How to mod and flash your XBOX for $22 (step by step and video)

[northerngames]

http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/357863

[spystyle]

Installing a modchip is h3ll easier than building that device.

But if you appreciate an electronic engineering challenge then go for it.

The thing is - if you modchip your Xbox it's set for life. You don't even need to know what an eeprom is. It's the "end all" solution.

The debate rages on - but the fact is a modchip is the most sensible and permanent way to make your Xbox rock.

It's inexpensive and soldering it is easy - even for a person completely new to soldering. It's easier than modchipping a Playstation (first gen).

Softmods can become undone with software. Modchips can not. Building any eeprom reader is much much more difficult than simply installing a modchip.

There is just no sense in doing all that work when such a simple and cost effective solution exist.

 

You guys are making me dizzy!

Anyway, happy gaming.
Craig

[northerngames]

well it has nothing to do with a softmod or hardmod it is its own mod really 

[Samstag]

The thing is - if you modchip your Xbox it's set for life. You don't even need to know what an eeprom is. It's the "end all" solution.

Unless you buy crap chips from Xecuter and the connectors go bad on you.  I had to remove chips from both of my boxes because they were unreliable.

All methods for modding xboxes work great and have some drawbacks.  How about we all agree to use whatever method we like best and not worry about what the other guys are doing?

[spystyle]

Crap Xecuter chips? I don't know anything about that. The first post in this thread was about the inexpensive and reliable DuoX2 chips.

There are no drawbacks to installing a DuoX2 unless you are phobic of soldering and can't afford $20.

And yes, I can agree that "any mod method" is better than "no mod method", but there is only one method that is best.

"Best" meaning cost effective, simple, resilient, and perfect functionality. I don't mean to keep hammering this but when they start talking about building devices from scratch - c'mon, just modchip the d@mn thing. Then use the hours you save to play games. 

This discussion is very much like horse versus car

[you] "With a horse I don't have to change oil or buy gas"

[me] "With a car... oh I give up"

 

[Samstag]

The thing is - if you modchip your Xbox it's set for life. You don't even need to know what an eeprom is. It's the "end all" solution.

Unless you buy crap chips from Xecuter and the connectors go bad on you.  I had to remove chips from both of my boxes because they were unreliable.

Crap Xecuter chips? I don't know anything about that. The first post in this thread was about the inexpensive and reliable DuoX2 chips.

This thread is so lost in arguments the original message was lost.  I stand by my response to your blanket statement about modchips.  Xecuter chips are garbage in my opinion.   I have no opinion on the Duox, although I have a couple I'm going to try out soon.

This discussion is very much like horse versus car

It's more like apple versus orange.  They're both fruit and everyone prefers one or the other.  Neither side is wrong.

[spystyle]

...I stand by my response to your blanket statement about modchips.

Well I guess I could have been more specific, when I wrote "modchip" I was referring to "DuoX2", as stated in the first post.

I have no opinion on the Duox, although I have a couple I'm going to try out soon.

You will really dig them.

The install is made easier if you solder to the "alternate D0" point on the underside of the board, see this guide here:

http://forums.xbox-scene.com/lofiversion/index.php/t427711.html

Also, if you get the board with the LPT holes full of solder, you can desolder that easily with a $10 desoldering tool from radio shack:

http://tinyurl.com/2jdddz

Cheers,
Craig

[Samstag]

The install is made easier if you solder to the "alternate D0" point on the underside of the board, see this guide here:

I actually find that to be harder.  I use solid 30 guage wire and push it through the upper point.  Leave 1/4" wre exposed, get a bit of soler on it, heat it and push it rhough, then snip the excess from the other side.

Also, if you get the board with the LPT holes full of solder, you can desolder that easily with a $10 desoldering tool from radio shack:

I don't think I've ever modded a box that didn't have the holes filled.  I normally take those to work and use one of the variable-temp desoldering pumps.

[ark_ader]

Softmodding might be slightly simpler. But it's definitely not cheaper. The cost of obtaining a suitable game plus the memory stick plus a converter to use the memory stick with a PC is going to cost quite a bit more than a cheap mod chip.

Softmodding only starts to become the cheaper option if you decide to mod several Xboxes.

Game - £2.99 + Memory Stick £5.00 = $16

And you don't have to open her up.

Best thing is that the game and memory stick can be reused for another xbox - so "ker-ching savings!!" 

[psik0tik]

Soft modding can be free. You don't need the game or memory stick. The save game exploit is there for people that don't want to crack open the case. I'd get a mod chip before I used the save game exploit.

[Red]

Can you add a 750GB hard drive to the Xbox after you soft mod it? 

I read something about it having bad clusters or something if you go above a certain size.  Any way to prevent the bad clusters?  Thanks.

[Ed_McCarron]

eeprom reader/writers can be made from radio shack parts for less then $5.00

You can make an eprom burner from cell phones and overpriced stereo equipment?   

[Kane]

Can you add a 750GB hard drive to the Xbox after you soft mod it? 

