Tinker Mods Blog | Original Xbox

The Introduction

I have multiple goals with this article as I want to essentially write a complete and definitive guide to the original Xbox FRAG error. I'm going to start with how the error shows so you know that's your issue. Followed by what the error is and what actually causes it. Lastly I will discuss what to look for and what you can do about a FRAG if you have one. So let's dig into this one, shall we?

Spotting a FRAG error

I'm not sure why but I notice a lot of message boards and group posts that get this totally wrong. The original Xbox FRAG error is VERY specific in how it manifests and should not be confused with any of the Original Xbox flashing light errors like these. The flashing light errors are ACTUAL error code systems that indicate a problem. For example, turning on an original Xbox with no A/V cable plugged in causes the orange flashing light error. However, there is no single indicator for a FRAG. The error manifests exactly as follows:

Turn on console with power button
Console turns on with green light
Console then turns off by itself
Console repeats steps two and three a total of three times on it's own
Console boots to green/red flashing lights (Sometimes green/orange)

If this is what happens when you boot an original Xbox console, then you have the dreaded FRAG error. There's debate online sometimes on why the lights will flash green/red sometimes and others green/orange but is ultimately irrelevant and I will explain why in the next section.

So, What IS the FRAG error?

Now that we know how the FRAG actually manifests on an original Xbox, we can dig into what the error actually is and what causes it. This is the most important section because these are usually the areas people get lost, and to be honest, get totally wrong.

For starters, The Original Xbox FRAG error is not an actual, official, error. Unlike the example I used above with the A/V cable, the FRAG happens purely accidentally and was not intended by Microsoft. (Directly, anyways).

When you boot an original Xbox the BIOS takes over and begins the boot process. NORMALLY, if an issue is encounted it populates an error screen. An example being an original Xbox that has a dead hard drive will get an 07 error code "service required" screen. So what happens if there is a hardware failure so drastic that the BIOS can't even boot properly? Well, you get the FRAG. This is why the console boots, then restarts three times. The console is trying to boot but gets locked up before the BIOS can even make sense of anything. After three attempts the console then just shows the red and green "christmas lights" as they are sometimes called.

For this reason the FRAG in and of itself is not a single error but a symptom that can be caused by HUNDREDS or hardware issues. Some known FRAGs I have encountered and can confirm the cause are as follows:

Solder splash dropped on motherboard from a Recap
Clock Cap leakage and damage progressing to it's final stage
RAM chip damage or failure (Including improper 128MB RAM mod install)
Micro component damage such as SMD resistors,capacitors,etc.
Damaged/cut traces (Non-Clock Cap related)

These are FRAGs that I could confirm what the issue was, but, there are an unlimited combination of issues that can cause a FRAG. For this reason, most frags are not fixable. With so many causes it can be impossible to diagnose what is causing it.

Diagnosing and repairing the FRAG

Now let's talk about handling it, this is where things get depressing and if you've read everything this far I think you can see where this is going. This is named FRAG for a reason. It's like the console got imploded with a frag grenade, and is now too fragmented to function at any capacity.

Because of the huge number of issues that can cause your original Xbox to FRAG, and absolutely no way to know what's causing it, the FRAG is essentially a death sentence. If this is a console you have been working on, then there is hope. As there are just as many FRAGs caused by human error as ones that happen on their own.

So, Let's at least try to narrow it down.

If this is a console you purchased outright or found in a thrift store then you're going to be extremely limited here. Was the console still sealed? Meaning were the warranty stickers on the bottom of the console still sealed and un-tampered with? If so you can automatically eliminate looking for human errors, if the console was sealed when you got it, the FRAG was caused by a naturally occurring issue. Your first thought here should be the clock cap. The Leakage progressively spreading and getting worse will cause a FRAG. This is the final phase of the leaking clock capacitor. So, If you have a pre 1.6 motherboard with a FRAG,that was also sealed when you got it, this is most likely to be a FRAG caused by damage from a leaking clock cap. This isn't always going to be the case, but a VERY large percentage of pre-1.6 consoles with a frag will be the clock cap. At that point there is no fixing it, even trace repair is moot at this stage because the damage has progressed well passed the common trace damage issues you see. Your only real option at this stage will be getting a replacement motherboard with matching HDD like one of these and rebuild the console from there. Unfortunately that will be the story for most of the naturally occurring FRAGs.

A FRAG in a sealed console might also be caused by a RAM issue Note that this information can only be partially confirmed, but the rare variation of the FRAG error that flashes orange and green instead of red/green (Christmas lights) have been partially linked to RAM problems/failure. However, the red/green Christmas lights can also still indicate a RAM issue too. (Confused yet?) This could depend on how the RAM is failing as well as which ram chips are failing. There are kits you can buy that for 128MB ram upgrade mods but can also be used to replace your RAM if that's the cause of your FRAG. Just keep in mind, this is a shot in the dark because a FRAG can still be tons and tons of other problems. If you want to test the RAM theory out, Here is a 128MB RAM upgrade kit you can use to replace your old RAM instead of using it for the mod.

