Sounds like the "Ban Hammer" is here !!!

[Surrido]

they will try to NOT give us a picture about which people where banned. so we cant find out how they select

[Iriez]

The question is now also: if you are not banned right now, and revert to original FW, will it be detected as a change and then get you banned?

The change is not what will get you banned. We've been speaking to someone who claim's to have some technical insight into the update. His claim's are that the new update gives the dash the ability to dump the eeprom to do crc checks on area's. He said that the instant the update was ran, it was checked and flagged if data was altered. One of the main reasons I believe him is because he mentioned the fact that the 360 now takes about 3 seconds longer to boot. This would definitly be a result of dumping the eeprom and checking. MS will now start rolling 'waves' of bans over the next few weeks, and not all at once. I think they do this for their support staff, publicity, and image.

So, likely, the console was flagged already, and changing wont do anything at this point. All of the heads are togeather on this one, and we should know more about the routines being passed between the drive and the console in the next two days.

[creatox]

I did prespring update, 5.3 and was banned.

And you didn't had an hacked firmware befor 5.3 ? (Console was original all the time before modding?)

oops sorry missed that, nope I had just modded it with 5.2 before that.

k, so there is hope.

I guess you where already selected to be banned with the 5.2 FW before the Spring update.

When this was the Disc Jitter Check... then everybody with the first and only 5.3, 1.7 or 2.4 FW should be save.

Please: Who had been banned with a console who had only 5.3, 1.7, 2.4 FW? (so never had a FW below these)

[tenaciousdave]

The question is now also: if you are not banned right now, and revert to original FW, will it be detected as a change and then get you banned?

The change is not what will get you banned. We've been speaking to someone who claim's to have some technical insight into the update. His claim's are that the new update gives the dash the ability to dump the eeprom to do crc checks on area's. He said that the instant the update was ran, it was checked and flagged if data was altered. One of the main reasons I believe him is because he mentioned the fact that the 360 now takes about 3 seconds longer to boot. This would definitly be a result of dumping the eeprom and checking. MS will now start rolling 'waves' of bans over the next few weeks, and not all at once. I think they do this for their support staff, publicity, and image.

So, likely, the console was flagged already, and changing wont do anything at this point. All of the heads are togeather on this one, and we should know more about the routines being passed between the drive and the console in the next two days.

I'm thinking that this "insider" is on the money.

I have a 47d and I was running 2.3r2 and wasn't able to restore my firmware in order to upgrade to 2.4. I tried everything and it wouldn't restore. I then attempted to flash the original firmware using toolbox 3.1 and kept getting errors or it would stop working. I tested the machine afterwards and it booted games fine so I assumed that it didn't flash.

I decided to go ahead and update and grab the Halo 3 beta using a backup of Crackdown. After updating, my system froze and after rebooting I got an error screen. I don't recall exactly which error code although I want to say it was E66 but it was definitely one of the dvd drive error codes. Frantically, I then try to restore again, this time opening and closing the tray while it's going and it worked. I was now able to boot without any problems. This means that they definitely implemented some kind of new firmware check.

I'm also still not banned.

[ubersamson]

There's alot of wild theories flying around at the moment but I seriously doubt if C4E and TheSpecialist were in cahoots to get you all banned.

I'm also thinking that it has to be the software that is being checked.  I have exactly the same firmware/hardware as a friend of mine, Hitachi 47dj running Maximus-Gyropa 2.2; he's banned, i am not.  I'd been playing Halo 3 all day when he got disconnected from Live.  I never got a disconnect message but when I heard about the bannings i turned the 360 off.  Last night, i bit the bullet and booted up to dash; i can still log in to live and use the voice chat.  i'm fairly sure if they could detect FW, that chat session last night would have triggered a ban on my machine too.  Also, It seems to be a continuous trend to see people saying they can still play online with hardware matching people who have been banned.

Obviously MS are flagging those peoples boxes somehow but if i remember right alot of firmware has routines in it to prevent it from being dumped and checked; i also dont see the drive being switched into ModeB for that purpose.  I can't see it being anything other than a software check.

