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Monday, March 16, 2009
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Team HYBRID's Ultimate X-Clamp Fix (RELEASED!)
Materials needed("homemade" version):- Rubbing alcohol (99% is best) or thermal compound remover (arcticlean)- Credit card, id card or phone card(~0.75mm thick) - Q-tips - High quality thermal paste (arctic silver 5) - Craft foam 4mm thick (okay to double up with 2mm thick) - Alternative to foam is paper handkerchief folded to 4mm - Electrical tape - Glue or ultra-thin double sided tape - Sandpaper (around 400 grit) - 8 x 16mm long M5 Flathead Phillips machine screws * - 42 x M5 flat washers 1mm thick (steel is best) - Set of stock x-clamps *if panhead screws are used, please add 8 spring washers Tools Used:- Scissors- Phillips screwdriver - Wrench - Metal snips, hacksaw, or dremel cutting tool - Hammer - Flat surface sanding tool - Drill with bit capable of drilling 5mm hole through metal - Torx T8 driver - Torx T10 driver IntroductionHello everybody.Some time has passed since I released "Wilhelm's Improved X-Clamp Fix" and I mentioned a while ago that some others and I were working on the so called "Hybrid" version of my fix. Basically it started out being a mix of my method and RBJTechs, so imagine "Wilhelm's Improved X-Clamp Fix" but with the screws going all the way through the metal chassis instead of securing them only to the bottom of the motherboard. We had a prototype of this method running after a week, which seemed to be working more or less fine at the time. We still wanted to improve on the fix and had talks about the 360 and why the regular X-clamp fixes often fail again down the road. Eventually we came to the conclusion that one of the main problems was that the force is always being applied to the chips in an uneven way. With the stock setup, the force in applied downwards from the top over the chip dies, and the force is only countered by the small area under the center of the chip below the motherboard where the middle of the x-clamps press up. With the normal x-clamp replacement, most of the pressure is being applied right on top of the dies which presses downwards in the middle of the CPU and GPU chips. There is no upwards support under the chips to keep them from flexing. One of our main goals was to find a way to apply equal pressure to both the top and bottom of the CPU and GPU chips to prevent them from flexing in either direction. The big improvement here from the stock setup would be that MS applies all the underside pressure to one tiny spot under the middle of the chips, while we wanted to spread that pressure over the whole are of the chip to equal out the downward force coming from above (heatsink and credit card pieces). While we were brainstorming and experimenting with new methods, Jimbobjim released his sandwich method which was a bit of an improvement from the stock method and sparked our idea to re-use the x-clamps, but in a modified and improved way. You can check out our dev-library to view pics from our early ideas and methods that we tried out. Next we spent some time testing new prototypes and looking for materials that we could build squares out of to use as pads against the underside of the motherboard below the chips. These pads would evenly counter the downwards pressure coming from above and also prevent any flexing from occurring on the chips. Our goal was to find an economical material with the right consistency that the average user would have easy access to. Expensive thermal gap pads could be used, but would be extremely expensive even to test out and would not generally be the easiest thing for the average person to find. We experimented with several different materials based on cotton, paper, weird blue foam, felt, and even the stock RAM thermal pads. Finally we found that common craft foam (4mm thick) was one of the best materials to use because it is very cheap and also is able to apply pressure to the motherboard without damaging any components on the board. Another alternative to foam was paper handkerchiefs folded up into squares the right thickness. Proof Of ConceptWe had successfully repaired several rod units and thought we were basically done, when by chance I noticed some flexing in the middle area of the mainboard that seemed weird to me so I took some measurements and discovered some of the reasons for the flexing. The discovery was that the standoffs and outer lip of the metal chassis in which the motherboard rests were not completely level with each other. The 2 standoffs are exactly 0.75mm too high, this might not seem like much, but since they are supposed to be 3mm high this is about 1/3rd more which is definitely noticeable with a straightedge or level. In addition to that we also discovered that middle area of the chassis where the X-Clamp bolts screw down are about 0.5mm lower than the rest of the chassis, causing the mainboard to be pulled down in the center as soon as the screws are tightened. This puts the entire mainboard under extreme stress which explains pretty much why there is such a wide range of errors that are not related to the CPU or GPU. 1) This flexing could also explain why certain errors occur more frequently than others. Because of the flexing in different areas of the mainboard, You can divide it into three flexing zones in which the mainboard is flexing the most in zone 1 and the least in zone 3. Zone 1: The most frequent error codes are 0102 (0100;0101;0103 as well)and 0020. These are GPU and CPU related errors mainly. 0020 can also be caused by the RAM in rare cases. About 80% of the errors fall into this category, which makes sense as the solder balls under the CPU and GPU experience the most flexing of all. This is caused by the x-clamps flexing the area extremely in addition to the natural flexing caused by the metal case layout. Zone 1 is the area right under the CPU and GPU. Zone 2: The next most frequently occuring error codes are E74, 0022 and 0110, which are usually either RAM or ANA/HANA chip related. Sometimes E74 and 0022 can also be GPU related depending on the trace. Since the RAM and ANA/HANA chips are close to the GPU they can be affected by the Zone 1 flexing, in addition flexing caused from the two standoffs. These may not occur as often as the Zone 1 errors, but still make up approximately 12.5% of the overall error codes. Zone 3: The Zone 3 area experiences the least amount of flexing versus the other 2, but can still make up about 7.5% of the error codes. The related error codes are E73, 0021, E79(if hardware related), E71(if hardware related). The components effected by Zone 3 flexing are the Southbridge, ethernet chip, NAND and the entire motherboard to some extent. Since the NAND and ethernet chips are not BGA (ball grid array) chips like the Southbridge, GPU, CPU, HANA, etc, they are a bit more resistent to the flexing. *Remember that the percentages were not taken from definitive statistics, they are just numbers that we estimated based on our own experience. Here is a little graphic that shows the three zones...  The following is a graphic comparing the flexing schematics of the stock setup versus our newer hybrid fix.  These flexing issues are only part of the problem and as you read on will find that in conjunction with the following issues, its no wonder the 360 has had such a high failure rate to date. 2) Many of the error codes are commonly blamed on the heat buildup inside the system. As far as I know this is also the cause Microsoft was betting on since they have added better heatsinks to combat the ring of death. Thermal design experts from Nikkei Electronics in Japan decided to analyze the 360's heat radiation system and a few critical flaws with the cooling system.... Click here to read their full article. - That there was a temperature gap of 22°C between the exhaust and room air, "When designing consumer products, it is common to seek a temperature gap of around 10°C between exhaust and room temperatures," the thermal design expert said. - The maximum wind speed of the exhaust air is only 1.1 meters per second, only 1/2 to 1/3 compared to normal desktop PCs produce. The expert noted, "The amount of switched air is slightly in short considering the chassis' size (309 x 258 x 83 mm3)." - It takes only 5 minutes of gaming for the GPU heatsink to reach 70°C, a thermal gradient of about 10°C/min and after 15 minutes of play, the GPU heatsink can reach temps near 100°C. On a hot summer day it is possible for internal temps to get high enough to damage some components (over 100°C), however heat is only a secondary issue as without the flexing it would not be causing nearly as many problems that it currently does. The heating process causes further flexing and puts more stress on the solder balls. During thermal cycles, the mainboard and solder balls expand and shrink a bit, but without the flexing, the heat would have a much smaller impact on the console's reliability. The excess heat just exaggerates the flexing problems and puts extreme stress on the solder joints of the BGA chips. 3) The next issue many people blame problems on is the use of leadfree solder and "cold" solder joints because of its use. Starting July, 2006, the E.U. set strict environmental guidelines called the RoHS Directive, which banned the use of lead in any products marketed towards children. For nearly 50 years, the standard solder used was a tin and lead combo which had a melting point of around 183°C. The new lead-free solder now needs temperatures of at least 217°C. In fear of damage from over-heating, it is speculated that Microsoft's engineers most likely opted for the low-end of temp profiles needed for re-flow. Reflow experts from Manncorp did an extensive investigation into the quality of the lead-free solder joints in the 360 and found that with an x-ray they could actually see solder balls that did not look like they had been re-flowed properly in the first place. Click here to read their full report. They also discovered that perhaps because of the chips being thicker right where the dies are, that the solder balls right under them in the middle are the ones most prone to not being re-flowed properly from the factory because they were not getting enough heat. Perhaps Microsoft knew of this and thought applying extra force upwards on the center of the chips would help the bad connections, but obviously their fix didn't work as well as planned. Some people have also speculated that when the temperature of the solder balls change rapidly, for example after turning the 360 off, they can over time can develop tiny cracks and loose stability which can lead to eventual failure of the unit. If the tiny cracks don't lead to failure, then possibly tiny fragments solder break off when the cracks are formed leading to points being bridged and shorted. There is a specific error code for shorted out solder balls in the GPU - RAM area which is 0020. Some also claim that this error can occur when you remove the entire GPU, but we are speaking about sealed stock systems so we dont have to regard this. In reality this is a pretty unlikely scenario because cracks might form, but most likely not actually break into fragments. I have never heard of someone actually proving this, or ever finding any chunks of solder in his console, so we can pretty much rule this out. My guess is that this certain errorcode at least might be caused by a phenomenon called Tin Whiskers. Tin whiskers are little crystals which can grow up to 1mm annually. 1mm per year might not sound like much, but if you regard that there is less than 1mm space in between each solder ball then it makes sense because a single whisker could grow under normal circumstances enough to cause a short circuit within less than a year. There are many different metals they grow on like tin, zinc, gold, silver etc. The lead-free solder contains zinc and tin which are already something that should open our eyes, however there is something else that fits even better for the 360. There are certain factors that support the growth of these crystals and they fit the 360 perfectly as said before. The first factor is "Externally Applied Compressive Stresses such as those introduced by torquing of a nut or a screw "(NASA) which we have here thanks to the pressure the solder balls are taken under, especially the ones in the center. Another factor is "Bending or Stretching"(NASA) and as I explained before we get much more flexing and bending than we need, so another match. The last factor is "thermally induced stress"(Wikipedia) and thanks to the hot running GPU, this matches the conditions inside the 360 as well.  Tin whiskers are famous for causing a lot of electronic failures. A famous example is the Galaxy IV satellite which failed in 1998. This was the reason why NASA started researching on this topic as well. There are many more examples, just take a look at some of the failures caused by tin whiskers... Tin whiskers are not new and have been know of since the 1940's and the only known fix was adding lead to the solder which seemed to stop tin whiskers for nearly 50 years. Scientists are experimenting with new solder mixes that can resist the growth of tin whiskers, but so far nothing has been found to work as good as lead did. I must point out though that so far there have been no proven examples of tin whiskers occurring in the 360. It would probably require a high powered microscope or x-ray device to spot the actual whiskers. hope you enjoyed reading this "little" proposal :) Now we will go on with the actual fix for the numerous issues we pointed out here... Preparing the caseThis "hybrid" fix addresses many design flaws that still plague the Xbox 360 and keep giving people the "red rings of death". For one thing we wanted the motherboard to rest on a perfectly flat surface, which is impossible without a little case modification. Another issue was to advance the methods of applying even pressure to the CPU and GPU from both above and below the motherboard. Yet another goal was to find some way to stabilize or reinforce the motherboard to finally stop any flexing from occurring. As a bit of an unexpected bonus, this fix also helps your system run much cooler as the whole metal chassis acts like a giant heatsink. First you must do a little prep work before putting the motherboard back in. The two rounded screw standoffs are a bit higher than the outer lip that the motherboard rests on. The outer lip is 3mm tall, so each of these standoffs need to be 3mm as well, or else the motherboard will be flexing no matter what x-clamp replacement method you choose. Please Note... this mostly pertains to units built before 2007. We have found some 2007 metal chassis that Microsoft updated, as well as most Elite units seem to have the fixed chassis as well. There are different versions of the metal chassis, so please check yours yourself before you go sanding things down. Sanding the stand-offs  You can stack 3 flat metal washers next to the standoffs to see they are taller than 3mm.  Now stack 4 washers on the inner area of the metal chassis near the x-forms in the middle rectangle area, and 3 washers on the outer part too see how they are nearly level. Actual difference is estimated to be .75mm. So for everything to sit perfectly flat, you need 3mm tall standoffs and 3.75mm between metal chasis and the motherboard where the screws are.  Next you will need to sand down those 2 taller standoffs until they are level with 3 flat washers.  You can sand it by hand, but might want to use something like a small piece of plexiglass or something else flat to help sand it to a nice flat surface.  if you have some sort of sanding tool that can sand flat surfaces this can save some time.   This is what the two stand-offs should look like when you are done..   Then recheck the height and it should be exactly 3mm which is the height of a stack of 3 washers. It is a good idea to check the thickness of your own washers as some cheap ones are not deburred properly and can give the incorrect thickness. Also nylon washers are not really recommended as they can become brittle over time and also do not stand up to the pressure as well as steel washers. Drilling the screw holes:  Now get a metal drill bit with a diameter of 5mm. You can also use a "unibit" step drill bit that can drill through metal and deburr the holes at the same time.  And drill the holes and be careful to not apply too much pressure so you don't deform the chassis when drilling.  After drilling it should look like that...  If you take a look on the inside of the metal case you will find stuff that looks like that if a common bit was used.  Take the sandpaper again and sand all the chippings away until it is perfectly flat like on this picture.  Now you are done with the preparation of the case. Congrats, now lets get on with the repair part. The actual Fix, "homemade" and "advanced" version Turn around the case and insert the 8 screws. If the panhead screws were used, please add one spring washer to each between the chassis and the screw. This is so the x-form part of the chassis does not get in the way. The spring washers are not needed with the tapered flat headed screws.  Should look like that.  Then take the tape,  and fasten the screws with it like that. Preparing the mainboardAt first you have to disassemble your mainboard like described in this tutorial - How to disassemble a 360.... After that you should have nothing but the plain mainboard which will look similar to the one on the picture(there are many different versions)  Now turn the mainboard to the back side, you should see two big clamps that look like 2 big X, these are the so called X-Clamps.  These X-Clamps are used to mount the heatsinks on the mainboard, unfortunately they are flexing the mainboard meanwhile. Because the flexing the solder balls are under extreme stress which causes them to crack while cooling down after turning the 360 off. Sooner or later this results in a cold solder joint or even a bridged solder joint(short) under one of the chips which can cause the ROD... Now take the screwdriver and place it in the hole of the X-Clamp that takes the bolt under pressure and carefully lift the first leg of the X-Clamp up(be careful or you might scratch the mainboard!).   After removing the heatsinks it should look like that.   Now use a wrench to unscrew the old bolts since you will replace them with the machine screws later.  Then you gently scrape off most of the old thermal compound with the phone/creditcard(dont use a knife it will scratch the heatsink).    You wont be able to scrape everything off with the phone/credit card so get some alcohol and clean the heatsink from the rest(if something really doesnt get off you can also use some extremely fine sand paper).   Do the same for the CPU heatsink until both look like that:  Now cut a piece out of your phone/credit card and remove as much thermal compound as you can from the chip dies.   After that remove the rest with alcohol and Q-tips until you can mirror yourself in the chip dies   Once you have cleaned it to a mirror finish apply thermal compound of the size of a rice grain on each die(half a rice grain for the small die) If you also want to cool the RAM under the GPU heatsink apply some thermal compound and install a metal washer(1mm thick) on each.    Now get the credit card and cut out 7 strips.  Then fasten them with glue or thermal compound on the sides of the chips like this, you will still have to cut the strips to the perfect length.   