Rumor: MS Rep - Fall update will be big trouble
>> From gamingconfidential.blogspot.com:

A trusted source working as a customer service rep for Microsoft has revealed that there will be some bad drama when the Xbox 360's Fall update hits on November 19th. He says the update could bring the dreaded "three red lights of death" issue roaring back to life.

The rep said that there has always been an influx of calls from owners of bricked Xbox 360s after every major Xbox 360 software update. Most of the complaints come from owners of launch consoles.

"The slick move by Microsoft here is that it's releasing the update on the 19th, just a couple of days after the extended warranty period for launch Xbox 360s end. The owners of these units are headed for some pretty tense times in the weeks to come,"" he said.

Just curious here.  I haven't been banned yet (haven't signed in since hearing the news either), but I have played an early retail copy of Gears 2 online.  I have not played COD5 or any other title early for that matter. 

The vast majority of quotes in your post, PowerSlave, were from people who played COD5 early.  Investigating further on the X-S and other forums, I find that the relatively small percentage of bannings thus far have been a result of playing COD5 early.  Could this game possibly be acting as a tool to track down flashed consoles?  I understand that nothing is entirely certain as yet.

Powerslave wrote:

Well, it is NOT COD5, is it COD:WaW - people will be saying "Hmmm, I guess it wasn't" when COD5 actually comes out.  This is the second COD title for the Xbox platform to NOT have a numerical value, it is what it is: WaW, not 5.

Also, it is a combination of BAD burns, and playing it early.  Stealth can pass, but the ISO can fail verification due to a bad DMI...  Or, you downloaded a NTSC-J game, though would pass a stealth test, has the wrong DMI, and security sector for this region.  There are many reasons, and well, only M$ knows what they are doing FOR SURE.

Also, as I said way back in the HALO II days; They always use a major release to start banning consoles, and it could have been something you did last month, or the last 4 months.  They do it because people want to play these COOL games on-line, and boy they just can't wait to play.  So that's what they take away from you, the live play.  It's like giving you a brand new car, with no engine in it...  They do it on purpose, as a lesson, you want to play on-line?  Here watch this: Boom, you're banned...  I don't have any miss-givings about it, that's what they do, and have every right to do it.   

I did say, I am surprised that this time around there is not a lot of whining...  Still, people are just dumb, because they can't see that this has happened for the 2nd time now, with a major game release.  People just don't see a pattern, but I do,a nd I knew it was coming. I just shut up about it this time, because people don't want to believe it anyway, and tell me how full of shit I am, well, good for you, now they're  banned, and without so juch as a heads up from me.  After the last time?  There is no reason for me to warn anyone, so good luck next year.  Though, this time should be warning anough, that September/November of next yeat will wield the same hammer as this year.  It can happen sooner, if there is a MAJOR title release on the way...

I'd say it's just because most people would be used to it by now.  As you said, it is the third (or is it the second...?) ban wave after all.

Username wrote:

I got banned today
i didnt play cod waw online but i tested the burn offline. i guess thats enough to get you banned. into the first month of a 13 month live subscription. Damn!

so if i sign in with my gamertag on another console my subscription should be cool?

is there any point in acting innocent and askin msoft why i got banned?

Your first month...  Wow, that's really got to be annoying .  You should be fine if you sign in your profile on another console.

Acting innocent.  That was the very first thing I tried back in '06.  It didn't work then, and it doesn't work now .

Not unless you signed into Xbox LIVE before you got them, or if you move the HDD it's self to the new console.

Username wrote:

looks like i got more questions.

what can i do with the banned console now? can it ever get un-banned?

if i wanted to put my flashed drive into another console would i have to unflash it?
i know i'd have to get a key of the motherboard and swap it with the other console or somthing like that.

cheers

Things to do with a banned console...  You could use it for playing backups offline.  You can get it un-banned, but you'd need an Infetus chip (lots of soldering, not recommended).

To put the drive into another console, you would need to unflash and spoof it (if it is a different brand to what was there originally).  Then flash the new key.

Hope that helps . 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part 2 of post
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have been conducting a few tests with an unbanned, modded 360.  Thus far, I have left it connected to Xbox LIVE for 7 consecutive hours on the Dashboard, and 5 consecutive hours in Gears Of War 2 (RETAIL VERSION).  I have also quickly tested every backup I own (49 - All of which I own the original, and have been Stealth-checked in DVDMulletter).  The only two backups untested (and shall remain so) are the leaked Gears Of War 2 release and the leaked Call Of Duty: World At War release.  Both releases show problems when Stealth-check.  I believe them to be the cause of the bannings.  Will let you know if my console is banned at any point in the next 24 hours.  I will be leaving the console connected to Xbox LIVE at all times.

Happy gaming!

UPDATE:

I am really very sorry for what I must report.  A good friend of mine, who is in possession of an Xbox 360 DevKit has given me some unfortunate news.

Microsoft is detecting modified FIRMWARE.  To those of you who have not yet been banned, you can expect it to occur tomorrow around 3pm EST.  My console has still not been banned.