Can anyone who has been banned maybe give us some ideas of their Live habbits? I mean, do you continuously play online? Have you bought Live Arcade titles?  Another good question I've seen elsewhere is "have you played the pre-release pirates of the caribbean game?"...i haven't but my friend has. 

[Zomer86]

To me it seems, that they can

1. detect the stealth firmwares.
2. detect firmware changes after the update.
3. detect game media.

It also seems that NME chips arent banned.
So the chips have won and we lose.

[Bang360]

When posting live status you should include region. By the sound of it they are starting live bans from the USA first and most likely spread out.

Anyway they will be doing me a favour if they ban me, as I have spent too much money on arcade games. I wont be rushing out either for another console as I have had my fun on live. If they dont want my money its their loss. Soon as i'm banned I will terminate my monthly live account.

It would be interesting if they decided not to ban regular high purchasers of arcade games like myself. If you were banned did you buy regularly off live?

Yes i have over 21 arcade games 3 movies 1300 points on reserve and to many to count themes and gamer pics...Im banned and i know i was a strong marketplace purchaser...It's tough luck..I will get an elite and hope there is a fix by then
"I played with fire for a long time and finally it burned me"...

Things to think about

XBConnect-http://www.xbconnect.com/


XLink Kai-http://www.teamxlink.co.uk/
So far looking at Kai is the best option....Atleast we have something??

[cajunsniper]

This is my summary

i always leave a gap fo two weeks every time a new update to xbox live is done just in case
in this case it prove me right 
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!                    There not detecting the firmware

My test          hope to clear out some confucion
 
XBOX 360 CONSOLE No. 1

i had opa 2.3 r2
1  restore to ariginal
2  did  the Spring update
3  PLAYED ORIGINAL  ==================  NO BAN

XBOX CONSOLE no. 2

I had opa 2.3 r2 Firmware
like before not update or connected to internet in any way

1 Restore to original
2 flashed to opa and c4v 2.4
3 did the spring up date   
4 PLAYED a Sthelth BACKUP ===================  NO BAN

i haven't played crackdown or Halo 3 BETA on non of my consoles

now asumption
i think they could be bannind games that are not stelth patch or in some way don't pass the stelth test  dmi pfi etc...
another thing they could be doing
is maybe, putting some kaind of number count on each individual Original game and all backup whit hte same no. just get banned and problely have a way to know witch is the REAL original game

as i see it the are not DETECTING THE FIRMWARE THEY HAVE NO WAY TO READ IT just MAKING THAT CLEAR
iT's something  WHIT THE MEDIA U USE ,( i USE PENGO and some OTHER CRAP DL DVD ) OR the GAMES or not well stelth patched
or the readying a count number on the original game that it could be EZ done

glad to clear some issues

[cajunsniper]

This is my summary

i always leave a gap of two weeks every time a new update to xbox live is done just in case
in this case it prove me right 
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!                    There not detecting the firmware

My test          hope to clear out some assumptions
 
XBOX 360 CONSOLE No. 1

i had opa 2.3 r2
1  restore to ariginal
2  did  the Spring update
3  PLAYED ORIGINAL  ==================  NO BAN

XBOX 360 CONSOLE no. 2

I had opa 2.3 r2 Firmware
like before not update or connected to internet in any way

1 Restore to original
2 flashed to opa and c4v 2.4
3 did the spring up date   
4 PLAYED a Sthelth BACKUP ===================  NO BAN

i haven't played crackdown or Halo 3 BETA on non of my consoles

tested whit 20 stelth games i have

now asumption
i think they could be bannind games that are not stelth patch or in some way don't pass the stelth test  dmi pfi etc...
another thing they could be doing
is maybe, putting some kaind of number count on each individual Original game and all backup whit hte same no. just get banned and problely have a way to know witch is the REAL original game

as i see it the are not DETECTING THE FIRMWARE THEY HAVE NO WAY TO READ IT just MAKING THAT CLEAR
iT's something  WHIT THE MEDIA U USE ,( i USE PENGO and some OTHER CRAP DL DVD ) OR the GAMES or not well stelth patched
or the readying a count number on the original game that it could be EZ done

glad to clear some issues

[geantvert]

Well, it seems clear now that they CAN DETECT the firmware changes (although I would agree that we only have assumptions at this point). Read this thread (and others).