When you are done take the perfectly clean GPU heatsink and press it onto the GPU and the CPU.  Take the heatsink off again and check if there is residue of thermal compound and make sure that it is a square for each chip die, at least the center ones. If it isn't take the credit card pieces for this one of and fasten them on a strip of electric tape like that.  Then sand it down quite a bit and when you think it is thin enough stop and retry if you get a good imprint of thermal compound. This step is very important because this is how you can check if the heatsink is taking the center chip die properly under pressure if there is not a complete square it doesn't make contact which is fatal for the fix. In 90% of the cases you have to sand the credit card stripes down, at least for the GPU... When you are done it should take the outer part of the chip under the same equal pressure like the center die, be very accurate this step is very important for the long term success of the fix.  This is a good imprint of thermal compound!  After that apply thermal compound on the RAM and stick a washer on each. Now you have to go on with the case again... ONLY for the "homemade" version Turn the case around.  Then go get one of the X-clamps that you have removed from the mainboard.  First of all remove the little plastic clip we don't need it anymore...   Then bend the X-Clamp so that it is perfectly flat.  After that it is supposed to look like this  We want the X-Clamps flat acting like a steel plate, so you have to remove the little hook-ends that lock the bolts usually. You can do that with a good wrench/snips, but make sure it doesn't move because while "cutting" it off you might hurt yourself otherwise. Bending the end slightly into the outer direction before cutting them can make it easier. If you don't have some quality snips, a hacksaw or dremel tool should also do the trick. If you don't do that you might also end up cutting off too much...  After cutting one of the arms off the clamp should look like that.  When you cut all the clamp will look like that.  Then take a wrench to flatten the x-clamp, do this very thoroughly as it needs to be perfectly flat, especially around the holes. If you can't get it perfect with the wrench, u can tap it gently against a flat surface with a hammer and sand off and rough parts afterward.   Like this.  Then take sandpaper or the sanding tool again and sand the ends to make them definitely perfectly flat...   If it looks like that you are done, do the same for the second x-clamp as you need two...  Then install the two clamps in the metal case...  Now get your metal washers and install 24 in total, 3 washers for each screw. The washers are supposed to be 1mm thick each so 3x1mm washer = 3mm...  Next we need to make some pads to support middle of the motherboard from the underside. 4mm craft foam is preferred, but if you cant find any then you will need to attach two layers of 2mm foam together.  Now you need two pads 4mm thick. So if you used 2mm foam, cut out 4 squares, 2 of the size of the GPU(35mmx35mm) and 2 of the size of the CPU(30mmx30mm).  Next you need to attach the two 2mm pads together to make it 4mm. Either use a thin layer of glue, or some ultra-thin double sided tape, like that used to attach heatsinks. If using glue, you should get something that you can put on it because they will deform badly while the glue is getting dry...  Install them on the X-Clamps.  When you are done fasten them with tape like in this pic...  Instead of the foam you can also use handkerchiefs they got the perfect thickness as well but the foam is better...  Also build little packets just use tape to keep the handkerchief folded like that...  When you are done with the 2 fasten them on the X-Clamps using tape. ONLY for the "advanced" versionMore info coming soon... Installing the mainboard Now take the mainboard and carefully insert it into the case. Do it very slowly and once it is in the case keep it in horizontal position, watching out for the screws...  This is what it is supposed to look like when you are done, once the screws fit you might still have to move the mainboard around slightly so that the 2 plastic pins fit properly(one is under the memory ports the other under the USB ports).  When it sits properly add two additional metal washers(1mm) for each screw, in total 16(8x2 washers)...  Then set the CPU-heatsink up and turn the 360 vertically, watch out that you don't overdo it or the washers will fall off...  Then screw the screws in a bit one by one, only like two turns for each until all 4 are in...  Screw them in with your fingers only at first, as you don't want to tighten it up completely yet. You only want the heatsink to be fast enough so that it doesn't fall off while screwing the other heatsink in, DONT USE THE SCREWDRIVER YET!!!  Then put it back in vertical stand, double check that all washers are still in place and put the heatsink on.  Now tighten the screws again with your fingers only, just like before...  Then tighten all screws up to the maximum with a screwdriver. When it is snug, loosen each screw by half a turn again as this is necessary because you might still get the error. So if you've tightened the screws and still have the ROD, loosen the screws slightly until it goes away. If it is too tight it often still shows the certain hardware error...  Here you go, that's it if you did everything right. Your xbox should now be fixed. If you should still have issues try different adjusting the tightness for the screws, as always you must find the perfect screw setup since every xbox differs slightly. If this still doesn't fix it you might have to heatgun the unit. Also make sure that you have checked that your secondary error code can be fixed with the x-clamp fix as this can save you a lot of time... At this point I would like to thank the whole Hybrid team for making this possible and for the money and time you guys have sacrificed, it has been a long time but it has finally come to an end and it was a lot of fun working with you guys. And last but not least I would also like to thank all people who supported us in the process with the various emails and PMs on Xbox-Scene. We hope you liked it. Cheers, Wilhelm, Humboldt111502 and M2X Special Thanks: RBJTech Jimbobjim RDC(for mainboard scans :)) yaywoop Sources: RBJTech's X-Clamp Fix Jimbobjim's GPU sandwich method NASA - Whiskers Manncorp - Improperly reflowed solder http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/ |
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Southbridge X-Clamp Fix/Replacement
| Errors fixable with this method: | |
|---|---|
| Primary/ | Secondary Errorcode |
 1RLOD | E67; E69; E71; E73; E76; E79; |
 2RLOD | |
 3RLOD | 0010; 0021; |
 4RLOD | |
Southbridge X-Clamp Fix/ReplacementWhat you need: - A disassembled mainboard - A piece of metal(you can take that from the metal shield of the case) or a piece of wood, thin one of course, just something that is solid enough to act like a metal plate...(if you got one of the heatsinks that come with the Talismoon Whisper Max you could also use these :)) - A sharp scissor to cut the metal - A 2mm drill(3mm works as well if you dont have one) - 4x M2 machine screws(10mm) - 4x M2 nuts - 16x M2 metal/nylon washers(nylon is better then you have to isolate less) - electrical tape, to isolate all components around the southbridge that might get in touch with the metal plate or the washers and short out... The pictures were resized so just click one to see the high def version of it... Well lets start...  This is the layout of the mounting holes, in this way you will have to cut out the metal plate and drill the holes.  I have used the casing of an PCMCIA card because the 360 I did this for didnt have a metal shield anymore... However you can also use other materials, like the metal from the windshield and I guess even wood will work out well, just make sure it doesnt bend too easily.(if you got one of the heatsinks that come with the Talismoon Whisper Max you could also use these :)) The X-Clamps would work as well but cutting them is way too hard since it is steel... The 3.5mm are a bit more than the 3.1mm that the plate will be after the drilling, this is just a little additional space to allow improvements if you fuck the drilling up, in the end you will have to cut it to the size in the scheme otherwise the heatsink wont fit properly anymore...  Cut the piece out like that and then draw the holes on it using the Scheme above...  Then drill the holes carefully.  Afterwards install the screws with one washer, isolate the whole are around the holes because the metal washers will otherwise short things out, you cant see that on the pictures, but it is necessary! Fasten the screws like that with 4 pieces of tape to prevent them from falling out when you turn the board around...  When you turn it around it should look like that.  On the top side add 3 washers now(the number of washers can vary, depending on the material you used, the more it bends the less washers you will need). Also isolate the whole area around the southbridge to prevent the metal from shorting something out especially the capacitor marked in the picture!  Now install the metal plate, if it doesnt fit now you might have to adjust it a bit or redo it, took me two tries myself when I took the pictures, it is a bit tricky...  Then install the 4 nuts.  And tighten them down as much as you can, if the material is more solid be careful, only tighten the stuff snug...  Thats what it should look like when you are done. If the heatsink doesnt fit anymore you will have to cut the metal plate a bit more on this side and make sure that the nut is aligned, if it doesnt work at all you will have to use a saw to cut a little piece out of the GPU heatsink! You might have to remove washers or use a more solid material if it doesnt work in the first place because you need more pressure or adjust the pressure on a different area, for E71 for example the side that points to the NAND needs more pressure, for ethernet related stuff like E75,E76 etc the side pointing at the network chip and for 0021 and E73 the whole chip or the side pointing at the GPU... I hope this helps some people who dont have a heatgun, the only permanent fix for that problem will remain a complete reflow of the chip with a heatgun though... |
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Upgrade Your Xbox 360's Hard Drive on the Cheap
Save $150 by upgrading your 20GB Xbox 360 hard drive to 120GB without buying Microsoft's overpriced add-on.
Remove Your Xbox 360 Drive
Microsoft expects you to pay close to $200 to upgrade your Xbox 360's hard drive from 20GB to 120GB. That's about $150 more than a 120GB SATA drive actually costs. But with this slightly tricky hack, you can save a bundle while boosting your game console's storage capacity to hold more music, video, and other media files.
You'll need a DOS installation on a writable flash thumb drive for this hack. (The utility doesn't work under Windows, and you'll also be disconnecting your PC's hard drive.) First, grab a spare USB thumb drive and copy the HP Drive Key Boot Utility to it. The utility is designed for HP flash drives, but it works on other types of flash drives, too. Also download and mount a DOS image file.
This hack is designed to work with a specific drive, the 120GB Western Digital Scorpio, model number WDGWD1200BEVS. You'll be replacing the drive's native firmware with Xbox-recognized firmware. You can track down the firmware online by doing a search for "hddss.bin 120 Xbox 360." Place the hddss.bin file in the root of your DOS thumb drive.
Once you have these items and files ready, begin the upgrade by removing your Xbox 360's hard drive from the game console.
Open the Drive Enclosure
Use a Torx screwdriver to open the drive enclosure, exposing the interior drive cage. Next, remove the four screws holding the drive into the cage.
Slide Out the Drive
With the retaining screws removed, disconnect the drive from the SATA-and-power cable, and slide the drive out of the enclosure.
Install the New Drive in Your PC
With your PC turned off, unplug any other SATA devices and then connect the new Scorpio drive to one of the SATA cables and to a power lead.
Boot From the Thumb Drive and Format the Hard Drive
Afterward, boot from your DOS thumb drive (specify a boot drive in your PC's BIOS, if necessary). At the DOS command line, type "run hddhackr –f" (don't include the quotation marks) and press Enter. You'll be prompted to make a backup of the original drive firmware; do so. Continue with the process to flash the firmware on the new hard drive. After a few seconds, you'll be prompted to restart the computer. Once you have done so, run the "hddhackr –f" command again, and it should report that the hard drive has been formatted for the Xbox 360.
Install the New Drive in the Xbox 360
Remove the newly formatted 120GB drive from your PC and install it into the Xbox 360 drive enclosure. Put the enclosure back together, reattach it to the console, and turn the console on. Follow the prompt under 'System, Memory' to format the new drive; after formatting is complete, the drive will be ready for use.
Source:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/150970-6/upgrade_your_xbox_360s_hard_drive_on_the_cheap.html
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Fix Stuck Tray Issue (Samsung DVD-drives)
This is a fix I have been using for DVD drives that got this Open Tray issue, like when you open it it gets stuck and doesnt open.
I didnt "develop" this fix though someone said it on xbox-scene a while ago, I cant remember his name though, so all credits go to this guy...
This especially happens when the 360 is used in vertical stand.
Well what you need:
- Disassembled DVD-drive
- A cup or something else filled with boiling water
Well lets start...
This is what it is supposed to look like.
You need to have the tray open like that.
An easy way to do this is to turn your 360 on to eject the tray and then to unplug the PSU so that the 360 gets a hard shut down( make sure the harddrive isnt in use etc)
Then move the tray back to this point until you can see the belt
Get the belt out of it like that...
Then go get a cup or something else and fill it with boiled water(I put it in the microwave cause this was the easiest way...)
Then wait for it to cool down, you can slightly cool the water down with some new cold water but dont overdo it, not too rapidly...
Then dry the thing with a towel or so and put it back in the drive after that the drive should open just as it did when it was new
I didnt "develop" this fix though someone said it on xbox-scene a while ago, I cant remember his name though, so all credits go to this guy...
This especially happens when the 360 is used in vertical stand.
Well what you need:
- Disassembled DVD-drive
- A cup or something else filled with boiling water
Well lets start...
This is what it is supposed to look like.
You need to have the tray open like that.
An easy way to do this is to turn your 360 on to eject the tray and then to unplug the PSU so that the 360 gets a hard shut down( make sure the harddrive isnt in use etc)
Then move the tray back to this point until you can see the belt
Get the belt out of it like that...
Then go get a cup or something else and fill it with boiled water(I put it in the microwave cause this was the easiest way...)
Then wait for it to cool down, you can slightly cool the water down with some new cold water but dont overdo it, not too rapidly...
Then dry the thing with a towel or so and put it back in the drive after that the drive should open just as it did when it was new
Friday, August 8, 2008
Tutorial: Jimbobjim's Gpu Sandwich Method
Hi folks,
I just wanted to share a new method that I came up with for fixing the dreaded ring of death. I haven't tested this extensively as I only developed it a few days back, but I successfully repaired three consoles with it and all have survived rigorous testing ever since.
Basically, for a while now, i've felt that there is an unbalance of pressure on the GPU when using either the Microsoft clamping system or the popular x-clamp replacement. I've made up a few super technical drawings to illustrate what I mean
The aim of my method is to create a balance of pressure above and below the GPU.
Things needed:-
. 8 M5 washers
. 2 thermal transfer pads (found on underside ram chips)
. Thermal compound (I recommend AS5)
. Tools for dismantling console.
Step 1... Completely dismantle your console (there are tuts everywhere for this) then clean up your CPU/GPU and heat sinks. I always do both chips as it's a more complete job.
Step 2... Take two of the heat transfer pads off your ram chips and place them like in the picture. In my opinion they are a completely useless bandaid that MS used to prevent the ROD (they failed) so they won't be missed by the RAM. If you like you can leave yours where they are and source some more. Consoles manufactured prior to may 06 may not have them.
Step 3... After applying fresh thermal paste to your chips, pop one of the heatsinks back on and turn the board upsidedown. Put an M5 washer around each leg. See picture below.
Step 4... Remove the black plastic tab from the centre of your x-clamps. These are what cause board warpage in the MS method.
Step 5... This is the tricky part, you now have to put the x-clamp back on. Apply strong, controlled pressure and snap each leg on carefully.
Step 6... repeat for the other chip.
Step 7... Put your console back together exatly as it was before, this includes the 8 small screws underneath that hold the heatsinks in place.
Step 8... Try your console, if it works you're done and can start playing
, if not, then you need to overheat the GPU to soften the solder. To do this simply put a fan on your CPU and leave the GPU uncooled... this will make your console think it is ok as the CPU is the only temperature controlled chip. Leave it this way for about 10-15 mins then let it cool for 20 mins. Your machine should now hopefully boot up.
Here's another highly technical drawing of what should be happening with your console after the fix.
Oh, just for fun here's the console in the pics again. It was dead prior to the repair.
That's about all from me, I hope to hear some feedback on this and I hope a few of you find the time to have a crack at it. I am in no way saying any of the other fixes posted here are crap, I have used many of them myself with great success. I just wanted to make a small contribution to the scene and give an alternative method to anyone that is hitting a dead end.
Lastly... I accept no responsibility if you break your console even more.
Cheers.
I just wanted to share a new method that I came up with for fixing the dreaded ring of death. I haven't tested this extensively as I only developed it a few days back, but I successfully repaired three consoles with it and all have survived rigorous testing ever since.
Basically, for a while now, i've felt that there is an unbalance of pressure on the GPU when using either the Microsoft clamping system or the popular x-clamp replacement. I've made up a few super technical drawings to illustrate what I mean
The aim of my method is to create a balance of pressure above and below the GPU.
Things needed:-
. 8 M5 washers
. 2 thermal transfer pads (found on underside ram chips)
. Thermal compound (I recommend AS5)
. Tools for dismantling console.
