xbox modding

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i know theres alot of threads concerning the topic but i want to make absolutely sure that i dont bugger anything up so im gonna try and put it in my own words so i understand it a bit better
:)

ok so ive got the mod chip installed, pretty straight forward.
now the bit thats confusing is the bios upgrade.
the chip has got cromwell on it already, and i need to flash the bios (?)
so ive read i need to get a boot disc to flash from as i dont know how to ftp my pc. and im not interested in learning.
the disc ive read that i need is 'slayers install 2.5' or something along them lines.
anyone used this disc? if so is it straight forward to do?

im looking for the most fool hardy method of getting the right bios and dash on my xbox.

am i right in thinking that evolutionX is the new bios and the new dashboard all in one package?



*NB*
i dont need any info on installing the actual mod as this is done, just looking for info on the bios flashing

:)

many thanks

h4r7y
 
is it a good idea to back the hard drive up?
anyone just give me a quick nod to go ahead with all this?
ive just burnt a slayer iso to cdrw which apparently installs all i need on the xbox can i just run this and hope for the best?
 
right here goes - you need to make a evox boot disc before you can do anything this should be in the slayer directory - the slayer 2.5 are all the files and programs you need, some are for use on a pc only. goto xboxscene.com and read the tutorials.

why do you want to change the bios? ive only changed the dashboard.

there are how to's in the slayer directorys for the relevant programs.

but once you have made the evox boot disc (for xbox) this allows you to access to the ip address of the xbox and to connect to a pc using flashxp, again all the tutorial are on the xboxscene website
 
well i thought you had to change the bios from the original cromwell bios in order to run things like xbmp and the like. or do i just need to install evolution x to get all that?
thx for the reply by the way
:)
 
First things first, the BIOS, and the dashboard are 2 TOTALLY different things.

You will need to update the Bios on the modchip (thus replacing Cromwell on one of the Banks). The new Bios will enable the Xbox to load particular files, or dashboards which you choose to install on your HD. It will also give you the added functionality that you need to take advantage of your modchip.

Discs like Slayers are pretty foolproof, but they also tend to install a million and one things that you don't need. As dutto225 says, get over to xbox-scene.com and read the tutorials - any mistakes you make will more than likely be costly so try and get clued up before you start.

Secondly, the Dashboard. This is the user interface that your Modchip will enable you to install - EvoX is pretty good, as is Avalaunch. The differences between the 2 are numerous so again, read up before deciding. I would tend to do away with Slayers and do it all manually - it will give you a far greater understanding of what you're doing, and will give you more scope to fix any problems that may arise. If you know what has been done - it's far easier to "undo" (IYSWIM!)

Apologies that this is such a "rushed" explanation - I'm at work at the moment but i'll post a more explanatory response later on this afternoon. Definitely make a backup of your HD before you install anything - it's far easier to resolve problems if you have a "working" file you can go back to. Again, full instructions on how to do this can be found on Xbox-Scene :)

As for CD-RW's - will they/won't they work - it's a gamble. I've tried about 7 different forms of media and none are readable by my Thompson Drive (bar the one disc I made with a Bios Flash on it - go figure!). A far more reliable way of transferring data is via FTP - don't discount it so early - I can't recommend enough the importance of being able to FTP. Using boot disc's alone severely limits what you can/can't do...

K.
 
dutto225 said:
right here goes - you need to make a evox boot disc before you can do anything this should be in the slayer directory

Slayers is an ISO image containing all of the programmes you need to get a modded Xbox up and running as quickly as possible. You burn the whole image to CD - you don't select individual files/programmes from directories - there are none. I'm not sure I understand what you mean by this :confused:

why do you want to change the bios? ive only changed the dashboard.

Your bios will have been updated at some point - you can't just install a new dashboard and expect a "virgin" chip to run it.

K.
 
the thing that turns me off about ftping is that ive spent hours with a friend trying to do it with his xbox and i just cant get it to work, im tempted to just stick slayers in and install everything in one go, but i was worried about it going wrong, is there much risk of it going belly up if im using the slayer disc?
ive read all over the place about how to do it, but im geting it all tied up now so i need a place where i can find exact info on the subject insterad of reading the 'usual place' over and over, its like a secret thing to be able to flash the bios, very confusing.
like i said i need a total idiots guide,
my mod chip is the xecuter 2.3b lite plus that comes with cromwell 2.28 on it
ANY advice is NEEDED

please.


cheers
 
kelvin said:
Your bios will have been updated at some point - you can't just install a new dashboard and expect a "virgin" chip to run it.

