XBMC4Xbox

My new 2TB seagate st2000dm001 didn't work with my xbox (locked but just didn't comply with it, error 13).

So i'm planning on getting a new HDD preferably 2TB. but might get 1TB if no confirmed drives work (lock)

What drive models (or series) do you have that work? (and lock)

At the moment I'm using Seagate Barracuda 1 and 2Tb HDDs. The 1TB is model ST1000DM003 and the 2TBs are Model ST2000DM001. You are doing a softmod and this I haven't done on big arsed HDD machines. Mine are always chipped machines using Aladdin XT modchips using M8 bioses so locking isn't an issue. You may be haying issues with the adapter not powering up in time and to prove this, you can power the adapter from a separate power supply and see if that helps. If it works, your adapter is too slow, if it doesn't, I'd try another type of adapter. Another suggestion to give the adapter more time to come online is to use a DVDrive with a dead lazer. This also slows down the machine and is often enough for the adapter to come on line in time. I don't think your issue is the HDD you have selected. I can tell you I had no luck with Hitachi or Weston Digital 1 or 2TB HDDs however these brands 500GB satas HDDs work well using the same adapters.

Could you link me to the adapter you use?

I'm also thinking of getting a chip just to use a big HDD and have no problems. The only chip i found that is still sold is a DuoX3, is it perfectly capable of doing everything a softmod does? And what bios should I be using once i get it? I was going to get an xecuter 2.6 but they dont sell them

Softmod -> tsop = same thing & free

blighty wrote:Softmod -> tsop = same thing & free

Maybe but I can't see why you would spend around $100 on a HDD and then skimp on a $8 modchip so it will be reliable. Horses for courses I guess but I really see big arsed HDDs in Xboxes not really suitable for softmods. I know some people have had them running in the past but I seriously think having these things running reliably with a softmod is really stretching it. I may be wrong but my best advise is do EXACTLY as I do and it will work reliably. I have done many 1 and 2TB machines and they work hard without hickups. I took a long time to get the formula correct and this knowledge I hope has saved others many hours of trial and error. I had the full procedure with pics on the old forum and I'm sure many members now have these machines running good as a result. It is a major job and many get it wrong and all I can say is do as I do and save yourself a lot of heartache.

xman wrote:

blighty wrote:Softmod -> tsop = same thing & free

Maybe but I can't see why you would spend around $100 on a HDD and then skimp on a $8 modchip so it will be reliable. Horses for courses I guess but I really see big arsed HDDs in Xboxes not really suitable for softmods. I know some people have had them running in the past but I seriously think having these things running reliably with a softmod is really stretching it. I may be wrong but my best advise is do EXACTLY as I do and it will work reliably. I have done many 1 and 2TB machines and they work hard without hickups. I took a long time to get the formula correct and this knowledge I hope has saved others many hours of trial and error. I had the full procedure with pics on the old forum and I'm sure many members now have these machines running good as a result. It is a major job and many get it wrong and all I can say is do as I do and save yourself a lot of heartache.

Xman, I would also like to know what kind of sata converter you are using and where do you get Aladdin XT chips for $8? I found a xenium clone chip for $8 at modchip .ca, would you recommend this chip? Thanks

ogxbox wrote: Xman, I would also like to know what kind of sata converter you are using and where do you get Aladdin XT chips for $8? I found a xenium clone chip for $8 at modchip .ca, would you recommend this chip? Thanks

The sata to IDE adapters I use were originally from DealsXtreme but it has been a long time since they have had the correct xbox compatible ones in stock. I did originally order 30 of them and are now down to just 3. There are other adapters that work but I haven't had a need to try any yet, but it won't be long. Same story with the Aladdin XT chips that DealsXxtreme ran out of about 3 weeks ago now. They were $7.60 Australian with free post. I really hope they get them back in stock soon but really the chip isn't the issue. Any chip will do the same job or as Blighty wrote, "You can do a TSOP", providing it isn't a 1.6 machine.
These are the adapters I use at the moment-



Note the Revision Number is 3.1. Only the 3.0 and 3.1 revisions of these adapters worked on the Xbox. The earlier versions do not. By the way, there are a few of us working on slowing down the bootup time of the Xbox as we speak to hopefully allow more adapters to be suitable for the job as well as allowing other HDD brands other than just Seagate to work. It should just require a second or two delay to cure the problem but that is proving harder that said to achieve so far but there are several ways to try yet.

I was thinking the other day that using an unmodified bios complete with fulbber and splash screen might buy enough time for the adapters to power up on a softmodded machine ?
I managed to score 15 x aladdins for $2 each so will get a few of the V1.6's i have hardmodded instead of softmodded.

bigkidoz wrote:I was thinking the other day that using an unmodified bios complete with fulbber and splash screen might buy enough time for the adapters to power up on a softmodded machine ?
I managed to score 15 x aladdins for $2 each so will get a few of the V1.6's i have hardmodded instead of softmodded.