Step 1... Completely dismantle your console (there are tuts everywhere for this) then clean up your CPU/GPU and heat sinks. I always do both chips as it's a more complete job.
Step 2... Take two of the heat transfer pads off your ram chips and place them like in the picture. In my opinion they are a completely useless bandaid that MS used to prevent the ROD (they failed) so they won't be missed by the RAM. If you like you can leave yours where they are and source some more. Consoles manufactured prior to may 06 may not have them.
Step 3... After applying fresh thermal paste to your chips, pop one of the heatsinks back on and turn the board upsidedown. Put an M5 washer around each leg. See picture below.
Step 4... Remove the black plastic tab from the centre of your x-clamps. These are what cause board warpage in the MS method.
Step 5... This is the tricky part, you now have to put the x-clamp back on. Apply strong, controlled pressure and snap each leg on carefully.
Step 6... repeat for the other chip.
Step 7... Put your console back together exatly as it was before, this includes the 8 small screws underneath that hold the heatsinks in place.
Step 8... Try your console, if it works you're done and can start playing
, if not, then you need to overheat the GPU to soften the solder. To do this simply put a fan on your CPU and leave the GPU uncooled... this will make your console think it is ok as the CPU is the only temperature controlled chip. Leave it this way for about 10-15 mins then let it cool for 20 mins. Your machine should now hopefully boot up.Here's another highly technical drawing of what should be happening with your console after the fix.
Oh, just for fun here's the console in the pics again. It was dead prior to the repair.
That's about all from me, I hope to hear some feedback on this and I hope a few of you find the time to have a crack at it. I am in no way saying any of the other fixes posted here are crap, I have used many of them myself with great success. I just wanted to make a small contribution to the scene and give an alternative method to anyone that is hitting a dead end.
Lastly... I accept no responsibility if you break your console even more.
Cheers.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Wilhelm's Improved X-Clamp Fix/replacement Tutorial
| Errors fixable with this method: | |
|---|---|
| Primary/ | Secondary Errorcode |
| 1RLOD | E73; E74; |
| 2RLOD | 0011; 0012; |
| 3RLOD | 0002; 0020; 0021; 0022; 0023; 0101; 0102; 0103; 0110; 0203; |
| 4RLOD | YES |
Material:
- M5 metal washers
- M5 nylon/plastic washers
- M5 spring washers(not always necessary)
Except the thermal compound you will get everything you need in a local DIY market.
The thermal compound can be bought in PC stores or on Ebay(costs with shipping around 5€/3.50GBP/7$)
1) At first you have to disassemble your mainboard like described in this tutorial -> How to disassemble a 360....
After that you should have nothing but the plain mainboard which will look similar to the one on the picture(there are many different versions)
2) Now turn the mainboard to the back side, you should see two big clamps that look like 2 big X, these are the so called X-Clamps.
These X-Clamps are used to mount the heatsinks on the mainboard, unfortunately they are flexing the mainboard meanwhile.
Because the flexing the solder balls are under extreme stress which causes them to crack while cooling down after turning the 360 off.
Sooner or later this results in a cold solder joint or even a bridged solder joint(short) under one of the chips which can cause the ROD...
3) Now take the screwdriver and place it in the hole of the X-Clamp that takes the bolt under pressure and carefully lift the first leg of the X-Clamp up(be careful or you might scratch the mainboard!).
After removing the heatsinks it should look like that.
4) Now use a wrench to screw out the old bolts since you will replace them with the machine screws later.
5) Then you scrape off the great part of the old thermal compound with the phone/creditcard(dont use a knife it will scratch the heatsink).
You wont be able to scrape everything off with the phone/credit card so get some alcohol and clean the heatsink from the rest(if something really doesnt get off you can also use some extremely fine sand paper).
Do the same for the CPU heatsink until both look like that:
6) Now cut a piece out of your phone/credit card and remove as much thermal compound as you can from the chip dies.
After that remove the rest with alcohol and Q-tips until you can mirror yourself in the chip dies
7) Once you have cleaned it to a mirror finish apply thermal compound of the size of a rice grain on each die(half a rice grain for the small die)
If you also want to cool the RAM under the GPU heatsink apply some thermal compound and install a metal washer on each.
8) Then cut 15 2x2mm squares out of your phone/credit card and fasten them on the chip corners with some tape like shown in the pictures.
These squares on the corners are the main improvement because the chip is taken under pressure equally not only in the center, the pressure that lasts on each solder ball is the same.
Thanks to that the mainboard flexes less and the fix lasts longer than the usual(the usual X-Clamp replacements last for an average of 4 months).
9) Now evenly spread out the thermal compound and make sure the whole die is covered.
Remember: The finer the layer of thermal compound the better it dissipates the heat to the heatsink and the cooler it keeps the chip below.
10) Now fasten the heatsinks with the screws and washers like shown in the schematics below.
Only tighten the screws as much as necessary(only snug so that the heatsinks dont move), otherwise you risk that the mainboard flexes too much and another problem returns later even if you fixed the actual problem.
You can also use spring washers or metal washers additionally in between the screw and the mainboard but then you have to drill holes through the case otherwise the mainboard wont fit in the case properly(how to do this is explained below...)
Now plug in the RF board(the one with the power button and the ROL), it is located right of the USB ports and left of the memory card ports.
Also connect the AV cable and the power plug and then power it on to test its function.
As the xbox isnt cooled at the moment dont leave it on for longer than a minute because it will overheat.
If the problem isnt gone try to tighten/ loosen the screws after each try until it works.
Just in the case this doesnt fix it either you will have to use a little trick which is called "baking".
To bake your 360 leave it running for around 3 minutes, then it should should show the 2 red lights which indicate that the 360 overheated.
After the 2 red lights show up you wont be able to turn it off anymore so unplug the power cord and let it cool down for 20 minutes.
When you power it on the next time it should work, if not you will have to try the next method that is given for your secondary error code.
Notice for the installation of the mainboard in the metal case( if you used a metal/ spring washer in between screw and mainboard
Make sure that the mainboard fits in the metal case without having to screw it down(all the plugs should be on the correct level).In general the screw head+ metal/ spring washer should not be higher than 2-3mm to avoid any slight flexing that might break the 360/solderballs afterwards.
If it doesnt fit get a drill that is as thick as the screw heads and drill holes into the case like shown in the picture below.
Copyrights/Sources/Special Thanks:
Lawdawg's X Clamp replacement
Bosnia for the support and the testing
And everybody else on xbox-scene.com who was involved in this.
SOurce:
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Using xbox360 dvd drive in windows
I had a look into making xbox360 drives accessable in windows the other day. I was not successful, however my interest has now waned so I thought I'd post my results in case someone would like to continue the investigations.
The reason xbox360 drives do not work in windows is that they expect an altered version of the atapi INQUIRY command. Below are the normal and xbox360 versions of the INQUIRY command. The 0x24 is the size of the data to be returned and can vary, although it is usually 0x24 or 0x60. It is the 0xC0 bit that needs to be changed to make the xbox360 drives accessable in windows.
normal: 12 00 00 00 24 00
xbox360: 12 00 00 00 24 C0
When windows queries connected atapi devices it will send the INQUIRY command to get information about the device to work out how to use it. If the xbox360 drive is sent the normal INQUIRY command it will act like it does not support that command and so not reply, and so then windows will think it is not a supported device. So what needs to be done is that everytime the INQUIRY command is sent to the xbox360 dvd drive it needs to have the last byte changed to be 0xC0 instead of 0x00. There are 2 ways of doing this:
1) Using a system filter driver
This is the best way of doing this as the one driver would handle all cases. I have not looked into how to make one of these, but the overview is that you make a windows filter driver using the windows DDK (or whatever they are calling it these days). The filter driver would be designed to sit between atapi.sys and the hardware. The filter driver would check all commands being sent by atapi.sys to the hardware and whenever it sees the INQUIRY command being sent it would set the last byte to be 0xC0. By doing this the drives should be supported by both windows and any application software (such as nero etc).
2) Patching windows drivers and application software
This is how I attacked the problem as I thought it may have been possible to do an easy fix to make the drives accessable in windows without much work. This involves altering any software that sends the INQUIRY commands to explicitly set the last byte to 0xC0 before sending the command. I thought that it might be as simple as altering atapi.sys, and then any application software I wanted to use with the xbox360 drives.
Altering windows drivers should be enough to make the drives accessable to windows and appear in windows explorer etc (even if application software doesn't work with it yet). So I looked into atapi.sys and found one call that sends the INQUIRY command and patched it to send the 0xC0 however this was not enough to make it work
. I have win xp sp3 with atapi.sys v5.1.2600.5512, the patch I did was:
88 45 EF 88 45 F1
PAGE:0002221A 88 45 EF mov [ebp+cdb+3], al
PAGE:0002221D 88 45 F1 mov [ebp+cdb+5], al
to
C6 45 F1 C0 90 90
PAGE:0002221A C6 45 F1 C0 mov [ebp+cdb+5], C0h
PAGE:0002221E 90 nop
PAGE:0002221F 90 nop
offset 0x1221A: 88 45 EF 88 45 F1
to
offset 0x1221A: C6 45 F1 C0 90 90
Note that once you have made a patched system file you cannot just copy it over the top of the original due to Windows File Protection (WFP) attempting to protect its system files from being overwritten. So what you need to do is open c:\windows\system32\Restore\filelist.xml (you need to be able to view hidden system files) and add the line:
"<REC>%systemroot%\system32\drivers\atapi.sys</REC>"
just above the line:
"<REC>%windir%\system.ini</REC>"
Now save the file and reboot. Once rebooted remove C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache\atapi.sys by renaming it to C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache\atapi.sys.bak. Now you can copy your hacked atapi.sys file over the top of the normal one in c:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\atapi.sys. (It is best to first back up the original in this dir too.)
While this does not succeed in making xbox360 drives accessable in windows, it documents the things I tried in case someone else had wondered about such things. The INQUIRY command is a very common command that would get sent by all application software, and also I guess some other windows drivers besides atapi.sys. Or possibly atapi.sys itself sends the INQUIRY command from another place inside it that I missed. If anyone knows how the windows drivers are layered it might help find where the other INQUIRY commands are sent by the system. (ie what system files use atapi.sys to send commands?)
In case anyone wants to follow this route, here is a version of plscsi that I altered to send the C0 version of the inquiry command. This could be used as the test application software once the xbox360 drive is accessable in windows: www.xorloser.com/xplscsi.rar
Also before you begin hacking such stuff on your computer, you may want to send the C0 version of the INQUIRY command to all atapi devices on your computer to ensure that it will not cause problems with them as it is non-standard, and so teh result of doing so is undefined. None of the normal PC dvd drives I tried the C0 INQUIRY command with had any issues with it, but it's probabaly best to check yours first. You can use the above xplscsi tool to send the C0 INQUIRY to all your drives by doing: "xplscsi -w"
The reason xbox360 drives do not work in windows is that they expect an altered version of the atapi INQUIRY command. Below are the normal and xbox360 versions of the INQUIRY command. The 0x24 is the size of the data to be returned and can vary, although it is usually 0x24 or 0x60. It is the 0xC0 bit that needs to be changed to make the xbox360 drives accessable in windows.
normal: 12 00 00 00 24 00
xbox360: 12 00 00 00 24 C0
When windows queries connected atapi devices it will send the INQUIRY command to get information about the device to work out how to use it. If the xbox360 drive is sent the normal INQUIRY command it will act like it does not support that command and so not reply, and so then windows will think it is not a supported device. So what needs to be done is that everytime the INQUIRY command is sent to the xbox360 dvd drive it needs to have the last byte changed to be 0xC0 instead of 0x00. There are 2 ways of doing this:
1) Using a system filter driver
This is the best way of doing this as the one driver would handle all cases. I have not looked into how to make one of these, but the overview is that you make a windows filter driver using the windows DDK (or whatever they are calling it these days). The filter driver would be designed to sit between atapi.sys and the hardware. The filter driver would check all commands being sent by atapi.sys to the hardware and whenever it sees the INQUIRY command being sent it would set the last byte to be 0xC0. By doing this the drives should be supported by both windows and any application software (such as nero etc).
2) Patching windows drivers and application software
This is how I attacked the problem as I thought it may have been possible to do an easy fix to make the drives accessable in windows without much work. This involves altering any software that sends the INQUIRY commands to explicitly set the last byte to 0xC0 before sending the command. I thought that it might be as simple as altering atapi.sys, and then any application software I wanted to use with the xbox360 drives.
Altering windows drivers should be enough to make the drives accessable to windows and appear in windows explorer etc (even if application software doesn't work with it yet). So I looked into atapi.sys and found one call that sends the INQUIRY command and patched it to send the 0xC0 however this was not enough to make it work
. I have win xp sp3 with atapi.sys v5.1.2600.5512, the patch I did was:88 45 EF 88 45 F1
PAGE:0002221A 88 45 EF mov [ebp+cdb+3], al
PAGE:0002221D 88 45 F1 mov [ebp+cdb+5], al
to
C6 45 F1 C0 90 90
PAGE:0002221A C6 45 F1 C0 mov [ebp+cdb+5], C0h
PAGE:0002221E 90 nop
PAGE:0002221F 90 nop
offset 0x1221A: 88 45 EF 88 45 F1
to
offset 0x1221A: C6 45 F1 C0 90 90
Note that once you have made a patched system file you cannot just copy it over the top of the original due to Windows File Protection (WFP) attempting to protect its system files from being overwritten. So what you need to do is open c:\windows\system32\Restore\filelist.xml (you need to be able to view hidden system files) and add the line:
"<REC>%systemroot%\system32\drivers\atapi.sys</REC>"
just above the line:
"<REC>%windir%\system.ini</REC>"
Now save the file and reboot. Once rebooted remove C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache\atapi.sys by renaming it to C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache\atapi.sys.bak. Now you can copy your hacked atapi.sys file over the top of the normal one in c:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\atapi.sys. (It is best to first back up the original in this dir too.)
While this does not succeed in making xbox360 drives accessable in windows, it documents the things I tried in case someone else had wondered about such things. The INQUIRY command is a very common command that would get sent by all application software, and also I guess some other windows drivers besides atapi.sys. Or possibly atapi.sys itself sends the INQUIRY command from another place inside it that I missed. If anyone knows how the windows drivers are layered it might help find where the other INQUIRY commands are sent by the system. (ie what system files use atapi.sys to send commands?)
In case anyone wants to follow this route, here is a version of plscsi that I altered to send the C0 version of the inquiry command. This could be used as the test application software once the xbox360 drive is accessable in windows: www.xorloser.com/xplscsi.rar
Also before you begin hacking such stuff on your computer, you may want to send the C0 version of the INQUIRY command to all atapi devices on your computer to ensure that it will not cause problems with them as it is non-standard, and so teh result of doing so is undefined. None of the normal PC dvd drives I tried the C0 INQUIRY command with had any issues with it, but it's probabaly best to check yours first. You can use the above xplscsi tool to send the C0 INQUIRY to all your drives by doing: "xplscsi -w"
Theory on recovering CPU and DVD keys (Get comfortable, long post)
OK this is a theory I have been cooking for the last couple of days.
DVD Key (This is more of a "How to get DVD Key from drive you don't know DVD key to")
Data coming out of the DVD drive is encrypted using the DVD key and then dencrypted using the DVD key in the NAND.
OK sure, sounds good. Now lets say we have a drive that works, but we can't dump it, like the new LiteOn/Phillips
Since we know the data on a the disc (we can explore the contents of any 360 disc, Kreon Drive) can't we sniff the SATA bus somehow?
If we can stiff the SATA bus we can intercept the data. We can intercept it in its encrypted form though. But we know what it is unencrypted, since we have access to the files on the disc with a kreon drive.
