New To Softmodding, And I'm Overwhelmed By The Options Options

[gloriousgraphite]

As the title suggests I have not previously softmodded an xbox. Naturally soon after looking into it, I was lead here, and there seem to be a whole lot of guides and related jargon that I'm not familiar with. Some guides seem fairly simple, but are good few years old, whereas others I can barely follow.
So I ask, from your personal experience softmodding, which method/software would you say is the best (and preferably easiest)? Also, what would be the quickest way I can get on to using that method ie which guide(s) to follow, software to use etc. ?
I really appreciate any help. Many thanks

[shambles1980]

Easiest way would be..

Buy a copy of splinter cell. and use the krazies ndure 1.1.1 SC exploit.
You will need a memory card that has the exploits already on it, or you will need a way to transfer the files on to it.
you can make a usb connector for your xbox, or a cable to connect your xbox controller to your pc.

if you make a usb connector for the xbox you can use a thumb drive or a SD card + reader to transfer the saves on to your xbox..


The cheapest but most risky way. Would be to hotswap and use xboxhdm to softmod your xbox.
this method is free but can damage your hard disk.

A diferent alternative would be to build or buy an eeprom reader and use that to extract a eeprom.bin file from the mother board.
You can then easily use xboxhdm to unlock and relock your hard disk to softmod it safley.
you could even just make a larger hard disk drive with that method..

if you need help feel free to ask im sure 1 of us here will be happy to help.

[Verontier]

I have been trying this on my unmodded X-Box for almost 3 days now.. My problem seems to be slightly different from others on this forum. Everything goes smoothly: the xbhd unlocks; the laptop installs the driver; and it reads the xbhd in the Disk Management. But, Xplorer360 (also tried extreme 1&2) will not detect the xbhd.
I have tried it in XP SP 1,2,&3 compatibility modes run as administrator each time (my os is Win7 Ultimate). As I stated earlier, everything works with the xbhd except for the Xplorer360 programs.
Could it be the IDE/SATA to USB 2.0 adapter I am using? It is the same adapter I used on my X-Box 360 a couple years ago (same laptop, too).



Edit: Hmmm, my bad. I wanted to put this in "Duplicating Kingroach's Ndure Script Effects With Xplorer360" post by X-S Messiah.

This post has been edited by Verontier: Apr 22 2012, 05:28 AM

[Keezie]

I have been trying this on my unmodded X-Box for almost 3 days now.. My problem seems to be slightly different from others on this forum. Everything goes smoothly: the xbhd unlocks; the laptop installs the driver; and it reads the xbhd in the Disk Management. But, Xplorer360 (also tried extreme 1&2) will not detect the xbhd.
I have tried it in XP SP 1,2,&3 compatibility modes run as administrator each time (my os is Win7 Ultimate). As I stated earlier, everything works with the xbhd except for the Xplorer360 programs.
Could it be the IDE/SATA to USB 2.0 adapter I am using? It is the same adapter I used on my X-Box 360 a couple years ago (same laptop, too).
Edit: Hmmm, my bad. I wanted to put this in "Duplicating Kingroach's Ndure Script Effects With Xplorer360" post by X-S Messiah.

Just went through all this crap last week for the first time, i also had a hard time finding updated support

I was unable to get Xplorer360 to work on my PC (win7 64). I ended up installing Oracle VM Virtualbox, running a virtual Windows XP on my computer, and transferring the file to my memory card via homemade usb-to-xbox controller. I used the official Action Replay software to do so. This was the only way i could access the memory card whatsoever

It was a pain in the ass, but it worked. I then used Krayzie's Mech Assault softmod hack to perform the mod

I also had to use an old PC to do the hard drive prep (for a hard drive swap). I used XboxHDM 1.9 and made a linux boot disc using a clean, stock version of the Xbox dash to load onto the drive. Had way too much trouble trying to copy the C and E drives from my original modded drive

Hope this helps

[Ash123]

I agree with the first poster. I've just bought an XBOX off ebay and thought soft-modding it would be simple but it isn't. The amount of information on how to do this is frightening. I've read various guides but all it does is make my head explode and then I just mentally switch off. I'm sure it's easy after you done them for a while but coming fresh to this it's like trying to learn arabic or chinese for the first time.

