The Xbox LIVE Preview program will be ending within the next 2 weeks as the update rolls out which was posted on Microsoft Connect's website earlier today (May 19, 2011) Dashboard Release In Progress Dashboard Release In Progress Over the last 2 months your engagement in testing the latest Xbox Dashboard update has been super critical in getting us prepared to release the next update to the broader Xbox Community. We appreciate your participation in the program and are excited to announce that we are approaching the date when we can release this update. Over the next few weeks we will be releasing the dashboard update (the specific build that you have been testing for the last couple of weeks) in a series of targeted updates to the broader Xbox Community. You will not be prompted for a subsequent update as you already have the latest version that is being released. At the end of our official release process, we will send a final message letting you know that the program has completed and at that time your commitment for this Xbox LIVE Update Preview program will be complete. Thank you for your time and commitment to improving Xbox.
I have read that the update puts flashed drives back to stock mode. That's an impressive update but you can simply flash it again...
It does, however if you simply flash your drive again it will not work with the new XGD3 disc format that games will come on later this year.
I believe this is the first time MS is touching the drive firmware by means of an update. And hopefully, HDDHacked hard drives do still work?
It is the first time MS is touching DVD drive firmware, even though its only so consoles can read the new disc format its a pretty smart move by Microsoft. They could easily flash modded 360's back to stock with every dashboard update, if they wanted. That would certainly discourage piracy as a lot of people have no idea how there modded 360 was even modified. They do I honestly don't think Microsoft can even detect them. If they can then they do not appear to care, its not like having a big drive allows you to play pirated games, if anything you have the space to buy more content from live.
Another fun fact: Even with Xbox Live Sign in and account creation disabled on a console (INCLUDING JTAGS) when launching an xbox1 title, your system tries to download an update from Xbox Live, the kicker? it's happening on banned boxes and freboot consoles too! Microsoft is trying extremely hard to push theses new updates. So remember to refuse the updates if you don't want to screw up your jtag, lose your ability to play "backed up games" etc.
I have always blocked my console from accessing the internet on my router, then on the console by giving it a static ip address and setting the consoles default gateway and dns ip addresses to something that doesn't exist on my network. E.g. My Routers IP is: 192.168.1.1 My Jtags IP is: 192.168.1.32 However the DNS / Default gateway on the Jtag are set to 192.168.8.88 meaning the console can not talk to the Xbox Live servers even if my router wasn't blocking it. However I can still FTP in to the Jtag, system link with other consoles on the network or use it as a media center extender.
I just have a rule in access restrictions in my router to stop xbox live access. I just forgot to turn it back on after I was testing my banned xenon for the "mass unban" craze.
Thats what i do too, I sometimes take my Jtag to a friends so i also like to block access on the console just in case. I have never tested it, however DashLaunch 2.20 onwards has added options to block Xbox Live from the console its self too.