I read something about it having bad clusters or something if you go above a certain size.  Any way to prevent the bad clusters?  Thanks.

For adding larger hdd (anything over 250Gig) you have to upgrade the bios to .67. Then when you are formating the drive you enable and create a "g" drive that will be the remainder of the drive size. I have only found a little info on this but check here- http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=462980

[Red]

Can you add a 750GB hard drive to the Xbox after you soft mod it? 

I read something about it having bad clusters or something if you go above a certain size.  Any way to prevent the bad clusters?  Thanks.

For adding larger hdd (anything over 250Gig) you have to upgrade the bios to .67. Then when you are formating the drive you enable and create a "g" drive that will be the remainder of the drive size. I have only found a little info on this but check here- http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=462980

Great.  Now, how do I upgrade the bios to .67 on a Soft Modded XBox?

Thanks.

[Kane]

ok, after some extensive research it appears that SID 5 and AID 3 both include lba48 support (bios) but I can't be positive.

[Red]

Thanks Kane.

Red

[Kane]

NP, I did some more sniffing and found this short thread about it here -http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/archive/index.php/t-2054938384.html - It seems that after you create the hd you can repartition it with xbpartitioner or evox and unleash x.

edit: Just found this post -

"Mostly all new softmod installers support this!
I recommend Krayzie's Ndure 1.1 from the usual places.
You can change the option for F Drive and G Drive.
Say you want everything on F, then NKpatcher.06 is what you want to change it to in the extras.
NKpatcher.67 (installed by default) will put 137 on F and the rest on G."

So it appears that this isn't even an issue anymore. You should have no trouble installing a large hd. I only installed an 80gig in mine and it is holding 26 games including Halo 1 & 2, it also has XBMC on it as well as UnleashX and dvd2xbox, plus 2 movies ans I still have about 8 gigs free

[shmokes]

Can you add a 750GB hard drive to the Xbox after you soft mod it? 

I read something about it having bad clusters or something if you go above a certain size.  Any way to prevent the bad clusters?  Thanks.

The great thing about a soft-mod is that you can upgrade your harddrive to 750GB without having to open up the Xbox!

 

[Hoagie_one]

NEver had any luck with teh softmod harddrive upgrade using that linux disk.  I just use my chip modded box and clone the other xbox's drive after its softmodded and copy the whole thing to a bigger harddrive.

[Red]

Can you add a 750GB hard drive to the Xbox after you soft mod it? 

I read something about it having bad clusters or something if you go above a certain size.  Any way to prevent the bad clusters?  Thanks.

The great thing about a soft-mod is that you can upgrade your harddrive to 750GB without having to open up the Xbox!

 

Really?  Please tell me more on how to do that shmokes.

Red

[shmokes]

I've never done it, but I believe it involves plugging the 750 GB drive into one of the controller ports (the drive has to be in a USB enclosure or have an IDE -> USB adapter attached) using an adapter that makes the ports compatible with standard-shaped USB plugs.  The software than transfers the capacity of the 750 GB drive to the internal drive, so the drive inside can now hold 750 GB and the 750 GB drive can now only hold 8 GB. 

[northerngames]

I've never done it, but I believe it involves plugging the 750 GB drive into one of the controller ports (the drive has to be in a USB enclosure or have an IDE -> USB adapter attached) using an adapter that makes the ports compatible with standard-shaped USB plugs.  The software than transfers the capacity of the 750 GB drive to the internal drive, so the drive inside can now hold 750 GB and the 750 GB drive can now only hold 8 GB. 

if that were the case I would be in the hard drive buissness lol.

ever felt the weight difference from a 8 gig and a 750gb?

I'm pretty sure that is impossible 

[Kane]

yeah, I sense much sarcasm......

[shmokes]

 

[Red]

Can you add a 750GB hard drive to the Xbox after you soft mod it? 

I read something about it having bad clusters or something if you go above a certain size.  Any way to prevent the bad clusters?  Thanks.

The great thing about a soft-mod is that you can upgrade your harddrive to 750GB without having to open up the Xbox!

 

I thought maybe it was something similar to the Extender mod, where you can hook up external hard drives through some sort of cable and case mod.

Red

[northerngames]

it is possible where they can be hooked up externally by usb yes.

but as for transfereing the GB drive size from larger a drive to a smaller drive or vice versa is a no.

the xbox controller ports are ran from usb there not shaped correctly for plug and play but the wiring is correct behind them and there is an extra yellow wire that is not needed for the usb add on's.

[psik0tik]

I've never done it, but I believe it involves plugging the 750 GB drive into one of the controller ports (the drive has to be in a USB enclosure or have an IDE -> USB adapter attached) using an adapter that makes the ports compatible with standard-shaped USB plugs.  The software than transfers the capacity of the 750 GB drive to the internal drive, so the drive inside can now hold 750 GB and the 750 GB drive can now only hold 8 GB. 

  The sad thing is that someone....mabye just one but one is enough...actually believed that..that was in the rank of the stop signs with a white strip around them are optional