Somebody is selling this kit on ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Xbox-XBMC-save-t...005%26rk%3D1%26

Is this what's needed to soft-mod? What I want to know is can I use this kit to install a larger non-retail hard drive and run XBMC?

This post has been edited by Ash123: Jun 30 2012, 05:12 PM

[ldotsfan]

Is this what's needed to soft-mod? What I want to know is can I use this kit to install a larger non-retail hard drive and run XBMC?

You can always softmod first and do the hdd upgrade later. My sig has a link to the available softmod hdd upgrade options. shambles1980's reply in this thread gives a good summary of the 2 main options to softmod. A lot of the choices really depend on the kind of equipment you have available readily.

[fallenangle]

That eBay kit is just what you need particularly the confirmed working USB flash drive. Many others do work properly with the Xbox. It is also a reasonable price although you could pick up the items individually elsewhere cheaper.

What the seller doesn't articulate is the main purpose of a kit like that let alone how to use it, probably for legal reasons. Apart from the Splinter Cell game disc, whose purpose is not explained at all, it is just the hardware, the software ie. the actual game exploit/installer you'll have to find yourself.

As shambles1980 said using the Splinter Cell or other game save exploit/installer method is the easiest way of softodding an Xbox:-

Game Saves Source > PC > Unpack to kit's USB Flash Drive > transfer to Xbox HDD like any other game saves using the kit's Xbox controller port to USB(F) adapter cable > Run Splinter Cell and follow the guides for what to do next = Softmodded Xbox.

Once softmodded you could leave it at that but the standard recommendation here is to find and burn HeXen to DVD-R and use that to upgrade the installation to the best protected most stable version available.

[fallenangle]

Sorry that ^ should have read: Many others do not work properly with the Xbox.

[Ash123]

Cheers. I've decided to buy that kit. Yeah. I guess he doesn't explain the "real" reason for what it's used for as modded xboxes are banned on ebay.

Can you elaborate on the Hexen thing as I've not heard that before. What exactly does that update?

Thanks.

[Heimdall]

Here is a description of what HeXEn does. You'd be using it to update the softmod you install with your kit to a known, new, stable softmod, because the kit could contain any one of a large number of old softmods (which were good when written, but have been superseded). Just burn it to DVD-R at 4x or slower, boot with it in the DVD drive, then read the instructions on the disc. You'll want option 2.2.4 or 2.2.7, depending on where you are in the world.

This post has been edited by Heimdall: Jul 2 2012, 06:11 PM

[Ash123]

I'm in the UK. Ahh, I see. It's apps disc. I thought you were referring to the game Hexen. Is this found on xbins?

Just one question, might be a dumb question You have to have a softmod already installed to use this disc, right? Or it won't boot up? I don't really want to install an old softmod if yours is the latest mod. I've read the options it has and it sounds like exactly what I'm looking for.

[Heimdall]

It's not on xbins. Google "Heimdall's Xbox Engineering Disc" (without the quotes) to find it.

Yes, you have to have a mod already installed to use it, but it doesn't matter which softmod, because HeXEn will remove it and replace it with a completely clean, new softmod.

[Ash123]

Thanks.

[Ash123]

OK, I installed the soft-mod without any trouble. The adapter guy sent me a detailed "fool-proof" guide and it's now running evox.
He said it has Krayzie's exploit on the mem stick so it's up to date.

BTW I found your engineering disc Heimdall. Thanks for the heads up on that.

Just out of curiosity what is the difference between Krayzie's and Kingroach's exploits?

This post has been edited by Ash123: Jul 9 2012, 09:39 PM

[Heimdall]

In use, absolutely nothing. Both are NDURE based softmods, both have shadow C and virtual eeprom. They can be configured slightly differently (fan speed, LED colour, VGA support). I included both on HeXEn in case people had a preference for one set of configuration options.

He said it has Krayzie's exploit on the mem stick so it's up to date.

Krayzie has made a few softmod installers, so calling it Krayzie's doesn't guarantee that it's new. The latest is Krayzie's NDURE installer version 1.1.1. If you want to just use HeXEn to update it to the latest version.