Unauthorized Xbox 360 Storage Devices will be blocked with the Fall 2009 Update

[InsaneNutter]

Major Nelson, the head of Xbox Live has posted on his blog:

“When Preview Program members start receiving the Xbox 360 system update next week, one of the changes is that unauthorized Memory Units will no longer work with the Xbox 360. If you’ve moved your profile or saved games onto one to “back it up,” you’d better move it back onto an authorized Xbox 360 storage device prior to taking the update. If you continue to use an unauthorized Memory Unit after the update, you will not be able to access your stored profile or saved games.”

So much for Datels Memory Card which could use SDHC cards as memory.

I wonder if this means anyone who has hacked a laptop hard drive to work in the 360 will also no longer be able to use it? I guess we will findout next week.

 

[Titcher]

Mannn, Microsoft aren't happy until you've been overcharged for every little thing.

 

[mattyd38]

I wonder if this means anyone who has hacked a laptop hard drive to work in the 360 will also no longer be able to use it? I guess we will findout next week.

i don't think this update will affect "hacked" hard drive units as the hack involves replacing the drives firmware with one extracted from a microsoft unit. essentially making the "hacked" drive into an official drive. i run a modded drive and will install this update (after backing up my profile ) and let you know how i get on.

 

[InsaneNutter]

Nice ill be interested in knowing how that goes, I’ve been thinking about modding a 250gb drive for the 360 when released to replace my 20gig one.

So the hddss.bin you mod the drive with doesn’t contain any unique information? If so that sounds promising

 

[dot.wrum]

All hacked drives have same serial number. Microsoft can detect it without any problem.

 

[mattyd38]

which serial no* do you speak of? the hdd's hardware serial number cannot be changed, its device specific. the software serial no* is generated whilst formating the disk for the first time.

on the storage device menu the hdd is the only device that show up with a "microsoft" symbol. the other devices you can see attached are the hd-dvd player unit and an official 256mb MU.

please note iv attached a 2nd picture highlighting the MU, proving the "microsoft" symbol is not affected whether its highlighted or not...

 

[mattyd38]

in an effort to explain myself better i will submit the following:

the hdd sectors 16-22 contain the plain-text versions of the WD BEVS hard drive model number, serial, and FW revision and another copy of this information is stored in a signed area. if they don't match, the security data is invalid.

HDDhackr reads the sector 16 information then writes this data to firmware, then writes sector 16 to the drive, so the information matches.

essentially a non xbox hdd retains the hardware serial number it was manufactured with...

 

[InsaneNutter]

You were correct MattyD, multiple people have confirmed over at Xbox-Scene say only the Datel memory has been blocked.

The 250gb Hard drive Security sector is now in the Digex Download Centre for anyone who wants to hack a drive: https://digiex.net/consoles-homebre...load-hddss-bin-hddss_250gb-bin.html#post19639

I think im gonna do a 250gig one sometime soon!

 

[mattyd38]

i can confirm that my 360 has received the fall update today... still working fine

 

[cardo69]

is this only memory units?? HDD only?? is usb sticks gonna be affected by this coz i use mine regularly hey!!!

 

[InsaneNutter]

Its only on memory units, not hard drives or usb sticks. You will be fine!

 

[Titcher]

That's great news then, roughly £50 for people wanting 250GB hard drives, good stuff.

 

[InsaneNutter]

Ive been looking in to it, the 250gig 5200rpm drivers are about £37 on Ebuyer with the 7200rpm drives around the £50 mark.

Not sure if its worth going for a faster drive as I belive standard 360 drives are 5200rpm anyway!

Either way still better than the official 120gig at £90+