The fact that console #2 is not banned does not mean you won't be banned down the line. If you are able to draw "conclusions" simply on the data you show here, which are from 2 consoles only, you are much better than I am. If I were you, I would be a bit more cautious.

[Bang360]

Well just got off the phone with a friend.I hooked him up with Xtreme 4.?..The box has not been on live "YET" "EVER"his most recent game is RS-Vegas.So i am not sure if he even has the Jan. Update to fix kernal vunb.  Since he deos not play on live he is trading me my Live Banned Console for his Unbanned Console....I will be updating this one to 5.3 with no spoof then do the spring update..Still play my backups and see when and what will happen.....I know I can wait and should wait till there is a fix if one will be an option but i am willing to take the chance...Again

[nexx]

You updated your firmware before doing the spring update in both cases.  So that means that what it potentially could be looking for (what was fixed with the jitter patch) it wouldnt be able to find in both cases.

[mcmanic]

i've been playing crackdown (scene) and halo 3 beta all day today on 2 different 360's and so has my m8 on his, all ms28's sumsungs, 2 done with 5.3a before springupdate and his is 5.2a, i also know another on ms25's on 5.3a that is ok and applied before spring update, and finally a hitach with 2.4 applied after the update that failed and been using orginal crackdown for halo3 beta.

and finally me and my m8 who have the working ms28's have both completed Pirates of the Carribean before the ban hammer and have achievements logged at MS, so it cannot be that

[mcmanic]

the crackdown i have isn't steatlh patched and it works fine right now on my 2 x360's ms28's with 5.3a and a friends ms25 with 5.2a, so its not the disc 100% certain

[avengingangel]

Location : Canada
Drive : Hitachi 47DJ
Firmware : C4EVA_XTRM-HITACHI_v2_4_Stealth (Installed 5/17/07 -- AFTER Spring update)
Downloaded Halo 3 Beta with Backup of Crackdown.  Didn't play it online.  I just loaded it up to see if it worked.

5/18/07 - Logged into XBL and downloaded XBLA Mini Golf title.  No problems, no messages, NOT BANNED (yet)

[muller1000]

I'm sure they have flagged all accounts by now and will systematically ban people over the coming months. I was thinking of terminating my account and reactivate once this was better understood.
I still have 5.2a and did the update with this firmware and still on live but i'm not in the US.

Another Theory....

I think it may also have to do with the pre-release games & the imprint of history on the harddrive. The spring update might search for known unique id codes specific to those games (eg Crackdown ) stored in cache on the harddrive & send this info with your console ID back to live. So it anyone out there has not updated their console & has played pre-release games, wipe the harddrive and then get the spring dash update. Only a thought......

M$ may have planned this months ago by leaking those games. But I like the other theories with true technical insight..........

[skybox]

uh.... let's stick to facts shall we?

They have banned HITACHI/SAMSUNG using Stealth and NON stealth patched games (STEALTH is $#!t in my opinion)
They have banned people who didn't own Halo 3 beta or crackdown at all.. (proves it's not crkdown related in any way)

And oh nice "source" you got there c4e 

Where's your "source" now...

Spring update means $#!t in this case, since you will get banned if you have the new update or not

This is is based on my setup and of course vs my friends!

[blu3]

is it possible that data was sent the first time you connected to xbox live?
when i first bought the xbox i logged in with an unmodded box en did the first spring update last year
then later on i modded the xbox.

i was playing fine online yesterday before 22.00 and did not check today don't want to get banned just yet if there will be a fix later on

[Wolverine]

I see GaryOPA is currently online on these forums, have to see if he has anything to say...

[Bang360]

Does not seem like anyone of them want to comment now..I dont blame them a bit for me being banned.I do know they know the workings of the firmware and probably would have the most logical statement regarding this....