Hi everyone, I already am relatively knowlegdable in soft-modding an Xbox, but I was wondering if you guys can point me out to any guides that teaches how soft-modding, TSOP-ing, and hardware hacking of the Xbox works? I would greatly appreciate it because I really want to try to add something worthwhile, fun, unique and exciting to my school's club. Help me de-noobify no just myself, but my fellow clubmats aswell, please.

Have you browsed around the tutorials section yet? That's where I'd start......

I was hoping for something more organized that gives me a more "broken-down" place to start. Even a Wiki or something.

Look in the pinned topics, they are very useful.

when i started modding i looked in the tutorials section for the longest tutorials, which i assumed had the most information. it was through that that i started to piece my way through things.

the problem is that there's about 5-10 different ways to do things that will lead you to the same outcome (whether it be softmod, tsop flash, or chip install). you'll have to take the relevant info out of the tuts and go from there (but that's where all the fun is, right?)

There's way too much to fit into a simple little guide..

I suggest reading up on all the major methods, learn what you can, and present your favorite "path" to success to the group. Just looking at the subforum list on this forum shows you that there's several choices for every possible outcome.

Typical noob path nowadays.... Install popular solderless modchip or softmod with NDURE game exploit package, drop in a bigger hard drive, then install the popular evox, dvd2xbox, xbmc and TA-DA - mod heaven.

Well, I was hoping for something not thorough, but atleast covers all bases. I was going to focus on softmodding, but I want to be able to provide info on other methods so that they can be atleast competent in how it works and how they could do it, you know?

Thanks for everyone who has posted, as well.

A quick explanation on xbox hacks.

An unmodded xbox boots from a BIOS, this bios is coded in such away that it will only load if the HDD is locked and will only allow the running of "signed code", that is software that M$ have signed with an ultra secure key, there are also checks on media used. All these systems were put in place by MS to prevent the xbox being used for any other purpose than what they desired.

The original BIOS was hacked to remove the security features and over time was modified to allow unsigned code to run, larger HDD's to be used and other things to be changed. The new Hacked BIOS was loaded on a chip that was used in place of the original. With the hacked bios the xbox became capable of running unsigned code and a number of applications where developed, things like alternate dash boards, Xbox media centre, game backup apps and much more. On version 1.0-1.5 boxes you could also flash the on board chip (TSOP) and bypass the need for a 3rd party chip.

Software vunerabilities were also found, a font exploit and audio exploit that take advantage of buffer overflows to enable unsigned code to be run, these are installed by using a game save exploits found in a number of games including 007 agent under fire and mech assult. Softmodding is now very advanced and can do everything a hardmod can with very few disadvantages.

This is a very simplified explanation and I stand to be corrected on any point, this information has been gathered from various sources with in this forum and I would like to thank all the guys in the scene who have made the whole scene possible.

Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to do that man! I will definitely use something like that for my intoductory stuff, and add more information by building off of the model that you provided. With your permission, of course.

Thanks again. And thank you even more if it's okay if I use this for my little guide for my computer club.

Feel free to use it as you like, as i said i take no credit all the info has come from this site.

Cheers