K.

hi kelvin, sorry for the rushed reply above, but i was at work also trying to get a crafty reply in.

now im really confused!
i dont actually know if i need to flash the bios or not?!?!?
my chip has already got a bios on it, so do i just need to install evoX?
the bios is the latest from cromwell, so will evox be able to run on cromwell?
as for xbox scene and the like, i dont quite seem to grasp this procedure at all and im finding it all very confusing.

i hope someone can iron it out before i start
:(
 
Have you read the "How to Flash your Bios" tutorial over at Team Xecuter?

http://www.teamxecuter.com/cromwell.htm

It takes you step by step, through what you need to do to flash Cromwell with your chosen Bios. The only thing it doesn't do, is give you the actual Bios image (for that, you'll have to go to the "usual places") Without wanting to sound patronising, if you're still confused after reading the above, I would really, seriously think twice about doing anything more for now. The potential to totally screw up your modchip is fairly big - just be patient, and make absolutely sure that you know what you're doing :)

The biggest, single piece of advice I can offer, is that when you flash your chip, be sure to only use a 512k Bios image on ONE bank (either in spaces 1&2, or 2&3 - all is explained in the Team Xecuter tutorial). If you leave Cromwell on the other bank, you can always "re-flash" the bad bios if it goes wrong by booting from the other bank into Cromwell :)

I hope that's been useful.

Once you have your Bios sorted, you can worry about FTP'ing. You need to do the following...

1. Download EvoX, or Avalaunch from the usual places (in it's raw form - NOT as an ISO)

2. Open up the XML file in notepad, and edit the Network settings so that it has a fixed IP address of "192.168.0.3", and a subnet of "255.255.255.0"

3. Save the XML, and then (using Qwix from www.teamavalaunch.com), save the WHOLE EvoX/Avalaunch directory onto your PC as an ISO.

4. Burn the ISO to a blank, new CD-RW

5. On your PC, go to your network settings and set your PC up to have a static IP of "192.168.0.2", and a subnet of "255.255.255.0"

6. Connect your Xbox and your PC together using a Cat5 crossover cable, and boot your Xbox up with the ISO disc you've created in the drive. If your Xbox doesn't recognise the disc, it's media related - try another brand of CD-RW :) You should now have either an EvoX, or an Avalaunch screen up and running.

7. Using an FTP client on your PC, connect to "192.168.0.3" on port 21 using "xbox" as both the username and password and you should be in. The first time you do this, take a copy of both the C:/ (system data), and E:/ (User info - game saves/music etc.) drives.

That's it - you have an FTP connection. Copy across whatever you want to the relevant places :)

Sorry this has turnd into such a long post - I hope it's been (remotely) helpful...

Good luck.

K.
 
Sorry H4r7y, our posts must have crossed...

You WILL need to flash your Bios - Cromwell is simply a flashbios facility - you won't be able to install EvoX (or anything else) successfully until you replace Cromwell on one of your modchip's banks with a different Bios (I currently use the latest Xecuter Bios - 4983 (IIRC) which works well).

K.
 
H4r7y said:
ok so if i want to ftp my xbox then, do i need to have the xbox connected to a tv?
or can i just power it up next to my pc? its gonna be a big job if ive got to move my tv to my pc

As long as you've installed EvoX (or similar) you just need to boot up your xbox: EvoX will auto-ftp as long as it's running. You don't need to select/start anything so you don't need to be connnected to a tv (although I think you need to leave the av connector in the back of the Xbox as it autodetects whether or not you've got everything connected correctly -- it's annoying like that.)

FTPing is by FAR the easiest, cheapest way to go. It's so hassle-free I do it all the time: it saves trying to work out what drive's in your Xbox, what media it will read, bad burns, bad ISOs etc etc etc ad infinitum. I'm not a PC-freak or anything and it's so much easier than downloading ISO-makers only to find they don't work etc.

regards,
anephric

regards,
anephric
 
so if i have to install evox x before i update the bios then whats the point in me updating the bios? why cant i just use/install evox and leave it like that?
i thought it was needed to flash the bios from the word go.

this is screwing me up bigtime now!

basically all i want to do is use evox to play backup games (and yes i do own the original games), foreign dvd's, and roms etc.
now, if i install evox will it let me do all this?
 
H4r7y said:
and whats this i read about the size of bios i need?
ive used 2 256k files to make a 512k bios. do i need to make a 1mb bios now?

