My friend gave me this xbox that he managed to format the C:/ partition on, and now boots with error 16. I installed an Xecuter 2.6CE using my cheap method of a wire install. I've had this chip without using it for years, so I lost the original pin header, wire harness, and LPC rebuild board. So I pulled off the header on the 2.6CE and directly soldered wires to their appropriate point on the lpc. i've checked all my connections, and everything looks fine. But when I turn the box on, bank 1, flash unprotected, chip enabled, the blue light on the 2.6CE lights up, as well as a green light under the chip enabled, but the xbox boots with error 16. I'm including pictures of my solder job, in case I've missed something. Keep in mind that this is not my first rodeo, and the wires are not specifically color coded.

If the pictures don't help, let me know and I'll try to take a better pic. My Droid didn't want to take any clear pics, and I'm doing the best I can with an iPhone.

I'm not quite sure what you we're trying to do, but it sounds like the modchip is working so that's a good start. If you formatted the C:/ partition, you should download Slayers or AID and reinstall the dashboard and softmod (if that's what he was using before). From there you can probably remove the modchip too..

I think he meant that the C:/ partition reformating was accidental and that's what the modchip, is being used to sort out.

If the dash (presumably a softmod) was stuffed because of the accidental reformating, as it sounds it must have been, I guess you just need a new clean install as Joes2Silly said.

So the AID disc will work, even thought there's no dash? I tried putting my AID disc in before I resorted to chipping it, but it kept showing error 16. I also wanted to go ahead and chip it, since I havn't done a hardmod in years and I had this 2.6CElaying around, gradually losing parts.

Sounds to me like you need to update the bios on your modchip (if it is indeed booting from the chip) to a bios that will ignore an error 16 state. From there you can boot Slayers/AID and repair.

AID won't work before chipping on an Error 16 Xbox (even if it is softmodded), but should work quite happily after chipping. If not (and assuming it's an AID disc that you know works, and you've tried a different DVD drive from another Xbox), then as xboxmods2977 says you'll need to put a newer BIOS on the chip.

So will the FlashBIOS on the chip not load if the box has error 16?

Flashbios should work. Are you suggesting that it isn't working?

I'd assumed the chip was working and therefore should boot the AID disc or whatever is being used to re-install a clean dash.

If it is a known working AID disc which still won't boot and the DVD drive is OK that did suggest to me there might be something wrong with the chip or its installation as originally thought. But rather than a fault the experts here say that the problem (as so often seems to be the case) is likely a BIOS issue.

I'd always believed that was why a chip was used in Error 16 cases but now I learn here that some chips, because of their particular BIOS, might not function even then. That begs the question: why would any chip BIOS be created which didn't work under such circumstances?

I guess I need to clarify. I got the chip installed, obviously. When I turn the box on with Bank 1, Flash protect Off, and Chip ON, it starts up as there's no chip at all (E16 error screen), even though all the appropriate switch lights are on and the blue light on the chip is on. Any other combination of switch results in turning on/off 3x then fragging with no video.

You haven't said what version Xbox you're using or the flashing light combination you're getting. It could be significant.

I've Googled a bit and found several similar problems discussed and something that may still be relevant if yours is a v.1.6/1.6b Xbox:-

http://team-xecuter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7564

Maybe out of date and completely over my head in any case but the description of the problem and the solution sounds like it matches what has been said here.

Its a v1.6a. I said the light combo. Not sure what you mean though. The eject light frags with error 16 when the chip is on with bank 1 and flash unprotected, any other combo (bank 2, flash protected, turns on and off 3x then fraags with no video. Frags with error 16 when the chip is off.

I got that from your pictures.

Check all of your modchip connections with a multimeter/continuity checker to make 100% sure they are all good. If they are, see my above post.

Further reading (spoon feeding): I did some RESEARCH, to refresh my memory, and found that there was/is only one xbox bios (excluding cromwell), that is both 1.6 compatible, AND has the error 16 fix. It is the X2 5035 bios. Go get it and flash it to your chip. It will allow you to boot past the error 16 (A.K.A. clock check) and fix your xbox.

regards

Well, I'm unable to get a programmer for it, so i will just have to wait until I get my other box back.