Things You Must Know About The Xbox:, Starting a list.... Options

[BenJeremy]

The first thing you should do, after modding an Xbox, is BACK UP THE HARD DRIVE!!!

The next thing you should do is BACK UP THE EEPROM!!!

There never has been, nor will there be, a PS2 or Gamecube emulator for the Xbox. Likewise, there is no Dreamcast emulator, either, and probably won't be one. Anybody who claims this is lying to you.

There is support for a keyboard in only one commercial game - Phantasy Star Online. M$ offers USB adapters, free, except for shipping and handling. Games that do not have this support cannot be 'patched' for this, though.

Evolution-X is really two different things: a Modchip BIOS, and a replacement dashboard. Technically, Evolution-X is the dashboard, and Evo-X refers to the BIOS, or not. It's like Soda Pop or Pop or Coke... you just have to figure it out for yourself.

Evo-X BIOSes usually come numbers, as in: 2.4, 2.5, 2.6 and now D.6 (The "D" stands for "Dual" and boots in all versions of Xbox)

QUOTE

Evo-X and X2 BIOSes (the most current available) are "hacked" BIOSes. They are derived from the original Micro$oft BIOS, patched to eliminate critical checks in the system's copy protection system, allowing a consumer to run backups of their software and homebrew applicaitons on their Xbox. While it is illegal to distribute the hacked BIOS, there is a fuzzy legal question regarding "fair use" and the fact that the owner of an Xbox actually "owns" the BIOS and the right to derive a new work from it. As this is the only way to provide a means of backing up games and using those backups on an Xbox, the rights of the consumer end up conflicting with the latest laws (DMCA). The government appears unwilling to test these laws when it comes to consumers themselves, instead targeting vendors and distributors of 'illegal' files.

Cromwell and the related "FlashBIOSes" do not boot backups or even 'original' Xbox games. They cannot boot dashboards or XDK/OpenXDK written homebrew apps.

QUOTE

Cromwell was designed as a "clean, legal" BIOS for booting Linux and Linux-based apps (using a special bootloader) on the Xbox. A FlashBIOS is a derivative of the Cromwell BIOS with a Linux-based FlashROM programming application built into it, allowing you to burn your own choice of BIOS into the modchip you've installed or TSOP (after proper modifications ot the board).

The Xbox hard drive is divided into partitions, each representing a logical drive... "C:" and "E:" are the two primary 'drives' on your original Xbox drive. "F:" is a third primary partition which can be created when instlaling a larger hard drive. "X:", "Y:", and "Z:" are TEMPORARY drives, and mostly unimportant, so don't sweat it if you do not see these when using FTP to transfer files to and from the Xbox. "D:" is typically the DVD drive.

Avalaunch, Media X Menu, NeXgen are other replacement dashboards, and far more interesting than Evolution-X

Nothing prevents you from keeping all dashboards handy on youyr system. You may use a program like X-Select to choose which one to boot.

About the game you burned, it's very possible you simply have bad media. You are not the first person this has happened to.

In fact, chances are, no problem you encounter on the Xbox is likely to be a new problem. In every case, this has happened to MANY people before you.

Oh, and no, that bad disc you burned does not incorporate some new modchip detection.

Xbox Live does not work with a modchip enabled; if you do this, you will get banned by M$ from Live.

There is no magical 'boot disc' for the Xbox.

There will never be a commercial Cheat Code Ssytem like the old "GameShark" or "Action Replay" for the Xbox. The new "Gameshark/Action Replay" is merely a save game tool, nothing more.

Most Xboxes will not read CD-R discs, but some will.

Most Xboxes will read DVD-R, DVD-Rw, CD-RW, DVD,R and DVD+Rw, but some won't read DVD+R/RW.

Only Xbox controllers will work as Xbox controllers. PC steering wheels will not work as Xbox steering wheels.

This post has been edited by BenJeremy: Sep 24 2003, 11:27 PM

[BenJeremy]

[*] Wanna save your xbox and keep it running cool? This is VERY important, but I have NEVER heard it mentioned on this forum.

After you are done modding your xbox, or touching the MoBo, you should IMMEDIATELY use an ELECTRONICS BRUSH with ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL to clean the oil/grease from the components that was transferred from your fingers/skin.

