Debunked: Xbox 360 bricking rumor due to Live update

Although everyone was waiting for the latest Xbox Live update with bated breath, there was a concern among modders that it would somehow render their Xboxes unplayable, at least on Live. And while Microsoft would be justified in banning the modders on Xbox Live, going so far as to totally brick their systems or drives seemed far-fetched.

The rumor. Nonetheless, there was a rumor floating around the web (we reported on this rumor in an earlier article), and some reported bricks. What was needed was solid analysis by someone respected in the “scene.”

It’s a good thing the guys over at Team Xecuter have been checking out the reports and doing some good testing. Apparently, one of their friends was unlucky enough to “brick” their Xbox. Here’s the details about the subject:

• Samsung MS28 Drive
• Flashed with Xtreme v3.3
• E66 error after Fall Update
• Red lights / No boot to dash

The surprise. Even after the update, the drive firmware wasn’t modified. The before and after dumps of the firmware were the same (MD5 checked). A simple upgrade from Xtreme v3.3 to Xtreme 4.2a was enough to bring back the whole console, including the DVD drive to life. And not only that, it still boots pirated *ahem* backup discs, which means that the update is safe for all the modders. It also seems that the problem is present in a few Samsung MS25 drive Xboxes, but again, it’s just a case of being with the wrong firmware at the wrong time.

What was it? Personally, I think it was just incompatibility between the Xbox dashboard update and the DVD drive firmware. Even though the odds of Microsoft banning the modders was high, and it wasn’t too difficult to do it either, they refrained from doing it. A simple reason could be that they don’t care about it until someone can run unsigned code on it. And thinking about code, the latest update also allows you to run your XNA-created homebrew on the Xbox 360, which means that the incentive of trying to find a way to run unsigned code is very small.

Another probability is that Microsoft could be waiting for all the Live users to get their updates, and then ban them all at once. But then, it’s just another baseless speculation which would be turned into another rumor (and then it will be our unfortunate duty to have to report on the rumor when it gets too big).

Still, if you’re a modder, do take care while going on Live. A banned Xbox later, there probably won’t be anybody to listen to your cries.

Although everyone was waiting for the latest Xbox Live update with bated breath, there was a concern among modders that it would somehow render their Xboxes unplayable, at least on Live. And while Microsoft would be justified in banning the modders on Xbox Live, going so far as to totally brick their systems or drives seemed far-fetched.

The rumor. Nonetheless, there was a rumor floating around the web (we reported on this rumor in an earlier article), and some reported bricks. What was needed was solid analysis by someone respected in the “scene.”

It’s a good thing the guys over at Team Xecuter have been checking out the reports and doing some good testing. Apparently, one of their friends was unlucky enough to “brick” their Xbox. Here’s the details about the subject:

• Samsung MS28 Drive
• Flashed with Xtreme v3.3
• E66 error after Fall Update
• Red lights / No boot to dash

The surprise. Even after the update, the drive firmware wasn’t modified. The before and after dumps of the firmware were the same (MD5 checked). A simple upgrade from Xtreme v3.3 to Xtreme 4.2a was enough to bring back the whole console, including the DVD drive to life. And not only that, it still boots pirated *ahem* backup discs, which means that the update is safe for all the modders. It also seems that the problem is present in a few Samsung MS25 drive Xboxes, but again, it’s just a case of being with the wrong firmware at the wrong time.

What was it? Personally, I think it was just incompatibility between the Xbox dashboard update and the DVD drive firmware. Even though the odds of Microsoft banning the modders was high, and it wasn’t too difficult to do it either, they refrained from doing it. A simple reason could be that they don’t care about it until someone can run unsigned code on it. And thinking about code, the latest update also allows you to run your XNA-created homebrew on the Xbox 360, which means that the incentive of trying to find a way to run unsigned code is very small.

Another probability is that Microsoft could be waiting for all the Live users to get their updates, and then ban them all at once. But then, it’s just another baseless speculation which would be turned into another rumor (and then it will be our unfortunate duty to have to report on the rumor when it gets too big).

Still, if you’re a modder, do take care while going on Live. A banned Xbox later, there probably won’t be anybody to listen to your cries.