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Microsoft & Xbox Live Banning

malebolgia   on 10 November 2004 - 20:29 · 42 comments & 11640 views

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Ever since Xbox Live came out officially, people who accessed Xbox Live with their modchip on were banned. Live detected the modified BIOS that was loaded, and the Xbox's EEPROM (the unique identity of each Xbox) was banned. However, their Xbox Live account was still safe. So, these banned users got a different EEPROM from various sources, and they were back onto Xbox Live. That has been the way for a long time, and was the way to get banned, unless you used a Xbox Live cheat or was a disruptive gamer.

However, until recently, it seems MS is taking extreme measures to stop people with modified Xboxes from accessing Xbox Live, even with their modchip off. It appears now that MS is banning modders who changed their HD from the way it was when their XBox was stock, to a larger HD or whatever. MS is detecting a change in the HD, and thus banning the Xbox. However, again, the modder's gamertag is fine, just that their Xbox is banned.

News source: Xbox-Scene


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Ben Goodger has updated his Blog with some interesting stuff concerning the 1.0 release. Read the whole entry here.

This day has come a lot later than any of us originally planned, but that's the way software goes. I've learned a lot about a huge number of things in the process, have had the opportunity to talk to a lot of different people about their experiences with the software, etc. It's been a long road but we're finally here. No software is perfect, we did not fix every bug, implement every feature, but what we did do was create what we believe to be the best browser around. I want to thank you all again for the support over the past few years.

We also asked Ben what the progress was after 1.0 :

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(3 replies) #1 Hills420 on 10 Nov 2004 - 20:35
Who cares as long as they still pay for X-box live? You should be able to mod your xbox any way you like (just like your comp).
#1.1 Solarix on 10 Nov 2004 - 21:32
i think the same, its like a pc u buy it and u can mod it, no problem, unlike xbox its a pc you did pay for it with your own money and ur not allowed to mod it? come on thats bull, its like buying a car and not being allowed to change the type of tires on it, and if u do ur not allowed back on the road its crap,
#1.2 threedaysdwn on 10 Nov 2004 - 21:46
It's so you can't cheat.
#1.3 threedaysdwn on 10 Nov 2004 - 21:52
QUOTE
i think the same, its like a pc u buy it and u can mod it, no problem, unlike xbox its a pc you did pay for it with your own money and ur not allowed to mod it? come on thats bull, its like buying a car and not being allowed to change the type of tires on it, and if u do ur not allowed back on the road its crap,


They don't stop you from modding.

Though they do have a right (under current law - not that I 100% agree with) to protect their intellectual property regarding the software on the Xbox. Those who develop homebrew software using an illegally obtained XDK know they are at fault when it comes to the law.

But as for Xbox Live... they ban you from Xbox Live because a modded Xbox would permit you to cheat.

That is plenty good reason for me. I even had an Xbox banned (was hooking up a new TV and couldn't see that it was connecting to Live). But I always knew it was a possibility and that it would be my fault if it did.

I bought another Xbox that is unmodded and I use that for games. The modded one is mostly for streaming videos from my desktop and those of my roommates.
(1 reply) #2 Mx² on 10 Nov 2004 - 20:37
Damn, A bit harsh :|. So anyone with a modded HD xbox will have their specific xbox hardware banned from XBL?
#2.1 welshkid on 11 Nov 2004 - 07:43
looks like it
(1 reply) #3 dave164 on 10 Nov 2004 - 20:39
Thats harsh, i dont have an xbox but that is really harsh, what if you want a bigger HDD for more game data or music, movies, watever?

Harsh
#3.1 threedaysdwn on 10 Nov 2004 - 21:47
That's not how it works.

You can change the hard drive without getting banned.

But you need to put your stuff on a different partition (F or G).

