Lt Firmware Question (related To Drive Keys) Options

[uradodah]

Hello all.

First, I beg for your forgiveness as it relates to my rather simple question. I tried to find an older post that already included my answer but I can't find one (or am looking in the wrong place). Anyway, your patience - and your answers - will be truly appreciated by me and my son.

I modded my console long ago and I also switched out the original Hitachi 47 drive with a BenQ just over a year ago. The console is an original - i.e. - purchased the day the 360 was released. Unfortunately, today, I believe it died. If you're interested in why I think it's dead, see the info included at the bottom of my post. That issue is not the primary reason for this post.

I was thinking about buying a new console anyway because the current one is banned from Live. Since I haven't bought a 360 in - well, years - I thought I'd try to gain a bit of info from you experts.

My questions:

1. If I decide to buy a new console, is there a way to know - with some level of certainty - which brand of drive is installed (by the model numbers viewed on the box, etc.)?
2. Since I have no experience modding a Lite-On (and don't really know how to extract the key) I'd like to use my BenQ drive after installing LT f/w on it. Am I remembering correctly that the original drive's key is NOT needed when using LT f/w? In other words, if the new console has a Lite-On drive, can I avoid the hassle of extracting the key and just spoof my BenQ as a Lite-On with the LT f/w and no key (or the key it has now)? For some reason, I thought I remembered reading something about that in this forum.

I could be a couple sandwiches short of a picnic, too. Maybe I didn't see that info at all (which is why I can't find it anywhere).

I haven't had to update f/w or anything since the console got banned last November. I know nothing about Lite-On drives but the comments I've read in many posts give the perception that it's very likely a new console will come with a Lite-On brand drive. If that's true, I just want to be prepared.

Thanks again for your patience and answers.

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Info about the console failure (RROD?):

I'm still doing some research because I think it's a RROD issue. Maybe it can be repaired. My son was playing a game for about 10 minutes and then it froze. Now, whenever we try to power on the console, we get the dreaded red ring of lights - 3 of them, I believe. It started to boot up the first couple times but we heard a loud buzz for a split second and then it froze. My bet is that it's the RROD. I'll read up on the various "fixes" for it.

Does this sound like the dreaded RROD to you?

[iateshaggy]

all new consoles have liteon drives, u have to get the liteon drive modded, using your drive won't work the way u want it to.

the only way to fix rrod is w/ a reflow (cheaper but temporary) or reball (expensive but worth it).

[UnnA^]

What you want to do will not work. Your new console will have a lite-on drive in it and the key must me extracted from that drive to be able to play backed up games.

[uradodah]

Thanks for the comments, guys. I guess I had better read up on how to extract Lite-On keys. I haven't really paid any attention to them since I had an older console.

@iateshaggy-

As far as the RROD issue, I've been reading up on how to remove the x-clamps and reinstall the heat sinks. However, I haven't seen anything about a "reball" method. I've only seen talk of a reflow. Do you happen to know where I can find info on how to reball a console?

In the mean time, I'll do a Google search.

Thanks again, guys!

[iateshaggy]

no offence, but it cost more to buy the equipment to do a reflow than it cost to get it done, so you can't do it. and if you don't know what a reball is, then no tutorial will ever give you the ability to perform one, and it cost more to set up than the reflow. i can reflow and syntaxerror/boxxdr can reflow and reball. you can pm me for reflow pricing and arrangements if you want.

for liteon key reading, it is also very complicated, if you decide it is over your soldering ability i can help with that too.

This post has been edited by iateshaggy: Jun 27 2010, 07:02 AM

[uradodah]

@iateshaggy-

I'm not offended at all. Actually, after I found a post on this forum that showed images of what reballing is - I laughed. It took me all of 3 seconds to know there was no way I could do it - regardless of equipment costs.

On a side note, the more I think about it, my son and I don't do any gaming on Live so I doubt I'll purchase a new console right now. I think I'm going to take my chances on buying a banned console listed on Ebay. There's a number of them out there and most of them are newer consoles than mine. Since we don't really care about online gaming, that might be the way to go. We do miss the ability to purchase DLC but that's it.

The only thing I'd be concerned about would be buying a console that's already been "fixed" for the same RROD problem without knowing it ahead of time. If I'm careful, I'm sure I can avoid that though.

Since you work on consoles, do you know of a better way for me to pick up a banned console at a reasonable price - i.e. - not through Ebay? If so, PM me and we can continue the conversation.

Thanks again.

[iateshaggy]

i may have a friend looking to offload one, next time he calls me i will let him know. buying used 360's from craigslist and ebay is very risky, i get many of them in my repair shop that are usually beyond repair. feel free to pm me, i will get with you tomorrow.