So if we could find out what data is sent from the drive to the motherboard starting at point A to point B (Maybe like, IDK, the first 5 seconds of inserting the game) in the unencrypted form, and we could capture the data in the encrypted form, it would be a simple brute force attack. Just generate all of the possible DVD keys, and decrypt the encrypted data with each key, and see which one is equal to the unencrypted data.
Capturing the Encrypted data-How...um...I have NO clue...probably some time of SATA bus sniff or something of the similar.
Capturing unencrypted data-We can change the DVD key using the Infectus modchip and Linux and KK and blah blah, but it is possible. What if we convert the DVD key to something like (these aren't the right length) 000000000000000000000 or 1111111111111111111111 or AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA or something very plain in hopes of not encrypting the data at all.
Can we delete the DVD key? Can we have the motherboards DVD just be blank? Same thing with the DVD drive? That way we could get the DVD drive to send unencrypted data across SATA....
So...in a couple of months (if this is possible and pursued) an attack to get the LiteOn drives DVD key would be the following.
1. There would be a game that would be standard (let just use king kong what the hell) that it would be known, the first lets say 512kb data read when launching the game, and we would know EXACTLY what it is unencrypted.
2. Hook up your Lite On drive to a pass thru SATA cable or something and somehow be able to capture all data sent over the cable.
3. Launch King Kong and have some type of system whether it be mod chip or computer capture the first 512kb of data (it is encrypted remember) sent over the SATA cable.
3.5a Hopefully someone will have created a rainbow table or all possible DVD keys.
3.5b Hopefully we will have found out how the motherboard decrypts the encrypted data using the DVD key.
4. Using a brute force program, it will decrypt the encrypted 512kb of data using each and every DVD key (or until it finds a match) until it decrypts the data to an exact match of the unencrypted data that we hopefully captured a while ago when changing the NANDs DVD key to 00000000000 or w/e.
So I am pretty sure this could work seeing as if we could get these couple of things. These things below only need to be done once
Be able to determine how the motherboard uses the DVD key and decrypts the data, without this we can't brute force decrypt X data.
When you launch a game the same exact X number of bits of information is passed thru to the motherboard. Of course it is different on all systems because of the differing DVD key encrypting the data differently, but you understand what I am saying, the same exact X number of bits is accessed in the same order on the DVD with the laser each time the game boots. Therefore we know when launching X game, we know that X data is going to be encrypted and sent, and it is always going to be X data every time on every console. Maybe differnet bits of data are sent over depending on each boot of the system, that would present a problem.
Capturing X data that I talked about above. We need to know exactly what this X data is.
So there can be one game out there, maybe King Kong since a lot of people might have it for the KK exploit. (It would have to be an original game) That someone would have to find out X data will be sent at X time and X data (unencrypted) is "A1 03 F3 D7" (or w/e)
Everyone wanting to get the DVD key would have to do this.
Find someway to sniff the data coming out of your DVD drive.
Sniff the data when launching the X game that we know what X data is.
So we can sniff X data and we know that we exactly have X data but it is encrypted.
Get a brute forcing program to decrypt X data with every single DVD key possibility until we decrypt X (encrypted) data to X (decrypted known pubic) data.
I am sure that this attack is possible seeing as though we can do all of those things, but can we brute force the DVD key within a week or some other feasible amount of time?
CPU Keys
Should be a lot easier, and if we can get the CPU key of a system, we can dump the KV and get the DVD key.
OK, this is how it goes.
I don't have an Infectus modchip, so I have never been able to use that little piece of software that decrypts the NAND, but I know that you need the 1BL key (which is the same for all consoles) and the CPU key to decrypt the NAND dump and then extract the KV and other things.
But it seems like you should be able to do this.
Dump the NAND on a system that you don't know the CPU key to.
Dump the NAND on a system that you DO know the CPU key to.
Now, this hinges on all NANDs being kind of the same, which I don't know if they are. Like for instance, at sector X there is data X unencrypted. Or there is a file dashboard.xex filesize X somewhere in the NAND. The details can be worked out later, but there has to be something that is the same for every unencrypted NAND out there. (file locations or sizes or w/e)
So, someone makes up a gigantic rainbow table of all of the possible CPU keys, and we brute force decrypt the NAND dump you get off of the system until you get a decrypted NAND that complies with the ruleset (the ruleset being the name I am giving to the similarities I talked about earlier) So decrypt with a different CPU key until you get X data at X point or w/e
Seems decently straightforward, except I would like to be able to recover the CPU key before the Xbox 720 comes out. And I am wondering is that possible
My closing statements
So has my 30 minutes of typing been in vain? Will both of these take longer than my life to brute force or is just plain impossible (I think the DVD one is not quite possible but might take less time brute forcing than the CPU key)
Or am I a genius who has possibly opened up the opportunity of buying those 5 dollar set of 2 motherboards off of ebay and making them play games one day?(No lie there is a set of 2 motherboards on ebay for like 5 bucks and like 15 some shipping right now) And I am leaning towards I am not a genius but you never know, my IQ is 136 so maybe I just thought of something no one else has never ever though of....
I don't know, and god bless you if you have read this whole ..
DVD Key (This is more of a "How to get DVD Key from drive you don't know DVD key to")
Data coming out of the DVD drive is encrypted using the DVD key and then dencrypted using the DVD key in the NAND.
OK sure, sounds good. Now lets say we have a drive that works, but we can't dump it, like the new LiteOn/Phillips
Since we know the data on a the disc (we can explore the contents of any 360 disc, Kreon Drive) can't we sniff the SATA bus somehow?
If we can stiff the SATA bus we can intercept the data. We can intercept it in its encrypted form though. But we know what it is unencrypted, since we have access to the files on the disc with a kreon drive.
So if we could find out what data is sent from the drive to the motherboard starting at point A to point B (Maybe like, IDK, the first 5 seconds of inserting the game) in the unencrypted form, and we could capture the data in the encrypted form, it would be a simple brute force attack. Just generate all of the possible DVD keys, and decrypt the encrypted data with each key, and see which one is equal to the unencrypted data.
Capturing the Encrypted data-How...um...I have NO clue...probably some time of SATA bus sniff or something of the similar.
Capturing unencrypted data-We can change the DVD key using the Infectus modchip and Linux and KK and blah blah, but it is possible. What if we convert the DVD key to something like (these aren't the right length) 000000000000000000000 or 1111111111111111111111 or AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA or something very plain in hopes of not encrypting the data at all.
Can we delete the DVD key? Can we have the motherboards DVD just be blank? Same thing with the DVD drive? That way we could get the DVD drive to send unencrypted data across SATA....
So...in a couple of months (if this is possible and pursued) an attack to get the LiteOn drives DVD key would be the following.
1. There would be a game that would be standard (let just use king kong what the hell) that it would be known, the first lets say 512kb data read when launching the game, and we would know EXACTLY what it is unencrypted.
2. Hook up your Lite On drive to a pass thru SATA cable or something and somehow be able to capture all data sent over the cable.
3. Launch King Kong and have some type of system whether it be mod chip or computer capture the first 512kb of data (it is encrypted remember) sent over the SATA cable.
3.5a Hopefully someone will have created a rainbow table or all possible DVD keys.
3.5b Hopefully we will have found out how the motherboard decrypts the encrypted data using the DVD key.
4. Using a brute force program, it will decrypt the encrypted 512kb of data using each and every DVD key (or until it finds a match) until it decrypts the data to an exact match of the unencrypted data that we hopefully captured a while ago when changing the NANDs DVD key to 00000000000 or w/e.
So I am pretty sure this could work seeing as if we could get these couple of things. These things below only need to be done once
Be able to determine how the motherboard uses the DVD key and decrypts the data, without this we can't brute force decrypt X data.
When you launch a game the same exact X number of bits of information is passed thru to the motherboard. Of course it is different on all systems because of the differing DVD key encrypting the data differently, but you understand what I am saying, the same exact X number of bits is accessed in the same order on the DVD with the laser each time the game boots. Therefore we know when launching X game, we know that X data is going to be encrypted and sent, and it is always going to be X data every time on every console. Maybe differnet bits of data are sent over depending on each boot of the system, that would present a problem.
Capturing X data that I talked about above. We need to know exactly what this X data is.
So there can be one game out there, maybe King Kong since a lot of people might have it for the KK exploit. (It would have to be an original game) That someone would have to find out X data will be sent at X time and X data (unencrypted) is "A1 03 F3 D7" (or w/e)
Everyone wanting to get the DVD key would have to do this.
Find someway to sniff the data coming out of your DVD drive.
Sniff the data when launching the X game that we know what X data is.
So we can sniff X data and we know that we exactly have X data but it is encrypted.
Get a brute forcing program to decrypt X data with every single DVD key possibility until we decrypt X (encrypted) data to X (decrypted known pubic) data.
I am sure that this attack is possible seeing as though we can do all of those things, but can we brute force the DVD key within a week or some other feasible amount of time?
CPU Keys
Should be a lot easier, and if we can get the CPU key of a system, we can dump the KV and get the DVD key.
OK, this is how it goes.
I don't have an Infectus modchip, so I have never been able to use that little piece of software that decrypts the NAND, but I know that you need the 1BL key (which is the same for all consoles) and the CPU key to decrypt the NAND dump and then extract the KV and other things.
But it seems like you should be able to do this.
Dump the NAND on a system that you don't know the CPU key to.
Dump the NAND on a system that you DO know the CPU key to.
Now, this hinges on all NANDs being kind of the same, which I don't know if they are. Like for instance, at sector X there is data X unencrypted. Or there is a file dashboard.xex filesize X somewhere in the NAND. The details can be worked out later, but there has to be something that is the same for every unencrypted NAND out there. (file locations or sizes or w/e)
So, someone makes up a gigantic rainbow table of all of the possible CPU keys, and we brute force decrypt the NAND dump you get off of the system until you get a decrypted NAND that complies with the ruleset (the ruleset being the name I am giving to the similarities I talked about earlier) So decrypt with a different CPU key until you get X data at X point or w/e
Seems decently straightforward, except I would like to be able to recover the CPU key before the Xbox 720 comes out. And I am wondering is that possible
My closing statements
So has my 30 minutes of typing been in vain? Will both of these take longer than my life to brute force or is just plain impossible (I think the DVD one is not quite possible but might take less time brute forcing than the CPU key)
Or am I a genius who has possibly opened up the opportunity of buying those 5 dollar set of 2 motherboards off of ebay and making them play games one day?(No lie there is a set of 2 motherboards on ebay for like 5 bucks and like 15 some shipping right now) And I am leaning towards I am not a genius but you never know, my IQ is 136 so maybe I just thought of something no one else has never ever though of....
I don't know, and god bless you if you have read this whole ..
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Tutorial: Fix E74 / No Video Errors
After fixing hundreds of 360's now, I thought I'd post my little solution for the E74 problem.
----
What you need:
Stuff to open the 360
Basic X-Clamp replacement stuff (follow the other tutorials on how to do this)
Heat gun
Patience
----
Ok so here we go:
My workspace
The E74 Error on the current box
Heres the box with the problems
Case off, remove all of the screws, including the little black ones on the RF unit and for the x-clamps
Unplug the SATA and DVD power cables, unplug the fans
Now we have a good look at the chip cuasing all of the problems. Sits directly above the GPU. It's the video scaler chip aka ANA / HANA chip.
And another photo of it
here's a view from the bottom
And another view
Close up of the ANA chip
Here's my el-cheapo heat gun, you can pick up one in the paint section of lowes or home depot.
Heatgun box
Remove the X-clamp from the GPU, take the bolts out of the heatsink
I like the goo gone gel, it works wonders for taking off the stock heatsink goop. Just make sure to clean the area with rubbing alcohol afterward.
Clean the GPU off
Clean the heatsink off
Use the higher percentage rubbing alcohol
Apply artic silver, do the standard X-Clamp fix.
Now the parts we need exposed (underneath the stock x-clamp) are accessible.
OK, so put your heatgun on a medium setting and start apply heat to the marked areas. KEEP THE GUN MOVING you don't want to burn the parts. This will cuase the solder joints to reball themselves (hopefully). Concentrate on the area linking the GPU and the ANA chip.
The motherboard is going to be HOT. Let it cool down. Put the fans and the fan shroud back in, and test it out.
Woohoo!
Nice.
Now if this doesn't work the first time, don't fret. Keep trying, you may need up the heat on your heat gun or give the board more exposure. After you get the 360 running,
keep the case off for a bit, play a few games and see what happens. Some 360's are worse off then others, and may require you to go through the steps again (if the E74 returns).
----
What you need:
Stuff to open the 360
Basic X-Clamp replacement stuff (follow the other tutorials on how to do this)
Heat gun
Patience
----
Ok so here we go:
My workspace
The E74 Error on the current box
Heres the box with the problems
Case off, remove all of the screws, including the little black ones on the RF unit and for the x-clamps
Unplug the SATA and DVD power cables, unplug the fans
Now we have a good look at the chip cuasing all of the problems. Sits directly above the GPU. It's the video scaler chip aka ANA / HANA chip.
And another photo of it
here's a view from the bottom
And another view
Close up of the ANA chip
Here's my el-cheapo heat gun, you can pick up one in the paint section of lowes or home depot.
Heatgun box
Remove the X-clamp from the GPU, take the bolts out of the heatsink
I like the goo gone gel, it works wonders for taking off the stock heatsink goop. Just make sure to clean the area with rubbing alcohol afterward.
Clean the GPU off
Clean the heatsink off
Use the higher percentage rubbing alcohol
Apply artic silver, do the standard X-Clamp fix.
Now the parts we need exposed (underneath the stock x-clamp) are accessible.
OK, so put your heatgun on a medium setting and start apply heat to the marked areas. KEEP THE GUN MOVING you don't want to burn the parts. This will cuase the solder joints to reball themselves (hopefully). Concentrate on the area linking the GPU and the ANA chip.
The motherboard is going to be HOT. Let it cool down. Put the fans and the fan shroud back in, and test it out.
Woohoo!
Nice.
Now if this doesn't work the first time, don't fret. Keep trying, you may need up the heat on your heat gun or give the board more exposure. After you get the 360 running,
keep the case off for a bit, play a few games and see what happens. Some 360's are worse off then others, and may require you to go through the steps again (if the E74 returns).
Monday, June 9, 2008
How to open your XBox 360 easily without marking it.
XBox 360's are expensive and I like to keep things unmarked/scuffed when I open them up, here's how!
Note, you can use screwdrivers to open the xbox 360 case, but when you do it will scuff the plastic leaving at the console has been opened, this way will leave you with an unmarked xbox 360.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Xbox360 cool Mod
The manufacturer installed two fans at the rear of the system to perform the cooling function. These two fans in my opinion do not serve the purpose of cooling this type of unit. To suggest that two outward blowing fans placed at the rear of the system will ?pull in? enough air around the unit to effectively cool the CPU and GPU is outrageous. Fresh - cool air needs to be introduced inside the unit and then passed through the CPU and GPU heat sinks. This now hot air needs to be evacuated from the unit?s casing. My version of this process can be seen in Figure 2.
HEAT SINK MOUNTING - The heat sink mounting clamp or what ever you want to call it is applying pressure onto the PCB. Any and all CPU and GPU heat sinks need to be anchored to the bottom metal chassis. Ideally you want the CPU and GPU heat sink to sit on top of each device. Then, screws need to be inserted from topside down through the heat sink, through the PCB and screw into the bottom chassis. This in essence will flatten the whole assembly as it?s tightened. This will eliminate board warping at normal operating temperatures.
