Marriage Theory 101, what it is, how it works, and what to do Options

[Juniorman030790]

Ok, well hopefully I can find someone to do a GT trade with. Thanks for the reply.

[MSC843]

After reading about the marriage theory and several different posts about live, I just wanted to make sure I understand everything.

I signed up for live for the first time last Sept. with a brand new Xbox, not modded or changed in anyway. After signing up, from what I've read, my HD and EEPROM were "married".

I just recently had a friend upgrade my HD to 120 GB and install a softmod on the new drive. I assume this means the EEPROM is still the same? Now, with the new HD and if the EEPROM is the same, regardless of whether or not I try to sign on with my old GT or create a brand new one I will be unable to, since the HD and EEPROM do not match, correct? The only way to correct this is to install a new EEPROM to go with the new HD? If installing a new EEPROM is a solution, would I still be able to use my original GT or would I have to create a new one?

Is the reason why you are able to go out and buy a new Xbox or Xbox 360 and use your original gamertag is because the EEPROM and HD are both new and unique? Also, if you have your live account info. stored on a memory unit, would that change anything when trying to sign on to live in any scenario? I don't have a memory unit but was just curious.

I assume the only way at the moment for me to go onto live with my original gamertag is to swap HD's and put the original stock one back in.

For a quick recap again, from my understanding, the only way I can get onto live using my new HD is to update the EEPROM or just swap in the original stock HD back in. If I did update the EEPROM I would be able to go back onto live but am not sure if I could use my old GT or would have to create a new one. Also with a new EEPROM, if I put the original stock HD back in, I would not be able to sign onto live using my original GT or by creating a new one.

Sorry for all of the questions which I'm sure have been answered hundreds of times already. But if anyone can answer any of the questions or provide any additional input, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

This post has been edited by MSC843: May 13 2006, 04:32 AM

[Lemony_Vengeance]

ok, I have an equasion for y'all. would this work?

Virgin Xbox + Virgin, Upgraded HDD +used, but unbanned Gamertag = good to go online?

[edwinmcdunlap]

ok, I have an equasion for y'all. would this work?

Virgin Xbox + Virgin, Upgraded HDD +used, but unbanned Gamertag = good to go online?

Yep, you should be fine.

[Bladedspork]

hey guys I think i might have screwed myself here. I couple months back i softmodded my xbox and intstalled a 250 gig hardrive, I had already went on xbox live with the orginal hardrive and did the update when it came out. since the soft modd I have been on xbox live only for short periods of time an have not been banned, yet. do I still have to get a new eeprom and hardrive if I want to use xbox live for extented periods of time?

[bry_guy12]

Boy do I have a conundrum for you guys. Ok explain this equation:

Married eeprom + spouse retail hard drive = Ban?

Tell me how that's possible.
No mod chip installed
SID 4.5 is the only softmod installed (which you guys should know disables the connecting of xbox live while in use).
Samsung SDG605 VB drive flashed with the hacked firmware

Where in that equation does banning become involved?

[macktruck722]

ok...I've read through all the theories on this...but im coming up with a few scenarios...not sure which one is the right answer here:

I have an xbox with a dead hard drive...unmodded....has been on live...
I want to find a way to repair the xbox to a working state, while still not getting banned from live

Solutions I had come up with

1. Replace motherboard and HDD as a pair from an unbanned unmodded xbox (would rather not spend this much $, though I believe this is a sure fire way to stay unbanned from live)

2. install modchip, install unlocked OEM xbox hard drive, lock drive to original motherboard, remove modchip....use live after....not sure if this will result in ban?

3. create reader to read eeprom off motherboard, lock original unlocked OEM hdd from computer with eeprom, install in xbox...use live.....again not sure how this results?

4. install modchip, install unlocked hd and can't use live anymore

Ideally i'd like options 2 or 3....preferably 3 as its less $

I think that from reading, if the hard drive i get has been on live before it will ban me? but even if it has not i seem to be getting conflicting answers....can someone help clear this up for me? Thanks

[sidewinder33]

What you need to do is relatively simple. Since you have no wish to have a large hdd. I believe that softmods are more than capable of swapping hdd's, the biggest thing you need to remember is that when you switch hdd's you also need to load a new eeprom. you don't need to change boards I believe that the latest slayers cd have an option to reformat a hdd to the stock state.

