[BigB@dJ@y]

Ive had my x-bos for ages and hardly ever use it tbh.
I fancy getting it modded and installing a bigger HD.
Which chip would be best to let me back up my DVDs and Games to HD? And let me play on xbox live?
Will any HD work?
What software would I need to install on it?
I want to use it with my panasonic projector and home cinema sound system (see sig) so which cables do you suggest?
Ive been on the Xbox scene website and its pretty confusing to a complete noob :D

Any information greatly appreciated

[gizlaroc]

executer 2.x or 3.0 and download a copy of slayers auto installer and you are away, most hard drives will lock, which you need to be able to boot the original MS dash for live.
Once you chip the machine I would take the original hard drive out and put the new one in, then flash your bios with the M8 bios on the slayers disc, then again with slayers do a complete install with the option to put everything on F:\

Have you used your xbox on live already, as MS are now checking the hard drive serial with your xbox eprom, and if you change your drive they are banning you, chip on or off, something to be aware of.

[BigB@dJ@y]

I have only used Live a couple of times in the last 12 months (it was laggy as hell) so Im not too bothered about using it (at the moment):D

Im sorry but I didnt understand most of the above
Im a complete noob to this.
I want to connect it to my laptop and also to my PJ and Amp
A mate of mine can fit the chip for me.

[gizlaroc]

Xecuter is the chip you need
Slayers install disc is a cd image you can download that has a bios for the chip on it and it will automatically install Evox (the dashboard that lets you choose all the apps games etc. you install on the hard drive)

The main things you need after you have chipped your xbox and put the new drive in are

A new dashboard ( lets you navigate much like the MS on eyou get when you boot with no disc in, evox is the most user friendly)
then the apps that are useful are
Video mode selector ( lets you choose NTSC so you can get progressive and hi-def)
HDD Loader (lets you install games etc. on your new hard drive)
emulators (snes, mame, megadrive etc.)
DVD region free player
Utils (ftp server, transfer files from pc-xbox, xbox-xbox, etc. plus loads of other things that may be useful as you get more into it)
Xbox Media Player (lets you play divx, photos, music etc. either from the xbox hard drive, dvd drive or streamed from a PC on your network)

These are the main apps you will use on a day to day basis and rather than installing them via ftp from your PC, and then having to edit the .ini file (the file that tells the menu where everything is located) the Slayers Installer Disc will do all this for you and install all the apps above and more.

So all you need to do is chip, fit drive, load slayers disc, upgrade the bios, then do a full install to the Xbox F:\ drive using the slayers disc and reboot.
If the chip is on you will boot to the EvoX dashboard, and if the chip is off you will boot into the normal MS dashboard and it will look like a normal retail machine.

Once you do it it will all make sense

It takes about an hour to do from start to finish, including the chip.

[gizlaroc]

Regarding connecting it to your projector, once you have chipped it you can run the Video Mode Select app and set you video output to NTSC, then in the main Xbox dash where you get pal60 etc. now you will get the option for 480p, 720p and 1080i. Then hook it up with a component cable to your projector.

What do you mean you want to hook it to your laptop, for playing back files you have on there? if so you use XBMP to browse the folders on your pc with files in them and simply play them.

[BigB@dJ@y]

Most helpful Gizlaroc :D

Thanks, I'll let you know how I get on

[bbasra]

Please read the rules regarding modified consoles, thanks.

[BigB@dJ@y]

If I get a new Hard drive will I need to format it like with a PC? Can I do that from the X-box? (Im using a laptop at the moment)
Any suggestions on types/sizes of Hard drives which would best suit ?
Now looking at getting the Xecuter 2.6 and Xapter (£30 :D). Will this do all I need?
Ive just noticed I would need to burn and Iso of Slayers to DVD-r
I only have a cd-rw!! Any other way I can get slayers?

Cheers :D

[allanp]

If you change your harddrive, is locking it enough to stop you getting banned from live?

[pacemaker]

sorry to hijack this thread but it contains alot of info specific to my requirements
thanks guys for this
i am about to purchase an xbox i also have a pj and want to play backups and divx/xvid on it
question is would i be better buying a retail unit or one already chipped( im an engineer so soldering etc dosnt bother me)
inderstand there is a lottery with wot hd you get(argos do refunds though )
also what excucuter chip will suit my needs
thanx

[gizlaroc]

Xecuter 2.X will be fine for everything.

90% of hard drives will lock, only older ones seem to have problems.
You put the hard drive in the drive as a new drive, and then slayers will format it and put everything on you need.

I would buy the xbox and chip and do it yourself, it is a very, very easy install, and if you are going to open the unit to put a hard drive in anyway it is a no brainer.