UPDATE 2:

The test console has now been signed into Xbox LIVE for approximately 13 hours, in Gears of War 2 retail.  I am beginning to doubt

UPDATE 3:

After 20 consecutive hours of Xbox LIVE use on an Xbox 360 with a BenQ drive, flashed with iXtreme 1.4 custom firmware, I judge it safe to use Xbox LIVE.  That is, IF the following conditions are met:

- You have NOT played Mirror's Edge early.

- You have NOT played Gears Of War 2 early.

- You have NOT played Call Of Duty: World At War early.

If you can not confirm those conditions on your console, you are BANNED no matter what you do.

Last edited by troy2000 (0811.15 22:07:26)

i have too came up with the conclusion as troy2000. ive played constantly ever since the ban noting everything i do and so far im still playing live. ive played gears of war 2 with no problem but only after the release date. as long as your backups you should be good. by the way i have an xbox with a samsung drive with firmware ixtreme 1.4.

Derek8588 wrote:

Curious question. From what most people say, playing a game early such a gears 2 offline can still get you banned because of system logs that are sent to m$ once you connect to live. Well these logs must be stored on the HDD. So couldnt you use a different HDD or somehow delete the logs? Maybe say copy your savegame info from your current HDD to another. Then format the old HDD hopefully erasing everything INCLUDING the logs, then copy all savegame stuff back over to ithe old formatted drive?

That LOG information is probably not stored on the HDD.  It would not even be a highly detailed file.  It only contains enough to find you guilty.  It only needs to store one HEX number, for failed tests.  You can't just use a different HDD, because you still need your profile on whatever HDD you use.   If it were that easy, people would be doing it already, especially the people that KNOW how the tests and challenges are done.   

ALSO?  IF you played on line before the RELEASE DATE?  Still doesn't matter, you already DID IT, and it's already been saved on the live servers, with your MAC address, console ID, serial# and so on.  Deleting it from the HDD won't delete it from their servers, since you PLAYED IT already while connected to the internet.

If you are going by saved games too; well, if you played it EARLY, you still have a date and time tag for the file creation, that will be before the release date.  That's a long shot they check that, but who knows.

You don't even have to be SIGNED IN for items to be reported.  As long as the LAN cable is plugged in, you're at risk.

Powerslave wrote:

That LOG information is probably not stored on the HDD.  It would not even be a highly detailed file.  It only contains enough to find you guilty.  It only needs to store one HEX number, for failed tests.  You can't just use a different HDD, because you still need your profile on whatever HDD you use.   If it were that easy, people would be doing it already, especially the people that KNOW how the tests and challenges are done.   

ALSO?  IF you played on line before the RELEASE DATE?  Still doesn't matter, you already DID IT, and it's already been saved on the live servers, with your MAC address, console ID, serial# and so on.  Deleting it from the HDD won't delete it from their servers, since you PLAYED IT already while connected to the internet.

If you are going by saved games too; well, if you played it EARLY, you still have a date and time tag for the file creation, that will be before the release date.  That's a long shot they check that, but who knows.

You don't even have to be SIGNED IN for items to be reported.  As long as the LAN cable is plugged in, you're at risk.

Anything I play early, I unplug my ethernet cable from my 360 and set my system time PAST the release date of the game. I never log online with any games before the release date.

Scenario: If you play a badly stealthed game offline while ethernet cable is not plugged in, I was told that the system logs this information and sends it once you reconnect to live... Or are these logs real time only (When connected to live.)

Powerslave wrote:

New360Hacker wrote:

From what most people say, playing a game early such a gears 2 offline can still get you banned because of system logs that are sent to m$ once you connect to live

That's false.  How do you think the Dashboard and Kernel were updated, BEFORE the NXE?  In the flash.  There is room in there, because the Kernel CAN change in size, and the Dashboard does with new features.  No, they would not be that stupid to place it on the HDD.

Example, does your PC, newer ones do, have a ERROR LOG in the bios?  Well, that's not HDD storage my friend, that is held in CMOS memory.  The XB360 would incorporate the same thing, as you know, XB1 and 360 are just non legacy PCs.  They still need a BIOS to boot, assign DMA, IRQs, ports, memory locations, and so on.  This is all controlled by the BIOS.  You also forget that some consoles still have an EEPROM...   

One way to try it?  Play a non stealth game with the LAN port unplugged.  Format the HDD with the Xbox FORMAT, connect to live, and restore your GamerTAG.  See if you get banned, if not, wait 14 days.  They have been banning in MASS bans as usual.  You really have to have a BAD modded console to get banned right away.   Still, it can be tested.  Flash with OLD firmware, use a BAD Security Sector, whatever it takes to be SURE you will be banned right away.   Wipe the HDD, then sign on and run an original as normal...  That's the only way to know for sure.  My guess is, they are NOT using the HDD as a source for anomaly reporting.

So in conclusion it isnt safe to play early rels - or corrupted backups, even when the Lan cable is unplugged?

damn..

Last edited by New360Hacker (0811.18 13:39:41)

thanks for the info anyway powerslave

Anyway just general talk... the main games that triggered the bans I reckon, is saints row 2 review, i played that on release day, however while connected , damn...

and also cod:waw as I hear around these forums, I havent played cod:waw though, so saints row 2 review deffo F'ed it up for me

oh well I will have to obtain another 360 some way...

Last edited by New360Hacker (0811.18 22:28:51)

Thats what I will end up getting if I get ban, still gonna use my modded for the single player games though