But getting there you already sound like you know how, what you need is a new hdd and a new eeprom, if you want to keep your old GT then you need to get a stock 8-10gb Hdd make sure its unlocked then install your new eeprom and lock you hdd. But you will of course lose everything on your old hdd, and you will need to do an account recovery to get your Gamertag back.

There are several options you can take, but you need to be able to load a new eeprom and lock your new formatted hdd.

[macktruck722]

so in other words....the eeprom i have now can not be used on live with any other hardrive, used, or otherwise, it wouldn't even work with a brand new hd?


also..how can i install a softmod if my harddrive is dead....i need the xbox to be able to boot first before I can install any softmod right?

[sidewinder33]

Essentially what we have here is a classic case of marriage theory the only difference is your old hd died. When you first go on live your eeproom and hdd are married and stored with MS. If your eeprom comes on with another hdd then they ban you.

Your right though I dont believe you can install a softmod without a working hdd. I do believe though that the slayer's autoinstaller disc can take a new blank hdd and format it to stock. Then you can install a softmod and change your eeprom, then uninstall your softmod. Modchips are somewhat cumbersome to just install then take back out, but now it is very easy to leave the modchip in and still get on live, so that is always an option, but its up to you.

But I believe that the Slayers Cd will do what you need as it does not need the old hdd in to format, I think. I might be wrong but I think that the cd is what gets booted not a hdd.

Keep in mind that I have not used the autoinstaller but I'm sure if you went to their site here that they could answer that question.

Ok I keep rambling, the only thing Im not sure of is if it will boot to the cd if your hdd is not formatted. Asking around in the evolutionx forum might help you with that also, here is that forum, hope that gets you on you way, and that I haven't just taken up you time.

This post has been edited by sidewinder33: Dec 7 2006, 07:24 AM

[Chancer]

I do believe though that the slayer's autoinstaller disc can take a new blank hdd and format it to stock. Then you can install a softmod and change your eeprom, then uninstall your softmod. Modchips are somewhat cumbersome to just install then take back out, but now it is very easy to leave the modchip in and still get on live, so that is always an option, but its up to you.

If you run Slayers you will have a chip fitted so why on earth do you need to softmod the box after.
pointless softmodding the box if it is already modded. You don't need a softmod to flash a new eeprom. Simply install the new HDD format and install with an autoinstaller in the chipped box. Run config magic to load a new eeprom. Don't softmod it as well.

[sidewinder33]

right now he has a completely stock xbox, installing a chip was one of his options, so he wouldnt have to install a softmod if he did chip it. I was just trying to give him some options so he didnt go through the time of installing a chip just to format the hdd, then take it back out.

Probably should have clarified more

This post has been edited by sidewinder33: Dec 7 2006, 02:12 PM

[macktruck722]

allright....let me check if i am understanding this right.....if i get an OEM xbox hard drive with matching eeprom file....

I need to first lock the hard drive from my computer with my existing eeprom? install in xbox so it will boot....can't go on live yet...and then use mechassault savegame hack to boot up evox...flash eeprom with new file...and then lock hard drive with new eeprom file....reboot...and i should be set??

Is that a valid option? is there a way to flash the eeprom from the evox savegame hack...ie can i transfer whatever is needed via FTP and then run it...?

i think this should be a valid method....don't know all the specifics...but am I looking in the right direction now?

[Rexcellent]

New EEPROM, New HD, Clean GT, Coldboot and I Still Got Banned.

I'm just posting to keep other interested people informed. I thought I performed a successful softmod using Krayzies 1.1.1 almost exactly one month ago. Two weeks after the softmod I was still able to play on Live. I didn't play at all last week, but last night I tried to sign on and could not. It asked me if I wanted to start the network troubleshooter. When I did, all the network troubleshooting items worked until it got to the Signing onto Live. Almost instantly, it gave me a message saying that it could not sign on because the Xbox software or hardware appears to have been modified. I don't think I broke any of the rules of "Marriage", but who can be sure in this day and age.

Anyone know if they changed their scanning methods? Does anyone care? My next step will be to flash the old EEPROM and put my old hard drive back into the XBox. I'm quite curious to see what happens next.

If anyone has any comments, I'd be interested to hear them.