Frag Fixes

mike_t_44

Noob Account
Sep 15, 2005
4
0
Hey all, Im new here and was searching through a few posts to no avail. I installed a X2.6 CE with no problems when I booted up it worked fine and loaded up Flash 3.03 and 3.01 on both banks. I was able to get into the xbox thorugh IE and flashed it and everything seemed to be going fine after flashing the Xbox turned off. When I turned it back on the box started fragging. it now frags on both banks. Though If I disable the chip the M$ dashboard loads fine. Now im stuck at what to do, should I check my soldering even though everything went fine? Is the chip now dead? do I have to contact modchip.ca for return or does anyone have any suggestions?
 

Big_Whoopin

VIP Member
Jan 29, 2004
811
0
SE Pennsylvania, USA
If the chip is disabled you will boot the BIOS off the mainboard. This is how it is designed.

Some questions to tell us where you're coming from... What version of Xbox do you have? What BIOS did you attempt to flash to the chip? Did you make any changes to the BIOS file before sending it to the chip? Did you build a BIOS using X2 BIOS Manager, or just use a bin file as received?

At this point I don't think you need to check any soldering. It sounds like the physical install was successful since you were able to get to FlashBIOS without issue. The coincidence of the box FRAGing after the flash provides a pointer to a bad flash rather than a solder issue. If the BIOS on the chip is hosed your options will be to pull a hotswap flash with a working modded Xbox or to use a programmer to update the chip. (do you have access to either?) I'm not sure what modchip.ca's policy is on returns due to bad flash. First tho let's try and identify what went wrong.

One thing to check might be the switch bank. Confirm that the plugs on the connector cable are fully seated. Check that the switches are all the way to the correct positions, maybe move them back and forth a few times. If there is a problem with a switch it could potentially cause a FRAG.

-Whoopin'
 

scottwilson18

Noob Account
Mar 15, 2005
1
0
Flash problems, looks like it flashed but I reboot to the Flashbios screen.

I just had a similar problem. Version 1.1 xbox with soldered xecuter 2.6. I connected to it with Firefox and flashed it. First the yellow bar filled then the green bar filled after which the xbox would shut down. When I powered it back on it would load the Blue cromwell flashbios 3.0.3 screen. I repeated the steps 5 times same outcome. Finally I disconnected the chip and put it in another chipped xbox system that I have (it is a 1.3) and It loaded the X2 bios that I flashed it with. So I then put the working chip that was originally in the 1.3 xbox (that chip is also a 2.6 with X2 bios) into the 1.1 and same blue cromwell flashbios screen. I quadruple checked the solder joints all were good tried to boot up again only to see the blue screen of ?????? cromwell ??????. As a last resort I disabled the modchip and booted to the MS dash. The led flashed red green red green (because of my modded hard drive) so I turned off the xbox. About 2 seconds later I enabled the mod chip and started the 1.1 box which booted to the XBOX logo with Xecuter ROX MY BOX. Have shut it off and restarted it 10 times so far with no problems.
Not sure why but it seemed to have to be disabled after I flashed it booted to MS dash then shut down then enabled and then it booted normally. This is my 5th mod (4th solder mod) and the only one which had me baffled as to why it didn't boot right?
In closing if you see the progress bar flash full yellow then full green then your XBOX shuts off then it flashed correctly. If when you reboot you see the Blue Cromwell Flashbios screen again Try turning off the xbox disabeling the chip power up to MS dash then power off and enable the chip and power on to see if that fixed it. Mabey this will help someone else which is why I am posting it.:D
 

Big_Whoopin

VIP Member
Jan 29, 2004
811
0
SE Pennsylvania, USA
Scott, it sounds like you've got a problem switch, or just had it in the wrong position. I'm guessing that when you moved the chips between Xboxes that the switch banks stayed with the boxes and did not move with the chips? If you boot from bank 2 on either chip does it load FlashBIOS 3.03? If memory serves the X2.6CE chips ship with FlashBIOS 3.01 on bank 1 and FlashBIOS 3.03 on bank 2. This would mean that on your problem flash (beginning of your post) you were booting from bank 2. If you were only flashing a 512KB file then you were only overwriting bank 1, but were continuing to boot from bank 2. If the 2.6CE chips are like the 2.3B lites, the chip uses bank 1 if the circuit going to the bank selection switch gets grounded. (I.e., complete circuit.) If the circuit is open then it boots bank 2. If your switch wasn't making this connection then you were always booting from bank 2. Maybe when you enabled the mod chip again you jostled the bank selection switch just enough to make contact, and force bank 1 to boot.

Now, if you were moving the switches with the chips when testing then what I've written above is likely irrelevant. It sounds like you ran into a switch issue where it looks like mike has a flash problem. Look like completely separate issues to me.

-Whoopin'
 

mike_t_44

Noob Account
Sep 15, 2005
4
0
Hey guys, So the problem is most likely a bad flash. So i got a programmer and was looking over the program tutorial but it seems the pics are no longer loading so i connected everything up like it says but im not 100% sure it is connected right as when I load the x2bm it will not detect the chip. I also have the X2.6CE chip on the programmer in a way that the LEDs come on. this is how I have it set now. chip on, flash protect off, and i tried switching between bank 1 and 2 but neither detect in the x2bm. Im sure the cable should be good as i baught it from future shop just for this. Any help with this would be great
 

Big_Whoopin

VIP Member
Jan 29, 2004
811
0
SE Pennsylvania, USA
Mike, does your programmer have less pins than the chip socket? If so make sure that the chip has the extra holes on the same side as the blue LED. IIRC this should also be near the D0/LAN/HDD socket... have it "hang off" the programmer pinheader on this side.

Other suggestion would be to take off the two nuts that you would screw the parallel cable into. Put some crazy glue or similar between the metal trim frame and the black plastic plug to keep the trim in place and properly keyed. Then you will be able to plug the programmer directly into your parallel port and eliminate the cable. I had to do this on my programmer for it to work 100% of the time. This may help you as well.

-Whoopin'
 

Big_Whoopin

VIP Member
Jan 29, 2004
811
0
SE Pennsylvania, USA
Bah... correction. I think I was confusing myself with the setup when I attached a 2.6 to my 2.3 modded box and the fact that when I used the programmer I have it was situated upside down. (don't ask.) I have just hooked the programmer and an x2.6CE back up and confirmed the attachment. If the programmer has less pins than the chip socket, the extra holes should be on the same side that you connect your switches. Get the pins attached as close as possible to the red alt 5v connector. If ever in doubt, look to the wire install sticky. Pin 1 is the black circle in the wire install sticky, the LClk pin. Pin 1 should ALWAYS be connected to the programmer.

If anyone with sufficent authority wants to edit/remove my previous post feel free.

-Whoopin'
 
Last edited: