got xecuter chip but now what...

[kim123]

Hi,
Sorry, but maybe I'm just a n00b but i can't see whats wrong.
I just got my Executer 2.6CE with my xbox 1.0 and i had to do a wire install since the LED's was soldered

I read lots of tutorials and i think i connected it all correct. However when i turn my xbox on with the chip enabled it turns on/off 3 times before it comes on and then there is only a black screen and the eject button is flashing red/green.

If I disable my chip it starts up as normal and it all looks like it did before I got the chip. I haven't installed anything else on my xbox or done anything with the chip... am i missing something?

Please help

 

[MKChampion]

check over your install again, and make sure your soldering is good, there is probably one point that is does not have a solid connection

also double check that the external swtiches are connected properly

 

[Big_Whoopin]

Good news is that since you are getting a FRAG (Flashing Red And Green) when the chip is enabled you at least have good contact on D0. This is generally the biggest PITA point to solder because it is so freakin' small. Some day I'm going to pull my MB out and see if there is somewhere that trace runs that has a more respectable sized solder pad... it has to go to a bigger point than that somewhere...

But like MKC said, check the switch connectors and your soldering points. (But D0 is good... ignore that one.) Maybe you've bridged something between two points? Did you have to heat the points for a long time and maybe damaged a trace? Double check that you have all wires in the right spots, it can be easy to get off by one.

-Whoopin'

 

[kim123]

Finally its working. You were right guys. I had to resolder the "chip wires" and I left the d0 alone and it is all good now. Was frustrated there for a while but its all good.

I bought a solderless chip and I never soldered anything before so you can believe I was a tiny bit scared when nothing happened. Now I just need to figure out what I do next...got the 3.03 flash bios on my chip so i just need to read to find out what I can do now

 

[Big_Whoopin]

Glad you got it working, and without much frustration it seems. (less than 24 hours to fix your problem is making pretty good time.)

A head start... right in my sig are links to using FlashBIOS, xbins and the Xbox-Scene (X-S) tutorials. Read up on using FlashBIOS. Hit up xbins and find the Xecuter X2CL 5035 BIOS. Read up on the info included with that BIOS and probably in the X2CL forum stickies as well. Get yourself flashed and watch the X2 (well, X3 actually IIRC) rox my box logo appear on boot. You've still only got Microsoft on there, so hit up the X-S tutorials for details on how to install a dashboard. Again you can find the necessary files on xbins. Starting with the dashboard is where you can really "define" your box and what is on it. There are plenty of good apps to install that you can launch from your dash.

Have fun!

-Whoopin'

 

[kim123]

Well..it all seemed to go fine but then...
I had to update my bios. I did read some tutorials and I decided to go for the http update. I was able to connect fine with my browser and had to get the correct bios. Here's the thing...it sounds stupid now..I can almost laugh at it now without crying I managed to upload the wrong bios...i think. I installed the x3 bios instead of the x2 bios.

When I uploaded the new bios a cool screen said "updating flash" or something.. a yellow bar came up followed by a green and my xbox switched off. When I turned it back on it starting "fragging". doesn't matter if what bank i use...same result.

And if I try to turn it on with the chip disabled I get error 05 and I think I may have unlocked my harddrive as well...

How do I solve this? Do I have to get a xecuter programmer to program the chip that way or can I do something else to fix up my mess?

 

[kim123]

bumpedy

 

[Fantmx]

You will need a programmer, or another modded xbox. The programmer is probably your best bet. Then get the X2 5035 bios. Be sure to use the version that works with your Xbox.

 

[kim123]

Thanks for that Fantmx.
I just ordered a programmer and I should have it within a couple of days
I will download the X2 5035 bios, but you say I have to be sure to get the one that support my xbox. I got a version 1.0 xbox so does it matter which one I get? thought there was only one version of the bios X2 5035?

 

[Big_Whoopin]

In the 5035 archive there will be 2 .bin files. One that is marked as "Old" and one that is marked as "1.6Plus." You'll want to use the old one... but you probably would have figured this out on your own once you got the file downloaded and decompressed.

-Whoopin'

 

[kim123]

Thanks for all your help
Got my programmer yesterday, plugged it in and after a bit of trouble connecting the chip I was able to program it with the x2 5035 and the 3.03 standard bios.

I plugged it back into my xbox and it started up successfully. I tried one of my backup games and it worked like a charm....

Hope I can assist someone as well with time...

 

[Ferdball]

I ran into the same problem. How do you reflash the bios with another modded xbox?

