Switching banks to find Flashbios

[helmut]

hey,

i've been hanging around here reading lots of tutorial n posts b4 i actually start modding my xbox. Just got 1 quick question about finding the right flashbios version to mod a 1.6 / 1.6b

Lets say i have a 1.6b. So all i have to do is keep switching the switch from bank 1, 2, 3,4,5,6,7,8 (256k) .. until the screen shows Flashbios 3.0.3 ?

Say for example.. i found 3.0.3 in bank 2. So... the next step is to set on,on,off,off,off .. which is .. bank 1234 ..to load up X3_1959_1.6 ?
Need some clarification here, if my flashbios 3.0.3 is in bank 2, and when i flash bank 1234 with x3, will it overwrite and erase my 3.0.3 which is residing at bank 2 ????


thank you for any assistance =)

 

[jonrees69]

3.0.3 is NORMALLY loaded onto bank 2 (off,on,off,off). So, yes, boot it with bank 2 and then put the switches into the on,on,off,off position to flash with 1959_1.6PLUS BIOS.

This way you have a backup should all go wrong. Once in the 1959 BIOS - if you're feeling brave! - you can update the BACKUP bios to 3.0.3 (as I have done) to get you outta the crap at a later stage if need be.

J

 

[helmut]

flash 1959_1.6PLUS BIOS onto on,on,off,off which is bank1234.
will this overwrite n erase my Flashbios 3.0.3 in bank 2 ???

thank you for your quick reply j =)

 

[jonrees69]

ERmm .. no, thats the plan with the switches !! should go OK.

The X3 has a total of 2mb - the BIOS is 1mb and that particular switch config is 2 lots of 1mb, so you should be fine - I did this with mine OK.

J

 

[helmut]

ohh ok =) .. cos at first i thought all 8 banks is 256k * 8 = 2mb. So if i were to flash bank 1 2 3 4 = ( 256k * 4) it will erase all the data in bank 1,2,3,4 and load up the x3 1024mb bios that will consume all these 4banks.

i'll give it a go when my x3 is here and install it without any problem

thanks for the reply again

 

[helmut]

just double checked...

Multibios = Yes, 15 options under X3 feature list.

.. so meaning we can load up 8 256k bios, 4 512k bios, 2 1MB bios, and 1 2mb bios and have a total of 15bios in x3 at one time.

things are much clearer now =) ...

 

[jonrees69]

Except you're wrong ... .lol

The X3 has a TOTAL of 2mb .....

Which can be SPLIT into sections ....

So we could load the 1959 BIOS into it (1024kb=1mb) - select bank 1 (1,2,3,4). This would give us a TOTAL of 1mb LEFT. We can say, split the last 1mb, select bank 5 of the 256kb section and load Cromwell or similar (256kb).

This would leave with 750kb ish in 6,7 and 8 that we could load a further 3 BIOS's at 256kb each into.

Clear now ?? lol

J

 

[jonrees69]

Damn editing rules .... SORT it out Admin !!!!!!!!!!!!!


[.Bank 1.][.Bank 2.][.Bank 3.][.Bank 4.][.Bank 5.][.Bank 6.][.Bank 7.][.Bank 8.]
[...256...][...256...][...256...][...256...][...256...][...256...][...256...][...256...]
[......................1mb.......................][.......................1mb......................]
[.................................................2mb.................................................]

Sorry about the spacing, I hope you get the idea anyway - seeing as the text editior appears NOT to be WYSIWYG I couldnt adjust it properly either!

Hope this is clearer ....

 

[helmut]

haha ... ok .. so my first assumption was correct ?..
as in .. if i have flashbios 3.0.3 in bank 2 (256k) ... and i upload my x3 bios with on,on,off,off into bank 1 ( 1234) (1mb) ... this will overwrite my Flashbios 3.0.3 rite?

cos bank 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 1mb ...

 

[FiReSiDe]

haha ... ok .. so my first assumption was correct ?..
as in .. if i have flashbios 3.0.3 in bank 2 (256k) ... and i upload my x3 bios with on,on,off,off into bank 1 ( 1234) (1mb) ... this will overwrite my Flashbios 3.0.3 rite?

cos bank 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 1mb ...

Yes helmut that is correct

 

[jonrees69]

Apart from the fact that the FLASH BIOS is normally on bank 2 of the 1mb - IE position 5 in the grand scale of 256kb banks .... so you shouldnt be able to delete it !!! Thats why they put it there, not in bank 2 of the 256kb section ....

J

 

[dextro]

updating backup bank

So how do you update the backup bank if you are so inclined? Is the backup bank really just bank 5?

 

[jonrees69]

No the backup bank is just that - it's a totally seperate memory chip.

To update this I believe you need to be actually IN the 2914 BIOS - this cannot be done in the Flash BIOS.

J