Which external 2TB hard drive (extracted) is suitable for internal install?

[jackhulk 24]

Hello

 

I apologize in advance if this has been covered already, which I'm sure it has, but after hours of googling I still cannot answer my question with any degree of certainty due to conflicting info.

 

So currently I have a 750GB internal on Jtag, and I'm looking to upgrade to 2TB. I've done a lot of reading on this subject, but still cannot conclude IF certain external 2.5" HDD can be removed from caddy and installed to 360 without issue? Some report that it works just fine, others report issues. Ideally I would just purchase an internal HDD and drop that into my 360, but considering the externals are bizarrely so much cheaper, I'd much rather purchase one of those and extract from caddy.

 

To me a hard drive is a hard drive, and as long as you don't try using higher that 2TB with FAT, it should work, so can only imagine user error when installing these. I just want to double check however also read that manufacturers have started messing with the firmware of these external drives so that they only work within the caddy it came with.

 

1. It seems the Seagate Expansion 2TB Portable 2.5" (STBX2000401) is very popular, although some report issues. Are there other drives I should consider (model numbers please) that are confirmed working with 360? To be honest not to keen on Seagates due to high fail rates I've experienced over the years, although price of this model coupled with good reviews is tempting.

 

2. I installed my current 750GB many moons ago, so completely forgot process. I'm sure I recall having to do something with my profile with regards to 'signing' or something when moving from one HDD to another. I've googled and found a number of VERY old guides, but these only relate to upgrading from stock MS drive. I'm wondering then if upgrading from non-stock to non-stock will be a little more straight forward and if there is a guide I can follow please? From what I've read it's just a simply case of dropping new hard drives into 360, formatting and FTP'ing everything across, or is there more too it with regards to profile signing as mentioned, and getting avatars and backwards compatibility back working again?

 

3. As this will be 2TB, will I be able to format via 360 to get the full capacity, or will I need to format via PC? Again conflicting info from what I've read so far.

 

4. Is Aurora now able to mount ISO's? If this is not possible, why do some people partition there 2TB drives to included an NTFS partition as seen here

 

5. Once the new hard drive is installed to 360, how to actually FTP as original dash of course does not have FTP capabilities? I assume I need to run xexmenu via USB for FTP capabilities, OR could I simply hook up to PC and transfer that way?

 

I'm sure I've overthinking this, but just want to be sure. Better safe than to be crying like a baby who's dropped their dummy and lost their mummy.

 

Thank you.

[felida 1653]

ok, an external hdd is just a regular hdd with a case, once you take it out of the case, it's a normal internal lol.. you are just over thinking it..

most times when peoples hdd's aren't working is due to failing hdd's and such.. now, there is no way to format it on PC properly/reliably.. BEST choice is to let the XB format it..

once it IS installed, get XexMenu "LIVE" and it will show up in the stock dash as a demo game.. then you can transfer Aurora to it, as well as everything else..

no, Aurora isn't able to mount iso's.. this isn't the Xk3y.. lol.. BUT you can use connectX and SMB share to play games..

Edit: the reason why that guy's problem with his hdd not working is because he might have partitioned it.. and i don't think the XB is set to handle partitions on it.. atleast for the internal.. 

[scorpNZ 207]

Asked the same question so start here.There's 3 mentioned that work,chances are western digital blue will as well.Swizzy mentioned some drives like the expansion you mentioned & me is to do with the 360 being SATA 2 where the interface of the hdd is SATA 3 & not SATA 2.You may be luckier as my consoles are falcons & jaspers

 

http://www.realmodscene.com/index.php?/topic/5722-recommend-a-2tb-25-that-works-in-a-fats-side-mounted-hard-drive-case/#entry48249

[jackhulk 24]

Thanks guys. Felida I know what you mean, a hard drive is a hard drive, whether in a caddy or not, however while generally true, getting certain drives it to work with Xbox 360 doesn't appear to be as straight forward as scorpNZ has discovered. Plus as mentioned I have read that some manufacturers have started messing with the firmware of these external drives so that they only work within the caddy it came with. Overthinking maybe, but just don't want to buy and be stuck with a drive that doesn't work with 360.

 

ConnectX is great thank you. Only recently set this up and pleasantly surprised at just how well it works. However, being so used to super quick loading times from internal, some games seem like they take an age to load, with a few games being unplayable. Driver SF being good example which takes 5 mins to load title, 5 mins to load to menu, 5 mins...well you get the picture. I'm looking therefore to upgrade internal and run everything from there again.

