What X3 bios to use with Maxtor 300 gig HD?

[Martin C]

Apologies for stating the obvious, but you have tried both Master AND cable select settings? If this still doesn't work, post the make and model of your HDD.

You shouldn't need to ever low level format a HDD.

 

[dogrox]

Hey doode, no need to apologize, i understand that some people dont think of the obvious. I did mention that in my first post on this thread, first paragraph. I tested both master and cable select and got same results.

The drive is fairly new I got it like over the past winter. Western Digital Model WD2500JBRTL. I got it mainly for my old HP pc, in which it works fine in there, but I want to use it in the XBOX instead.

So as you say low level formatting is not needed, then when you say blank? Can that still have PC fat formated partion table still on it?! Will that matter?!

And also you mentioned in the other post that it SHOULD boot to the X3 Bios right off? With no error 09 and no waiting?! Am i correct?!

Thanx !!

Dog

Apologies for stating the obvious, but you have tried both Master AND cable select settings? If this still doesn't work, post the make and model of your HDD.

You shouldn't need to ever low level format a HDD.

 

[Martin C]

Hey doode, no need to apologize, i understand that some people dont think of the obvious. I did mention that in my first post on this thread, first paragraph. I tested both master and cable select and got same results.

The drive is fairly new I got it like over the past winter. Western Digital Model WD2500JBRTL. I got it mainly for my old HP pc, in which it works fine in there, but I want to use it in the XBOX instead.

So as you say low level formatting is not needed, then when you say blank? Can that still have PC fat formated partion table still on it?! Will that matter?!

And also you mentioned in the other post that it SHOULD boot to the X3 Bios right off? With no error 09 and no waiting?! Am i correct?!

Thanx !!

Dog

Well the good news is that your HDD is fully compatible:

http://xboxdrives.x-pec.com/?p=list...buffersize=&v_locking=&v_version=&v_postedby=

You won't need to repartition your drive before connecting it to your xbox - whatever partitions you have in FAT/FAT32/NTFS etc will be gone after X3CL has repartitioned it.

You do need to hold the white button down to get into X3CL however (if you've disabled the auto boot to X3CL option)!

Martin

 

[dogrox]

I have the X3Cl to boot automatically. I seen that drive listed on that compatability chart previously before trying to install it in the xbox. That's why I thought I would use it cause it is fairly new. I may just end up buying a new one and keeping this one in the HP since it is already reset back up to run in the hp. But the problem, if this drive does that error 09 on the xbox, and if being already having pc fat partitions on it from the pc, shouldnt matter, then I am wondering if getting a new drive would do the same thing? This is fairly a new drive and works fine in hp. That's why I am thinking maybe it is this X3 bios??

Well the good news is that your HDD is fully compatible:

http://xboxdrives.x-pec.com/?p=list...buffersize=&v_locking=&v_version=&v_postedby=

You won't need to repartition your drive before connecting it to your xbox - whatever partitions you have in FAT/FAT32/NTFS etc will be gone after X3CL has repartitioned it.

You do need to hold the white button down to get into X3CL however (if you've disabled the auto boot to X3CL option)!

Martin

 

[dogrox]

Hey Martin,,, i been doing some thinking and playing around... this may be something you can answer regarding the 09 error. If the error is based on pio or dma mode settings incorrect?! could it be that the hard drive was not orginally installed on the computer with LBA mode turned on?! OR maybe OTHER different settings when the harddrive was first installed on the computer?!

In the Bios on the computer you have the settings to switch the modes before installing the hard drive.. but you cant switch them after once the harddrive has been installed and formatted with that mode set upon prior to installation.

If the drive was set up on the pc with a different setting in the pc bios.. could that have an effect on the harddrive and make it so the xbox gets that error 09 ?!?!? cause if that is the case then I cant see it workign anyother way?!

Just a thought?! maybe you can shed a light on it?!

thanx doode!

 

[Martin C]

Most HDDs can operate either using CHS or LBA mode. The modern BIOSes will almost always use LBA (logical block addressing). This isn't something you can alter on the HDD itself. There's going to be more reason why this HDD isn't getting past error 09, but it's not entirely obvious at the moment!