PCB MATERIAL ? The PCB material used in this gaming system is poor and is extremely susceptible to board ?bending? or warping once heat is introduced. I cannot be more specific in this area as I?m not a professional in PCB manufacturing. Given my experience with various PCBs by various companies I can state that this PCB in this console warps extensively compared to others I?ve worked with in the past few years.
What can be done to repair this problem?
Answer ? Nothing currently. There have been many reports of people ?buying time? by ?reflowing? the GPU. First, chances are you?re reflowing the wrong chip.
You may ask.. ?If we?re reflowing the wrong chip then why are we seeing positive results? You?re seeing positive results because you?re action of applying heat to the PCB is warping the board. It?s changing the clearance under the problem area of the CPU allowing the solder sphere to temporarily make contact. If you attempt to ?reflow? the CPU you?ll find that you can?t get the CPU solder to reach ?liquidus? or ?melt? because of the pervious extremely high temperatures that it?s been subjected to up until the problem surfaced.
The extremely high operating temps of the CPU have dramatically raised the reflow threshold of the CPU?s solder spheres (it literally has broken the solder down). I have found that with 220 degrees C of bottom pre-heat temp and upper heater temps of 400+ degrees C is what it takes to allow the CPU spheres to reach liquidus. Once you reach this level of heat you almost certainly have damaged the CPU and bending or warping is apparent on the CPU itself. During this removal process only top rate BGA fluxes were used. Various profiles were also experimented with as well.
The only way that I can see possible to repair these units is to have access to replacement CPUs to use once the old CPU is removed. Also, another solution would be to buy a new replacement motherboard and properly cool it from the beginning of its service life.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Falcon Mainboard - redesigned CPU/GPU - Photos
no, they changed nothing on x-clamps. only new heatsink.
The 65nm CPU does not produce much heat, so they swapped to alu heatsink. much cheaper!!
here more photos:
XBOX360 Dashboard Update Collection - (Download)
here you can download all previous dashboard updates.
Happy up- and downgrading!!
Info:
- http://www.eurasia.nu/wiki/index.php?pagename=Xbox360Kernel
- http://www.eurasia.nu/wiki/index.php?pagename=Xbox360TsopMemoryLayout
Happy up- and downgrading!!
| 2.0.1888.0 | November 22, 2005 | - |
| 2.0.2241.0 | November 22, 2005 | Download |
| 2.0.2255.0 | January 30, 2006 | Download |
| 2.0.2258.0 | March 02, 2006 | Download |
| 2.0.2858.0 | June 05, 2006 | Download |
| 2.0.4532.0 | October 31, 2006 | Download |
| 2.0.4548.0 | November 30, 2006 | Download |
| 2.0.4552.0 | January 09, 2007 | Download |
| 2.0.5759.0 | May 09, 2007 | Download |
| 2.0.5766.0 | August 07, 2007 | Download |
| 2.0.5787.0 | September 20, 2007 | Download |
| 2.0.6683.0 | December 04, 2007 | Download |
| 2.0.6690.0 | April 18, 2008 | Download |
Info:
- http://www.eurasia.nu/wiki/index.php?pagename=Xbox360Kernel
- http://www.eurasia.nu/wiki/index.php?pagename=Xbox360TsopMemoryLayout
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Megaton Confirmed: Itagaki Leaves Tecmo
In a stunning announcement this morning Team Ninja head honcho announced he is not only leaving his parent company of Tecmo, but he is also suing them.
Say what you will about Tomonobu Itagaki, truth is he makes some damn fine games. Mostly known for his work on the Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden series (of which the sequel to the latter drops tomorrow) and his blunt comments about opposing developers. Not all gamers have appreciated his actions, but lots have enjoyed his work. Below is the official statement regarding this issue directly from Itagaki himself.
"I, Tomonobu Itagaki, hereby announce that on the 14th of May 2008 I filed a complaint in the Tokyo District Court against Tecmo Co., Ltd. for unpaid completion bonuses, and against the President of Tecmo, Yoshimi Yasuda, for such unlawful acts as unreasonable and disingenuous statements made towards me, claiming damages in total of 148 million yen. I also announce that this complaint was delivered to the defendants on May 22nd of the same year.
In addition, I hereby announce that I have today submitted a letter of resignation to Tecmo Co., Ltd. stating that I will resign as of the 1st of July, 2008.
Before the start of development on DEAD OR ALIVE 4, Tecmo Co., Ltd. had agreed to pay a completion bonus to me for this Xbox 360 title, which I produced. However, when the time came for the actual payment, Tecmo Co., Ltd. went against its previous agreement and refused payment. President Yoshimi Yasuda chose not only to violate this agreement, but also turned defiant, telling me ?if you are dissatisfied with the decision not to pay the bonuses, either quit the company or sue it.? In addition, he made demeaning remarks about me to my subordinates and colleagues, causing me significant emotional distress and worsening my personal relationships and work environment. Thus, I have no choice but to resign from Tecmo Co., Ltd.
The conduct of Tecmo Co., Ltd. and its president Yoshimi Yasuda towards me has been unbefitting of a publicly-listed company.
I have filed this lawsuit with a strong intent to question the social responsibility of Tecmo Co., Ltd. and its President Yoshimi Yasuda, as well as condemning them for their unjust acts. Today, in addition to announcing the reasons for this lawsuit, I make clear my reasons for resigning.
To All Game Fans,
I truly feel sorry to all the fans of the games I have made. NINJA GAIDEN 2, which will launch on the 3rd of June will be the last NINJA GAIDEN I will create. I will also never be able to make DEAD OR ALIVE 5. I regret the circumstances that have forced me to leave Tecmo, where I had worked for so many years, and I regret the disappointment this will cause my fans.
However, I can no longer continue to work with President Yoshimi Yasuda, a man who chooses not to honor promises even when he is able to do so.
I truly hope that nothing like this happens again in the future.
Tecmo Co., Ltd. Creative Officer
Leader, Team NINJA
Tomonobu Itagaki"
What will become of Itagaki is anyone's guess at this point, although with his professed love for all things Xbox and his exclusive work for the company over the last few years leaves a few of us around the office speculating a move to the big green.
Source:
http://www.ztgamedomain.com/5638/Megaton-Confirmed-Itagaki-Leaves-Tecmo.html
Replacement Xbox 360 Heatsink by Thermalright Spotted in the Wild
I was browsing Vr-zones latest set of photos from Computex 2008 and spotted what appears to be a replacement heatsink for the 360. It's made by Thermalright.
News-Source: vr-zone.com
News-Source: vr-zone.com
Sunday, May 11, 2008
How to change the region code (PAL, NTSC/J, NTSC-U/C, NTSC/Kor)
The original tutorial : http://gueux-forum.net/index.php?showtopic=167835
If you insert a DVD of another area that your xbox360, here the message that you see on TV :
Play Asia list of compatibility and region : http://www.play-asia.com...
All region of the dvd :
- PAL : région européenne
- NTSC/J : région asiatique /japonaise
- NTSC-U/C : région américaine
- NTSC/Kor : région koréenne
For the demo, we will modify a PAL xbox360 to a NTSC/J xbox360.
-----------------------
You need in hardware :
- a xbox 360 : PAL for the demonstration.
- a Infectus modchip
- a PC with XP
You need in software :
- the Infectus Programmer v.0.0.3.4d : here.
- a hexadecimal editor (hex workshop for example)
- Flashtool 0.81
- the NAND.bin file
- the1BL.bin file
- the FUSES.bin file
- a game of another region than your xbox360 : here NTSC/J
The 3 last files can get with this tutorial : http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=621052
For change the xbox360 region, we must patch theNAND.bin files with the KV.bin file (keyvault).
To have the KV.bin file, you need the CPUkey, Flashtool and the NAND.bin.
To patch the NAND.bin by the KV.bin files, you need the 1BLkey.
-----------------------
A/How to have the CPUkey :
See the A part of this tutorial.
B/How to have the 1BLkey :
See the B part of this tutorial.
C/Keyvault creation, KV.bin :
See the C part of this tutorial.
D/KV.bin modification :
The region code is in the KV.BIN.
The region code is for :
- PAL : 02FE
- NTSC/J : 01FF
- NTSC-U/C : 00FF
- NTSC/KOR : 01FC
-Open KV.BIN file with your hexadecimal editor and Goto offset B8
The 2 offsets are in B8 et B9 .
- Change the offsets 02FE by 01FF.
- Save the modification of KV.bin.
Now the KV.bin file is ready for the nand.bin patch.
E/NAND.bin patch :
- Open Flashtool :
- Choose Patch
- Cross Patch Keyvault and press Browse...
- Choose the KV.bin file and OK. Save the new NAND in NANDNTSCJ.bin.
It's OK. The nand is patched and his name is NANDNTSCJ.bin.
F/ Flash the motherboard :
See the F part of this tutorial but select NANDNTSCJ.bin at write moment.
Test your modification with your NTSC/J game.
A video of the region change NTSC/J ----> NTSC-U/C to play at Dead Or Alive 4 NTSC in kernel version 5759 :
The google video (Bêta) :
Quality : 1.5/5
The guba video :
Quality : 2.5/5
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Faq: Xbox 360 Error Codes Explained, If you have an Error Code Read this!
THIS ERROR CODE GUIDE IS IN NO WAY OFFICIAL NOR DO WE MAKE ANY CLAIMS TO IT'S ACCURACY. 100% of the info here was discovered by Scene Members through trial and error, a lot of the information is probably incorrect, but it is our best guess. If you discover something that is incorrect or not included please PM twistedsymphony to update the guide. Neither Xbox-Scene, twistedsymphony, nor any of the guide contributers take responsibility for any actions you might take as a result of reading this guide.
NOTE: This is the original Error code guide. This list was created 100% by the good members of the Xbox-Scene forum and myself. Llamma.com is the only other website that has obtained permission to repost this guide all other instances are unauthorized and probably plagiarized. If you would like to repost this list I usually have no problem with it... don't be a scumbag - just ask.
--==ERROR Codes==--
If there is a problem with the Xbox360 The LEDs in the ring of light will flash in a particular pattern. The pattern itself leads some insight to the problem. Certain patterns will lead to numbered error codes which will provide further insight to the problem. The numbered error codes are described below their corresponding LED code.
After reading this guide if you'd like to discuss the problems you're experiencing with others you can do so in the following thread:
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=462099
these are the codes we know so far...
Please contribute if you know of new codes that are not part of this list.
=============================
Sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 are flashing red
- The AV cable cannot be detected
/ \
\ /
THINGS TO TRY
Sections 1, 3, and 4 are flashing red
- General Hardware Failure
/ \
\ /
Check the secondary Error Code per the instructions in the section below
THINGS TO TRY
Sections 1, and 3 are flashing red
- Overheating
/ \
\ /
Alternatively Overheating can be cause by the console locking up or "freezing" after a set amount of time. Lockups that occur at a specific point in a game are generally problems with the game itself and not caused by overheating.
THINGS TO TRY
To try to prevent this problem, use the following precautions:
Some people think that doing this might help "fix" an overheating console, in fact doing so could cause even bigger problems. Electronic devices like your console are made to function at and around room temperature, extreme cold temperatures can often cause just as many problems as extreme warm temperatures (such as overheating). Also if the console is located in a dramatically cold area while running, the difference in temperature between the hot console and cold air can create condensation which in turn will short out your console making the situation far worse. Condensation will happen more quickly if your console is overheating due to the greater difference in temperature. In short... DON'T DO IT.
A more aggressive Solution to overheating is to improve the cooling system of the console. The best solution is to replace the thermal compound. If you attempt this you do so at your own risk. If you're console is still under warranty it is recommended that you contact MS for a replacement before attempting to fix it yourself.
=============================
Section 4 is flashing red
- Hardware Failure
/ \
\ /
The Specific Type of hardware failure can be determined by the error code displayed on the screen.
If the screen is blank or you would like additional information follow the instructions for determining the secondary error code in the section below
E45: Unknown (possibly dashboard update related)
E64: DVD Drive Error.... DVD Timeout, Wrong firmware, dvd is without f/w chip, etc.
E65: DVD Drive Error.... DVD Timeout, Wrong firmware, dvd is without f/w chip, etc. This can also be caused by the tray not being fully closed on boot.
E66: DVD Drive Error: DVD model, or version does not match that of the version expected by the dashboard. OR the firmware version on the drive is older then the firmware version expected by the dashboard. Make sure the DVD drive is of the same version originally included with the console and that it is using either the original firmware included with the console or newer.
E67: Hard Drive Error... It could be a problem with the Hard Drive itself or a problem with the internal connection to the hard drive, Try removing the hard drive and playing without it
E68: Voltage Error... This error means that the Xbox 360 has insufficent power to function properly. This can be caused by an error in the hard drive or the fans that make them suck up too much power, it can also be caused if you have unnecessary accessories attached to the console like an external fan unit. Attempt to remove unnecessary accessories first, and then necessary components such as the hard drive and USB devices. If you have any case mods you may want to investigate those as well.
E69: Hard Drive Error... It could be a problem with the Hard Drive itself or a problem with the internal connection to the hard drive, Try removing the hard drive and playing without it
E71: possibly a dashboard update error, Check below in the "Console Reset Codes" for instructions. If that does not work there is no other solution and the console must be sent back to MS for repair.
E72: (not yet known)
E73: General Hardware Error: Ethernet port... this error is caused by a problem with the Ethernet port.
E74: There is high chance it's a scaler chip problem (the "ANA" or "HANA" chip near the AV cable connection) it can also be caused by a faulty AV cable so check that first. In some cases it is a problem with the GPU and may be repairable by doing the x-clamp replacement (see error 0102)
E76: This error deals with the Ethernet port's controller chip, a dead chip may not cause the error but removing the Ethernet controller chip does, it may also be caused by other Ethernet related problems.
E79: Hard Drive Error... It could be a problem with the Hard Drive itself or a problem with the internal connection to the hard drive, Try removing the hard drive and playing without it.
According to tmbinc: E79 is the error code if xam.xex could not be started, i.e. probably a file system corruption.
=============================
--==SECONDARY ERROR CODES==-
The specific type of hardware failure can be determined by a "hidden" error code
Here is how you interpret the LEDs to get the code number:
0001 power supply problem
0002 Network Interface problem
0003 Power problem could be the PSU could be the GPU/CPU, somehow the console isn't getting clean power from the power supply.
0010 There is a problem with the Southbridge Chip usually dealing with how it connects to the mainboard (cold solder joint/bridged solder joints)
0011 CPU over heating - If you are receiving this error after disassembling your console make sure to all 8 of the heatsinc screws are tightened securely to the board/heatsink holes.
0012 GPU over heating
0013 RAM over heating
0020 (Not yet known, possibly overheating)
0021 This can be caused by two completely different things either:
A. DVD Drive Time out - Can be caused by problems with a firmware flash. This is also speculated to sometime be caused by a problem with the southbridge chipset on the motherboard based on how it connects to the DVD drive.
B. GPU error, generally caused by a poor connection to the mainboard (cold solder joints/bridged solder joints) See error 102 for more information
0022 CPU error, generally caused by a poor connection to the mainboard (cold solder joints/bridged solder joints). This can also be triggered by an error with the TSOP.
0023 (not yet known)
0030 Problem with temperature control
0031 (not yet known)
0032 (not yet known)
0033 (not yet known)
0100 (not yet known)
0101 (not yet known)
0102 Error in the "Digital Backbone" (CPU/GPU/RAM), this is usually caused by a cold solder joint between the GPU and the mainboard.
There are two theories to fixing this one deals with the "X" clamps that hold down the chips. The other involves re-Heating the chips. DO NOT attempt either of these if your console is still under warranty. If your console is still under warranty return it to the store where it was purchased or call MS to have it replaced.
[/list]0103 GPU Error this is usually caused by bridged solder points where the GPU connects to the mainboard. see error 0102 for more detailed information
0110 Ram error, this is caused by a cold or bridged solder joint on one of the Ram chips.
...
