How To Disable Write-protection On A Duox3? Options

[Milka2009]

Hi @ All,

a few weeks ago I installed my DuoX3 into my Xbox v1.4. Now I just wanted to flash the BIOS on the v1.6 bank to iND-BiOS 5003.06. When I'm trying to flash it using EurAsia Flash Disc it always gives me erase errors. Followed by 'Maybe flash-protection enabled?'. I searched in Xbox Modding Forums, on Google, in this forum and didn't find an answer...

If anyone can help me to disable write-protection so I can flash my BIOS this would be very nice.

PS: Sorry for my not very perfect english. It's not my first language



Data about my Xbox:

Xbox v1.4
DuoX3
Latest EvoX installed with SlaYers 2.7
Flashing Tool: EurAsia Pro Generic Flash Disc v1.3
BIOS to be flashed: iND-BiOS 5003.06

[Heimdall]

It sounds as though Eurasia has done you a favour! There is no such thing as a "1.6 bank", and there is no second BIOS bank on the DuoX3 - the DuoX3 is a cheap clone that only has one 256kb bank.

If you want to flash iND-BIOS.5003 to your single bank then try using HeXEn (Google Heimdall's Xbox Engineering Disc) to flash your chip - it has support for more chip types.

[Milka2009]

Hi Heimdall,

thanks for replying...

Firstly, my chip is a DuoX3 (yes, I know it's a clone ). It has two SST49LF002B Flash Chips on it. With a switch I can choose from which I want to boot. They are preflashed with an unknown custom BIOS with a colored DuoX3 Boot Logo in the upper left corner. One BIOS for 1.0-1.6A (printed on PCB, although during boot the logo shows "1.0 - 1.5"...weird) and one for 1.6A-1.6C.
Look at this picture: llamma.com (Instead of two SST49LF020A I have got like I said above two SST49LF002B; the Lattice chip should be the same)
This is the same chip as I installed it in my Xbox... By the way, I bought this chip because in Germany there aren't very many stores that sell Xbox chips anymore. The good ones are very expensive, unfortunately.

Secondly, do you mean THIS? Is version 0.99b22 the newest one?
I will try to get it and try it...but on my not-existing second bank

I have another question. Because of the fact that my DuoX3 is nearly a Aladdin XenoFX, but with two SSTs, could it be possible that I have to solder L1 to BT or just BT to GND and on the Motherboard D0 to GND in order to enable flash writing? Read that here: xbox-scene.com

PS: Sorry for my long post, but I just want to be able to flash my modchip with a BIOS of MY choice. The preflashed one has got a few bugs -.-

[Milka2009]

Hi again,

because I can't edit my last post I have to create a new one.


I just tried to flash using HeXEn. The Disc guided me through the menu and finally I chose my BIOS size and which BIOS I want to flash. Then I pressed Y and it stuck on "Erasing."...like with SlaYers 2.7... -.- After a few minutes the screen dimmer is activated. How can I disable Write Protection?! Please help me out.... I tried EvoX (SlaYers 2.7 and HeXEn) and EurAsia 1.3! Nothing helps...

[xboxmods2977]

According to this post, people have had success with something called the Spiderchip Re-Flash CD. You can still get this disc from xbins.

The ISO does not contain iNDbios, so you will have to extract the ISO and slip in the iNDbios that you would like to use, and then rebuild the ISO with Qwix or Craxtion and burn it.

Try this and see if it works.

[Milka2009]

Sorry to say that, but already tried Spider Reflash. I think it doesn't work because Spider Reflash is based on EvoX and no EvoX based Flasher was able to flash my DuoX3 (SST49LF002B) yet...

I tried these tools so far:

- EvoX
- EvoX based Flashing tools like Spider Reflash, HeXEn, SlaYers 2.7
- EurAsia 1.3

Always stuck at "Erasing." or just abort by "Could your chip be write-protected?"...



I give up....!

If somebody sometime ever has success flashing the DuoX3 with SST49LF002B flash chips, he or she can write me a pm...I will try it and probably write a tutorial how to flash a DuoX3 with 002Bs....

PS: Already purchased another modchip...Nevertheless if I get a way to flash the DuoX3 I will try it...

[xboxmods2977]

Ok, I got a couple more ideas. Did you check to make sure, when flashing with an evox based flasher, that the 004B is located in the evox.ini as a flash type?

See this post, as this post indicates this as a possible issue and also that there could be a misconfiguration on the chip itself, such as a misplaced solder blob.

Also, some modchips had a feature where you had to turn the xbox on a certain way to disable flash protection, such as holding the power button for longer than one second when powering on. The front light on the xbox would glow yellow or red to indicate that write protect was turned off.

This post has been edited by xboxmods2977: Jan 7 2012, 06:51 PM

[Milka2009]

Ok, I got a couple more ideas. Did you check to make sure, when flashing with an evox based flasher, that the 004B is located in the evox.ini as a flash type?

Yes... Flash = 0xbf57,"SST 49LF002B",0x40000

See this post, as this post indicates this as a possible issue and also that there could be a misconfiguration on the chip itself, such as a misplaced solder blob.

There are no solder blobs on the chip that could be misplaced...I would like to know which pins are connected before and after the solder connection is moved... (Look here!) If someone could check whats the difference between those two different situations by using a multimeter maybe I could reproduce this with my DuoX3... (I hope you can understand this...I don't know how else to explain what I mean...)

Also, some modchips had a feature where you had to turn the xbox on a certain way to disable flash protection, such as holding the power button for longer than one second when powering on. The front light on the xbox would glow yellow or red to indicate that write protect was turned off.

Tried that too...Holding Eject and/or Power button for long time, pressing both at same time....tried everything...


Sorry, but had that ideas already...

Meanwhile I got the feeling that the Lattice controller chip has been misprogrammed...It has been programmed to work with the SST49LF020A. With that changed circuit you talked about (misplaced resistor/solder blob) I think it could be possible to get it working but I don't know anyone who got a modchip like that one to check the circuit before and after the changes... -.-

This post has been edited by Milka2009: Jan 8 2012, 04:42 AM

[MrMajst3r]

I have exactly the same problem. I can't flash the DuoX3. It's piece of sh..