Xbox Mod: Evolve Your Xbox
written by Ricky Hault on Tuesday, April 01, 2003
This is a tutorial on how to Evolution-X mod your xbox, email me at
sic1left_behind@yahoo.com for free limewire pro, it sucks but its somethin because demonoid.com isn't letting us send invites to download. i'd put a tutorial on how to mod it, but that is all over the site.
Now that your Xbox has been modded, it's time to unleash its power.
Now that we've
added a mod chip to our Xbox, it's time to give the game console a serious face-lift. No, we're not changing the case. We're going to replace the Microsoft dashboard with a new one called Evolution X (EvoX).
Not only does EvoX look better, but it also adds much-needed functionality, such as an FTP/telnet server and the ability to launch third-party applications and backed-up games.
Before we go on with the mod, it's time for our daily disclaimer.
Important note
Xbox mods are not supported by Microsoft and may be illegal under the DMCA. If you mod your Xbox, you are willingly voiding the warranty and potentially breaking the law. If done improperly, modding could damage your Xbox.
Got it? Good.
Find EvoX
First you need to locate the EvoX binary. Your best bet is a file-sharing program such as KaZaA or LimeWire, or a newsgroup. Once you find a copy, make sure you have the latest version by visiting the
EvoX website.
After you get your copy, you need to modify the evox.ini file to meet your needs. For detailed instructions on modifying the evox.ini file, read this
Xbox-Scene tutorial. Although the evox.ini file may seem intimidating, don't stress. Ninety-nine percent of the default values are fine.
Burn EvoX
Now that you're happy with the evox.ini file, it's time to burn EvoX to a DVD-R. Wait, you need a DVD burner? Yup. Not a CD burner, but a DVD-R burner. I recommend the
Sony DRU500AX. Sony's burner supports all the DVD formats and is the best DVD burner I've used.
You need to create an ISO image to burn. Not just a standard ISO image, however, but an XISO image. Read these simple
instructions on creating an XISO image.
I used
Nero to burn the image to a boot disc.
Boot into EvoX
Once you've created the DVD, insert it into your Xbox and turn on the console. Rather than the boring Microsoft dashboard, you'll see the ExoX dashboard. You can now FTP/telnet into your Xbox.
Ready to install EvoX to the hard drive? Think again. First thing's first: Next we back up the Xbox via FTP. Then we install a 120GB hard drive.
But that's for tomorrow's show.
Xbox Mod: Hard-Drive Upgrade
written by Kevin Rose on Wednesday, April 02, 2003
Add more storage to your game console.
You installed the
Xbox mod chips. You changed the Xbox interface by
installing EvolutionX. You've taken the first two steps to fully unleashing your Xbox's power. Now what? It's time to upgrade the hard drive.
The stock hard drive comes with a measly amount of storage. Actually, it's big enough for settings and saved games. But now that you've modded the Xbox, you need more storage for all the applications you're going to install.
Xbox mods aren't supported by Microsoft and may be illegal under the DMCA. If you mod your Xbox, you're willingly voiding the warranty and you might be breaking the law. If done improperly, modding can damage your Xbox.
Pick a drive
Here are two important things to keep in mind when selecting a new drive:
· Manufacturer
Your new drive has to be "locked" in order to play Xbox Live games. Only certain drives support hard-drive locking. Based on my interviews with modders, it seems that Maxtor hard drives are the most compatible. You can easily lock a hard drive through the DOS command line (more on this later in the article).
· Capacity
The Xecuter2 Lite mod chip that we demonstrated in
part one of this series supports hard-drive capacities of up to 140GB. I selected the Maxtor 120GB hard drive. It was priced right.
Xbox backup
You don't just rip out your old hard drive and slap the new one in there. You need to back that thing up. Your old hard drive has data that you need to transfer to your new hard drive.
Our
installation of EvolutionX gave us FTP access to the Xbox. By using FTP, you can back up your files. I recommend
CuteFTP as an FTP application. Use FTP to access the Xbox and then drag and copy your files. Don't copy them to your new hard drive yet. Just back up the data to any hard drive on your computer.
There are two partitions on the Xbox:
· If you're Windows-savvy, you know what's in the C: drive. Yep, you guessed it: the Xbox dashboard and boot files.
· The E: drive contains your saved games. It took you a long time to get where you're at in
Vexx. You don't want to start over, do you?
Installation
Set the jumper on the new drive to cable select.
Install the new drive.
Put the EvoX setup CD in the Xbox drive and turn on your Xbox.
Choose the "Configure new hard drive" option. This will partition and set up the hard drive.
Repeat the FTP process, but this time copy your data to the new drive. Remember to put the data from the old C: drive into your new C: drive. Do the same with the E: drive.
Reboot.
Lock the drive
If you plan on disabling the mod chip for Xbox Live, you have to lock the hard drive.
Learn how to lock your drive.
Guide to Evolution X
Linear Mode