0200 (not yet known)
...
1000 Kernel can't be launched/signature in NAND Flash chip is broken! It could be possible after bad update. http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?sho...p;#entry4156375 This might also be caused by a bad SATA cable.
1001 DVD Drive Error, either incorrect firmware or DVD Time out.
1002 (not yet known)
1003 Hard Drive Error... It could be a problem with the Hard Drive itself or a problem with the internal connection to the hard drive, Try removing the hard drive and playing without it
1010 Hard Drive Error, Can be caused buy a corrupt or missing eProm. See also E68 above
1011 (not yet known)
1012 (not yet known)
1013 (not yet known) possibly a dashboard update error
1020 (not yet known)
1021 (not yet known)
1022 There is high chance it's a scaler chip problem (the "ANA" or "HANA" chip near the AV cable connection) it can also be caused by a faulty AV cable so check that first. In some cases it is a problem with the GPU and may be repairable by doing the x-clamp replacement (see error 0102)
1023 DVD drive not connected, connect DVD drive to boot
1030 This error deals with the Ethernet port's controller chip, a dead chip may not cause the error but removing the Ethernet controller chip does, it may also be caused by other Ethernet related problems.
1031 (not yet known)
1032 (not yet known)
1033 it could be cpu/gpu related or it could be psu related, not much info is known for sure.
...
1444 and up There is no "4" in the error codes four lights is a "0" go back and check your code again.
=============================
--==Console Reset Codes==--
Clear All Installed Game Updates and Console Cache
--==Sending in your Console for Repair==--
If none of the above suggestions work, contact MS customer support get get a support ticket started. If your console is still under warranty DO NOT attempt to open it and fix it yourself. MS will fix it promptly and for free and if you open it you loose the free support.
Check the documentation that came with your Xbox 360 for contact information.
In the US Customer Support can be reached at 1-800-4-MY-XBOX (1-800-469-9269)
=============================
This FAQ is constantly changing and I do my best to keep it as up to date as possible..
If you would like to help please send me a PM with any additional info/links that you feel should be included/corrected with this FAQ.
NOTE: This is the original Error code guide. This list was created 100% by the good members of the Xbox-Scene forum and myself. Llamma.com is the only other website that has obtained permission to repost this guide all other instances are unauthorized and probably plagiarized. If you would like to repost this list I usually have no problem with it... don't be a scumbag - just ask.
--==ERROR Codes==--
If there is a problem with the Xbox360 The LEDs in the ring of light will flash in a particular pattern. The pattern itself leads some insight to the problem. Certain patterns will lead to numbered error codes which will provide further insight to the problem. The numbered error codes are described below their corresponding LED code.
After reading this guide if you'd like to discuss the problems you're experiencing with others you can do so in the following thread:
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=462099
these are the codes we know so far...
Please contribute if you know of new codes that are not part of this list.
=============================
Sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 are flashing red
- The AV cable cannot be detected
/ \
\ /
THINGS TO TRY
- Make sure that the AV cable is correctly connected to the Xbox 360 console.
- Disconnect the AV cable from the Xbox 360 console, and then reconnect the AV cable to the Xbox 360 console.
- If the four flashing red lights continue to flash, try wiping the metal area of the AV pack with a dry cloth. The metal area is the end that plugs into the console. Wipe the metal area thoroughly, and then try the AV Pack again.
- If the AV cable is correctly connected but the four red lights are still flashing, substitute a different AV cable if you have one available.
Sections 1, 3, and 4 are flashing red
- General Hardware Failure
/ \
\ /
Check the secondary Error Code per the instructions in the section below
THINGS TO TRY
- Try restarting the console.
- If restarting the console does not resolve the behavior, follow these steps:
- Turn the console off.
- Unplug all the power and AV cables from the console.
- Unplug the power cord from the wall socket.
- Firmly reconnect all the cables.
- Turn on the console.
- If these steps do not resolve the behavior, turn the console off, remove the hard drive, and then turn on the console. If the 3x Red LED error light is no longer displayed, turn the console off, re-attach the hard drive, and then turn on the console.
- Also examine the lights on the power supply. When you turn on the console, the power supply light should illuminate green even if the three lights on the RoL flash red.
Sections 1, and 3 are flashing red
- Overheating
/ \
\ /
Alternatively Overheating can be cause by the console locking up or "freezing" after a set amount of time. Lockups that occur at a specific point in a game are generally problems with the game itself and not caused by overheating.
THINGS TO TRY
- Let the Xbox 360 console cool.
Note You may have to wait several hours for the console to cool enough. Do not turn on the console when the console is hot. - Verify that the console has sufficient ventilation and that the fan is operating. For more information about ventilation, see the "More Information" section.
To try to prevent this problem, use the following precautions:
- Do not block any ventilation openings on the Xbox 360 console.
- Do not put the Xbox 360 console on a bed, on a sofa, or on any other soft surface that may block ventilation openings.
- Do not put the Xbox 360 console in a confined space, such as a bookcase, a rack, or a stereo cabinet, unless the space is well-ventilated.
- Do not put the Xbox 360 console near any heat source, such as a radiator, a heat register, a stove, or an amplifier.
Some people think that doing this might help "fix" an overheating console, in fact doing so could cause even bigger problems. Electronic devices like your console are made to function at and around room temperature, extreme cold temperatures can often cause just as many problems as extreme warm temperatures (such as overheating). Also if the console is located in a dramatically cold area while running, the difference in temperature between the hot console and cold air can create condensation which in turn will short out your console making the situation far worse. Condensation will happen more quickly if your console is overheating due to the greater difference in temperature. In short... DON'T DO IT.
A more aggressive Solution to overheating is to improve the cooling system of the console. The best solution is to replace the thermal compound. If you attempt this you do so at your own risk. If you're console is still under warranty it is recommended that you contact MS for a replacement before attempting to fix it yourself.
=============================
Section 4 is flashing red
- Hardware Failure
/ \
\ /
The Specific Type of hardware failure can be determined by the error code displayed on the screen.
If the screen is blank or you would like additional information follow the instructions for determining the secondary error code in the section below
E45: Unknown (possibly dashboard update related)
E64: DVD Drive Error.... DVD Timeout, Wrong firmware, dvd is without f/w chip, etc.
E65: DVD Drive Error.... DVD Timeout, Wrong firmware, dvd is without f/w chip, etc. This can also be caused by the tray not being fully closed on boot.
E66: DVD Drive Error: DVD model, or version does not match that of the version expected by the dashboard. OR the firmware version on the drive is older then the firmware version expected by the dashboard. Make sure the DVD drive is of the same version originally included with the console and that it is using either the original firmware included with the console or newer.
E67: Hard Drive Error... It could be a problem with the Hard Drive itself or a problem with the internal connection to the hard drive, Try removing the hard drive and playing without it
E68: Voltage Error... This error means that the Xbox 360 has insufficent power to function properly. This can be caused by an error in the hard drive or the fans that make them suck up too much power, it can also be caused if you have unnecessary accessories attached to the console like an external fan unit. Attempt to remove unnecessary accessories first, and then necessary components such as the hard drive and USB devices. If you have any case mods you may want to investigate those as well.
E69: Hard Drive Error... It could be a problem with the Hard Drive itself or a problem with the internal connection to the hard drive, Try removing the hard drive and playing without it
E71: possibly a dashboard update error, Check below in the "Console Reset Codes" for instructions. If that does not work there is no other solution and the console must be sent back to MS for repair.
E72: (not yet known)
E73: General Hardware Error: Ethernet port... this error is caused by a problem with the Ethernet port.
E74: There is high chance it's a scaler chip problem (the "ANA" or "HANA" chip near the AV cable connection) it can also be caused by a faulty AV cable so check that first. In some cases it is a problem with the GPU and may be repairable by doing the x-clamp replacement (see error 0102)
E76: This error deals with the Ethernet port's controller chip, a dead chip may not cause the error but removing the Ethernet controller chip does, it may also be caused by other Ethernet related problems.
E79: Hard Drive Error... It could be a problem with the Hard Drive itself or a problem with the internal connection to the hard drive, Try removing the hard drive and playing without it.
According to tmbinc: E79 is the error code if xam.xex could not be started, i.e. probably a file system corruption.
=============================
--==SECONDARY ERROR CODES==-
The specific type of hardware failure can be determined by a "hidden" error code
- Turn the xbox 360 on, and wait till the 3 red lights are flashing.
- Press and hold the sync up button (the small white one), while holding that button press the eject button.
- The LEDs will now blink the first number in the code (as described below).
- Release the eject button and press it again.
- The LEDs will now blink the second number of the code.
- Release the eject button and press it again.
- The LEDs will now blink the third number of the code.
- Release the eject button and press it again.
- The LEDs will now blink the forth number of the code.
- Release the eject button and press it again.
- The LEDs will go back to the 3 red flashing lights.
Here is how you interpret the LEDs to get the code number:
- All four lights flashing - 0
- One light flashing - 1
- Two Lights flashing - 2
- Three lights flashing - 3
0001 power supply problem
0002 Network Interface problem
0003 Power problem could be the PSU could be the GPU/CPU, somehow the console isn't getting clean power from the power supply.
0010 There is a problem with the Southbridge Chip usually dealing with how it connects to the mainboard (cold solder joint/bridged solder joints)
0011 CPU over heating - If you are receiving this error after disassembling your console make sure to all 8 of the heatsinc screws are tightened securely to the board/heatsink holes.
0012 GPU over heating
0013 RAM over heating
0020 (Not yet known, possibly overheating)
0021 This can be caused by two completely different things either:
A. DVD Drive Time out - Can be caused by problems with a firmware flash. This is also speculated to sometime be caused by a problem with the southbridge chipset on the motherboard based on how it connects to the DVD drive.
B. GPU error, generally caused by a poor connection to the mainboard (cold solder joints/bridged solder joints) See error 102 for more information
0022 CPU error, generally caused by a poor connection to the mainboard (cold solder joints/bridged solder joints). This can also be triggered by an error with the TSOP.
0023 (not yet known)
0030 Problem with temperature control
0031 (not yet known)
0032 (not yet known)
0033 (not yet known)
0100 (not yet known)
0101 (not yet known)
0102 Error in the "Digital Backbone" (CPU/GPU/RAM), this is usually caused by a cold solder joint between the GPU and the mainboard.
There are two theories to fixing this one deals with the "X" clamps that hold down the chips. The other involves re-Heating the chips. DO NOT attempt either of these if your console is still under warranty. If your console is still under warranty return it to the store where it was purchased or call MS to have it replaced.
[/list]0103 GPU Error this is usually caused by bridged solder points where the GPU connects to the mainboard. see error 0102 for more detailed information
0110 Ram error, this is caused by a cold or bridged solder joint on one of the Ram chips.
...
0200 (not yet known)
...
1000 Kernel can't be launched/signature in NAND Flash chip is broken! It could be possible after bad update. http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?sho...p;#entry4156375 This might also be caused by a bad SATA cable.
1001 DVD Drive Error, either incorrect firmware or DVD Time out.
1002 (not yet known)
1003 Hard Drive Error... It could be a problem with the Hard Drive itself or a problem with the internal connection to the hard drive, Try removing the hard drive and playing without it
1010 Hard Drive Error, Can be caused buy a corrupt or missing eProm. See also E68 above
1011 (not yet known)
1012 (not yet known)
1013 (not yet known) possibly a dashboard update error
1020 (not yet known)
1021 (not yet known)
1022 There is high chance it's a scaler chip problem (the "ANA" or "HANA" chip near the AV cable connection) it can also be caused by a faulty AV cable so check that first. In some cases it is a problem with the GPU and may be repairable by doing the x-clamp replacement (see error 0102)
1023 DVD drive not connected, connect DVD drive to boot
1030 This error deals with the Ethernet port's controller chip, a dead chip may not cause the error but removing the Ethernet controller chip does, it may also be caused by other Ethernet related problems.
1031 (not yet known)
1032 (not yet known)
1033 it could be cpu/gpu related or it could be psu related, not much info is known for sure.
...
1444 and up There is no "4" in the error codes four lights is a "0" go back and check your code again.
=============================
--==Console Reset Codes==--
Clear All Installed Game Updates and Console Cache
- Go to the "system" blade
- Select "memory"
- Press Y on the HD symbol
- Press X,X, Left Bumper, Right Bumper, X,X
- A message will appear saying: "Do you want to perform maintenance on your Xbox 360 storage devices?"
- Select Yes
- With the console off, press and hold the sync up button (the small white one)
- While holding the sync button press the power button to turn on the console
- Continue to hold the sync button until the Console has booted up completely.
- During the boot process the console should clear any failed updates, allowing you to use it normally.
--==Sending in your Console for Repair==--
If none of the above suggestions work, contact MS customer support get get a support ticket started. If your console is still under warranty DO NOT attempt to open it and fix it yourself. MS will fix it promptly and for free and if you open it you loose the free support.
Check the documentation that came with your Xbox 360 for contact information.
In the US Customer Support can be reached at 1-800-4-MY-XBOX (1-800-469-9269)
=============================
This FAQ is constantly changing and I do my best to keep it as up to date as possible..
If you would like to help please send me a PM with any additional info/links that you feel should be included/corrected with this FAQ.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Xbox 360 Thermal Upgrade/cooling Tutorial, Help keep those components cool..
Most people have a fair knowledge of how to apply thermal paste and proper procedure, so if you do most likely you can just skim by and see the illustrations for insight. To the other folks who have no idea what this is or getting into this is for you. Initially this is what your XBOX 360 thermal paste under those fancy heatsinks appear to look like some one took some paste, put a fat glob on the GPU, yet hardly enough of the XCPU, threw the heatsinks on their and passed it on to the next warehouse employee. My guess is the heat is probably not at its peak cooling with this procedure. Although the thermal compound for this is far beyond better that the XBOX1, it goes through a manufacturing plant so most likely its a victim of quantity vs quality. I'm not hear to act like this is going to solve anyone who trying to sue m$ problems, but as a hobbiest upgrade it should help knock down a couple degrees off the 360s global warming campaign.
First thing I want to mention although this is not a absolutely difficult upgrade, the clamps of the 360 can be a royal pain to take off and put back on, so proceed with caution and patience. Once your past the first hurdle heres what you have...
For this upgrade I used the following cooling products that can be purchase easily at newegg. Here are the links below, they are quite handy to have a round for any computer cooling upgrades.
ArctiClean Thermal Surface Remover - ArctiClean 1 Thermal Material Remover quickly emulsifies and dissolves the existing thermal grease or pad from the CPU and/or heatsink so that it can easily be removed with a clean cloth or paper towel. A few drops of ArctiClean 2 Thermal Surface Purifier and some gentle wiping then removes the remaining residue and inhibits flash corrosion on copper or aluminum.
Arctic Silver 5 - A unique high-density filling of micronized silver and enhanced thermally conductive ceramic particles provides superior level of performance and stability. Arctic Silver 5 is optimized for use between modern high-power CPUs and high performance heatsinks or water-cooling solutions.
As well if you have any type of business card, putty knife, etc... you will need to keep it in hand. Initially it is to remove the excess thermal paste residue left from the previous setting. Then afterwards to apply the Arctic Silver 5 compound. So lets get started with what we have.
Before setting the ArctiClean Thermal Paste Remover, you want to get as much of the leftover thermal compound off of the heatsink prior to replacing the new compound. To do so, I used a putty knife although a credit card or stirdy business card would do the trick. Definatly make sure you get as much gunk as you can off in the first run.
