12 replies to this topic

[mooson00]

Lets hack.

I have a zuneHD just bought for $400(w/ accidental warranty...it will break in two years so dont tell me the warranty is a waste of money)
I am ready to hack it. Exept there is one...well one if many problems....no hack out yet

I am looking to "make" the first hack.

I am having trouble even getting a hole of the firmware. Once i get that i dont even know how i would read/modify it.
Im sure once i got the firmware and found out how to open it to read it i can figure out whats in it because i know alot about html and a little about other programing languages...theres all basicly the same.

If the firmware hack is not an option then i think the M$ c# program would come into use. with that you can create custom apps and install them to zune. (having trouble with the c# language with the zune...i can succefully install the apps just having trouble writing them)
The hack might have to be like that of the PSP w/o a pandora battery where you use chickhen in the photos and the psp like freaks out and boots in new firmware and then you flash it to the PSP.

If anyone has any good c# (for zune) learning guides, any GOOD custom made apps, or any break throughs on a possible hack please post here.

I hope the mods will make a zune area under M$ or wear the ipod and other PMP's are.(and put this in there when made)

[guessswh0]

Interesting thoughts.

You have any experience with firmware development, or programming in general?

[mooson00]

No. lol.
Well i am expericened in HTML. And I am learning german.
Niether conected in any way exept i have learned to kinda use context clues even in codes i dont understand and figure out what they do. Plus i like trail and error(even on a $400 zune if it means a hack for the everyone else)

Again no experience in firmware though i did get will into apple and understood and modded alot on that.

If i can just get the firmware and figure out how i would mod it. Like would there be a program or would i convert to .txt or .xml and type/cut to mod then save and rename file type.

I heard rumor of custom furmware already made but they cant get the zune to accept it and bla bla....

Also though i Have no experince with this maybe we can get like a zune dev team or something lol.
I am the only person i have even seen talk about this. on all the other forums the question is "is there a hack" and the answer "no"
no one talking about making one.

[mooson00]

also i am learning c# and i am very good at debuging code in html and other codes i dont know so im sure once i see the code i can read it and start moding right away

[guessswh0]

Well, unfortunately, I can gaurantee that the firmware is not written in html on the device. Dumping firmware from devices can always be an issue, as the manufacturers obviously want to protect their code. Sometimes it requires hardware modification, soldering/joining points on the pcbs, etc. to dump the firmware.

Have you ever done anything like that? I'd be happy to have a zune hacking team use this as their area of colloborate. If you can get a group going, feel free to make this place your home as many people would probably be interested in helping out if they can.

[mooson00]

LOL i no its not gonna be in html but the fact that i know one code will make it ten times easier to learn another.

And no. no experince in moding the hardware to get the hack.

Also no team

thats why i am asking around. I need people who have experince with this kind of stuff.

[guessswh0]

well i agree. Once you know one language, it'll definitely be a lot easier to learn another.

Lookup C#, or c++, something like that, and it'll help get the fundamentals that can be carried over to other languages.

And good job looking for a team. See if you can recruit people, and help get more on to the site. Then you'l have a big selection pool to help make a team

[mooson00]

I think i posted the forum on a diffrent site but what is the best c#(thats what zune uses for custom apps) book?
also like anyone on here made a custom zune app? its a bunch of code! wich i no its gonna have code but i prefer desing view on most things. Like making a windows program they have desing view, pisses me off they dont for zune cause now i need to learn c#

[guessswh0]

Well it's good. C# will be great language to learn. You can obviously also use it for regular windows development.

Honestly, best way to learn it I would think is to look up tutorials online, vs getting a book. You can find plenty of code examples, and learn your way through the language online.

[mooson00]

ok i will try that.
So the code to make a zune app is the same as i would use for a windows app?

[guessswh0]

I doubt that. They probably have different libraries. So you most likely will not be able to take code for a windows app, and have it run on the zune. However, you can learn the programming techniques.

Once you learn the language, then look up development tutorials for the Zune, and start learning that. That would help you the best.

[XGD3]

i was over at Zuneboards for a while and i found a few interesting tidbits about the Zune HD theme files, they are xbox theme files, with a few changes, i dumped the *.gem files, into XUI files, and got the PNG files, unfortuanlty no one was interested in writing an app to dump the theme completely


heres the thread that i wrote a couple months ago: http://www.zuneboard...e-hd-theme.html

[XGD3]

you have to use C# and XNA 3.1, but XNA is SO locked down, to really do anything with a Zune, you have to jailbreak it, of which there aren't any jailbreaks for...yet!