Dead TSOP after flashing 1.6 EEPROM with config magic

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richdutton

Noob Account
Jan 6, 2005
8
0
Cambridge, UK
I have a PAL 1.6 XBox which I tried to flash to NTSC (for progressive scan) using Config Magic ("ConfigMagic-XBOX-1.6-FINAL"). I softmodded the box and performed the flashing and then, before restarting, had Config Magic read the EEPROM again so I could check it was still valid, which it was.

When I restarted, though, the XBox was dead. More specifically, it was showing a sold green power light, but with no audio or video. On pressing the eject button, the green light would start flashing steadily (until the box was turned off) but the drive would not eject.
According to this post: http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=288786 I had a blown or improperly flashed TSOP bios. The box was mine from new, and even if it were not a 1.6 (which I believe has an unflashable/ non-existent TSOP), it has never had a modification performed to make the TSOP flashable. I would have expected instead an error code 2 for bad EEPROM.

To fix, I installed an Xecuter3, which has worked perfectly and enabled me to flash the EEPROM back on the box. I can now boot from the chip, but when I boot with the chip disabled the original problem persists. With the chip disabled I get three rapid green flashes of the power light followed by four slower green flashes and then solid green with no audio, no video, and no eject.

I am guessing that Config Magic somehow managed to corrupt my TSOP bios while flashing my EEPROM. Can anyone provide an alternate theory, and/ or a fix?

Thanks

Rich
 
Martin C

Martin C

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This has nothing to do with the TSOP.

There is no TSOP on a 1.6 Xbox.

What exactly did you do in ConfigMagic? If you changed the Video region, then just go change it back.

Martin
 
R

richdutton

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Jan 6, 2005
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Cambridge, UK
I've reverted the changes Config Magic made to the EEPROM but to no avail. It's as if Config Magic corrupted something around the EEPROM like the BIOS or something. The lack of eject means "blown or improperly flashed TSOP" according to that link I posted. I would think there's a 1.6 equivalent to a screwed TSOP.
 
Martin C

Martin C

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I going to say this one more time. You have NOT damaged the TSOP (or equivalent).

Unless you've found a way to make it writable (and soldered the relevent traces/bridges) you cannot touch it.

How are you able to use ConfigMagic if you cannot boot the Xbox?

Martin
 
F

FallsInc

Junior Member
Jan 12, 2005
19
0
the tsop is fine. the guy on x-s probably told you it was a bad tsop cause thats usually what it is, but when you mess with the eeprom, thats what can happen. you need to use an original copy of the eeprom and flsh it again.
 
R

richdutton

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Jan 6, 2005
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Cambridge, UK
I'm able to use ConfigMagic as my Xbox will boot off the Xecuter. When I disable the Xecuter, though, the box is dead as describled. I didn't mean to go on about the TS*P: I'm just trying to get an answer other than "reflash your EEPROM", as I've already done this and, while it allowed me to boot off the Xecuter, it did not change the box's behaviour when booting without the chip.
I think the chain of events was as follows:
Flashed EEPROM and restarted
XBox dead - no video, audio or eject
Installed Chip
FlashBIOS would boot but when I loaded other BIOSes onto the chip, including X3 they would not boot
Used a custom build of FlashBIOS with embedded good EEPROM to reflash EEPROM.
Loaded X3 BIOS onto chip again which then successfully booted but box would not now boot without chip enabled.
 
Martin C

Martin C

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Where is this EEPROM from?

It's altogether possible it's only compatible to run with the Xecuter BIOS (or other hacked BIOS).

Martin
 
R

richdutton

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Jan 6, 2005
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Cambridge, UK
Martin C

Martin C

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Simply put, the hacked BIOS doesn't check the EEPROM as strictly as the standard BIOS.

Have you tried opening it with a program called LiveInfo and changing the version to a 1.6?

Martin
 
R

richdutton

Noob Account
Jan 6, 2005
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Cambridge, UK
I haven't tried LiveInfo (but I will). I have just, however, tried putting my original EEPROM back onto the box, and what happened was weird.

Using ConfigMagic again (as I couldn't figure out how to update the EEPROM from an FTPd image using ConfigLive) I unlocked the HD, flashed, re-locked and power-cycled.
The box booted into MediaCentre as usual but in PAL (a good start as my box is PAL but the 1.0 EEPROM was NTSC). I power-cycled again and this was repeated.

I power-cycled again but held down the power button to disable the X3. The LED flashed red (not orange and not red and green) with no video but eject did work (which it hasn't running with the chip disabled since the original unfortunate flashing incident).

I power-cycled and the box went back into Media Centre.

I power-cycled again but held down white to go into ConfigLive. I got flashing red with no video but eject again.

I power-cycled n times without holding down white and each time I got flashing red, etc. The LED on the chip indicated it was disabled. Out of desperation I tried booting off a different BIOS bank, but the result was the same. The box seemed totally dead.

More desperately I tried booting off the backup BIOS but couldn't remember the button combination and so tried everything I could think of. Nothing worked until I tried turning on with eject, whereupon the box booted normally again (in PAL).

I power-cycled a few more times and this situation persisted (turning on with power lead to flashing red but turning on with eject lead to normal boot).

I restored my 1.0 EEPROM and everything went back to normal.

I tried flashing the 1.6 back again and got flashing red unless powering on with eject. Interestingly this happened from the off this time and there was no period (as prior to booting with white held down) where it successfully booted when powered on with the power button rather than eject.


This has confused me no end.

What does powering on the box with eject do when an X3 is fitted? This disables some chips, I think, but I wasn't aware it did anything with an X3.
 
Martin C

Martin C

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Powering the X3 with the eject button enables it.

It still points to a bad EEPROM.

You should be able to tell if the chip is off or on by the colour on the X3 logo.

Martin
 
R

richdutton

Noob Account
Jan 6, 2005
8
0
Cambridge, UK
How is powering with eject different from powering with the power button? Does disabled state persist across power cycles until you power on with eject?

Thanks for sticking with me here Martin :)
 
Martin C

Martin C

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In order to maintain constant results, always switch on / off via the power button.

Power cycling or soft-booting will just confuse the issue!!

Martin
 
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