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Enlarging 360 HDD

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  • 01-11-2008 2:33pm
    #1
    Vic Vinegar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,241 ✭✭✭


    Just wondering, is there any way of taking out the hard drive from the 360 casing and installing a bigger one (on an unmodded console) I want a bigger drive but don't want to fork out the ridiculous prices for a 120 gig one. I'm sure i read somewhere that you can do it but i can't find the right wording for asking Google....

    Any help/guidance appreciated, thanks! :)


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    #2
    ROC1977
    Closed Accounts Posts: 512 ✭✭✭ROC1977


    Here you go...I haven't tried this yet but will be as soon as I get a HDD.

    Introduction
    This tutorial will explain to you how to upgrade your Xbox 360 Harddrive using a program called "HDDHackr".

    What is HDD Hackr?
    This tool will allow you to use HDD's that are not 'certified' by Microsoft.
    This specific tool is written for use with the Western Digital BEVS series
    only!

    Required Tools
    - HDDHackr v0.91

    How to use
    Get yourself a Western Digital SATA BEVS HDD. To use this tool, you need
    a HDD security sector file ('hddss.bin'). If you don't have one, here's how
    to create one from a valid xbox 360 HDD:

    * Dumping the hddss.bin file *
    Boot to dos from a writeable medium (like a floppy). Connect an *original*
    xbox 360 HDD to your SATA controller. Make sure it is the only SATA device
    that is connected. Now run 'hddhackr -d'. This will create a file 'hddss.bin'
    and it will save it to the path you've started the hddhackr from.

    * Modding your Western Digital *
    Now turn off your PC and connect the Western Digital and boot to dos again.
    Type 'hddhackr -f' from the same path you have saved the hddss.bin file to.
    This will flash your FW. It will ask if you want to create an undo file. It
    is advised to do so. This will create an 'undo.bin' file that you need if
    you want to undo the hack.

    * Check if it worked *
    Shut down your pc, reboot again to dos and again type 'hddhackr -f'. It
    should now tell you that the drive should work in your x360. If so, connect
    it to your x360 and go to your dashboard/system/memory where you should be
    able to format the drive.

    * Restoring your WD to original state *
    If you don't want to use your modded WD in your x360 anymore and you want to
    flash it back to its original size, then you can now do so. Boot to dos again
    and run 'hddhackr -u'. This will use the undo.bin file you created before to
    restore the drive to its original state.

    FAQ

    Q. I get an error when I try to dump hddss.bin from a 120 gb HDD.
    A. This version can't dump from an elite drive yet. You'll have to dump sectors
    16-22 manually with a tool like winhex, save them as 'hddss.bin' and then continue
    like normal, with the hddhackr.

    Q. Will this tool allow me to connect a 500 gb drive to my x360 ?
    A. No. The information on sector 16 is signed and can't be changed. You can
    only use size where you have a valid signature for. In otherwords, if a
    bigger HDD comes out, you can use that signature.

    Q. With which HDD's does this work ?
    A. As of version 0.91, it now works with all sizes and versions of the Western
    Digital Scorpio BEVS series.

    Q. Do I need the same size WD HDD as the size on sector 16 states ?
    A. No. You can use bigger HDD's, but you can't use more than the size stated
    in sector 16. You can NOT use smaller HDD's than the size on sector 16
    states. For example, you can use a 40 GB HDD with a sector 16 from a 20 GB HDD, but
    not the other way around of course.

    Q. Can I use the HDD in my PC again ?
    A. Of course. The tool comes with an 'undo' option, that will restore the
    original size. For example, you use a 40 gb WD HDD, you used hddss.bin
    from a valid xbox 20 gb HDD, so the tool will transform your 40 GB HDD into
    a 20 gb HDD. However, you can restore it to 40 gb anytime you want with the
    undo option.

    Q. I lost my undo.bin file, can I use it from another drive ?
    A. There's no guarantee this will work. It might kill your drive. Using
    a undo.bin from a different model (LAT/RST) will kill your drive for sure.

    Q. I have a x360 core version and want to use this hack to buy a cheap HDD.
    But how do i connect it ?
    A. If you don't have a premium, you can make the HDD internal.

    Q. The tool doesn't detect my HDD !
    A. First, make sure you are running it from dos, not from a dos box under windows.
    Ifthe hddhackr does not autodetect your SATA controller (if you have an nForce
    chipset for example), then you can manually edit the hddhackr to support it.
    To do this:

    1. Find the two ports that your SATA chipset uses for data communication (see the
    MTKediting thread ( http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=514126 ) for
    more detailed info on how to do this), basically, you need to run 'msinfo32',
    then go to storage/scsi or storage/ide, depending on your SATA chipset and then
    look for the two adress lines that have a difference of 7 between them.
    For example:

    I/O-port 0x0000EFE0-0x0000EFE7
    I/O-port 0x0000EFAC-0x0000EFAF
    I/O-port 0x0000EFA0-0x0000EFA7
    I/O-port 0x0000EFA8-0x0000EFAB
    I/O-port 0x0000EF90-0x0000EF9F
    I/O-port 0x0000E800-0x0000E8FF

    In this example the two port numbers you are looking for (with difference of 7) are
    0xEFE0 and 0xEFA0.

    2. Open the hddhackr.com in a hexeditor and search for the string 'port=MPRT'
    (it is at the end of the file). Now, that 'MPRT' string is 4 bytes long:
    0x4D 0x50 0x52 0x54. You have to replace these four bytes with the 2 port numbers
    (which are each 2 bytes long, so you replace the 4 bytes in total), so in the
    example above you replace these four bytes with: '0xEF 0xE0 0xEF 0xA0'.

    3. If you then start the hddhackr, it will automatically detect that you have edited
    that string, so it will skip the SATA autodetector and instead use the port numbers
    you've supplied.

    Q. The hddhackr says the undo.bin file already exists
    A. If you previously made an undo.bin file, then you should keep that one. There's no
    need to create another one. Keep in mind that the undo.bin represents the current state
    of the drive. So if you flash the drive and create a new undo.bin, it will contain
    different info. So in short: it's best to only create the undo.bin file ones: the very
    first time.

    Q. Could you do this for my Seagate, Maxtor, Samsung or whatever drive too ?
    A. Yes, but I don't have plans to do so. The cheapest WD drive (40 gb) ships
    for about $50 and thus is one of the cheapest. It is a lot of work to
    convert this tool for usage with other brands and I don't think it is worth
    the trouble.


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