No - the Xecuter Lite Plus has a 1MB memory spread over 2 banks (each bank can take 2 x 256k images, or 1 x 512k image).

As I suggested in my previous post, keep Cromwell on one of the banks. Flash the 512k image to the other. That way, if you do something wrong, you can revert to Cromwell and "re-flash".

As far as connecting to a TV is concerned, as anephric says, you don't need to on a general basis. However, what i've outlined in my post above, is that before installing the dashboard, you make a backup of your HD by FTP'ing into your Xbox from a boot CD. I'd check the Boot CD works first by loading it when your Xbox is connected to a TV :)

K.
 
H4r7y said:
so if i have to install evox x before i update the bios then whats the point in me updating the bios? why cant i just use/install evox and leave it like that?
i thought it was needed to flash the bios from the word go.

Read my post again ;)

The reason I posted about the bios upgrade first, was because until you do that, you won't be able to boot from a CD (so that you can follow my instructions, and make a backup!). My post don't tell you how to install anything (we haven't got to that bit yet! :rolleyes: ;)), it simply tells you how you can FTP into your Xbox.

K.
 
H4r7y said:
im getting it all tied around my ankles now.
i dont know where to go form here....
im thinking about sending the chip back, its not worth all this
:(

Yes it is ;)

Hear me right: You cannot do anything until you flash your bios - the chip is useless, won't work, pointless, meaningless, ineffective, "kaput" - got me?!?! ;) :D

Go and read the Team Xecuter tutorial I posted the link to on the previous page, and DO WHAT IT SAYS!! Until you've done that, all this talk of Slayers, and EvoX is pointless.

Do you have a Bios yet?

K.
 
yeah ive made a 512k bios.bin file by using X2 bios manager from putting the same 256k(x2_4983.06_256k) file on the first 2 spaces.
thats all ive got to
so this is my bios right? and i have to make a cd with it and a dummy file(100mb) right?

then i put this cd into my xbox and it updates the bios?
is it really that simple?
is the ftp bit once ive updated the bios and just to install the dashboard?
have i been making a meal of it? (i expect yes as usual)
 
H4r7y said:
yeah ive made a 512k bios.bin file by using X2 bios manager from putting the same 256k(x2_4983.06_256k) file on the first 2 spaces.
thats all ive got to
so this is my bios right? and i have to make a cd with it and a dummy file(100mb) right?

then i put this cd into my xbox and it updates the bios?
is it really that simple?

Yep, it's really that simple :D (I tried to tell you... ;)) Make sure you're chip is enabled, and that the "flash protect" switch is set to no, then just whack the disc in and it'll do itself :)


is the ftp bit once ive updated the bios and just to install the dashboard?
have i been making a meal of it? (i expect yes as usual)

Yes again (you've got it!! :clap: ), once you've updated the bios, accessing your Xbox via FTP (in the way I described) will enable you to backup your HD (just in case), and also to install items - just drag and drop! :)

Dashboard's to C:/, and Games & Apps to E:/ :)

K.
 
oh my!
thanks kelvin, this has really helped me to get it to click in my noggin.
im 99% sure ill be ok now. but ill be back on here if i need anymore pennies to drop

thanks kelvin, your a star

:)
 
just had a brain wave!
any chance instead of ftping the files accross to back up my hard drive id be able to just put the xbox hard drive into my pc and snatch it off there?
maybe?

also what would happen regards the slayer install if i bought a new hard drive to install it all on?
 
i have never had to update my bios and have done every xbox related mod without changing the bios.
the chip came with a bios already installed.
if i want to change anything i just edit the evox file
so if the chip is installed and working it will read (as long as the drive can) non copyrighted material which is the point of the chip
 
dutto225 said:
i have never had to update my bios and have done every xbox related mod without changing the bios.
the chip came with a bios already installed.
if i want to change anything i just edit the evox file
so if the chip is installed and working it will read (as long as the drive can) non copyrighted material which is the point of the chip

Hmmm, the place you bought it from is obviously a foolhardy entity with (ignorantly) no fear of Micro$oft. I've never found a company selling mod chips with any bios (other than Cromwell and the like) on it.

Though I agree it would make things considerably easier: every other mod chip I've bought (Dreamcast, Saturn) was plug'n'play -- it was slightly shocking when I realised I had to do the whole shebang myself with my Xbox.

Anyway, good luck other chap with your installing: if your Slayer disc doesn't work I've got a self-installing EvoX disc I can burn and send you (once your bios woes are sorted). :)

regards,
anephric
 

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