Ok, I have an actual green Debug Kit. This is not a retail Xbox converted over to be a debug unit. My problem is as the title states, I can't get to the XDK dashboard in the unit. What boots up appears to be the retail dashboard. I've tried using a recovery disc but it wouldn't run on it. I've taken an audio CD and was able to rip the audio just fine which makes me think it's not the drive. I've checked the unit itself and the labels are clean so it's unlikely someone gutted it and put a retail system in there. I've tried booting both official betas from MS and retail games and neither work.

Does anyone have an idea how to get it fixed so I have access to the XDK Dashboard? Does anyone know how it got to be just showing the retail dashboard upon boot up? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Again this is a real Debug Kit and not a converted retail box. Thanks in advance.

I have a sneaking suspicion that you Beta Live! Debug Kit.

Here's an article I wrote on the subject:

http://assemblergames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5851


...Basically it's meant to run on a retail dash and it can't be recovered to run the XDK launcher.

Hope this helps.

Sounds like you have a beta live debug kit.You can try this.Install a
mod chip with a debug bios on it.Then try to use the recovery disc.

Wow, thanks for the info. I had no idea such a unit existed. That's what I have with the same stickers and everything. So from that post, it sounds like it only runs a limited number of games that had XBEs designed to only run on that unit? I'm sort of a collector, so I'll probably just set it aside knowing I have some rare debug kit and just get a cheap used system and convert that to a dedicated debug unit. Thanks again for the help.

Glad to have been of assistance, very nice to hear that you intend to keep it intact rather than rip it apart