 

scorpNZ I'm already aware of your post thank you, but you didn't mentioned in your post the exact model you have? Is it STBX2000401 and did you get it working? If not what drive did you get in the end? As said I've searched this subject to death, but everyone seems to have different results, so just trying to get confirmation what 2TB actually works, in particular if the Seagate Expansion 2TB Portable 2.5" (STBX2000401) works? Can anyone one who actually has this drive confirm if it works please?

 

I have a jasper too, but didn't think this would come in to the equation as to if a HDD would work or not?

[Swizzy 2084]

Why do you even want to get a External HDD for the HDD inside? hell, some 2.5" External HDD's come directly with USB on the HDD itself (no SATA)

If you want to find a drive that works with Xbox 360 as-is in the SATA port, you want to get a normal 2.5" SATA HDD with a maximum height of 9.5mm (same as for the PS3) as long as the HDD is said to be compatible with SATA2 it should be compatible with Xbox 360

[jackhulk 24]

Hi Swizzy. As mentioned in first post, all to do with price as external is bizarrely a lot cheaper (up to 30%) over it's identical internal counterpart. Also would prefer SATA connect for max speed. Perhaps not likely to noticed much speed difference SATA vs USB, but prefer neat internal install and one less power plug and caddy taking up space if install internally. Plus of course the caddy will be a bonus to use elsewhere, so as external is 30% cheaper, this is the preferred choice.

 

I understand regarding 360 being SATA 2, but SATA 3 by design is backwards compatible is it not, with the only difference if course being that you wont' be getting the SATA 3 speeds obvious, but as scorpNZ has discovered problems do occur. Could just be drive failure as felida mentioned, or user error, but as I've read so much conflicting info, I'm trying to conclude that the drive I wish to purchase will actually work so as not to waste money.

 

Would be great to hear from those who are running a 2TB hard drive please, in particular Seagate Expansion 2TB Portable 2.5" (STBX2000401).

 

Thank you

[scorpNZ 207]

The drive i attempted to use is brand new & works fine through the front usb ports.My drive Model is ST2000LM003.I haven't been able to get the drives mentioned that work.I was thinking of getting a 2tb western digital blue since a 1tb works fine,i've also got smaller 60gb toshiba mk6052gsx & 60gb hitachi hts542560k9sa00 drives that work so would assume the same series of larger drives will be fine as they'll have the same interface.For the record the drive not working as it should as a side mount has nothing to do with being faulty or user error,i did get it to go however from the get go i had issues starting with hdd detection (housing used is a working model was using the 1tb hdd so is not hardware problem),formatting a drive & installing stuff is normally straight forward,this experience was anything but

[jackhulk 24]

Ok so bite the bullet and purchase the Seagate Expansion 2TB Portable 2.5" (model: SRD0NF1) today, but having issues straight away. Bet you could see that coming! 

 

First off, before I open the caddy to remove HDD and install internally, I want to make sure it work with the 360. I've removed my 360 main drive for this experiment and connected Seagate vis USB, but it will only format to 32GB. I understand this was a limitation in the past with stock 360's, but even stocks with latest dash can handle up to 2TB now, so what do I need to do in order to format to full 2TB capacity please? Furthermore after I formatted to 32GB I got this horrible little message...

 

 

I'm hoping this issue will disappear once installed internally, but need to make sure it does actually work before opening case as likely won't be able to take it back to shop after that. Is there any difference between the back USB port vs the front? This is my first ever portable drive and I was surprised to find it doesn't require separate power.

 

Once I get this formatted to full capacity, I'm still a little unclear with regards to getting avatars and xbox backwards compatibility working again. felida suggests it's just a simple case of running xexmenu live and transferring everything, but the xbox backwards compatibility is more than just files isn't it, as it involves a partition fix as described here, so would I not have to do this first?

 

With the backwards compatible issue aside, when I'm in a position to transfer contents from old to new drive, with both old (internal) and new drive (USB) hooked up to 360, can I simply use xexmenu live to transfer everything from old to new, OR would it be advisable to FTP old drive contents to PC, replace old with new drive internally and FTP back that way? OR can I hook my old drive up to PC and FTP contents to new drive that way? Are 360 formatted drives standard FAT32, so PC can recognize and see all folders?

 

Sorry if I've forgotten some basics here as I do recall when I upgraded from stock to 750GB it was very straight forward, but that didn't involve a god awful portable drive.