That may help BKO. I know my 1TB NON DVD slim occasionally has boot problems even though it has the Thomson board when it isn't connected to the net but this isn't an issue with any of my 2TB machines. 15 x Aladdin mod chips, all XTs I gather?. The Chinese manufactures still have many in stock but $2 each is a fine score. I really hope we come up with a simple way to delay the boot process that will work with all adapters and HDDs to make this mod much easier however.

i use these:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/computers/comp ... 017029.htm

The hdd i recently used is a 2tb and it is a western digital wd20earx and i was able to lock it fou use with a soft mod but it was a bit unstable some times it would boot without f or g until i did a tsop flash with a m8 bios with two non existant boot paths then the third a relevant one and it woorked every time.

xman wrote:Maybe but I can't see why you would spend around $100 on a HDD and then skimp on a $8 modchip so it will be reliable.

I don't really see why flashing the TSOP would be any less reliable than a modchip. After all, the official MS bios is stored on the TSOP. If anything, I see a modchip as an additional potential point of failure, which isn't to say that I don't believe in modchips, but additional hardware = more points of failure.

AZImmortal wrote: I don't really see why flashing the TSOP would be any less reliable than a modchip. After all, the official MS bios is stored on the TSOP. If anything, I see a modchip as an additional potential point of failure, which isn't to say that I don't believe in modchips, but additional hardware = more points of failure.

Yes, that is a very valid point.
@ P.J.- Something Xphazer said to me the other day on TeamSpeak had me thinking. In the bios, set it to "Quick In Game Reset", (so the HDD itself doesn't reset). Now what I'm thinking is on bootup, hit the "In Game Reset", 2 button and 2 trigger, and see if the machine resets without resetting the HDD and therefore buying a few seconds on the bootup process?. If I remember correctly the In Game Reset functions on all dashes and the chip itself actually orders the reset. Not the desired setup but a good way of checking what happens if we defer the bootup process by holding the reset pin on the PIC to ground without disconnecting pin 1 on the HDD adapter. Thoughts?.

professor_jonny wrote:i use these:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/computers/comp ... 017029.htm

The hdd i recently used is a 2tb and it is a western digital wd20earx and i was able to lock it fou use with a soft mod but it was a bit unstable some times it would boot without f or g until i did a tsop flash with a m8 bios with two non existant boot paths then the third a relevant one and it woorked every time.

Hmmm not sure I'd be copying anything toooooo important to that.... the WD20earx is an advanced format drive that as far as I know you can disable advanced formatting on.. It only emulates 512bytes... OS's like XP and Server 2003 wont work with them, or rather dont like them.. so I'm surprised the Xbox does... :S

Geeba wrote:Hmmm not sure I'd be copying anything toooooo important to that.... the WD20earx is an advanced format drive that as far as I know you can disable advanced formatting on.. It only emulates 512bytes... OS's like XP and Server 2003 wont work with them, or rather dont like them.. so I'm surprised the Xbox does... :S

you put a jumper on 7 and 8 to enable 512B sectors mode of this drive as you can't use the align software as the drive is a format wd align software does not support.

Hmmm pretty sure its a fixed 4k drive - it only emulates 512 bytes with the jumper... I use Windows Home Server alot and there were stories of these drives causing issues and data loss on Version 1 servers even with the emulation/512 enabled... end of the day Microsoft said not to use 4K drives in server 2003/WHS....

Just got mine up and running with a 2TB drive, the first 2 types of adaptors I tried didnt work, third time's a charm.
Installed via slayers 2.7 and the 2 versions of xboxpartitioner, boots to XBMC only a few seconds slower than with the stock HDD without any customisation of bios boot order.

Thanks to everyone for their info, these forums have been invaluable. Special thanks to thepitt for his guide (http://www.xbmc4xbox.org.uk/forum/viewt ... f=14&t=649) and xman for his helpful comments

HDD: 2TB Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 (Made in Thailand), as xman recommended
Adaptor: http://imgur.com/iPFLZWw, bought from here: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/270786530575 ... 1497.l2649 (the same seller has relisted them, now $4.50). Jumper removed.
BIOS: M8 (not M8+) from slayers 2.7, again from xman's recommendation, modchip is a muppetx.


Adaptors that did not work (both would prevent the xbox from booting the cd/dvd, giving a flashing LED and one of a few different dash related error numbers):
-Dealextreme revision 1.0: http://dx.com/p/sata-to-ide-hard-disk-m ... card-12537
-A different type sold on ebay (without the 2 large capacitors): http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/290393203018 ... 1497.l2649

Things tested with the 2 non working adaptors, all to no avail:
-2 different chipped xboxes, with all the variables below on each:
-All jumper positions on the adaptors
-Original 40 pin and 2 different ata133 80 pin IDE cables (all confirmed working with stock HDD)
-M8+ and M8 normal bios
-Slayers 2.7 on cd and dvd, AID
-Powering the adaptor with an external supply to let it boot before powering on the xbox
-Booting with optical drive open (someone suggested this may delay boot process)

bigkidoz wrote:I was thinking the other day that using an unmodified bios complete with fulbber and splash screen might buy enough time for the adapters to power up on a softmodded machine ?

Barely enough time to spin up a large IDE hdd. let alone adapter.