After you get the majority of the residue off from previous thermal paste, you now put drops of ArctiClean 1 on the spots that were unable to come off from the putty knife/credit card. Let it sit for a 30 seconds to a minute. This dissolves the existing thermal grease or pad from the CPU and/or heatsink so that it can easily be removed with a clean cloth or paper towel. Once you get as much that is able to come up off, make sure you use the ArctiClean 2 Thermal Surface Purifier and some gentle wiping to remove the remaining residue and inhibits flash corrosion on copper or aluminum. Heres what mine looked like after a few repeated steps.
Now that your heatsinks are clean, you are prepared to go advance to cleaning the CPU and GPU, which is alot easier that the XBOX1. Your pretty much going to apply the same method to your CPU and GPU as you did with the heat sinks. First I took my putty knife and edged the previous thermal compound from the corners.
Once you get this accomplished you are now ready to put on your ArctiClean 1 and let it set for 30 seconds to a minute. When you are ready to clean, get your Q-tips out to gently wipe the surface getting all the left over thermal paste up. Its very easy and pretty much should be done rather fast. Once you finished that step apply ArctiClean 2 Purifier to clean up any left over spots you may have overlooked. When you are finished your CPU should look clean as a whistle.
Now you are ready to apply Arctic Silver 5 compound to the CPU and GPU. Carefully apply no more than a rice grain size of thermal compound to your CPU and BOTH GPU cores. Take you a business card/credit card/putty knife and spread them out evenly till you get the result below. A small dab goes a long way believe me, you dont want to put to much on the chips or your defeating the process. If your feeling lucky, your welcome to apply the Arctic Silver 5 onto your GDDR3 RAM Chips as well, since the GPU heatsink rests on it as well.
Now you are able to apply your heatsinks and clamps back together, once again DO NOT use to much force to remove or apply your heatsink clamps for you may damage an important part to the 360 Motherboard. As well this should be no substitute to *fix* a broken or unventalated system that has artifacts or freezes. Leave it to the M$ repair center to fix your console not yourself, you will void your warrenty with this procedure. If you have any questions feel free to send me a PM.
RROD FIX:
This post is only to serve as documentation of my "dead" 360 and what I did to fix it. There are no guarantees that this will work for your application.
NOTE: Please note this process involves dismantling your 360, which will void any and all warranties you may or may not have. My warranty was up, and I had not purchased an extended warranty. (I'm a cheap bastard.)
This applies to 360 suffering from the "three red lights of death," or red lights from three o'clock to twelve o'clock around the power button. This means "General Hardware Failure" and does not point to any one specific item.
My 360 would boot into the dashboard without any trouble, but once you started a game, it would only run a few seconds. I suspected the dashboard would not give the system much of a workout, but games would, so a heat problem was an avenue to be explored.
There are ways to get a more specific trouble code out of the 360 when this happens. I'm not going to get into that now, but this link will tell you how to get the additional code and how to interpret that.
I was unable get the secondary error code because my 360's troubles were very erratic. Sometimes it would let me play for a few minutes and then freeze up. Sometimes it wouldn't even get past the intro screen during bootup without freezing. Sometimes it wouldn't boot at all and give me the three red lights, but not every time.
I called MS support only for them to tell me for a low fee of $130 they would fix it for me. Or I could use the extended warranty I might have purchased when I bought the unit. I obtained mine from Ebay, so I'm out of luck there. I decided to dismantle my 360 and see what I could find.
I discovered the GPU chip on my 360 possibly had some sort of thermal interface material (TIM) failure. I compared mine to how another one looked over at Anandtech and discovered mine was indeed different. Mine had some sort of metallic silver cover over the heatsink paste on the heatsink, and very little if any paste actually came into contact with the GPU die itsself.
Note: Some TIMs are designed to have a cover over the paste. I personally have never seen one, so at least to me they are rare. (I've been building PCs since 1996.) Your experience may vary. What I found on my 360's GPU could actually be a fully functional TIM in theory, but mine seemed to be experiencing overheating issues.
Have a look. Here's my GPU. Click for large versions.
Here's Anandtech's.
Notice anything different? My GPU has a mirror finish; it is super clean. Anandtech's has thermal paste smeared all over it. That is what I was expecting to find in mine.
Here's a picture of what I believe to be the source of my 360's problems. The silver pad covering the thermal paste on the GPU's heatsink.
Another interesting fact is that when I pulled off the CPU heatsink, it looks like Anandtech's GPU. Thermal paste applied directly to the die itsself.
And the CPU's heatsink. Notice it does not have the same silver pad covering the thermal paste.
With the troubleshooting gears turning in my head, it made sense that the GPU might be overheating. I thought I would replace the TIM with some Arctic Silver, and see what happens.
So far, this repair has worked for my 360. I've been racking up as much play time as possible, so far 2+ hours, and no lockups whatsoever. This is the most it has let me play in two weeks. Before, I couldn't play 2 minutes without it locking up, much less an hour.
Please consider your options before opening your 360 up. If you feel like you are pretty handy fixing computers, handling sensitive hardware, and working with basic tools, you should be fine.
Now let's get down to business.
Tools you'll need:
A thin hex head L-shaped wrench OR a probe tool of some sort.
1 T-8 Torx screwdriver
1 T-10 Torx screwdriver
Plastic scraper tool or pocket knife
Arctic Silver or other brand high quality heat sink paste
1 Brillo steel wool pad
Cleaning supplies
I'm not going to detail how to get the 360 apart, you can follow instructions on how to do that here. You'll need to get the motherboard out of the metal cage, and pop off the heatsinks from both the CPU and GPU.
Once you get the GPU heatsink removed, look at the thermal pad on the bottom of it. Does it have a rectangular metallic silver cover on it? This is how mine looked. I suspect this thermal pad is insufficient for the amount of heat generated by the GPU.
NOTE: If yours DOES NOT have this metallic silver cover, your hardware faults might lie somewhere else. However, since you're this far already, keep going. Better cooling for your 360 would never hurt.
Scrape off the thermal pad from both the aluminum GPU heatsink and the copper CPU heatsink. I used a Brillo steel wool pad for this, and it worked great. It even polished the bottom of the heatsinks a little bit. If you get the heatsinks wet, make sure you dry them thouroughly before reinstalling.
Now clean the remaining thermal paste from the GPU and CPU. My CPU had the most paste on it, so it took the longest. I used small pieces of a paper towel slightly dampened with 409 and it worked fair. You may have a better method of removing thermal paste from a CPU, so use your judgement here.
Once clean, apply your thermal paste to the CPU and GPU dies. Don't apply too much, just enough to cover the entire die.
Now reinstall the heatsinks, put the 360 back together, and enjoy.
As a side note, I've chronicled most of the process I took on my blog. I would be VERY interested in hearing from others in my situation. No warranty options, and willing to pull off their GPU heatsink to see if they have the silver pad on the heatsink like I did. If you do, PLEASE email me: avinash.gamerboy AT gmail DOT com.
NOTE: Please note this process involves dismantling your 360, which will void any and all warranties you may or may not have. My warranty was up, and I had not purchased an extended warranty. (I'm a cheap bastard.)
This applies to 360 suffering from the "three red lights of death," or red lights from three o'clock to twelve o'clock around the power button. This means "General Hardware Failure" and does not point to any one specific item.
My 360 would boot into the dashboard without any trouble, but once you started a game, it would only run a few seconds. I suspected the dashboard would not give the system much of a workout, but games would, so a heat problem was an avenue to be explored.
There are ways to get a more specific trouble code out of the 360 when this happens. I'm not going to get into that now, but this link will tell you how to get the additional code and how to interpret that.
I was unable get the secondary error code because my 360's troubles were very erratic. Sometimes it would let me play for a few minutes and then freeze up. Sometimes it wouldn't even get past the intro screen during bootup without freezing. Sometimes it wouldn't boot at all and give me the three red lights, but not every time.
I called MS support only for them to tell me for a low fee of $130 they would fix it for me. Or I could use the extended warranty I might have purchased when I bought the unit. I obtained mine from Ebay, so I'm out of luck there. I decided to dismantle my 360 and see what I could find.
I discovered the GPU chip on my 360 possibly had some sort of thermal interface material (TIM) failure. I compared mine to how another one looked over at Anandtech and discovered mine was indeed different. Mine had some sort of metallic silver cover over the heatsink paste on the heatsink, and very little if any paste actually came into contact with the GPU die itsself.
Note: Some TIMs are designed to have a cover over the paste. I personally have never seen one, so at least to me they are rare. (I've been building PCs since 1996.) Your experience may vary. What I found on my 360's GPU could actually be a fully functional TIM in theory, but mine seemed to be experiencing overheating issues.
Have a look. Here's my GPU. Click for large versions.
Here's Anandtech's.
Notice anything different? My GPU has a mirror finish; it is super clean. Anandtech's has thermal paste smeared all over it. That is what I was expecting to find in mine.
Here's a picture of what I believe to be the source of my 360's problems. The silver pad covering the thermal paste on the GPU's heatsink.
Another interesting fact is that when I pulled off the CPU heatsink, it looks like Anandtech's GPU. Thermal paste applied directly to the die itsself.
And the CPU's heatsink. Notice it does not have the same silver pad covering the thermal paste.
With the troubleshooting gears turning in my head, it made sense that the GPU might be overheating. I thought I would replace the TIM with some Arctic Silver, and see what happens.
So far, this repair has worked for my 360. I've been racking up as much play time as possible, so far 2+ hours, and no lockups whatsoever. This is the most it has let me play in two weeks. Before, I couldn't play 2 minutes without it locking up, much less an hour.
Please consider your options before opening your 360 up. If you feel like you are pretty handy fixing computers, handling sensitive hardware, and working with basic tools, you should be fine.
Now let's get down to business.
Tools you'll need:
A thin hex head L-shaped wrench OR a probe tool of some sort.
1 T-8 Torx screwdriver
1 T-10 Torx screwdriver
Plastic scraper tool or pocket knife
Arctic Silver or other brand high quality heat sink paste
1 Brillo steel wool pad
Cleaning supplies
I'm not going to detail how to get the 360 apart, you can follow instructions on how to do that here. You'll need to get the motherboard out of the metal cage, and pop off the heatsinks from both the CPU and GPU.
Once you get the GPU heatsink removed, look at the thermal pad on the bottom of it. Does it have a rectangular metallic silver cover on it? This is how mine looked. I suspect this thermal pad is insufficient for the amount of heat generated by the GPU.
NOTE: If yours DOES NOT have this metallic silver cover, your hardware faults might lie somewhere else. However, since you're this far already, keep going. Better cooling for your 360 would never hurt.
Scrape off the thermal pad from both the aluminum GPU heatsink and the copper CPU heatsink. I used a Brillo steel wool pad for this, and it worked great. It even polished the bottom of the heatsinks a little bit. If you get the heatsinks wet, make sure you dry them thouroughly before reinstalling.
Now clean the remaining thermal paste from the GPU and CPU. My CPU had the most paste on it, so it took the longest. I used small pieces of a paper towel slightly dampened with 409 and it worked fair. You may have a better method of removing thermal paste from a CPU, so use your judgement here.
Once clean, apply your thermal paste to the CPU and GPU dies. Don't apply too much, just enough to cover the entire die.
Now reinstall the heatsinks, put the 360 back together, and enjoy.
As a side note, I've chronicled most of the process I took on my blog. I would be VERY interested in hearing from others in my situation. No warranty options, and willing to pull off their GPU heatsink to see if they have the silver pad on the heatsink like I did. If you do, PLEASE email me: avinash.gamerboy AT gmail DOT com.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
The Ring Of Light, How it works! (Technical)
How does the Ring of Light work?
Well, MS has made sure to make it as complicated as possible. To save I/O:s on their mcu they have chosen to use a pwm scheme that brings down the pin count from eight to five I/O:s. If you want to understand how this works you should first read up on pwm here.
We'll start by examining the schematic:
This shows how the bi-color LEDs of the ring of light (from now on ROL) is connected to the mcu (MS-VS55) and also how the center power led is connected.
The mcu outputs a 50Hz pwm that is then split up in two, an exact copy (PWM_LED1) and an inverted copy (PWM_LED2). This is the pwm that drives the led, it is its power source. PWM_LED1 drives D1 and D2 and PWM_LED2 drives D3 and D4. This pwm is ALLWAYS on, even when the XBOX 360 is in standby! The LEDs are then controlled (turned on/off) by controlling the ground.
Now comes the complicated part, they only use four inputs to control eight LEDs. The green and red leds are controlled in the exact same way so I'm just going to do this example on the green LEDs. So, the cathode (negative side) of D1 and D3, and D2 and D4 are connected together. The thing is these pairs (D1 and D3, D2 and D4) have the anode (positive side) connected to different pwms. One is connected to PWM1 and the other one is connected to PWM2. This way they will never get power supplied to them at the same time. So you can say that each LED gets a small time slot to control it's ground.
And a small picture of which pad is which since there has been some confusion about that:
I can add more info and some examples if needed, just send me an e-mail…if you think it's unclear!
Well, MS has made sure to make it as complicated as possible. To save I/O:s on their mcu they have chosen to use a pwm scheme that brings down the pin count from eight to five I/O:s. If you want to understand how this works you should first read up on pwm here.
We'll start by examining the schematic:
This shows how the bi-color LEDs of the ring of light (from now on ROL) is connected to the mcu (MS-VS55) and also how the center power led is connected.
The mcu outputs a 50Hz pwm that is then split up in two, an exact copy (PWM_LED1) and an inverted copy (PWM_LED2). This is the pwm that drives the led, it is its power source. PWM_LED1 drives D1 and D2 and PWM_LED2 drives D3 and D4. This pwm is ALLWAYS on, even when the XBOX 360 is in standby! The LEDs are then controlled (turned on/off) by controlling the ground.
Now comes the complicated part, they only use four inputs to control eight LEDs. The green and red leds are controlled in the exact same way so I'm just going to do this example on the green LEDs. So, the cathode (negative side) of D1 and D3, and D2 and D4 are connected together. The thing is these pairs (D1 and D3, D2 and D4) have the anode (positive side) connected to different pwms. One is connected to PWM1 and the other one is connected to PWM2. This way they will never get power supplied to them at the same time. So you can say that each LED gets a small time slot to control it's ground.
And a small picture of which pad is which since there has been some confusion about that:
I can add more info and some examples if needed, just send me an e-mail…if you think it's unclear!
Friday, January 11, 2008
Protect Your Xbox 360 Against the RRoD with Whisper Max
Video game generation reports on a new aftermarket product to keep the xbox360 cool(er) with better results than the competition:
Talismoon announced today that it is now shipping Whisper Max, a deluxe version of its original Whisper fan for the Xbox 360 that provides the system with RRoD-fighting cooling to go along with noise reduction. The Max also adds a Nitro mode, which runs with up to 240% more power than the original.
You'll find more on the Whisper Max in the press release below.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Friday, January 4, 2008
5 Tips to Keep Your Xbox 360 Running Smoothly
Amez writes: “I decided to send in another Top 5 Tips list, to keeping your Xbox 360 Running. Many people don’t understand why they are going through so many, or why they get the 3 flashing red lights."
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Use Xbox 360 with a directv remote!
introUse Xbox 360 with a directv remote!
This "hack" allows you to use a directv remote with an xbox360, saving you around 25-30 bucks!!! I accidentally did this when I was trying to program my stereo. This is extreamly simple and easy to do. I am the first that I've seen that has done this. PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. POST A COMMENT ASKING ME AND I WILL REPLY!!!
step 11
First switch your remote to av1. Point your remote away from your reciever so that when you press a button it won't react. Then press and hold the select and mute buttons untill the light above the av1 switch blinks twice
step 22
press 991, then press 2. After that you press power.
step 33
After doing this you press the up button 30-50 times untill you xbox turns on, do this slowly cause there is a small delay. If you've done everything correctly while pressing the chan. up button nothing should happen on the tv and the light above av1 will go on each time you hit it.
step 44
When your Xbox 360 does turn on (after about 5-10 min.) press the select button to store that code and your done! Enjoy your new xbox 360 remote!!! =D
P.S. this was my 1st "hack" ever and I'm glad to see it can save you money and be somewhat usefull.
