NXE leaked, installation disables Live until November 19
by Xav de Matos 
{ Oct 31st 2008 at 11:30PM }
If you're thinking of grabbing the update, think again. According to Major Nelson using the leaked update disables Xbox Live on a console until November 19, the actual release of NXE. With Gears of War 2 just around the corner, you wouldn't want to take your console off the grid would you? While no reported bans have been handed down since the leak showed up it isn't hard to imagine Microsoft could take you offline for good. You've been warned.
[Update: Major Nelson wrote on his twitter, "If you get your hands on NXE and you are NOT in the Preview Program. You won't be allowed on LIVE." We will not be linking any websites with information or links to download the NXE - hence the replacement of Major Nelson from the original source in this story. Users who leave links to such content in the comments will have them swiftly removed.]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
gamer4250 @ Oct 31st 2008 11:45PM
Hmm interesting, this article implies that Microsoft will only make it so you can't connect to Xbox Live, but they may punish you further...
Xav de Matos @ Nov 1st 2008 12:18AM
Actually, the article implies you may be banned for good.
gamer4250 @ Nov 1st 2008 2:34AM
ah well, I posted a link but it got deleted. Somebody else posted their message from Microsoft which states that if you were to take the hard drive of the console authorized to receive the update and placed it into another console, it would update that console. However, if said console was not authorized, it would just not be able to connect to xbox live. So everybody is basically saying Microsoft can't tell the difference between accidentally swapping hard drives or installing the leak.
yolarrydabomb @ Nov 1st 2008 3:21AM
according to invites Microsoft Says DO NOT SWAP Drives or Leak becasue might get Banned.
I wont be surpise if the person console key is in that update.
Problem not just banned him but all consoles that use the leak from Live forever.
and get stuck with the Preview while the November 19th guys enjoying netflix and laughing at you for not waiting.
Just wait for the 19th is not that too far off.
elmersglue @ Nov 1st 2008 1:05PM
they definitely will NOT ban anyone for this... it would be, by far, the dumbest reason to ban people. Think about it, microsoft would be LOSING valuable live customers (which isn't just limited to the gold subscription fee) over a leaked dashboard upgrade that isnt very confidential and everyone is gonna get soon anyways....i wouldn't trip about it.
webster1990 @ Oct 31st 2008 11:53PM
oooooh tempting seeing as i haven't been playing online for quite some time, but with Gears 2 out next week it's just not worth it.
jarhead906 @ Nov 1st 2008 12:01AM
Oh this is rich.
Jawmuncher @ Nov 1st 2008 12:14AM
Tempting, but i don't want the MS ban hammer on me.
Danny @ Nov 1st 2008 12:23AM
i think I'll wait awhile to see what m$ does because i don't plan on getting Gears 2 right away
P.S. Does anyone know if that means you can't do any live things or just play on xbox live (i'm looking forward to streaming netflix)
wune @ Nov 1st 2008 12:53AM
I've got it on my second Xbox. You cannot sign in to Xbox Live at all, so you wouldn't be able to play Netflix. Planning on installing Fallout 3 tonight though!
wune @ Nov 1st 2008 1:59AM
5.9 GB to install Fallout 3.
elmersglue @ Nov 1st 2008 12:56AM
why's it less than 8 mb when the entire rollout is supposedly much bigger.... does the avatar data take up that much space?
Nathan @ Nov 1st 2008 1:01AM
The file is limited to I believe 8MB or 16MB for the main OS (interface). Anything else needs to be stored else ware, which is why the 128MB download is needed with connecting to Live for the first time with the NXE.
I guess all the avatar info really does need that space initially. No LIVE, no avatar.
Nathan @ Nov 1st 2008 12:58AM
Ya, I would install it if I knew I wouldn't be banned. Blocked from Live would be annoying, but I can live without it for a while.
bugz @ Jan 13th 2009 6:39PM
install the leaked version of nxe when u have updated ure console u will have the nxe update after ure happy looking at it sign into ure profile then put in a game that needs a game update when it notifies u that the game need an update decline it then go back to ure dashboard and it will sign you in xbox live :) but u cant send accept any messages or view ure friend
list :( but i have the leaked version and im playing gears2 online :)
madspar @ Nov 1st 2008 1:01AM
I was wondering does the update install on the xbox or the hdd? Because i have 2 hdd's a 120gb and a 20gb and i was wondering if the 20gb could have the update and the 120gb have the gamertag and dashboard blades???
