Heres the deal i just want a simple xbox chip that all it does is allow me to play backup games. Also if i have to solder it no prob, i dont mind. i looked around the net but they all come with bells and whistles i just want a plain chip.

If that's all you want, just exploit it with the UXE & nkpatcher. Free.

couldn't agree more. Free is the cheapest.

yep, i agree to, why bother with a chip when you can use software exploits.

IMHO there are two very good reasons to get a chip: 1. If you screw up your flash/mod, ect. it almost always will take a chip to get the XBOX back up and running. 2. If XBL is important to him then a chip is necessary. To each their own. As far as cheap chips go, the Aladdin seems to be a popular choice, although it should be noted that the install info on this stuff can be sketchy. I will personally always purchase an Xecutor chip. I know that they are more expensive but they seem to be the least problematic.

That's when you use TSOP, the uxe patcher doesn't work that way.

Nope, xbox live will eventually find out the chip due to lpc voltage scans. Especially when using a v1.6 xbox.

ok heres the deal xbox live is out of the question im not gona be using it i just want a way to be able to play backups from this xbox. some of you mentioned to xploit it, well this is the first time i hear of such a thing so im totally lost there wouldnt even know where to begin doing that another thing would i still be able to play originals and copies if i xploit it?. Reason why i said i wouldnt mind a cheap chip i need to solder is cause i had experience chippin the ps1s did few of those back in the day.

Go to xbox-scene.com and look in the exploits/xbe forum. Find out about the UXE exploit, and get the UXE Complete .02 package. FTP it in, and you have a basic mod. Setting up a virtual c: with retail files is a bit more, but still easy once you have ftp access. You can then do just about anything a chip can.

you might want to get yourself an original version of mechassault/splinter cell/agent under fire, and an action replay cheat system (the action replay is the easy, lazy way of transferring the save games to the xbox, made for people like me). yes you can play backups on an softmodded xbox, like everyones saying, you can do almost everything a chip can.

Yeah, I have MA, and downloaded the free AR software. Then I built my own usb/xbox cable with a $5 xbox extension cord, so as not to chop up my controller cable. Got some drivers, and everything is good.
A nice extra is, I now have an xbox controller that works with my PC games

i tried that originally, of course it didn't work for me cause the two usb sticks i had were listed as not working with the xbox at all, i found that out after i bought the usb/xbox cable, typical. So went sod this, bought an action replay, never looked back since!

There are only a few things you can't do with an exploit that you can with a modchip.
1. Run your box with the hdd unlocked.
2. Customize the bootup flubber text and colors.
3. Chip off boot retail stock C and E drives, chip on boot to F drive with mod. Usefull only for live but ms will find out eventually anyway.

Besides, for most games I prefer xlink kai over live.

Okay, so I'm admittedly an X-box n00bie, but moderately experienced with PC and tech stuff..

I just got an X-box and want to either soft or hard-mod the thing.. so that I can 1. play backups of games (from a new 250gig HD I got for it), and 2. continue to play xbox live.

I've been scanning the forums on xbox-scene.com but sheesh they are pretty thick..

Basically, can one do the above (HD backyps and play XBL) with a soft-mod (UXE & nkpatcher -- or any other for that matter)? Can you with a chip?

Also.. if anyone knows of any decent noob guides I'd appreciate..

Thanks!

Well its rumored that ms is going to start scanning for the model number of your hd in your box when you play on live. If it doesn't match any of the stock model numbers....instaban!

The only safe way to play on live is with a totally stock unmodded box.

There's lots of rumors. So far the marriage theory is holding true:
The 1st time you go on live, your xbox eeprom & hard drive # is recorded. If you ever go online without that same combo, you're banned. So:
Get your xbox fitted with the hard drive you are going to use before you take it on live. If you ever change the hard drive, figure on using a new eeprom.
Of course, any mods need to be disabled before going on live...

i see the new softmods have virtual c drives so that when you go on live it detects your drive as being stock and can't tamper with the real c drive.

Yes, but you still can't go on live with a softmod, even a shadow c:
When nkpatcher loads, the bios is altered, and the shadow c: is mounted.
Being altered, LIVE will ban you. You must cold boot a retail game to bypass the exploit to go on Live.
However, the shadow c: does indeed protect your exploit from being messed with by game discs/dash updates after the exploit has loaded.
I have my shadow c: hidden on the real c:, and my unleashx dash booting from f:, so there appear to be no modded files on any retail partitions.