[felida 1653]

that would be because of the case's speed.. same thing applies to FlashDrives that don't have the expected speeds required for it..

you could try taking it out of the case.. 

and you can use aurora/FSD/xexmenu to transfer everything.. no need to FTP it..

and as for the 32gb limit.. update your kernel to 17349.. problem solved

[jackhulk 24]

That's the thing, I already have kernal 17349.

[felida 1653]

That's the thing, I already have kernal 17349.

then re-build it.. lol.. and try again.. something is wrong.. as it shouldn't do that.. 

all you need on that dash is a fat32 hdd, and create a new folder named "content" and see if it shows..

[jackhulk 24]

Ok the issue is that this new 2TB drive isn't going to be an additional drive. It's going to be my one and only drive installed internally, and therefore needs to be formatted as 'System Drive', however formatting this way is limited to 32GB. I can confirm if both drives are attached, I can format this new drive as an additional drive to full capacity, but as I'm going to be installing this internally it needs to be 'System Drive' (so that it includes SysExt, System folders I assume) so how can I format it according and get passed the 32GB limit please?

 

 

I'm sure a facepalm is in order, but can't get my tiny brain around this, and doesn't help I am dead tired. This means I should stop before I end up poking my eye out with a hard drive, but stopping now is too much of a sensible idea.

[felida 1653]

Ok the issue is that this new 2TB drive isn't going to be an additional drive. It's going to be my one and only drive installed internally, and therefore needs to be formatted as 'System Drive', however formatting this way is limited to 32GB. I can confirm if both drives are attached, I can format this new drive as an additional drive to full capacity, but as I'm going to be installing this internally it needs to be 'System Drive' (so that it includes SysExt, System folders I assume) so how can I format it according and get passed the 32GB limit please?

 

 

I'm sure a facepalm is in order, but can't get my tiny brain around this, and doesn't help I am dead tired. This means I should stop before I end up poking my eye out with a hard drive, but stopping now is too much of a sensible idea.

the only way to format it as an internal, would be to hook it up in that slot.. lol.. and format it.. not through USB bro.. 

and no facepalm from me.. lol.. just helping.. 

[jackhulk 24]

Thanks man, I thought that might be the case (honestly!)  . Looks like I'm just going to have to crack, I mean gently open the caddy and install internally. For that process I think I will have a good sleep first and come back to it tomorrow.

 

This is the new style Seagate Expansion Portable (2015 model), and while I've read it's still possible to open, it's more difficult than previous model. Just looking at mine I can see why as the seems are very tightly joined together. With old model from videos I've seen it was possible to open it with a credit card, but may need some sort of thinner plastic tool to open this new one without causing cosmetic damage to case.

 

 

Sooo once I've installed internally, will I need to run the backwards compatible fix OR can I just transfer everything from old drive to new. Old drive already have backwards compatible, so is this something that can be transfer (is it the HddX folder)? What about getting avatars back? Transferable or will I need to install systemupdate again?

 

Another thing, as this new drive has to be installed internally in order to format as system drive, I will no longer be able to hook up old drive, so can I just hook up old drive to PC and FTP? It's FAT32 right, so PC isn't going to try formatting just to recognize it?

 

On a general knowledge note, what are HddX, SysExt and System folders please?

[felida 1653]

Thanks man, I thought that might be the case (honestly!)  . Looks like I'm just going to have to crack, I mean gently open the caddy and install internally. For that process I think I will have a good sleep first and come back to it tomorrow.

 

This is the new style Seagate Expansion Portable (2015 model), and while I've read it's still possible to open, it's more difficult than previous model. Just looking at mine I can see why as the seems are very tightly joined together. With old model from videos I've seen it was possible to open it with a credit card, but may need some sort of plastic tool to open this new one without causing cosmetic damage to case.

 

can't be no harder to get open than the actual 360 slim case.. haha i gave up and shelled out the $5 for one.. still have the 250gb in it's original case collecting dust..

[scorpNZ 207]

Turn the drive upside down start at the usb end,this is the tut i used tho i found using cards like he did was a pain so switched to a butter knife & used cards as wedges

[Swizzy 2084]

that would be because of the case's speed.. same thing applies to FlashDrives that don't have the expected speeds required for it..

you could try taking it out of the case.. 

and you can use aurora/FSD/xexmenu to transfer everything.. no need to FTP it..

and as for the 32gb limit.. update your kernel to 17349.. problem solved

The 32GB limit still exists, but it's for "System Drive", you can use any size for Content (meaning DLC/XBLA/GOD etc.) but not for TU's that go into cache or the Avatar data

[felida 1653]

The 32GB limit still exists, but it's for "System Drive", you can use any size for Content (meaning DLC/XBLA/GOD etc.) but not for TU's that go into cache or the Avatar data

ahh.. thanks for the heads up/correction mate

[jackhulk 24]

Thanks for the vid scorpNZ, but as said I have the new 2015 version (vid is for old). Pretty much same procedure though, but the new style drive is much harder to open and had to use a stanley knife in the end.