 

[dogrox]

Morning, Hmm I understand what you are saying.. and at this time i have no clue either. Funny I never really realized this, but when the old HP boots up to windows 98, it says mode 0 on the master primary. But in the bios says OFF for mode. That is odd.... This is on the old PC. I never realized that before. I switched the mode to LBA on the old hp just for the heck of it, and the pc wouldnt boot. of course once the mode is set by the bios on the pc, you cant switch it. I dont usually use that old computer anyways. So thats why i was thinking to use that HDD in the xbox, but i am just going to try something when i can get to it, is to change the mode on the bios on the pc, manually put the hdd configuration in, and reformat with lba on.. and then see if that has any effect. At least first with the PC. I will play around with it. This is pretty much what I do all the time anyways.

i will get back here with some info on the results.

 

[dogrox]

Hmmmm.... i just thought of something that just dawned on me. If a hard drive that has partiotion data on it that was set up on a pc that was set for mode 0 or LBA disabled as in this case, and then can be reformated using LBA mode turned ON on the pc. As you say shouldnt matter and it doesnt on the PC, as long as the HDD supports LBA mode, then I should be able to reformat on the xbox too? Using the settings on the xbox bios, as if it were like a PC. So this problem IS something else. I am famillar with PC and HDD modes etc etc, but not with the xbox, but should be same in relative way. This is really buggin me now hehe

 

[dogrox]

Martin, i just wanted to post a quick reply here.. I got a new harddrive a SAMSUNG and it worked with no problem right off instantly .. of course it was brand new and nothing on it... the bios set for using the G partition on a large drive. Which worked fine!!

Now i wanted to see why the Western Digital one wasnt working so just for the heck of it, i put that back in the xbox again, since the new one worked fine... and still a NO GO!!.. so i finally found my boot utility cdrom that had my HARDDRIVE tools on it.. and i did a LOW LEVEL format on the WD and guess what?!?!? it works on the xbox now!.. it was indeed the low level formating it needed.. to zero out the drive!.. So both drives work on the xbox!...

now since i have the SAMSUNG i put that back in.. since thats already set up.. and i put the WD back in to the old HP system and reformated again for the PC FAT32!.. so i am back in business!!

I wondering if i didnt set the LBA in the X3CL before?!?! no that cant be it cause i am sure i did.. that wouldnt give me the error! oh well it is all workign now both drives...

Just wanted to drop you a quick line telling you what i done!!

Cheerz
Dog

 

[DJBOOBY]

try doing it with Auto installer deluxe 4 had this happen to me once x3config did not work but AID4 did

 

[dogrox]

hey doode.. yeah itis kinda late now hehe.. i already have it reading on the xbox ok doing it the way i did it yesterday!..

i do have a question tho... i have a 320gb samsung and when i installed it it formated all the partitions and yes using the G drive. .. and then it says like 298 total size?! I know on a PC i loose some space to make the paritions tables. which is understandable but over 20 gigs worth?!!?

cheerz
dog

 

[dogrox]

oh scratch my last post... i get different readings on the hdd total size , in X3CL , XBMC and EVOX all give different size totals..and with the cluster size, partition table info.. i guess from what others saying regarding thier sizes as well.. this is normal... so all is kewl!.. :O)

 

[Martin C]

hey doode.. yeah itis kinda late now hehe.. i already have it reading on the xbox ok doing it the way i did it yesterday!..

i do have a question tho... i have a 320gb samsung and when i installed it it formated all the partitions and yes using the G drive. .. and then it says like 298 total size?! I know on a PC i loose some space to make the paritions tables. which is understandable but over 20 gigs worth?!!?

cheerz
dog

You're not losing space - it's how space is measured compared to available space for partitioning.

i.e 1GB formatted space is 1048576kb. 1GB HDD space is 1000000kb. Therefore, partition a 1GB HDD and you get 953MB. (95.3% of space)

Your 320GB would be 320000000kb, but 320GB formatted would be 335544320kb. Using the same formulae as above, equates to around 305GB available for partitioning.

You will then lose more depending on your cluster size. FATx uses 16kb Clusters, where 8kb would be more economic. There are Xbox partitioning tools (like Xbpartitioner) which allow you to format in this manner.

So yes, 'losing' 20GB is normal - although you can see from above it really wasn't there to begin with.

Martin

 

[dogrox]

hey martin.. yeah i realized that and made a second post to correct myself after i posted it... see above ^^ .. i seen that i got different readings for total drive space with the three differnet programs.. so thats when i realized the confusion!.. ALL is good!! :O) thanx for the response tho!!

cheerz
dog