CyberKnight @ Nov 1st 2008 12:45PM
Absolutely not. The dashboard code is flashed to your console's memory, and it only upgrades, not downgrades (there's an "e-fuse" technology thing I don't fully understand that prevents downgrading). So once your console got upgraded to the NXE, that's it.
It's not like a PC where the OS is only installed on the hard drive (otherwise an Arcade/Core wouldn't function).
Erik Stroud @ Nov 1st 2008 1:05AM
I wouldn't be surprised if someone finds a way to hack the 360 using this. I get the feeling there are some security flaws just waiting to be exploited.
tenchimaniac @ Nov 1st 2008 1:11AM
Hmm, well I think I will install it while being unplugged from the network so MS doesn't get contacted at all. Then on November 19, I will download an offline copy of the update, if it is different, and install it. That way MS wouldn't know the difference. If all else fails I'll just say my friend said I could try it out and didn't realize that it would block me, since this is a very open beta I highly doubt Microsoft would permanently ban people anyway.
yolarrydabomb @ Nov 1st 2008 3:29AM
and what if the full one will work?
uh oh your screwed.
you never know and console probably have logs of the last update.
Erik Stroud @ Nov 1st 2008 12:14PM
I don't think MS with ban people who this. I mean, it's not an illegal modification of the console, so if they do, that technically could be a violation of the terms they and you agreed too.
I DeX I @ Nov 1st 2008 1:10AM
Why can't the kids just wait. It is only a couple of weeks away.
wune @ Nov 1st 2008 2:06AM
It's not worth losing Xbox Live for a few weeks though guys, as you can't use most of the new features without it (Party system, Netflix). I'd rather bash a few of your faces in with an SMG :)
Anticrawl @ Nov 1st 2008 2:17AM
I might as well do this on my second xbox 360 since I have several harddrives and it doesn't go online anyway.
SadisticHam @ Nov 1st 2008 4:58AM
So you can't connect to Live, you can't create an Avatar, you can't use netflix or any of the features being shouted at.
...About the only thing you can do is install games.
....
...Why are people even considering doing this again? Oh great i can look at it..plenty of videos around, go watch one instead.
Dezzorex @ Nov 1st 2008 6:08AM
As far as I have experienced, you are very limited when you don't have access to Xbox Live. The last time I lost my internet-connection, I couldn't even play divx/xvid/mp4 videoes. Or atleast I think it was because I didn't have Live connection, anybody who can confirm this?
And when you don't even get the avatars offline, you are basically screwed... I would suggest waiting...
Erik Stroud @ Nov 1st 2008 12:12PM
I think you are right about the divx/xvid stuff. Since they can be installed through marketplace. If you replaced your console, thats possibly why.
Douglas @ Nov 2nd 2008 7:11PM
I took note of this when Installing it for myself - took out the HDD and downloaded media update to the MU - Removed MU when updating to NXE - have the NXE and can still play AVI's
GhostDoggy @ Nov 1st 2008 6:10AM
Whatever happened to focusing on the games? Is the Xbox not a gaming console? Is its primary focus something other than games and gaming?
Brucie B @ Nov 1st 2008 11:18AM
What r u Smoking....
Look @ all the Great games out & Coming out...
Jitaroo @ Nov 1st 2008 3:23PM
thats exactly why i installed it. the focus is on games. Today i rushed to install the NXE, knowing that live would be disabled. So what? Over the last month, all i've been playing is Rock Band 2 and SWTFU. I have a busy life and gaming isn't a big priority for now. Therefore, since i don't use LIVE, i decided that it would be worth installing games. And yes, it was much worth it. You don't know what your missing until you try playing a game without the disc spinning. It honestly felt pretty weird without the loud noise of the disc drive revving in the room OVER my music.
Over all, if your like me, and haven't been playing on LIVE for the past month, trust me you wont be playing for the next month either, so plug out your ethernet cord/wireless adapter, and install teh update.
Conor @ Nov 1st 2008 6:50AM
There's really no point installing the NXE preview if you can't connect to live.
What are you gonna do?
Make an avatar and look at it and maybe install some games....
If you had a second xbox it would be worth it or if your xbox got banned before hand.
birdshake @ Nov 1st 2008 7:49AM
Actually even if you do install it you can't make a avatar. All you can do is check out the new layout and install games.
martin @ Nov 1st 2008 1:42PM
the nxe its ok, but dont sweat it, wait for its launch date, i have in spain and it works fine
Toby H @ Nov 1st 2008 8:56AM
I honestly don't think they will be too bothered about this. If it was an update that came on a proper signed and secure xbox disk that, in order to install it you would have had to modify your drive, then I could understand their beef cause theyd be catching those with modded consoles. All it is is a dash update, written by microsoft. Is there any warnings about unauthorised usage on insatllation?