P.S. this was my 1st "hack" ever and I'm glad to see it can save you money and be somewhat usefull.
Fix the Xbox 360's Red Ring of Death
introFix the Xbox 360's Red Ring of Death
Like 30-33% of Xbox 360 users, I have had the misfortune of experiencing the red ring of death on the front of my Xbox. What this means is that your Xbox 360 is experiencing a hardware malfunction. There are several different ways that are rumored to fix this problem, however I will demonstrate the most widely used method, more commonly known as the "Towel Method"
This method is only temporary, there have been reports of users using this method frequently to keep their Xbox running. I urge that you contact Microsoft customer support and have them mail you an empty box (coffin) to ship your precious console off to Texas where it will be repaired.
Important!
Before you watch the movie or view the instructible, note that I have already used the method depicted here on my Xbox successfully, so I can't exactly replicate it (now that it's fixed) for the movie. When I get the Rings again I will redo the movie to show you exactly how it works.
For now enjoy my badly made and extremely corny movie.
Note: for whatever reason, my sound cuts out at the beginning of the movie, but the first sentence is: "Like 30-33% of Xbox 360 owners, I have expiuerenced the red rings of death." Enjoy!
This method is only temporary, there have been reports of users using this method frequently to keep their Xbox running. I urge that you contact Microsoft customer support and have them mail you an empty box (coffin) to ship your precious console off to Texas where it will be repaired.
Important!
Before you watch the movie or view the instructible, note that I have already used the method depicted here on my Xbox successfully, so I can't exactly replicate it (now that it's fixed) for the movie. When I get the Rings again I will redo the movie to show you exactly how it works.
For now enjoy my badly made and extremely corny movie.
Note: for whatever reason, my sound cuts out at the beginning of the movie, but the first sentence is: "Like 30-33% of Xbox 360 owners, I have expiuerenced the red rings of death." Enjoy!
step 1Diagnose the problem.
Different lit and unlit quadrants mean different errors in your 360. Below I have made an extremely badly drawn chart to show you what your error message means.
All four quadrants lit and blinking: A/V Cable malfunction
Solution: Push it in farther or buy a new one
Second quadrant unlit, all others lit and blinking: Overheating malfunction.
Solution: Use this Instructible, it works!
Third quadrant unlit, all others lit and blinking: General hardware failure.
Solution: Send it to Microsoft, this Instructible will NOT help.
If your Xbox has the second quadrant unlit, proceed to the next step.
All four quadrants lit and blinking: A/V Cable malfunction
Solution: Push it in farther or buy a new one
Second quadrant unlit, all others lit and blinking: Overheating malfunction.
Solution: Use this Instructible, it works!
Third quadrant unlit, all others lit and blinking: General hardware failure.
Solution: Send it to Microsoft, this Instructible will NOT help.
If your Xbox has the second quadrant unlit, proceed to the next step.
step 2Preperation
The materials needed for this fix are simple, two to three towels.
To prepare your Xbox, remove any controllers attached, discs in the drive, and your hard drive if you have one.
Lay the Xbox on a towel and wrap it up tight. Proceed to layer one or two other towels over this one to ensure that it's nice and toasty.
To prepare your Xbox, remove any controllers attached, discs in the drive, and your hard drive if you have one.
Lay the Xbox on a towel and wrap it up tight. Proceed to layer one or two other towels over this one to ensure that it's nice and toasty.
step 3Now we wait...
Set a timer for 15-20 minutes and sit back and wait.
While waiting I took more takes of things I did awful for the movie, but you could....
1. Listen to music
2. Take a jog
3. Work on another Instructible
4. Surf the web
5. Start creating a beginner electronics project
6. ???
7. Profit
While waiting I took more takes of things I did awful for the movie, but you could....
1. Listen to music
2. Take a jog
3. Work on another Instructible
4. Surf the web
5. Start creating a beginner electronics project
6. ???
7. Profit
step 4Play!
If this method didn't work the first time, wait for the 360 to cool off then repeat the method waiting 20 minutes instead of 15.
I can't stress enough that this is a temporary fix however, and I strongly urge that you go to Microsoft's website and visit their customer support page. Microsoft has extended warranties on all 360s that receive this error by three years, so you should be covered for the damage.
Now go play some games!
I can't stress enough that this is a temporary fix however, and I strongly urge that you go to Microsoft's website and visit their customer support page. Microsoft has extended warranties on all 360s that receive this error by three years, so you should be covered for the damage.
Now go play some games!
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Rumor: Unbanned Xbox 360 Live Account (Video Demo)
French webmaster 'Zouzzz' has reportedly discovered a method circumventing Xbox 360 Live bans. According to a video, he just inserted a keyvault from an unbanned Xbox 360 into a banned Xbox 360. After the insertion and an update to the latest kernel, his Xbox 360 could connect to Live again. Here is the video demonstration of the process (in French)...
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Making a Perfect Xbox360...
There been many complain ..regarding Xbox360 design flaws…and RROD..so i thlushof making a Perfect Xbox360…Coution..the below mods avoid warranty…
1.Coustom Case Mod…
Buy a Coustom case from ebay..or Llamma’s ..there r lots of sites dealing with Xbox360 coustom case..go for Crystal case…
2.Anti scratch DVD mod
There r complains Xbox360 Scratching Xbox360 game disc’s…
http://www.llamma.com/xbox360/repair/Refurbishing-the-HL-Xbox-360-DVD-Drive.htm
3.Replaced original fans with blue LED fans
Original X360 fans not powerful enough to push the hot air..from 360..so just replace it with XCM High Speed Air Cooler Add-on fan..
4.Added GPU and CPU temp monitor (XCM 360 High Spped Air Cooler)
so..after all add GPU and CPU meter..it is not important..but keeping a watch on temp is nice…
5.Replaced termal paste with Artic Silver 5
Now..it is important and careful step..MS has applied local type Thermal paste ..so just open the GPU and CPU heatsink and clean it …till mirror finish come..then apply it with Artic Silver 5
6.X-Clamp replacement (fixed Ring of Death)
Below r many Tutorials..read and choose the best method…do X-clamp replacement for future good..
If there are any Mod pls Mail me i will add it “avinash.gamerboy@gmail.com”
Now this is the final product…
Ok..it’s Done..i will post Video review Soon..chk out later…
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Another Fix...
| XBox 360 Three Red Light Fix |
You asked and we have it for you FREE! That's right Free! Why? Because having a broken Xbox 360 is an absolute shame & you shouldn't have to pay to learn to make these repairs yourself, easily & within an hour! Yes, you can repair your xbox 360 console!
NOTE: Please note this process involves dismantling your 360, which will void any and all warranties you may or may not have. Our warranty was up, and had not purchased an extended warranty.What follows are instructions that worked in our case. Please use your own common sense, Everything4360 does not provide any guarantee and will not be held responsible for any damages to your console while performing these modz, in the unlikely event they do occur.
This applies to your Xbox 360 suffering from the "three red lights of death," or red lights from three o'clock to twelve o'clock around the power button. This means "General Hardware Failure" and does not point to any one specific item.
My XBox 360 would boot into the dashboard without any trouble, but once you started a game, it would only run a few seconds. I suspected the dashboard would not give the system much of a workout, but games would, so a heat problem was an avenue to be explored.
There are ways to get a more specific trouble code out of the XBox 360 when this happens. I'm not going to get into that now, but this link will tell you how to get the additional code and how to interpret that.
I was unable get the secondary error code because my XBox 360's troubles were very erratic. Sometimes it would let me play for a few minutes and then freeze up. Sometimes it wouldn't even get past the intro screen during bootup without freezing. Sometimes it wouldn't boot at all and give me the three red lights, but not every time.
I called MS support only for them to tell me for a low fee of $130 they would fix it for me. Or I could use the extended warranty I might have purchased when I bought the unit. I obtained mine from Ebay, so I'm out of luck there. I decided to dismantle my XBox 360 and see what I could find.
I discovered the GPU chip on my XBox 360 possibly had some sort of thermal interface material (TIM) failure. I compared mine to how another one looked over at Anandtech and discovered mine was indeed different. Mine had some sort of metallic silver cover over the heatsink paste on the heatsink, and very little if any paste actually came into contact with the GPU die itsself.
Note: Some TIMs are designed to have a cover over the paste. I personally have never seen one, so at least to me they are rare. (I've been building PCs since 1996.) Your experience may vary. What I found on my XBox 360's GPU could actually be a fully functional TIM in theory, but mine seemed to be experiencing overheating issues. Have a look. Here's my GPU. Click for large versions. 
Here's Anandtech's:
Notice anything different? My GPU has a mirror finish; it is super clean. Anandtech's has thermal paste smeared all over it. That is what I was expecting to find in mine. Here's a picture of what I believe to be the source of my XBox 360's problems. The silver pad covering the thermal paste on the GPU's heatsink.
Another interesting fact is that when I pulled off the CPU heatsink, it looks like Anandtech's GPU. Thermal paste applied directly to the die itsself.
And the CPU's heatsink. Notice it does not have the same silver pad covering the thermal paste.
With the troubleshooting gears turning in my head, it made sense that the GPU might be overheating. I thought I would replace the TIM with some Arctic Silver, and see what happens.
So far, this repair has worked for my XBox 360. I've been racking up as much play time as possible, so far 2+ hours, and no lockups whatsoever. This is the most it has let me play in two weeks. Before, I couldn't play 2 minutes without it locking up, much less an hour.
Please consider your options before opening your XBox 360 up. If you feel like you are pretty handy fixing computers, handling sensitive hardware, and working with basic tools, you should be fine.
Now let's get down to business.
Tools you'll need:
A thin hex head L-shaped wrench OR a probe tool of some sort.
1 T-8 Torx screwdriver
1 T-10 Torx screwdriver
Plastic scraper tool or pocket knife
Arctic Silver or other brand high quality heat sink paste
1 Brillo steel wool pad
Cleaning supplies
I'm not going to detail how to get the 360 apart, you can follow instructions on how to do that HERE. You'll need to get the motherboard out of the metal cage, and pop off the heatsinks from both the CPU and GPU.
Once you get the GPU heatsink removed, look at the thermal pad on the bottom of it. Does it have a rectangular metallic silver cover on it? This is how mine looked. I suspect this thermal pad is insufficient for the amount of heat generated by the GPU.
NOTE: If yours DOES NOT have this metallic silver cover, your hardware faults might lie somewhere else. However, since you're this far already, keep going. Better cooling for your 360 would never hurt.
Scrape off the thermal pad from both the aluminum GPU heatsink and the copper CPU heatsink. I used a Brillo steel wool pad for this, and it worked great. It even polished the bottom of the heatsinks a little bit. If you get the heatsinks wet, make sure you dry them thouroughly before reinstalling.
Now clean the remaining thermal paste from the GPU and CPU. My CPU had the most paste on it, so it took the longest. I used small pieces of a paper towel slightly dampened with 409 and it worked fair. You may have a better method of removing thermal paste from a CPU, so use your judgement here.
Once clean, apply your thermal paste to the CPU and GPU dies. Don't apply too much, just enough to cover the entire die.
Now reinstall the heatsinks, put the 360 back together, and enjoy. Thats it, see how easy that is?
Source:
Monday, November 5, 2007
So..for every one X-Clamp Replacement (created by HackAbuse)........
Video
So..i hope this video help u….
He is little fast..but slow down video…so happy modding
Once you have performed and X-Clamp replacement, It would be appreciated if you could report your success in chatter box…
lawdawg0931's X-Clamp Replacement Tutorial.
RBJtech's Method X-Clamp Replacement
RBJtech's X-Clamp Replacement Tutorial. There are 2 versions of this, the MKI and the MKIII, the MKIII is easier than the MKI
The MKIII is available Here
If that fails, then the MKI is available Here
Once you have performed and X-Clamp replacement, It would be appreciated if you could report your success in Chatter Box…any more queries pls use chatter box..
X-clamp Replacement....
so here come the perfect RROD CUre:
there r three ways of this method by 3 different authors:
* RBJtech's Tutorial and Discussion Thread
* Lawdawg0931's Tutorial and Discussion Thread
* Video demonstrating successful X-clamp replacement (created by HackAbuse)
…………
so i will be posting one by one…
Things Required:
Here are the official home depot part numbers:
Qty - 8 Machine Screw Pan - Phillips 5 x 10mm (DR# - 313) UPC - 030699 801282
Qty - 16 Flat Washer Nylon #10 (DR# - 610) UPC - 030699 869381
Qty - 16 Flat Washer Steel / ZINC Plated 5mm (DR# - 606) UPC - 030699 363087
I have successfully repaired 4 3RLOD's with these parts. Do NOT use the 'hex' head screws as a alternative, they are too large and cause your motherboard to bend when you screw it all back togeather.
Note: The 'DR#' is the 'drawer number' and may not be the same at every home depot. I've visited 3 now with the same drawer numbers, but the upc and description is the best way to find it.
RROD cure...Heat Gun Method..
Video
..Heat Gun method is just Heating CPU and GPu of ur Motherboard…
Advantages:
1.Another Cure
Disadvantages:
1.More heat will toast ur Xbox360
2.Extremely Dangerous…
I dont recommend………..
Firstly..TOwel Method..
Video
so..the above..video explains the method..
firstly Turn your xbox360 on….then wrap it totally with towels or anything that would stop all air flow ways…wait for 15min…then u will see 4 red rings..dont worry ..this is sign of overheating…now leave it for cool down……after some time turn it on….
Bingo…it will work…
Advantages:
1.Xbox360 RROD cure.
2.No need to open ur Xbox360..no danger of loosing warranty
Disadvantages:
1.Temp Solution
2.It can Toast ur Xbox360..
I dont reccomend this Way…
RROD Cure:
So…Presently there are 3 ways to cure RROD:
1.TOwel Method (Can burn ur Xbox360)
2.Heat Gun (Can burn Xbox360)
3.X-Clamp Replacement ( here Comes Mr Perfect)
….i dont reccomend 1 and 2…go for X clamp..it is safe and reliable….
Anti RROD:
I would never do this to my Xbox 360 console because it would void my warranty, but I would really appreciate your feedback on what do you think would happened if the following was "actually" done to an Xbox 360. Please do not hold back on your comments. Obviously, your Xbox 360 can only be set-up vertically if these modifications are done!
(1) You take the Xbox 360 side casings and cut out as much of the casing as possible WITHOUT damaging/compromising the important stuff like the screw sockets, snap-on-support assembly, etc...
(2) Take a wire screen that is used for the windows and cover the "exposed" areas! Figure out some way to attach the wire screen to the side of casings WITHOUT interfering/obstructing your consoles internal hardware!
(3) Re-assemble your Xbox 360 and then enjoy!
Visualizing these modifications if they were actually done, there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY IN HELL THAT THIS CONSOLE WILL OVERHEAT AGAIN! However, by doing so, your console will now be more prone to dust build-up and will have to be maintained with extra scrutiny; a small price to pay for ensuring that your console survives if you ask my opinion! Other than this issue, everything should just be fine; unless you have "defective" hardware issues that is... Then in this case, you have my sincerest apologies
This is to prevent RROD
What is RROD???
RROD stand for red rings of death...which is one of the major xbox360 flaw...when Xbox360 gets over heathed the three red light blinks...pic above..
as MS extend 3yrs warranty for RROD prob..but there r many modded or skin modded xbox360..who want cure..so i made this blog..i will post all the cures of RROD here...hope u like it
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