Can't get to FlashBIOS

[jaelae]

A friend of mine just purchased a premoded xbox from modchipman . The xbox arrived with an X3 chip and it booted fine (I mod'd my box with an x3 so I am pretty familiar with flashing the bios). He went to flash it with the x3 3108 (not the 1.6 version). This xbox has a serial for mexico (02) and is dated for February 19th, 2002 so I assume it is a 1.0/1.1. Either way, it isn't a 1.6 so this bios should work.

FlashBios came up and he chose network install. On his computer he went to the IP address - browsed to the BIOS - and hit upload (or whatever the button is called to update the bios). It seemed to hang there and it turns out he was in firefox and maybe there was a problem. He then turned off the xbox and when he turned it back on to try to flash, it just FRAGs. When he holds power down, it boots into the xbox dash / original bios and works fine. Anything else just FRAGs - this includes pressing power, holding eject, or holding power &eject. I had him try multiple banks:
off off off off off
on on off off off
and
off on off off off

It just frags and frags which is normally a D0 solder issue but it booted fine the first time and after the failed flash, I am afraid it has a corrupt bios - but the backup banks should boot the FlashBIOS. Any ideas? I appreciate it!

 

[macdawgg]

This is a strange problem but yes there is something he can try-Get EvoM8 bios and use a 256 bank and see if you can flash it then. That should work.

 

[jaelae]

This is a strange problem but yes there is something he can try-Get EvoM8 bios and use a 256 bank and see if you can flash it then. That should work.

How would you flash it if he cannot get into FlashBIOS

 

[rain_man]

1. It seems to me that it screwed the first 1MB of flash memory. When flashing the chip was discontinued, It would FRAG when you powered the XBOX because it has some BAD/INCOMPLETE DATA's on the chip.
2. The Upper 1 MB fo flash memory doesn'y work.
3. And the BACKUP flash doesn't work.

It seems that there's no more useable DATA on the chip.
If you can get your friend's modchip and flash it to your your XBOX. YOU SHOULD TAKE EXTRA CARE WHEN DOING SO.
1. Power-up you xbox and boot to FlashBios screen.
2. Unplug your modchip from your XBOX and plug your friend's modchip to your XBOX while the XBOX is powered-up. TAKE EXTRA CARE WHEN UNPLUGGING AND PLUGGING THE MODCHIP. NEVER TOUCH ANYTHING EXCEPT THE EDGES OF THE MODCHIP. 5V AND 3.3V IS PRESENT AT THE MODCHIP.
3. Set the correct DIP SWITCHES for whatever memory bank you want to flash.
4. Start flashing. It should be OK.
5. TURN-OFF your XBOX and place the appropriate modchip.

I did the above things, and it work fine. But be careful.

 

[Catalyst]

I wasn't able to use firefox to flash... it did the same thing as yours did.. hung and then screwed up. I was able to boot to the back up bios though...


hmmm... you sure you can't boot to the back-up? It's kinda tricky to do. Other than that I'm out of idea's, sorry.

 

[jaelae]

Excellent idea rain_man - I will try this.

First though - what would the correct process be to boot from the backup bios? I just want to make sure I tried everything.

 

[rain_man]

Booting thru the BACKUP FLASH is pressing/holding the POWER and EJECT buttons at the same time (you should see a mix of BLUE and RED LED light of X3 Logo). Once there at the CROMWELL BIOS (FlashBios 3.0X), set the correct DIP switches to whatever memory bank you want to FLASH (unplug your MODCHIP from your XBOX and plug your friend's MODCHIP, CAREFUL) and start FLASHING.

 

[CoHPhasor]

I would like to point out that most of the time when I press power and eject at the EXACT same time that my box does the 3x on off bit.

What I do is to instead press power first and seperately for a brief instant, THEN also press and hold eject.
So power, then holding power press and also hold eject.