stock hard drive but I'd rather not spend more money on another hard drive if I don't have to since the plan was to use the stock hard drive and just stream everything from a network share.

[professor_jonny]

there is a few tools you need a hex editor to dump your hdd key if it is intact once getting a copy of your eprom then the below to patch it into a blank eprom:

LiveInfo Beta2 from TeamAssembly
blank eeprom as provided with above.

Open your chosen eeprom file with LiveInfo. Make sure that the xbox version is set correctly:
1.0 = 1.0 xbox 1.1 = 1.1-1.6 xbox.
Enter the serial number of your xbox (on the sticker on the bottom of the xbox).
Enter an MAC address for your ethernet connection. This has to be different than other MAC addresses on your network. This is bunnie's MAC address: 00-50-F2-4F-65-52.
Set your video/XBE region.
You don't have to put an Online Key, unless you know it from your backup eeprom.
The DVD Kit Zone can be set to 00.

I am not sure what the confounder does exactly, but I used bunnie's before with no problems: 00000000A0F31300.
And the Unique Harddrive key. This must be the same as your previous eeprom if your hard drive has been locked. Otherwise, you may not be able to use the hard drive anymore.

Now save the the eeprom.bin file from the edits you just made

[ldotsfan]

Donor eeproms of various versions: http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php? ... &p=4858719 if you need them.

[spicemuseum]

I've never fixed a corrupt EEPROM before. I'm hoping that pj's suggestion might work if he can let me know what to do (and if I'm not feeling too lazy to build a reader). I also found this guide for unlocking the hard drive with no HDD key, so I might try this as well. I wouldn't be terribly sad about losing the stock hard drive but I'd rather not spend more money on another hard drive if I don't have to since the plan was to use the stock hard drive and just stream everything from a network share.

The standard (regular?) Seagate hard discs seem very prone to failure - not terribly good quality. Apparently. ...I've only ever had one fail.

[AZImmortal]

Donor eeproms of various versions: http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php? ... &p=4858719 if you need them.

Great, thanks ldotsfan.

The standard (regular?) Seagate hard discs seem very prone to failure - not terribly good quality. Apparently. ...I've only ever had one fail.

I've never had any of the standard Xbox hard drives fail on me. I wish I could say that about all of my hard drives...

[spicemuseum]

The standard (regular?) Seagate hard discs seem very prone to failure - not terribly good quality. Apparently. ...I've only ever had one fail.

I've never had any of the standard Xbox hard drives fail on me. I wish I could say that about all of my hard drives...

Yes, perhaps "are reputedly" is a better expression than "seem". The old forum had several posts talking about their quality (lack of). As I say, I've only experienced one failure, but then I've swapped out most in boxes I've had for larger ones before they've had a chance to fail.