Sorry if this is a bit repetitive for you cdfreaks regulars... but..

I'm planning on getting an xbox, and I'd like to know what my options are for modding/modchips. I'd like to have a better understanding of what I need to do and what kinds of mods can do what. Basically I just want it to be able to read and make backed up games, I have a load of DVD+R and RW discs but no -R. I don't plan on dropping more cash for a large hard drive. Are there more advantages with large hard drives other than having games on the hard drive?

Also what about non-modchip solutions? softmods? Just some general information to get me started.

Also if anyone is willing to PM me their instant messaging screen name so i can discuss with them, that would be awesome!

Thanks a lot!


**EDIT**

After reading some more, it seems that it's possible to just use Action Replay and something to do a non-permanent software hack that allows playing of backed up games. Problem with this, though, is that I'll have to find my games somewhere to download them, and can't really get them from my xbox. Or does this hack still allow me to FTP the game files over to my computer to make an image with?

again, any help greatly appreciated.

www.xbox-scene.com has all the information you need for doing virtually anything with the xbox

Would anyone care to condense some useful information though?

Alright, well I've got a question that I can't seem to find an answer to:

Why are there $60 modchips and $15 ones? Aren't they all the same? All it needs to do is change to a custom BIOS.

Like, what's the point of the extra features? Why have extra flash memory (this is for the BIOS I assume)?

ok here we go, i'll give you some information, but be prepared for this to be a big post!

You can softhack an xbox using an action replay system, hacked mechassault/agent under fire/splinter cell game saves and an original copy (no game of the year or budget crap) of one of the games. Basically you download the hacked game save (the mechassault one can be found on the xbox linux site, the others you'll have to find yourself) of your choice, put it on the action replay, then copy it to your xbox hdd. Then you load the game (in this case i'll use mechasault as my example) select campaign, and then install linux. The xbox will be taken to the dashboard and it will install a version of linux which will replace "xbox live" with "linux" on the dashboard.

Now if you want to, you can install a full linux distribution (they can also be found on the xbox linux site). You download them and burn them to disc, insert them in the xbox and bingo, you get a full version of linux on your xbox. You can ftp to it if you wish, and you can put in bigger hard drive if you wish, you can also install alot of other software like xbox media centre etc etc. You can find more details of the software hacks at the following pages:

http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=94776

http://www.xbox-linux.org/

http://www.xbox-scene.com/tutorials.php

By the way if your xbox dashboard versin is above 57xx then you cannot perform the soft hack. You find this out by going to settings in the xbox and then system information, you'll see a line with something like

D:00......57xx

However you can do other softhacks which can be found at the xbox scene site, i just can't be bothered explaining them all!

If you can't solder (like me) and you don't want to pay someone for soldering an xbox modchip into your system then get and x-bit. There solderless and quite good, although they take a long time to flash.

They aren't all the same, the more expensive ones might offer things like less soldering or just some extra features (like 2mb of flash memory instead of 1) you may or may not use, all i know is that i wouldn't use half of the features on most chips.

The purpose of bigger flash memory is so that you can load on more bios is you wish and switch between them.

Any help? I'm tired now.

Remember that solderless modding is practically impossible on a 1.6(b) Xbox.

yeah that to, look at xbox-scene for anything i might of missed out, i couldn't be bothered going into great detail, its been documented many times before.

Incorrect. The UXE softmod\exploit is fully compatible with ALL xboxes in any region. In fact, if you use nkpatcher instead of a bios loader, you can load a shadow c:\ that has retail dash files on it and makes your exploit nearly bulletproof in terms of dash upgrading or user screw-ups.

Get the latest UXE-Complete package from the "usual places" and ftp into and replace the c:\ (after you back it up, of course).

Sorry, i know its not a very detailed description, it was just meant to be a summary like he wanted, and that there are many options out there for softhackers but i just wanted to keep it simple, i didn't really want to get into all the other exploits (font/UDE/UXE etc), all the information you could ever possibly want for soft hacking an xbox is on the xbox scene site.

In my case i had to downgrade my dashboard by hooking up the xbox hdd to my pc, then using hdd driver to replace some of the files, and then done the mechassault exploit, wasn't that hard, wanted to avoid hardware hacking, there both pretty much the same anyway.

You must have an old font exploit, using dash 4920. Get the UXE, it works with all dashes\kernels. Plus, you'll have no clock loops. Ever.

I am having a terrible time trying to downgrade my dashboard from 5960 to 4920. I have a 1.0 but no luck in finding the correct software for the downgrade. Everywhere I look I see download it in the "usual place". I'm not sure where that is...I have my xbox networked to my PC...I can get into the emergency linux...and telnet...and flashfxp. The install Linux and restore dashboard doesn't work. I am assuming that is because of the 5960 dashboard. I am using MechAssault exploit to do this. Any help in finding the correct files of the "usual places" or any help getting something going...would be GREATLY appreciated. Feel free to write with the "usual places", and any help.....thanks.......

remarkable7700 @ hot mail . com

You don't need to downgrade. Get the UXE Complete package from xbins (the "usual places") on irc efnet #xbins
Ftp in and replace the files as noted in the readme. Simple way to start.

Thank you so much for your help....everything is great...up and running...one more question. I'm about to take on another task....Where can I find these files....

atapwd
Hdlock
Hdunlock
Hddisabl
liveinfo
hdprepar
HDD_Driver

Thanks in advance....

you want to install a large hard drive, right?
Save yourself the hassle & get xboxhdm. It'll make the hard drive for you practically, with mimimal fuss. Start reading...

EDIT:
Read this
http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=244043

Well, I got it downloaded and was able to make the "iso" with make-iso-win.....but for some reason when I put the linux.iso on a cd....it will not boot. I have made my cd the first to boot. The boot.cat is in the isolinux folder inside of the linux.iso. Still no luck. Anyone know how this should be done? Should I make a bootable cd...then put it on.(basicly boots to dos)...or simply put the linux.iso on to the cd. (it still boots to win xp.) I have read but it seems that no one is having this problem. What am I missing? Does the iso linux folder that is compiled in the linux.iso, need to go in the root of the cd along with linux.iso??

HELP!!! Thanks!!!

The iso is bootable.
You are burning it as an image, and not as a data disc, correct? When you look at the disc, you have a bunch of files, etc, not a *.iso file on the cd, correct?

I gotcha....it worked great!! I really appreciate all your help...anjilslaire. You have been most helpful in helping me through this whole process. Thanks to you, I have have a 80g in and running evox.....works great....thanks again!

Remarkable

congrats. I'm glad it worked. Easy once you understand, huh?

yeah...nothing to it....however, I'm having some problems with a couple of game freezing. I haven't researched it just yet....but Halo 2...locks up....Splinter Cell 1&2 are locking up....I'm not sure exactly what's up....Could it be the version on evolutionx I'm using.....or is there possibly another conflict somewhere??? I will research some...hopefully come up with something!

Thanks again!

Clear your E:\cache\
x:
y:
z:
directories.

Got it....thanks....One last question and I will quit bothering u...I can't get it to play DVD movies. I don't know if it is cause evox is on as the dashboard or what....just doesn't do anything....I'm not sure what I can do....Thanks again for all your help!

you need dvdx as an app (i think that's the name), or the ms remote, which uses he msdash (best option)

anyone here want some 2 month free trials im i have alot of them and i stopped playing xbox. IM me on xxsal14 if you want some