ARSENALNO4 @ Nov 2nd 2008 12:56PM
great for anybody that doesnt play online anyways i guess
vahdyx @ Nov 1st 2008 9:25AM
Where do I get it, I don't care about XBL I still wouldn't mind getting it!
Danny @ Nov 1st 2008 11:21AM
just do google search
FxckY0u187 @ Nov 1st 2008 9:40AM
I updated my old and dusty Xbox 360 that's been sitting in my closet for a couple of weeks. Works fine, but you can't create avatars. And it's actually not that too much different from the old look. Guess I could live with it almost unnoticed. lol
Paulypies @ Nov 1st 2008 9:59AM
The beta acceptance email states that yes if you do swap your NXE installed hard drive to another system then it will auto install on that too, but because the console ID isn't registered on the beta then you won't be able to use it online until the 19th (when I assume everyone will have a new update to download regardless of the beta) which seems fair enough. everyone on the beta has been told this and knows that they'll be stuck offline. It says nothing about banning people, which would be dumb as plenty of people have 2 systems and move their hard drive or MU to the machine they are playing on.
And as for being able to do semi live things, I would assume your system wouldnt be able to sign in, which would mean no signing up for the netflix stuff at all, or downloads or anything.
Also it now appears that certain ports aren't available to the xbox that allows certain sections, it just has them not show up. I run my xbox live through internet connection sharing from my PC and it went a bit wonky yesterday, Then when I turned my xbox on it came up with a message informing me that some areas aren't there and I was left with just the My Xbox and Friends with no marketplace, spotlight or anything else.
Please be aware, this was coz i messed my connection up. It all works fine. it's just interesting that they can just remove bits now rather than have them there with greyed out buttons like when this happened on the old dash.
The NXE is real slick, avatars are kinda cool too, I think they'll be way better once games start picking them up tho. I'm in the UK so Cant really comment on netflix coz it doesn't even appear in the dash :( Hopefully microsoft will sort a deal out with someone similar here like lovefilm. Here's hoping anyway!
josh woodall @ Nov 1st 2008 10:34AM
interesting
skfireboy @ Nov 1st 2008 11:40AM
WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO DO THIS? I don't understand why there is so many d-bags out there who just have to try and get around all the normal systems and mod their Xboxes and pirate games and be jerks on Live...........................................................I just don't understand
Danny @ Nov 1st 2008 12:27PM
to be clear no one is modding xboxs or pirating games, they are just applying the update early and they know there might be problems later for them if they do it.
This doesn't mean i did it i just can't stand people who don't have the facts right
wune @ Nov 1st 2008 1:08PM
Installing new update early=jerk on XBL? I think not sir.
Mike @ Nov 1st 2008 12:49PM
So installing it early blocks live till the 19th, so would achievements not go through as well? Cause i havent been using multiplayer much lately. This is quite tempting.
wune @ Nov 1st 2008 1:10PM
Any achieves you get offline will stay on your gamercard once you get back online.
Urza @ Nov 1st 2008 12:52PM
Either way, it's not worth it. Go play some fallout or fable and get your mind off the update.
yolarrydabomb @ Nov 1st 2008 1:33PM
From Major Nelson...
# You have been warned. 29 minutes ago
# A little reminder: If you get your hands on NXE and you are NOT in the Preview Program. You won't be allowed on LIVE. 29 minutes ago
Adam @ Nov 1st 2008 2:01PM
geeze...just use vmcnetflix for now and wait the 19 days. why the hell would you want to risk being banned. If you really need to see an avatar, just fire up that wii you have collecting dust next to your vcr.
seriously though, ive had good luck with the vmcnetflix extender. setup is easy as long as you have a vista pc in the house. i think there are some xp options as well. Lifehacker.com has a really good how to for noobs if you need it.
Happy Viewing!
jorgiex @ Nov 1st 2008 3:43PM
Well according the a Major Nelson Twitter message. If you do this update you will be banned. Just go to Major Nelson's Blog and look at his twitter hister. Or go to Twitter.com and search for Major Nelson and you can see all of his twits..lol
He says you will get a Live! ban...!