It only bans you if you modify certain files that could potentially be used to cheat or exploit Xbox Live (like getting free premium add-ons).
#4 Mx² on 10 Nov 2004 - 20:49
Anyone got any more info about this? Anyone got banned cos of the HD thing?
(11 replies) #5 Lazy Tiger on 10 Nov 2004 - 20:52
I've known about this for ages, its why I dont use Xbox Live, I thought everyone knew about this...
#5.1 Spyder on 10 Nov 2004 - 20:57
How could you have known about this? They just started taking other factors into account.. let me quote some words from the above news article.... "until recently" and "It appears now".

so here are the options for everyone to pick...

you are:
a) a psychic
b) full of sh*t
c) a troll
d) b & c

#5.2 fo20 on 10 Nov 2004 - 21:02
i hate when companies sell you something, u buy it, it becuase yours ,then ur told though how you must keep it. once i buy it, its mine, and ill do as i please. possesion is 9/10ths of the law.
#5.3 Lazy Tiger on 10 Nov 2004 - 21:13
If you dont believe me Xbox Scene had a article about people getting banned because their hard drives were not standard ones months ago
#5.4 nohoy on 10 Nov 2004 - 21:13
this is a good time to point out that (and i think i can generalize well here) most modified x-boxes are used to NOT buy games. in other words, to steal them.

so then the possesion of the 9/10 of that downloaded game(s) is quite illegal, and is why they try to stop this.
#5.5 Lazy Tiger on 10 Nov 2004 - 21:19
Modified Xbox's can be used for a lot more things then playing backed up games, legal or otherwise...
#5.6 nohoy on 10 Nov 2004 - 21:32
im fully aware of what they can do. all i am saying is that for the most part i am quite sure a modified xbox probably has had some illegal game or software on it at one point.
#5.7 the_maggot on 10 Nov 2004 - 21:47
I don't even have an xbox and I knew they were going to start doing this ages ago.
#5.8 BOOGSoftball™ on 11 Nov 2004 - 00:29
D. hehe
#5.9 stupidape on 11 Nov 2004 - 19:22
hes right, they have been banning modded HD for months, its why i didnt upgrade mine
#5.10 DeepThought on 12 Nov 2004 - 02:39
I second the motion that this is old news. Read about this a few weeks ago.
#5.11 Spyder on 12 Nov 2004 - 18:23
lol who cares.. it was meant to be funny anyways.
#6 warwagon on 10 Nov 2004 - 21:05
They are just mad aabout the whole french Halo leak thing and just assume anyone that can put a new hard drive in the xbox also knows how to download and play the leaked halo game
#7 BTallack on 10 Nov 2004 - 21:35
You can't play a copied game without the modchip enabled anyway. I don't see what they're trying to prevent here.
#8 Sn4k36 on 10 Nov 2004 - 22:41
Ok since MS is going on about ppl modifing there systems... Then how u never hear of nintendo go on about ppl download roms and putting them on a flash card that be used to play the games on your gameboy
#9 daveoc64 on 10 Nov 2004 - 22:41
This is to prevent people breaking the Terms of Service for Xbox Live. You have to agree not to modify your console in any way. It also says that they can ban you if you break any of the rules. If you could modify your console in any way and still use Xbox Live it would be possible for you to do nearly anything : cheat, copy downloaded content illegally...
(1 reply) #10 NimrodUK on 10 Nov 2004 - 23:38
thats not the exact truth,

If you had an Xbox, regardless of version number, that was un-modded when you got XBL, and proceeded to mod it, then you're busted. If you modded your xbox before you got XBL, then you're in the clear. I believe MS registered your EEPROM and HDD serials when you got on XBL. Then, if ONE of them changed and one stayed the same, then you got banned because they'd know something was up. Furthermore, once you were banned, your EEPROM and HDD serials were banned that if you tried to use EITHER of them, then the that combination was also banned. Once a serial is banned, you cannot use it again. Period

An example for those who are lost:

Johnny buys an xbox. Johnny gets XBL. Johnny gets on XBL with his new xbox. Johnny decides, "I want to make backups of my games so they don't get ruined and only use my original retail copies for XBL." So Johnny gets his xbox modded with a huge hard drive. Unfortunately, Johnny's new harddrive serial doesn't match the stock harddrive serial that he used to get on XBL originally, yet his EEPROM serial is the same, so he's banned even tho he turned his modchip off.

