The number of tutorials, threads, and FAQs are simply overwhelming. If someone could just take 30 seconds to answer a few questions I have, it'd me save a LOT of time, and I'd be very grateful.

I have a v1.4 xbox which hasn't been modded yet. I'm planning on doing a softmod, I have a Mechassault disc with the correct product ID, and I'll be making a USB->xbox cable to use a 256MB USB flash drive. XBMC is my primary goal, but I'd like to still be able to play retail games (plus stuff from the HDD). I don't really care about Live, but at the same time, I'd like to leave my options open. I've read a ton already, but my biggest problem is that I just can't tell at this point what is or is not outdated. So, here are my questions:

1. What do I install as my dashboard? XBMC or EvoX? I'm under the impression that if I install EvoX, launching XBMC from there is no problem. But I'd still like for my family to be able to use XBMC w/o having to navigate through another dash. I'm sure this is something I'd be able to figure out one I start using the software, but any suggestions would be appreciated. Should I be looking outside of EvoX? Krayzie has some interesting looking packages...

2. Expanding HDD: I'd like to keep my existing (retail) drive untouched. How can I go about getting unlock codes and whatnot to install a larger hard drive without writing to the original drive, using the MA exploit (or other softmod-compatible exploit)?

3. Softmod vs. TSOP: Worth it to play with TSOP? I can solder, but I'd rather avoid it if possible.

4. Is clock loop still a problem? There will be occasions where the xbox is unplugged for days at a time.

Thanks for humoring me, folks!

PS - What would be a great asset to the community would be a doc which lists which guides and methods are current, updated monthly or more. Perhaps I can start it once I have more experience under my belt. If such a thing already exists, I'd love to be pointed to it!

JD

1. If you're doing a softmod, you'll have to install Evox (or UnleashX) first since those are the only options when using a softmod package. Once everything is setup, then it's very easy to setup XBMC as your main dashboard (instead of Evox or UnleashX). Basicaly, renaming the XBMC dash to evoxdash.xbe will allow you to make it your primary dash. Read pinned topics in the XBMC forum for help on this item.

2. First, you'll have to make a backup of your eeprom key and transfer it to your PC (for locking/unlocking your stock hdd and any future hdd's). To do this, you'll have to use a softmod package to make a backup of your eeprom, then FTP it to your PC. (use one of Krayzie's softmod packages for this).

3. Whatever you prefer. TSOP is a tad bit more stable since you don't have to have your hdd locked in order for your xbox to boot up. With a softmod, if you accidentally unlock your hdd... you're gonna have to take several steps to re-lock it (stock xbox doesn't work with an unlocked hdd).

4. Use one of Krayzie's softmod packages and you don't have to worry about clock loop. While other recent installers don't suffer from clock loop either, Krayzie's is the best.

what a mess. just get a mod chip cause for your version of xbox its really a simple install. might as well get a bigger hard drive too and startup with the autoinstaller or slayers disk. there is the x-lite on http://easybuy2000.com/store/xbox/x-lite.shtml for cheap, im about to install one on a friends xbox this week. you can get it to solder or solderless. its really easy, and there is help to get you through it on this site and the site that sells the chip. including detailed instructions. i wouldnt mod a box any other way. you can get a 200gig hard drive on ebay for about 70 bucks if you know what ebay store to buy from...i put several hundred gigs of music on my xbox, so i never have to get out a cd ever again.

please dont ever buy a maxtor hard drive though...i know the price is tempting, but dont do it man...just dont do it!
(maxtor bad!)

Why??
I have fitted maybe 300 over the last 3 years. Never had one back.

ya, the whole maxtor hard drive thing is not founded on solid evidence. they work fine for me also

Well, what I'm really after here is a way to create a disk image in case I mess up so badly that I want to start from scratch. That's the big reason I don't want to hack the box and THEN backup. I guess the best way would be to apply minimal hacks, backup the eeprom, unlock the drive on my pc, and then immediately ghost it to an image (and then relock it). From that point on, if I end up messing it up too badly, I can always unlock the drive again and ghost back from the image to the drive (and then relock).

As for TSOP, I'm looking for suggestions as to what bios I should try. My preferences are, in order: stability, stealth, and features.

Thanks Alex!


Yeah, I know. Maybe next time around. I've got everything I need right in front of me at this point, and I'm an impatient man...

I wouldn't do a TSOP flash. I would use one of Krayzies installers, they work flawless. And as long as you follow the directions there is almost no way to screw up. Basically whenever you see anything that says the word "backup" in the menu select that before anything else.

Steps:
1- Install exploit
2- create whatever backups you can (I don't think you can FTP to get them off the HDD yet)
3- Install the dash
4- Now FTP into the xbox and find a backup on the C or E drive, that will have the eeprom backup in it. Also copy all of your C and E and put them on your PC. You can then burn all those files to a disk for backup.

Really the one and only thing you need the most is the eeprom backup. C is pretty much the contents of the M$ dash, and E holds the game saves for the most part.

Mines a bit on the loud side.

I have at least 10 Maxtor drives that have never failed or caused problems...

Iv yet to have a problem with my 200 gig maxtor? only problem i had was i fried it on accident (thier not very resiliant ) but that was my own fault dropping it

I never had problems with Maxtors either. yes they do tend to get a bit hot and noisy but they allways function fine.
I had more problems with seagates even though they serve a long time warranty. Two of them click now and then. (but they do that for 4 years and still work)

including everyone i know,...ive seen 5 maxtor hard drives go bad just in the last two years for no reason whatsoever...i myslelf had two maxtor drives stop working for no reason in the same month on two different systems. they are junk...junk, junk,junk...they are the sparkomatic brand of hard drives. just look at the price difference. i am set back by the replies saying they never had a problem with maxtor drives...ive always had the opposite response, always. ive been building computers for years and i learned really quick that to install a maxtor hard drive is to give your data 6 months to live. i know a lot of people that build custom systems and they all had the same issues i've had. they just die, although you usually get a few hours warning as the drive gets slower and slower till windows can no longer function with the maxtor installed in the system. ive never had an issue with any other drive, and i think ive used just about every brand there is. strange i consider seagate's to be good drives as ive never had issues with them...maybe they just ship all the reject maxtors to my neck of the woods.

perhaps you need to change supplier.
I fit nothing else in PCs xboxes and in the Sky+ boxes.