New DVD drive in new Xbox 360s makes FW hacks HARDER

Please hold all comments and reactions until the end of the article. Xbox 360s manufactured since the end of August have a new version of the Hitachi GDR-3120L DVD drive that makes firmware hacks and exploits harder, says Xbox-Scene. v0078FK contains several hardware changes that makes it more difficult to flash the firmware (all pictures from Xbox-Scene as well).

How harder? How more difficult? Xbox-Scene quote this summary from Garyopa that says it all (typos and all):

There has been many changes done to the new Hitachi GDR-3120L – Version: 0078fk drive:

1. No “memdump” command works, totally new program needed
2. Chip type has been changed to a 39VF020, so new “flashsec” program needed
3. Black hard glue has been added covering all the chip pins and the controller pins.
4. External “debug” triggering into ModeB has been removed.

What does all these mean? Click on full article.

Please hold all comments and reactions until the end of the article. Xbox 360s manufactured since the end of August have a new version of the Hitachi GDR-3120L DVD drive that makes firmware hacks and exploits harder, says Xbox-Scene. v0078FK contains several hardware changes that makes it more difficult to flash the firmware (all pictures from Xbox-Scene as well).

How harder? How more difficult? Xbox-Scene quote this summary from Garyopa that says it all (typos and all):

There has been many changes done to the new Hitachi GDR-3120L – Version: 0078fk drive:

1. No “memdump” command works, totally new program needed
2. Chip type has been changed to a 39VF020, so new “flashsec” program needed
3. Black hard glue has been added covering all the chip pins and the controller pins.
4. External “debug” triggering into ModeB has been removed.

What does all mean:

1. The Team-X kit will no longer work on this drive.
2. Dumping the firmware by software is currently not possible
3. Wiring in a patching-on-the-fly “mod” would be very hard due to the “new black glue”
4. Removing the flash chip to externally be read will destory the drive due to the “new black glue”

What options are left to us:

1. Get more people working on this new drive, currently only in UK and Aussie.
2. Destory at one drive to be able to dump the firmware, using a external programmer.
3. Afterwards sitting down and re-writing all the programs: “memdump, firmcrypt, flashsec”.
4. If you can’t wait, buy an older produced x360 console (Before Late July/Early Aug. dates).

You can find back what Hitachi-LG drive version you have by looking at the “ROM VER.” on the front sticker of the DVD drive.

That’s all for now….
We are working on it….
Hopefully some poor soul will give us one personally…
So we can destory it and play with it for everyone else….

Okay, you can start reacting now. Especially if you own a recent-build 360.