Here's the story this time. I have been trying to hotswap my Xbox today. When I boot XboxHDM, and I select any option, after about 5 seconds it crashes, and then restarts.
Try burning the disc at a slower speed.
It was wierd when I hotswapped with HDM after using the disc a few times (due to failed hotswap attempts) the disc would get really slow and glitchy for me. So I'd have to reburn another copy of HDM. I didn't really understand it, but as soon as as I reburned the disc BAM it worked like a charm.
I always burn ANY iso at the slowest speed possible. Sure it takes longer with games over 4gb, but I have never had a corrupted CD. A slower burn speed might help, however have you confirmed your HD has been read ny your PC? Upon some of my first hotswaps, I remember not getting past step 1, it froze, computer restarted, been a while to remember exact details.
I found out a great trick you may already know, however if you don't I hope it can help. When you power on your PC with the BIOS configured to read your CD/DVD drive first, press the 'Pausebreak' button as soon as you see your motherboard splash screen, or the very first splash screen your PC displays. (In all my cases, it was my motherboard splash, where you have the options to press F12 for setup or whatever buttons)
Once you have invoked a pausebreak, you will notice your PC seems to have stopped loading, hanging at the splash screen. So far so good. Now you will preform the hotswap. Most people invoke Error 12 on the Xbox, then hotswap. You can play a soundtrack off HD, various methods to unlock HD. Once you have connected your Xbox HD to your PC IDE cable, wait roughly 5 seconds as your PC will detect the HD. Press pausebreak again (try enter,spacebar if dell)and your PC will continue botting from the xboxhdm CD.
You know the rest. My only pointer is to pull the IDE cable out of the Xbox HD as quickly and even as possible. There are about 40 pins, and you want to have all of them removed at the same time, again very quickly. Use common sense and know your own strength, obviously pull from the base of cable, not the ribbon itself, as you will stretch or tear the wires. I'm sure you already knew that much. Good luck, especially if you are using a modchip. My mod chip fried my motherboard in less then 2 weeks, and the Xbox was out of a packaged never opened box. To bad the LIVE codes are expired, and obsolete. Either way no one I know has had favored a modchip after they failed. With all the work put into it, getting BIOS and other files which are nearly impossible to find hassle free , having the chip fail on you will push you away from buying one again. Softmod for free with Avalaunch or EvoX. Besides, soldering about 50+ LEDS to your Xbox is more rewarding then a modchip.