You should make sure the CPU, the NVIDIA GPU chip and the CONEXANT chip are extra clean, as these are the chips that are most likely to burn out due to heat.

Oil from your skin causes "hot spots" on the chips, that will cause them to fail prematurely.

I just felt it was about time we had a post about this (since so many people are having overheating problems that are causing damage to their xbox.)

I also needed to get my CAPITAL LETTER fix for the day

taken from hardware/case modding


[*] The XBox is a part of you , if you destroy it you will die.


[*] it is possible so far to run ONE thing only on an unmodded box, xb linux


[*] There are Seven versions of X-Box currently known about: Version 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6
The actual motherboard changed with version 1.2 and again slightly with 1.3, 1.4 and 1.5 models.
As far as software goes, the BIOS RC4 keys changed with version 1.1, and remained the same afterward. "Dual Boot" BIOSes will work on any Xbox up to version 1.3.
The 1.3 Xbox was the first "Anti-Mod" revision, removing the LFRAME signal of the LPC port. Newer 1MB Mod chips have reworked their LPC interface to get around this limitation. "CheapMods", however, will not work with versions 1.3 and later.
The 1.4 Xbox is basically a 1.3 Xbox with a new TV Encoder (Focus chip), while the 1.5 is like the 1.4, except that further "anti-mod" measures have been taken, removing the Ground, 3.3V and 5V lines from the LPC port. The new encoder chip means that the old hacked BIOSes no longer work. It requires a newer hacked BIOS based on the 5101 BIOs (liek the Evo-X M7 BIOS)
Furthermore, the v1.5 will require the user to get Ground, 3.3V, and 5V lines from elsewhere on the motherboard. 29-Wire modchips will still work, if they have the newer BIOSes.
We are still figuring out the 1.6 Xbox. M$ seems to have integrated some functionality into two custom chips - the video encoder (do not confuse with GPU) is now the Xcalibur and the BIOS seems to have been placed into a "Xyclops" chip and is now loaded over the serial LPC Bus (like most mod chips). Several groups have had breakthroughs, and it looks like modding is possible, with about 5 more wires soldered onto the back of the motherboard.
System Info for the first 1.6 found:
K: 1.00.5838.01
D: 1.00.5659.03



Go HERE for a guide to identifying your version.



[*] The Action Replay for Xbox only allows you to use "power saves" which are save games with certain features enabled. It does not work with codes.


[*] The Xbox does support a mouse, with the more recent XDKs. At this time, no commercial games support it, and there is NO POSSIBILITY that commercial apps or any homebrew apps can use a mouse unless the source code is available for homebrew developers to modify.


[*] There is no support for a keyboard in ANY commercial games. They cannot be 'patched' for this, either.


[*] if you are running linux, the xbox does support a mouse and keyboard. Also, Phantasy Star Online for the Xbox supports a keyboard; MS is even giving away free controller port-to-usb adapters (you still pay for shipping).


[*] When you first install your modchip, if the xbox boots 3 times and then flashes red and green (FRAG), then u most likely have no bios installed on the chip. MAke sure you put a bios on, and if it still FRAG's, then u possibly could have a bad chip!


[*] That an xbox can hurt you. if not properly used.
He's tellin the truth on that one, I cut my finger on that magnetic shield metal located right underneath the top of the box's case. It was like a paper cut times 10. wasn't good

[joebarbs]

[*] Wanna save your xbox and keep it running cool? This is VERY important, but I have NEVER heard it mentioned on this forum.

After you are done modding your xbox, or touching the MoBo, you should IMMEDIATELY use an ELECTRONICS BRUSH with ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL to clean the oil/grease from the components that was transferred from your fingers/skin.

You should make sure the CPU, the NVIDIA GPU chip and the CONEXANT chip are extra clean, as these are the chips that are most likely to burn out due to heat.

Oil from your skin causes "hot spots" on the chips, that will cause them to fail prematurely.

I just felt it was about time we had a post about this (since so many people are having overheating problems that are causing damage to their xbox.)

I am ordering supplies from Radio Shack for my upcoming X3 chip mod install. I looked for an "electronics brush" but couldn't find anything. Does anyone know if Radio Shack carries this, and if so, can you provide a link or product number? If radio shack doesn't carry it, where can I find it? Also where can I find Isopropyl Alcohol?

Thanks!!