Hotswap Faq Options

[Grospolina]

Hotswap FAQ

I've seen a lot of tutorials and advice on hotswapping, and they're always different. There's a lot of conflicting information, and sometimes some unnecessary steps. I'd like to compile a proven method, and dispel some of the myths associated with hotswapping.

1. What is hotswapping?

A retail Xbox hard drive (HD) is normally locked. Whenever the Xbox boots up, it must unlock the drive with the HD password in order to use it. It will stay unlocked as long as the power is on.

If we want to access the hard drive on a PC, then we need to unlock it somehow first. If you have the HD password, then you can disable the password with either Xbox software (e.g. EvoX, ConfigMagic), or PC software (e.g. UnLockX, hdunlock/hddisabl). However, if you don't have the HD password and can't get it, then you need to hotswap it.

The term hotswap refers to "swapping" the IDE cable from the Xbox with an IDE cable on your PC, while the Xbox is "hot" (power is on) and the HD has been unlocked.

2. Why should I hotswap?

If you'd like to copy files to or from the hard drive, then you can hotswap. The main reasons for hotswapping are:
- To copy dashboard or gamesave exploits to the hard drive in order to softmod it or flash the TSOP
- To repair a failed softmod

3. Can I damage my Xbox or PC by hotswapping?

Yes. Since you are swapping cables while the power is on, this can possibly cause electrical damage. Also, there is a difference in ground voltages (this can be over 100V!). NB: A good safety precaution is to connect the metal chassis of the Xbox to the PC case with a wire (i.e. alligator clips).

If you plan to do a lot of softmods, then I recommend using a memory card and exploitable game, instead of hotswapping all the time. You can use a gamesave exploit to get FTP access to the drive.

4. When exactly does the Xbox HD become unlocked?

The hard drive is unlocked at every bootup. This happens just before the MS logo fades in under the big X logo.

5. When does the Xbox HD become locked again?

The hard drive is automatically locked when power to the hard drive is lost, or if the Xbox is rebooted. This includes some error screens, since the Xbox actually quick reboots before showing the error.

6. Do I need to wait 5-10 minutes for the hard drive to spin down?

No. This is an unnecessary step.

7. Do I need to be able to load the dashboard or a game?

No. The HD can be hotswapped any time after it is unlocked (see question 4).

8. What is the basic method of hotswapping?

Here's the method I use to hotswap. I've found this to work the best for me.

1. Open the Xbox and set it close to the PC. Plug it in.
2. Open the PC and make sure an IDE cable is free and can reach the Xbox HD.
3. Turn on the PC.
4. Before the PC BIOS looks for hard drives, hit the Pause/Break key. It should pause.
5. If you are planning to use xboxhdm, insert the CD to your PC CD-ROM drive. (Make sure you haven't unplugged the IDE cable to your CD-ROM drive!)
6. Turn on the Xbox.
7a. When the MS logo appears under the big X, remove the Xbox IDE cable and quickly plug in the PC IDE cable.
7b. If the MS logo doesn't appear, then swap just before the error screen shows up instead.
8. Hit space bar to continue booting the PC. If it takes a long time to boot (several minutes), then the HD has not been unlocked.

9. Can you hotswap in Windows?

Yes. Here's the method I use for hotswapping while in Windows. I've only tried it in XP.

1. Open the Xbox and set it close to the PC. Plug it in.
2. Open the PC and make sure an IDE cable is free and can reach the Xbox HD.
3. Turn on th PC and start up Windows.
4. Turn on the Xbox.
5a. When the MS logo appears under the big X, remove the Xbox IDE cable and quickly plug in the PC IDE cable.
5b. If the MS logo doesn't appear, then swap just before the error screen shows up instead.
6. Go to Device Manager (Control Panel -> System -> Hardware tab -> Device Manager) and go to Action -> Scan for hardware changes. If it takes a long time to detect (several minutes), then the HD has not been unlocked.

10. Can I hotswap to another modded Xbox?

Yes. I'll add in details later.

11. Can I hotswap while the Xbox is on and the PC is off?

Maybe. It may depend on the PC. I've tried it once or twice and it didn't work for me.

12. Can I hotswap after BIOS detects the hard drive?

Yes, but I find it's more reliable when the PC BIOS detects the correct type of hard drive first.

13. After hotswapping, can I access the hard drive like a Windows drive?

No. The hard drive uses a different file system called FATX. This file system is not supported natively under Windows. You need a FATX-compatible program like HDD_Driver to access it. However, HDD_Driver is very buggy and has limited functionality. I highly recommend using xboxhdm (CD-based Linux) instead.

14. What is this xboxhdm? How do I use it?

Please see this thread:
Why Use Xbox Hd Maker (Linux)?

15. What do I do when I'm done?

Shut off your PC, shut off the Xbox, and put it back together. The hard drive will automatically be locked.

Edit 1: Added question about hotswapping to another Xbox. Also added info about locking on error screens.
Edit 2: Added question about damaging the Xbox or PC.
Edit 3: Added link to xboxhdm FAQ.

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Comments, further questions, and suggestions are welcome.

This post has been edited by Grospolina: Jul 7 2004, 02:34 PM

[whitej8]

I dont see any info on jumper settings so i figured I add what I used. I hotswapped my xbox HDD into a PC with a single HDD. I had to set the PC HDD into master mode and the xbox into slave.