MS banning more consoles from Live

[Steve]

It appears you're not safe even if you're using the "stealth" firmware like iXtreme. It seems that bad rips of games might be to blame, but if you've downloaded one of those and played it online, chances are you're fooked.

[Clownstyle]

Yep, ive been hearing more about this lately. I just reflash my firmware before playing my original games on live and I havent had a problem yet.

[MrDee]

i went on live the other night

(first time since the last wave of bans)

still on extreme 5.3 and i was straight

in there so i updated the dash

d/lled all the game add ons

and signed out

lets see if i get collared this time

[Steve]

iXtreme 1.4 has been released which apparently fixes the issues that enabled MS to detect modded 360s. It's probably still a good idea to check for bad Kreon rips though, just in case.

[ihateangle]

MS will constantly be looking for new ways to detect modded systems.

[Steve]

It's happening again. MS have banned a shit load of people from Live right before NXE is about to be released, although it was kind of predictable that they were going to do that. I haven't been able to check if my console is banned as I have the leaked NXE installed and can't connect to Live until the 19th, but I'm fairly certain that I am banned. Oh well, it was never going to last forever.

[2tothe3]

From what i've read on the web, it could be down to the games, ie ppl playing COD5 and GOW2 before its release date. Makes sense really, you can't play what aint in the shop yet. Also someone pointed out that the games might be moddified [ possibly by MS ] to catch ppl out, very crafty if its true.

How do i tell what firmware is on my console? mine was done by a guy who aint around no more so i can't ask him.

[Steve]

I don't think there's a way of knowing which firmware you have installed unless you can speak to the guy that's installed it. Even people with the latest version of iXtreme have been banned in large numbers though, so nobody is safe.

 

It seems that they check the security files of games and if they don't match up, you're done for. The guy that cracked the 360 originally said that the way MS are checking for modded consoles hasn't changed, and they're still reading the DMI, PFI and so on from the disc and matching the CRCs with a database.

 

I've often download games that have invalid security files that need to be fixed with Mulleter or abgx360 before burning the disc, but with very new games there's no way of knowing because they're not in the database. Just recently quite a few review copies have been released too, some unfinished code and some that have been listed as retail copies, and they're going to have different security files to the retail discs.

[2tothe3]

I used to buy my games for 5 quid a copy, till trading standards collared the guy. Though cause i've moved towns recently i aint found no-one here doing em. I can't be bothered with doing them myself its too much hassle. Plus i prefer to let ppl test them out on-line first, that way im safer. All that merging & adding stealth patches is beyond me.

 

I also read that its legal to have the NXE before the date, cause ppl are transfering it from xbox h/d & usb, apparently MS are cool with that, is this true?

Though its a week away im not to concerned, i just don't wanna get it and then get banned.

[Steve]

360 games that you download are already stealth patched, so in theory you could just burn them and play. I have a couple of programs that check the stealth files with an online database of trusted stealth files from a retail version of the game. If there's a problem, it can replace the correct files in a few seconds, but as I mentioned above, when a game is brand new or has leaked early, it'll just say "game not in database" and you're taking a punt as to whether the stealth files are legit or not. On the Xbox-Scene forums there are people claiming that they've only ever played backups of retail games they own that have confirmed good stealth files yet they've still been banned, so it's a bit of pot luck as well.

 

I've installed NXE, but you can't say for sure whether MS will take action against the people that installed the leaked version. Chances are they won't, because in the email they sent out to people that got into the legit NXE preview programme, it said that if they attached their 360 hard drive to another console, it would automatically update that console with NXE and then it wouldn't be able to connect to Live until the 19th when the official update is released. It would be extremely harsh of them to ban people considering the update can be automatically installed in that way, and users installing it early doesn't really do them any harm.

[2tothe3]

My xbox went back to MS for repair, i was real panicky about it cause of the flash. The guy who re-flashed it back said they will never know. I mean c'mon surely MS will know if its been flashed or not, they made the thing. Im wondering if its been flagged already waiting for a few dodgy games to appear on it to boost it to be banned. Who knows!

Im thinking i might just go legit if i get caught. I can wait for games till the price comes down im not in that much of a hurry. Plus they just ban your console not your name i hear. But surely your gamertag will always be branded with illegal issues that you've done. I think i'd scrub my tag too if that happened, f.ck it.

 

So whats the NXE like then?

[Steve]

There's a security sticker on the 360 so they know that it's been opened. Some people manage to remove the sticker and put it on some backing paper, then stick it back on again later if they need to reflash back to the original firmware.

 

They ban your console ID, so you can use your gamertag on another console. (EDIT - According to the G4 website, they're banning the console ID and the gamertag this time.)

 

NXE is great IMO. It's much more responsive than the old blades and the layout is intuitive. The install to hard drive feature is good too. It takes up to 11 minutes to install a game in full - I've got 15 games installed on my 120GB hard drive at the moment. You still need to put the disc in to prove that you own the game though, but the disc doesn't spin at all while you're playing so it's much quieter than before. Load times are improved in some games too, but in others it's not really noticeable. I haven't got access to the avatars, so I can't comment on those.

 

Here it is if you want to try it: -

 

http://rapidshare.com/files/159462941/xblexp-plube.rar

Extract the folder from the RAR and pop it on a USB stick, or burn it to a CD or DVD. Be warned that you won't be able to connect to Live until the 19th if you try it, and you will no longer be able to play DivX files because the codec's not included (you'd have to download it again on the 19th). It's probably not worth it as the real thing's out a week today, but it's there if you want it (or if you've been banned and can't get it!).

[2tothe3]

And to think my sticker has been removed a few times now. I wonder if MS had trouble with it and put a new one on when fixing it, perhaps the guy who fixed it didn't care. I wouldn't.

 

That links been removed, typical of RS nowadays. I'd like it just in-case i do get a ban tho, can you post another or point to where i can get a legit [lol] well good link to it.

 

So let me get this str8 you can now load games on to the h/d with NXE, nice. Mine box is so loud but im sure its not the disc spin but the fan, it seems louder since i got it back from MS. I thought of changing the fan inside, but that means opening it, not sure bout that one.

[Steve]

That links been removed, typical of RS nowadays.

If you need it, send me a PM and I'll upload it again for ya.

[2tothe3]

My m8 has been banned yesterday, he had an 'Elite' too. Playing COD5 & GOW2 he said. He had to buy a new console today. GUTTED!