 

Good news is that once installed internally, worked perfectly formatting to max capacity (besides 32GB as Swizzy correctly mentioned).

With regards to transferring content from old drive to new, I found this guide (by charincol) very usual...

 

1. Swap the replacement drive into the 360 caddy, connect it, and format it within System Setting>Storage.

 

2. Connect your old drive to your PC and use Party Buffalo (Google) to copy everything from the Data folder to your PC.

 

3. Connect your replacement drive and copy everything back to it's Data folder.

 

4. Connect the replacement drive to your 360 and run the official MS update that matches the version of your dash. This puts the proper system files on the hard drive. Make sure you don't run an update version higher than your dash.

 

I will add if you want old Xbox backwards compatibility again, run hdd_compat_partition_fixer_v1.

[scorpNZ 207]

If you decide to do another expansion,you may consider using a meat cleaver that has a curved edge.

By starting at any corner on the opposite side of the usb port.Centre the cleaver & GENTLY (you just need to get a bit of seperation at this point) push into the join,once join is seperated roll the cleaver down the side of the case till you hear the click.Remove cleaver & starting at the cleavers rear edge,place it back in & roll forward a bit at a time till you hear clicks,then either continue rolling forward or as i did slide the cleaver forward while bringing the back edge into the next tight part of the case join & roll forward again,do this till your 3/4 of the way down one side then do the same to the other side.Once both sides are 3/4's popped,just gently grab the open end & pull.It was far easier doing this on this drive which has a tighter lid fit than it did on the older expansion

edit:

ps:you have my personal gaurantee this method when done correctly will not void your warranty as no damage will be visible & all clips stay intact

 

pps: good luck getting your money back from me if it doesn't

[ravasquez 14]

Hello,

I want to do this with a 2TB Western Digital or a Seagate, some one know if with the 17489 the 32g limit is removed? I want to use the disk to store Aurora, and apps to avoid use of connectx to stream apps.

[Swizzy 2084]

Hello,

I want to do this with a 2TB Western Digital or a Seagate, some one know if with the 17489 the 32g limit is removed? I want to use the disk to store Aurora, and apps to avoid use of connectx to stream apps.

With 17349 and above they implemented a way for you to utilize up to 2TB of storage for DLC/Games/Profiles/Saves, the 32GB limit is still there if you go for the "old" method which they've dubbed to be "for system storage" or something like that

[felida 1653]

With 17349 and above they implemented a way for you to utilize up to 2TB of storage for DLC/Games/Profiles/Saves, the 32GB limit is still there if you go for the "old" method which they've dubbed to be "for system storage" or something like that

Yeah that is used for the avatar data, and stuff like that lolz.. One could use all external components, if they chose to..

[jackhulk 24]

If you decide to do another expansion,you may consider using a meat cleaver that has a curved edge.

By starting at any corner on the opposite side of the usb port.Centre the cleaver & GENTLY (you just need to get a bit of seperation at this point) push into the join,once join is seperated roll the cleaver down the side of the case till you hear the click.Remove cleaver & starting at the cleavers rear edge,place it back in & roll forward a bit at a time till you hear clicks,then either continue rolling forward or as i did slide the cleaver forward while bringing the back edge into the next tight part of the case join & roll forward again,do this till your 3/4 of the way down one side then do the same to the other side.Once both sides are 3/4's popped,just gently grab the open end & pull.It was far easier doing this on this drive which has a tighter lid fit than it did on the older expansion

edit:

ps:you have my personal gaurantee this method when done correctly will not void your warranty as no damage will be visible & all clips stay intact

 

pps: good luck getting your money back from me if it doesn't

Do you also offer a personal guarantee I get to keep all my fingers?!  I don't mind a few scratches/broken clips and a voided warranty if it means I get to avoid using freaking MEAT CLEAVER, and therefore keep my hands attached to the rest of me!  I fear you and your meat cleaver solve many 'problems' it was never intended to solve?! 

[scorpNZ 207]

Not having fingers to game would suck big time however on the bright side you'd have more time to do something more constructive than play video games all day.Now if you don't mind i got some serious boss battling to do