 

[Big_Whoopin]

The basics, and this is really stripped down here, are this... boot Xbox from mod, load up the dashboard or flashing app. Remove working chip, insert bad chip. You will need the switches attached to the chip. Flash. Put chips back where they belong. Done.

Honestly, I think it is worth it to go the route of a programmer. I think you can pick one up for under $15USD and then you'll know that should you ever need to flash your chip again, that if you bone the process you will be able to recover. Also, if you've got a modded Xbox chances are you have friends with modded boxes too. If they also have Xecuter2 chips (does anything else work in the X2 programmer?) you could one day save their butts if they goof something. Then make 'em buy you lunch in return. Earn back what you paid for the programmer.

-Whoopin'

 

[Ferdball]

Gotcha. Before I do that, tell me if I'm hosed.

I just got a premod with Xecuter 2.6 lite CE. It came with FlashBIOS 3.0.3, so I guess it has a 1.6b motherboard.

I flashed X2_5035 to bank 1. It boots to a modified MS dashboard with Rox my Box in the lower part of my splash screen. However, there is no other dashboard on it. I get nothing even when holding down the white button.

The box boots to the regular MS dashboard with the chip set to OFF.

Since I had the extra bank for a bios, I flash an X3 bios to bank 2. Bad idea. Now it frags and I have no FlashBIOS. How do I restore the FlashBIOS [answered: programmer or hotswap] and what bios version should I be using?

 

[digthebox]

Gotcha. Before I do that, tell me if I'm hosed.

I just got a premod with Xecuter 2.6 lite CE. It came with FlashBIOS 3.0.3, so I guess it has a 1.6b motherboard.

I flashed X2_5035 to bank 1. It boots to a modified MS dashboard with Rox my Box in the lower part of my splash screen. However, there is no other dashboard on it. I get nothing even when holding down the white button.

The box boots to the regular MS dashboard with the chip set to OFF.

Since I had the extra bank for a bios, I flash an X3 bios to bank 2. Bad idea. Now it frags and I have no FlashBIOS. How do I restore the FlashBIOS [answered: programmer or hotswap] and what bios version should I be using?

Okay it's good to hear that you managed to get the ROX MY BOX logo, that means the bios flash went well. You say there is no other dashboard on it, you will probably find that due to legal issues your chip installer would not have put any other dashboards on your hard disk due the the fact that these dashboards and apps are compiled with illegal copies of the XDK. It is not in an installers interest to distribute this stuff. The files are easily obtainable, read this to help you on the right path:

http://www.xbox-scene.com/articles/xbins.php

in answer to your next comment, holding the white button will do nothing atall, that is a feature of the X3 bios range not X2 bios's.

To get your flashbios back onto bank 2 you will not have to hotswap or get a programmer. While you are on XBINS get a program call FlashX2. When your XBOX is up and running with new dashboards and all the apps installed you willl then beable to use FlashX2 app to put a bios back onto bank. That was just a little schoolboy error trying to use an X3 bios on an X2 chip just goes to show though that reading up thoroughly is critical before doing anything. You need to understand what you are doing! If you had read up even quickly you would have found out that X3 bios's work only on an X3 chip.

 

[Ferdball]

Use common sense, nah...

So FlashX comes with a default.xbe file. Not sure what to do with it. Didn't come with instructions. But anyway, I don't have a FlashBIOS on either bank. I can bypass the chip and get the regular MS screen though.

Can I use this or do I need the programmer.

 

[digthebox]

you need a hacked bios workinging! i thought you said your 5035 on bank 1 worked?

 

[Ferdball]

It did, but when I flashed bank 2, they both frag. Weird, huh?

 

[Big_Whoopin]

Unless you flashed bank 2 from FlashX then you flashed over bank 1. (and 2 in this case) From my understanding FlashBIOS always starts writing on bank 1 regardless of which bank you've booted off of or which bank is currently selected. So when you flashed on the X3 BIOS (which is 1MB) you overwrote the whole thing. Programmer time.

I'm not sure if the reason the X3 BIOS doesn't work on the X2 has to do with chip architecture and design or if the X2 simply can't boot a 1MB BIOS. Either way, it won't work on an X2 chip.

-Whoopin'

 

[Ferdball]

Aha! So the X2 bios uses 512k or less and the X3 bios uses the whole thing. Makes sense why it fried them both. I thought I was safe flashing the spare bios memory, but no...

Programmer on order. Tell me, when I pull the chip out, will I have to pull the lead from D0? I hope not. The whole reason I bought a premod was to let professionals do it. I already have a v1.0 with a bad motherboard because I opened D0 too much.