Put as big a hard drive in as you can afford as once you have been on live you can not upgrade it to a bigger size without live banning you.
Yes locking the drive is enough to stop you getting banned, you need to lock it to boot the original MS dash when the chip is off.

[BigB@dJ@y]

I noticed you can pick up 160Gb drives for around £60 now...any particular brands or specs required?

Does slayers need to be written to DVD-r or will a cdr suffice?

Cheers for the help so far

[broona]

Originally Posted by BigB@dJ@y

I noticed you can pick up 160Gb drives for around £60 now...any particular brands or specs required?

Does slayers need to be written to DVD-r or will a cdr suffice?

Cheers for the help so far

CDR-W instead of CD-R, just to be on the safe side, a lot of Xbox's don't like CD-R. Think any drive will do, just go for the cheapest.

[BigB@dJ@y]

How come the Slayers download is 168Mb? Will it go on a CD-RW?

[gizlaroc]

Yeah a blank cd is 650 or 700meg so no problem.

Remember to flash your chip with the new bios first, and then install everything on the xbox F:\ drive.
If the 4983 bios is on the slayers disc choose that, if not go for the M8 bios, they will both allow you to boot from F:\ but the 4983 bios will not allow you to connect to live by mistake when teh chip is on.

[pacemaker]

thanks for the prompt reply gizlaroc
will be buying one next week and adding xecuter once i get bored with games
been told a new pack is on way for xmas to match ps2 deal
cheers

[BigB@dJ@y]

Will Nero 6 let me burn it as an ISO? Do I just create a Data disk?
Sorry for all the questions

[dolph]

Nero will burn an ISO fine - I think there's a "Burn Image..." option in the menu.

[BigB@dJ@y]

Right, installed the xecuter 2.6lite and xapter. When I power up with the chip enabled the led on the chip is blue but the xbox turns on and off a couple of times then stays on with no picture and the green eject led flashes red/green.
When I disable the chip it fires up okay.....any ideas??

[kelvin]

Sounds like your d0 point isn't aligned correctly - open up the Xbox and check the alignment of the chip...

Kelvin.

[BigB@dJ@y]

Cheers mate...sorted that.
Now it boots to the Flashbios 2.6.0 screen
what now?
I have burned a copy of autoslayers to cd-rw ..how do I get it to boot using that?

[explicitlyrics]

If you get a flash red and green (FRAG) then your d0 point has grounded to earth (Pin 2 of LPC) but the lpc hasnt got a chip/bios installed.

Try applying a little gentle pressure to the lpc part of the chip, dont disturb the d0 if you can - it seems to be connected nicely if what you say is correct. My guess is that the 5V pin isnt connected, this is the one that mostly powers the chip (3.3v pin powers the LED etc).... this is all as far as memory serves so dont take the pin numbers as bible . Good luck though, youre very nearly there.

[explicitlyrics]

lol just missed there - oh well

you now need to flash the chip, then boot the bios that you flashed and then install the software you want. Try www.xbox-scene.com for information about installation of xbox chips and the like. The forums tab at the top of the page is an absolute gem for everything you could ever wanna know!

this is exactley what i have been looking for...cheers

[gizlaroc]

http://www.teamxecuter.com/flashbios/

how to get your bios on the chip.

I would get a bios on there and then use the M8 bios, that allows you to boot from the F:\ drive, off the slayers disc to overwrite the one you have used if it is not this already, that way you can keep the C:\ completely stock when the chip is off.

[BigB@dJ@y]

Ive got hold of the Evolution M8plus Bioswhich is a rar file, a MSinfo file and a sfv file.

What do I do now? :D

[explicitlyrics]

unrar the bioses so you see the bin file contents

then flash them onto the chip using the a dvd/cd/flashkey/network... Have a read of http://forums.xbox-scene.com it has everything - check the newbie section and some of the setup sections. I prefer Xenium chips as I find they are better value so unfortunately I have no experience of the X2.6 - thus I cant help you personally very much.

[BigB@dJ@y]

Okay...so far so good....
Ive flashed the chip and its working fine.
Ive downloaded slayers but is an application format ( .exe), how do I convert this to an ISO image so I can burn it to disk??



EDIT: ALL SORTED NOW :D Thanks for everyones help

[BigB@dJ@y]

Major problems installing a bigger HDD.
Bought a Maxtor 160 Gb drive.
I have fitted the drive (setting Jumper to Cable Select) and when I try to boot with the slayers disc in Im getting an error code 9 message.
When i put the old HDD back in it works fine.
I was using the x2 4983 bios and have since swapped to the M8 bios with the same result!!!
Anyone know whats wrong???

[allanp]

I don't think the standard bioss support drives that size. You need to patch the bios I think. Check out xbox-scene.com for some clues under the tutorials section.