More Xbox Live ban waves this weekend
>> From users on the forums, and other networking sites...

It appears that MS has started banning people over the past week (happy holidays xbox360 users!).

As always, we would like to gather data and input from the community as to what may be causing these bans. It appears to effect the new ixtreme 1.4 aswell as the older ixtreme and non ixtreme versions, and all of the drives have been effected. We even have a few reports of a few trusted people in the community who were banned and had not played anything but a retail copy. As of this moment we do not know if a new security was implemented, or if they are further scrutinizing the already given criteria (SS, DMI, PFI alterations, timings, etc).

So if you have gotten banned over the past week, we would ask you to share the following with us in the forum thread below, otherwise, please do not post in the thread! Bans only!

A) Firmware Version, drive type (hitachi, samsung, benq) and when you upgraded/installed that version. Also include if you spoofed the version.
B) Previous firmware version's, or if the console is freshly modded or refurbished (please include manufactor date)
C) Backups played over the past month(and whether they were checked with kreon checker, if not, please check the SS and report the results)
D) Originals played over the past month
E) Method of backing up games (as always, piracy is not tolerable on xbox-scene, so if you have downloaded these games, please do not bother posting.

Thanks to all who have contributed in the past, and those for the future
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com

Xbox Live ban updates
>> So we've gotten some interesting conclusions over the past week regarding the new 'waves' of bans over supposedly modified consoles on xbox live.

As you've all seen, Microsoft has started unbanning consoles. I've seen alot of people who were banned this past weekend, and are still banned, no matter how much yelling they do to poor customer reps. Others, who have modified firmwares ranging from 5.x to 1.4, and have never made a phone call have miraculously become unbanned!

As always with Microsoft, there is no rhyme or reason to their actions. A couple interesting things we have found...

You CAN have your console banned for having a 12v fan mod. A very trusted user of www.360patches.com got told directly from MS reps that his fan was modded on his 360 and that it violates the TOA. Any modification of hardware does indeed violate the TOA, so legally they reserve the right to ban users from live for that reason. Petty yes, but justified. A fan mod would be reasonably easy to detect, as voltage metering is something standard in all bios for the past 10 or so years.

In regards to 'bad game data' or kreon rips, SS, dmi and pfi, it appears that the reason MS might be unbanning xbox360's is because we've found evidence that strongly suggests ANY xbox360 can return bogus data. After some internal testing on a few older 360's, it seems that once a lens is near the end of its life, it can respond with all sorts of data, or lack thereof. A len's on the fritz was able to produce all sorts of odd angles that a new drive would not, aswell as tons of missing data throughout SS files (many chunks of data that read 00's instead).

So, it appears that MS is backtracking somewhat on the ban's, likely due to the reasons described above. Their infallible system has proven once again to not be perfect, and to attack innocent users. As always, we recommend that if you are a live user, to NOT modify your system, as you will eventually get banned.
Discuss this news item on our forums: forums.xbox-scene.com