Tutorial: Using A Samsung With A Hitachi Motherboard, How to properly create your Samsung Xtreme firmware Options

[caster420]

This tutorial will explain how to create Xtreme firmware for your Samsung for use in place of a Hitachi drive. Three different methods are discussed: Hex Editing, Samtool v0.5, and 360 Fimware Toolbox.

If you follow the instructions, you should have no issues using your Samsung with a Hitachi motherboard. To gain a complete understanding, I recommend that you read the entire tutorial.

The tutorial can be found here.

Enjoy,

Caster.


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Link updated at caster request

This post has been edited by sosotiit: May 4 2007, 03:05 PM

[sosotiit]

Great doc, not only for its primary objective of replacing a Hitachi by a Samsung drive.
The sections explaing the structure and positioning of the key are fantastic.

Wish many will read it

thks again, soso
Note: sent a req to have it put in the faq


This post has been edited by sosotiit: Feb 11 2007, 02:05 AM

[caster420]

Great doc, not only for its primary objective of replacing a Hitachi by a Samsung drive.
The sections explaing the structure and positioning of the key are fantastic.

Yes, i was hoping that it would not only show people how to use it for this application but also for general firmware related issues as well.

I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Caster.

[sosotiit]

There are some key statements like on page 19

If you attempt to open a ‘spoofed’ firmware
created by hex editing or with samtool, it will report the key as
16-bytes of FF because the program thinks that it is a Hitachi
firmware (both stings are patched).

This would also imply it is important (except for those doing Hex editing in method 1) to start these process with the generic firmware files (those called Xtrem52a.bin, Xtrem52b.bin, Xtrem52c.bin, Xtrem52d.bin) and not the version specific files (52x-htyy.bin like the 52b-ht47.bin).

The later (52x-htyy.bin) if used with the more automated tools (FW toolbox) would be seen as Hitachi firmware and the key patched to position $4F00 and not in the structure of preamble starting at position $4000 used by the samsung.

So the version specific file (52x-htyy.bin) should ONLY be used with the Hex editor?
Happy I never use these but what would be the impact of someone using patched at $4F00? and could it be recovered?

Rgds, soso

This post has been edited by sosotiit: Feb 11 2007, 03:54 AM

[caster420]

This would also imply it is important (except for those doing Hex editing in method 1) to start these process with the generic firmware files (those called Xtrem52a.bin, Xtrem52b.bin, Xtrem52c.bin, Xtrem52d.bin) and not the version specific files (52x-htyy.bin like the 52b-ht47.bin).

The later (52x-htyy.bin) if used with the more automated tools (FW toolbox) would be seen as Hitachi firmware and the key patched to position $4F00 and not in the structure of preambule starting at position $4000 used by the samsung.

So the version specific file (52x-htyy.bin) should ONLY be used with the Hex editor?
Happy I never use these but what would be the impact of someone using patched at $4F00? and could it be recovered?

That is correct. Only use the version specific firmware files with the hex method. Firmware toolbox will do just as you said, report your key as 16-bytes of FF and then when you inject the key it will go at $4F00 (for v40-59) and between $4000-4FFF with bytes of 74 (or 72, can't remember) on either end. If you flashed this to your samsung, you would get the please insert this disk into an xbox 360 console error.

If you tried to use a version specific firmware with samtool, you would get an error. It would state that the key couldnt be found in the original, because again, it thinks it is a hitachi. The next version will check the key structures of hitachi files (if the key isnt found) to detect spoofed firmware.

Caster.

[Tal1481]

That's a fantastic tutorial!

I have 1 Question tho - it's dumb i know - how do i get the original hitachi fw key? I don't have my original hey and the hitachi drive i want 2 replace is v1 fw flashed.

Thanks again!

T

[caster420]

Put your drive in modeB as you normally do. Make sure it is assigned a drive letter and in a command prompt window run memdump (found here).

memdump_win e 12200 8 8000 original.bin, with 'e' being replaced by the assigned drive letter

Then, open your dumped firmware in 360 Firmware Toolbox and it will display the key. Since you have already dumped the frimware, you can use the samtool method to create your firmware if you like. It shouldnt matter if it is flashed with v1 firmware, since it only looks at the key and version strings.

Caster.

[Tal1481]

No I don't have the origianl fw - but i have my hitachi fw as it is now with v1 xtreme - i just run mtkflash and read it from my drive. Can I proceed with method 2?

T

[caster420]

No I don't have the origianl fw - but i have my hitachi fw as it is now with v1 xtreme - i just run mtkflash and read it from my drive. Can I proceed with method 2?

T

I'm confused - Hitachi's can't be dumped using mtkflash. Memdump, as i posted above, will dump your hitachi firmware.

Caster.

[Tal1481]

sorry my mistake - it's 6 am here!

I was failing 2 understand but I've got it now.

Thanks 4 ur patience, efforts and hardwork - uve just saved me £250!

T

[sosotiit]

Hi caster,
I was planning on adding a step to your method 1 (only planning because I am still trying to find one TSH943 at a decent price).
It may not be needed but you mention that there are several place holder for the key, and if I obviously would like to copy my key, I would also like to preserve the key place holder of the drive.

Plan
1)Backup the firmware of the replacement drive using "mtkflash r /m /sata replace.bin" (as per many tutorials here)
2)Extract the Key entire zone $4000-$5FFF from the firmware of the replacement (replace.bin) drive and insert it in the version specific software of your choice (like 52a-ht47.bin to replace a Hitachi V47 and get ms2x version A firmware).
3) continue with your method 1 to insert Hitachi key

Not sure that preserving the place holder adds anything to be honest!! Might just be me liking too much playing with these things .

Rgds,soso

This post has been edited by sosotiit: Feb 11 2007, 06:49 PM

[caster420]

You could also do this if you have your original.bin from your hitachi:

1) Dump firmware as you stated.
2) Use samtool with your dumped fw and Xtreme 5.2(A-D) of your choice:

samtool orig.bin xtrem52A.bin

This will copy the entire $4000-5FFF range over.

If you get prompted to copy the version from the original to the hacked firmware, it doesnt matter, you will overwrite them in the next step anyways.

3) Then, with xtreme52A.bin and your original hitachi firmware, use samtool again:

samtool original.bin xtreme52A.bin

This should copy the key from the hitachi and put it at the last key location of your orig.bin (overwriting the key). Then it will prompt you to copy the version strings like the tutorial. Double check with a hex editor.

Then flash the Xtreme firmware.

Caster.

This post has been edited by caster420: Feb 11 2007, 06:57 PM

[Chancer]

This has been added to the FAQ in the pinned. Cheers

[Thundera]

Sorry I know I'm a complete noob but all I want to do is replace an Hitachi drive with a Sammy without the ability to play backups. I haven't opened my 360 yet and don't want to if as a result its not possible without unlocking the media protection at the same time. I just think the Hitachi's are crap and a nice new sammy would be great

Does this tutorial explain this?

This post has been edited by Thundera: Feb 13 2007, 08:45 PM

[caster420]

Yes, it applies in your case. You dont want to mod your firmware, just swap drives. So, you will need a backup of your hitachi firmware (or key atleast) and a backup of your samsung firmware (or a non-hacked version of your fw from somewhere). Then use one of the methods, using your original (or non-hacked) samsung firmware in place of the Xtreme firmware, as specified throughout the tutorial.

Read it and ask questions if need be.

Caster.