Across town, Sally buys an xbox too, but she knows MS is screwing its customers. So she gets her xbox modded before she gets on XBL. Sally makes sure that her huge replacement harddrive is clean and any "additions" she makes to it are located on F drive. This may not matter at all, but Sally thinks it's safer. Sally signs up with XBL for the first time and now her EEPROM and HDD serials are recorded. She's safe and Johnny is out in the cold. Johnny's sad.
#10.1 Fantmx on 11 Nov 2004 - 18:22
Not necessarily. I know people that had a stock Xbox, played LIVE and then modded it, and put in a bigger drive. They are not banned. Plus, in your scenario, what about the case where the drive goes bad and Microsoft replaces it? From what I have read and seen it seems that people that got banned, and replaced the EEPROM are the ones that are having the troubles.
(3 replies) #11 fourte3n on 10 Nov 2004 - 23:42
well... im just waiting for an opensource ripoff of xbox live.... someone will do it. there is already one that lets you play system link over broadband. give it time.
#11.1 Krankerz on 11 Nov 2004 - 03:31
Give it time? How much time do they need? It's already been two years since its release. It didn't take long for Xbox Connect or GameSpy Tunnel to come out with their services, so I really doubt an open-source XBox Live is in the works.
#11.2 tapo on 11 Nov 2004 - 05:28
There is, actually, an open-source Xbox LAN tunnel app for Linux (or Linux boot floppy). It came out long before Gamespy Tunnel or XBConnect, It's just not that good, and nobody uses it.
#11.3 Mando on 16 Nov 2004 - 09:26
what and you think MS wouldnt beat that idea or concept into the ground? Come on m8 use your head will you.

Xbox & Xbox Live are MS intellectual and technological rights and their products.

Think about it if anyone even tried to rip off XBL with a freeware version they would be shut down

Lindows anyone?
#12 SeMz... on 11 Nov 2004 - 04:59
yeh it should be free
(2 replies) #13 R1CK13 on 11 Nov 2004 - 13:55
Awww...i want to mod my xbox, and i want xbox live.. bah.
#13.1 VaLUnTriAn on 11 Nov 2004 - 14:22
So what happens if your XBOX breaks down and you buy a new one? Do you have to pay for XBOX Live again?

Sorry, didn't mean to reply to you.
#13.2 NimrodUK on 11 Nov 2004 - 14:29
That will be fine, as it is a feature Microsoft provide (Account Recovery on another Xbo
(1 reply) #14 FaX on 11 Nov 2004 - 21:06
Doesnt se XBL I use something free
#14.1 DeepThought on 12 Nov 2004 - 02:41
What, like XBConnect?

That doesn't give you the full features of XBL (spoofs network play) and doesn't allow you to download game update/bonus features from Live.
#15 Mattimeo on 12 Nov 2004 - 06:47
I guess the question should be asked, is it ethical to do such things. I mean...I don't like Microsoft breathing down my back, but I did agree to the Terms of Service. I like the XBOX and it is fun and MS designed as such. Sure, if I decide to mod it, it breaks the TOS. That is my choice though. Now I have to accept whether or not modding it is worth being banned (or not...there is some debate here I guess) or just using it as is. Remember, I don't have to mod it.
#16 ThaOddie on 12 Nov 2004 - 07:56
What if you put the serial from the orginal HD over to the modded HD? That's what I did. With a tool I got the serial from the orginal HD and "paste" it onto the modded HD. Also I locked the HD to be able to get the orginal dashboard to function. Never had any probs with XBLive (and yes I modded the HD after I went on XBLive!!!
(2 replies) #17 scoobydoobie on 12 Nov 2004 - 12:00
It's funny how you people complain about this.
You know why they are banning. You know why they don't want you to mod it. yet you pretend to be appalled by it. Just like downloading music without paying for it. Yet again, you become appalled when the RIAA starts suing people over it.

The number 1 reason to mod is to copy games illegally to your xbox. They know that, we know that, so why act like you all innocent over it? Yea, you can say that that isn't your intention but we all know the truth.

As far as I'm concerened, too bad for you
#17.1 Raa on 12 Nov 2004 - 14:47
Then basically we should ban blank cds/dvds, and burners as well
#17.2 MuCtEr on 12 Nov 2004 - 18:41
No, because there are a million legit uses for CD/DVD burners and media... Not everyone's life is driven by the need to waste all of their spare time rotting in front of a video game. <End Rant>

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