Just throwing in my .02$
Listen to ChadTower and GinsuVictim in this thread. It sounds like they both know what they're talking about, 100%
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The following could get technical, feel free to skip it.
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Personally, I've modded over a hundred (that's not an exaggeration, either) boxes, via Xecutor modchips (x1, x2.x, x3), Duo-X modchips (by far the BEST chip, if you're going that route), cheap mexican clones (had a couple guys bring me chips they found in a mexican flea market), softmods using 007AUF, MechAssault, and Splinter Cell (everything from simple Phoenix Bios Loader, to UDE, Krayzee's NDURE that was previously linked), TSOP flashes, you name it. That being said, here's the SUPER SUPER SUPER condensed everything you need to know about xbox modding guide.
Step 1: FIND YOUR XBOX VERSION!In the current state, I would recommend one of the following:
Modchip
- Requires: Xbox versions 1.0-1.6b (v1.6 and v1.6b require an LPC rebuild. This is done with either wires, or an LPC rebuild PCB, whichever you feel more comfortable with).
- Requires: Hacked Bios, and a way to flash it (Pre-modded box and hotswap chips, or a flashing disc such as evox)
- Requires: Somewhat advanced soldering experience. LPC is BASIC, d0 wire (modchip activation) is super easy if you use the alternate d0, found on the bottom of the motherboard.
- Solders to the "LPC" (dual rows of pins on the xbox motherboard).
- Duo-X (10 bucks at divineo, can handle (2x512mb) Team Xecutor X2 v5xxx+ bios variants)
- There are more pricey alternatives (x2.6ce or x3), but in the end they run the same BIOS as the Duo-X. Bios banks can be up to 2x1MB (x3 bios on x3 chips only)
- Hacked Bios loads on boot, can boot to either MS Dash, or to the hacked dash directly. Faster boot-up than softmods.
- Typically have a 1MB (8mbit) onboard tsop. This tsop gets flashed in sections, ranging from 4x256MB, 2x512MB, or 1x1MB, but this varies entirely by chip. Cheap clones may only have a 256MB flash.
Softmod
- Requires: Xbox version v1.0-v1.6b
- Requires: A Legitimate copy of either 007: Agent Under Fire (Original only, NOT Platinum Hits)
- OR Mech Assault (Original only, NOT Platinum Hits)
- OOORRR Splinter Cell (NOT Chaos Thoery, Double Agent, or Pandora Tomorrow, Not Platinum Hits)
- Requires: A way to get your hacked gamesave to your xbox.
- xbox memory card adaptor for your computer
- or usb adaptor for your xbox and a USB flash drive
- OR Action Replay (easiest way).
- OOORRRR Already hacked xbox, FTP save to E:\UDATA (or is it TDATA? I don't recall...), put the save on to a memory card, and copy to your "virgin" box

- Requires: Softmod package, available on Xbins.
- NDURE, as linked above, is probably the easiest softmod package to use.
- Boots as Microsoft legitimate xbox, until the softmod is loaded.
- Softmods replace system fonts. Xbox powers on, loads and runs the hacks, reloads the bios on-the-fly, loads hacked dashboard.
TSOP
- Requires: Xbox version below v1.6
- Requires: Same flash tools as a modchip
- Requires: Soldering Iron Experience!
- Ignore this if you have a v1.6 xbox. The TSOP method is removed entirely from them.
- Flashes the onboard bios with a hacked BIOS
- No hardware needed.
- Solder a couple jumpers on your motherboard to enable flashing. Go nuts.
- You'll still need a gamesave exploit in most cases to perform this, as you'll need some way to launch in to a flashing program.
- It helps to be technologically inclined if you're going to attempt this one. This points are much harder to solder than a typical modchip.
- If your BIOS doesn't fully fill the TSOP package, you may need to pad it by adding a second copy of the same bios to itself (CMD: "copy a1.txt+a1.txt b1.txt")
Bioses
- Already integrated in to softmod packages, if you're softmodding, ignore this section.
- 1mb Variants (x3, only works on x3 chips)
- 512mb Variants (x2 5000 and up, works on Duo-X, X2.6ce, and any x2 series chip by team xecutor).
- 256mb Variants (x2 below 5000, works with literally any modchip or TSOP flash)
- Can be customized, to an extent, with applications available on xbins (Ie: Changing boot video colors, changing dashboard boot order, etc.)
Hard drive upgrade
- You can play the games off the hard drive (x:\Games\, x being either E(stock), F(new drive, up to 137gb), or G(above 137gb))
- Apps launch from the hard drive as well, via a homebrew menu (read Dashboards, below)
- If you have even the smallest inclination to try out xbox live (as stated, only good for halo 2 now), you'll need to upgrade your drive BEFORE signing on to live, or the xbox will be banned.
- Hard drives are locked by motherboard, also as stated above. New drives will be unlocked, you'll need to format and lock them with your xbox.
- NEVER UNLOCK YOUR STOCK HARD DRIVE WITH A SOFTMOD! This can, and likely will screw you over. Remedy this with a modchip.
- The best locking\unlocking application to use on your xbox would be
ConfigMagic. There are alternatives that run in a Dos environment, but I won't go in to detail on that here.
Dashboards
- These are the custom loader menus you'll use to launch your apps (media players, emulators, etc.) and games (copied from the disc).
- Evox (Evolution-X) was the first dashboard to feature a built-in FTP server, enable file copying, TSOP flashing, and some-what a customizable interface. Think bare-bones, but reliable.
- MXM, Unleash-X - The newer generations of dashboards. Fully customizable, added animated features, sound effects, and on and on. These dashes have an improved FTP server that can handle up to 20MB/s (Bytes, not Bits!)
- THC, UIX, Enigma - Microsoft dashboard hacks. Looks more "stock" than the above, but can also be customized. There was an FTP server hack implemented in these. It's CRAP.
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XBMC! - This is your go-to dash now. This bad boy is an all-in-one dashboard, that's still being developed for to this day. It's been ported over to PC, Has FxP as well as FTP, meaning super speed, xbox-to-xbox transfers, support for almost every audio/video codec and container you can throw at it. Some modding methods may require you to use a forwarder/pre-loader.
- Get them off Xbins
Emulators
- Place in x:\Apps, so that the format is similar to: F:\Apps\xsnes9x\default.xbe. Obviously your drive letter may vary. most dashboards only look at one level in for default.xbe, so make sure you have "apps\foldername\default.xbe" for all of your apps. "Apps\foldername\foldername2\default.xbe" WILL NOT WORK!
- Roms go in x:\apps\emulatorfolder\roms\ in most cases, unless otherwise specified by the emulator (Read the READMES!)
- Get the emulators off Xbins, you'll supply the roms your self, same as PC emulators.
Xbins
- EVERYTHING that you'll need to download for xbox modding will be on XBINS. EVERYTHING. PERIOD. Softmod packages, Bios files (for your modchips), dashboards, emulators, apps like ConfigMagic. EVERYTHING is there.
- Go to their IRC channel (
#xbins on EfNet), you'll need an IRC client installed, such as
mIRC- type !list and hit enter, you'll get login information for the xbins FTP site, as well as the XBMC FTP site.
- Go nuts with your favourite FTP client!
Any questions? Feel free to ask
