Difference between revisions of "Why don't we just..."
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(Answered "why can't we chip it") |
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* ... chip the PB itself like I did for my Playstation, etc... |
* ... chip the PB itself like I did for my Playstation, etc... |
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| + | That is possible, but it is not necessary as we can do any needed modifications by flashing the internal boot ROM. Doing this with software only is less expensive (free) and safer for you and your PhatBox. |
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| − | Any thoughts? |
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(Please edit me and add more items as you think of them!) |
(Please edit me and add more items as you think of them!) |
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Latest revision as of 07:54, 8 August 2005
This page is dedicated to collecting answers for all of the solutions that have been posted to the forums, but which have not (yet) panned out... may we learn from those who went before us.
- ... add a second hard drive, and mount it?
This would probably work, assuming you could
- make the cable for it
- pull enough power from the unit's power supply to power the drives without causing voltage dips or burning out the power supply
- alter the startup sequence enough to execute a mount command
- make the Windows PMM software understand the drive layout that the PhatBox will see
- ... change the drive's "8-digit hex serial number" (er, volume-id)
The system ignores this. The real issue for the drive authentication is the model id string and serial id string returned by the "Identify Device" IDE command.
This Volume ID / Serial number is stored on the drive by Windows. OSX and Linux users wont need or care about this.
- ... use some arcane utility to change a drive's serial id string or model id string?
This is believed to be a valid approach, but will only work for certain drives and requires software that is not generally available.
We do not know exactly what drive ID data is used to create the signature other than just the drive serial number.. it is possible that we could run into issues with larger drive or more recent firmware versions on the drives. Once we can change a drive "physical" serial number (its stored on the drive platters in non normally addressable area) we can test this theory more. Terry Kennedy has managed to take a duplicate fujitsu drive and make it a DMS drive. We don't have much information more than that.
- ... take a new drive, partition it correctly, name the partitions correctly, and then just use that?
This will work inasmuch as the windows PMM software will recognize it, but you will never get the PhatBox to boot the drive without having the right signature on the drive.
- ... chip the PB itself like I did for my Playstation, etc...
That is possible, but it is not necessary as we can do any needed modifications by flashing the internal boot ROM. Doing this with software only is less expensive (free) and safer for you and your PhatBox.
(Please edit me and add more items as you think of them!)