Looking into human error FRAGs

This one is actually where you have some room to fix your FRAG as most human errors can be reversed. So let's talk about the most common ones and maybe you can find your own issue and get it fixed.

Start looking for damaged or missing components on the motherboard The most common areas you might see this is around the heatsinks as it is common place for someone to pry up the heatsinks only for the tool to scrape across the motherboard. This can cut and damage traces as well as rip SMD components up. See the picture below for a great example of a motherboard damaged in this way. Not only did the tool cut through a ton of traces, it also ripped a few SMD components off. If you see anything like that on your original Xbox motherboard then you can be sure this is the cause of your FRAG. If components are ripped up you might also have ripped up pads, at which point it would be next to impossible to repair that. If the damage is limited to traces you can override the traces with single wire to bridge the connection that was cut. You would need to do a wire for each individual trace that is damaged.

Check for solder splashes I myself have caused a FRAG when recapping an original Xbox motherboard once. If you were working on the console or just got it this way it is possible solder was dripped or "splashed" onto the motherboard. This can easily bridge multiple connections and in most cases this will cause the FRAG. Simply get the solder splash off the motherboard and resolder any connections to make sure they are okay. See the picture below, I highlighted two areas you can see a solder splash on this motherboard. In some cases the solder might land on the motherboard in a way that looks like a normal solder joint, so it won't always be as obvious as the example below.

Your last bet is checking your own work If you've been working on this original Xbox only to get a FRAG after the work then start with what you worked on. Just keep in mind if you got the FRAG error after, say, replacing some busted caps, it is totally possible the console already had a FRAG to begin with but ALSO has busted caps. So you could replace the caps on a motherboard/console that would not power on, only to find out the console ALSO had a FRAG. This is why dealing with a FRAG on the original Xbox is so difficult, you can have multiple layers of issues that make it even harder to pinpoint the final cause!

If you installed a modchip and got a FRAG then remove it and boot the console. If the console boots fine without a FRAG then the modchip or the installation was wrong and you can start over. If you installed a modchip and then also did other things such as flashing the NAND, etc, it very well may be that the flash didn't go well or the secondary mod you performed is the cause, not the mod chip itself. Again, remove the modchip. If the console still gets a FRAG then that is a clear indictor one of your other actions caused it. This is why you should always have backups. You can bring it back to factory state and try again. Fixing it without a backup will be impossible. At this stage you can get an original Xbox motherboard like one of these and start over, at least this way you don't have to replace the entire console, which would be much more expensive.

Things you don't have to consider

Finally since I want to make sure this guide on the original Xbox FRAG is as complete as possible, I also wanted to add a section about items you should not bother with. There are multiple components of the original Xbox console that could NEVER cause a frag, and therefore you don't have to waste your time looking at them. This includes:

The Hard Drive - Your original Xbox HDD is powered, booted, and controlled separately from the main BIOS boot process. Meaning any possible HDD issue you have would not cause a FRAG. A FRAG would be caused well before the BIOS checks your HDD. It's quite literally impossible for the HDD to cause a FRAG. (Though the HDD could still have it's own issues)
The Disc Drive - Just like your HDD, the Disc drive is not processed until the BIOs has booted properly. So the disc drive could never cause a FRAG.
The Power Supply- Unlike the disc drive and HDD the power supply would actually come BEFORE any type of FRAG error could occur. If the power supply is failing or dead then it won't push power to anything. This means if your Power supply has an issue it is impossible for the motherboard to power correctly and that means a FRAG could never happen in the first place. The console has to be properly powered before a FRAG can occur.
The Caps (Capacitors) - I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone in a message board commenting "Oh replace the caps" when that isn't how the original Xbox is built in the first place. Obviously Caps cause a ton of issues on the original Xbox console but just like the above examples, ANY cap issue you have would cause an issue before or after a frag can occur and just simply wouldn't manifest as a FRAG. As mentioned before, the clock caps leakage final stage DOES cause a FRAG. At that point the cap itself isn't the issue, the leakage that's sat there corroding is. So even though a FRAG is caused by the leaking cap damage, you can't simply remove or replace the clock cap to get rid of the FRAG either, the damage is already done.

At this point we end this article and I hope it was helpful to you. Unforuntately the original Xbox FRAG is one of those complicated issues that are unfixable more often that they are. So always remember you can still find an original Xbox motherboard like one of these and replace the fragged one. This is going to be way easier and/or cheaper than fixing it or buying a new one respectively. So even if you do have an original Xbox FRAG you can still fix it up without wasting the other good parts inside the console.