The Easiest Way To Soft Mod An Original XBOX

This Instructable is taken from gh3tt0h4x0r on Youtube (including screencaps, as my Gamebridge was being weird the night i did this). His two part video shows how you can do a simple install of the XBMC (XBox Media Centre) on an XBox without the need for Action Replay, a memory card or compatible USB thumbdrive (i used my Kingston 4 gig, He used a PSP). This is simple, Links are provided off this site (due to size) for this install, and the only long part to this is the copying of files at certain points. I have done this myself and i must say that this was a no-brainer!

Step 1 Getting Started

You will need the following:
USB thumbdrive (at least 512 Meg is a good size, as this is a big install)
the softmod install files (updated file location as Megaupload is now dead: http://www.1337upload.net/files/SID.zip)
Xplorer 360 (Program that allows you to inject files onto the Thumbdrive)
Decent computer running Windows XP or Windows 7 but will be testing under Wine in Xubuntu (I GUESS you could use Vista :S )
Device to connect Thumbdrive to XBox (i used my Controller
Game that can use an Exploit (I used the First Splinter Cell as any version will work. If you can't get that, the Original Mech Assault, or an Older version of 007:Agent Under Fire, as most of the newer ones will not work.)
Original XBox
Optional: 12 pack of your favorite frosty 'BEvERage'

Comments

[killamobz]

Yeah same problem here as bripilot. the file doesn't have the ntsc folders?
Is it not the right file or maybe just a part of it? If someone could send me the right files to me that'd be sweet!

Thanks!

[bripilot]

In your tutorial, you say to "Now Drag 'N' Drop the four folders inside NTSC to the right hand of the X 360"

However, when I download your SID file, there is no NTSC folder, and when I go to load a game in Splinter Cell after copying your SID folder to my USB Stick, There are no save games.

Could you provide a little further clarification? Thanks!

[cooldoodtekk]

ya same thing

[trashcanz]

Can files be transferred, between the Xbox & computer, via the "Controller to PC / MAC USB Cable Adapter" on an Xbox controller with memory card?

[daiatlus79]

the memory card is no good, as it is only 8 megs and this mod requires much more space. the cable adapter is more recommended, if you cannot mod your controller as i show in the other tutorial i have (puts a usb female port in place of one of the memory card slots)

[Taizoc]

Hey, I've gotten the softmod to work about 90% correctly. I'm using UnleashX and I can't get it to save the skin I want it to use after a reboot. I don't know what that's about.
Also I'm using a 2GB Kingston Datatraveler to transfer files from my computer and everything works fine if my computer is writing to the card, but if the Xbox tries to save anything to it, it comes up with Error 0. Does anybody know what that's about?

[daiatlus79]

if you have hacked the xbox successfully, try using FTP to transfer files between pc and xbox. its easier and less of a headache. Filezilla and FlashFXP are two good programs

[Some James]

The softmod install files: (scanned with Comodo and safe)
http://www.1337upload.net/files/SID.zip

[daiatlus79]

thanks friend. i will put them in the tutorial :) much appreciated. been rather busy these days and havent gottena chance to do it myself!

[heapish]

Where can I get hol of the CNG-Xbox-Softmod-Pack? As the megauploa link is dead now.

[KKBug]

Your links to get the Xplorer 360 and softmod install files don't work anymore. Both of them send you to pages that say they've been seized by the Federal Government for Anti-Piracy Laws. Do you have new links to get those files or plan on trying to include updated new links?

[dfalk]

Does I have to use a game?? :/ I don't have that one who needs :/

[daiatlus79]

the game can be gotten online from most auction sites for about 2 bucks. its an easy game to get. if not, then the 007 and Mechassault games will work as well, but they MUST be the first editions! no reissues will work with the mod

[ozz2g]

Here is a stupid question, cause I'm sure this is the main reason this is done. However, I have all the legacy of Kain games for the PSone and PS2 but don't have either system anymore. I also still have some other games for different systems, and of course don't have the systems anymore. So, my question is, can you use this mod to run roms like you would an emulator? If so, is there anything special I need to do or any other software I need to download? I have the SNES emulator to play the SNES games I have on my computer, but want to be able to play them on my TV again. Thanx.

[daiatlus79]

yes it is ready to run roms almost out of the box. you would need to locate the emulators for it (google is your friend), and yes it is capable of running PSOne games. i have Atari 2600, NES, SNES, Sega Master System, Nintendo 64, MAME, PC Engine, etc running on mine. and you can even load the Roms off of a dvd if you dont want to take up hard drive space

[glendalf81]

if this injection process takes any longer im gonna be too drunk to finish the procedure

[daiatlus79]

lol just be patient. it takes a long time over USB 1.1 lol but the copying from the drive to the xbox wont take nearly as long!

[MyGhost]

Having a bit of a problem here, Xplorer360 isn't reading the my Flash drive. It keeps saying, "Could not find FATX drive to open!" Though my computer keeps asking me to format it and my xbox reads it.

[Axcel_94]

The error message I'm getting when I plug in my flash drive is, "The memory unit you inserted isn't functioning; it may be damaged."
Please help.
(The drive is 2 GB, FAT32, and write-protected)

[fishofsword]

Did you check to see that your drive is compatible? there is a list of compatible and/ or not compatible drives for the XBox. Just google it....

http://www.instructables.com/id/Softmod-Original-Xbox-Without-Action-Replay-Cover/

There's a picture of the drive I used in that link, just scroll a little bit. Their pretty popular nowadays so I would use that one.

[Axcel_94]

Well, I got the xbox to format my PSP card and another flash drive, but when I plug either of them into the computer, they show up as RAW, not FATX

[fishofsword]

Now I'm honestly not sure what could be causing that, however, it may be that the computer is unable to recognize FatX formats. Have you tried opening up the xplorer360 program and seeing if that recognizes your flash drive?

itl be the only drive in the list on the left, since Xplorer360 exists only for FATX purposes

[Axcel_94]

I got it!
I wasn't running the newest version of Xplorer360.

[fishofsword]

Awesome! have fun with rest!

[furrysalamander]

After a lot of trouble, I think I have discovered why my ftp isn't working. It turns out my "filezilla server.xml" file is corrupted, and as a direct result, I can't ftp. I used your instructable to mod my xbox, so in theory what I am about to suggest should work. I would kindly ask you to copy your "filezilla server.xml" file from your system folder, and provide me a link so I can fix my issue.

[MyGhost]

After installing the software, will I be able to upload and play games on the Box without the means of a disk?

[daiatlus79]

you COULD do it over the network, but the small hard drive will be too prohibative to install the games to unless you can somehow get a bigger one in there (harder to do with a softmod)

[MyGhost]

I was planning to upgrade the the HDD after the softmod was installed. About 1tb or so, maybe 500gb.

[jibss5]

Great tutorial. It worked and I upgraded my HD. But my xbox crashes when I try to load or save a game in my xbox games. Any suggestions?

[joostvdhurk]

Best tutorial so far,
Made it all the way to the last step.
Insert Splintercel, load up linux profile and then nothing happens...
push a ...but nothing loads...no softmod install...
any suggestions??

[daiatlus79]

did you load the SID install file as well? that has to be copied to the hard drive as well, not just the splinter cell file

[rrolle]

i modded my controller an plugged in my jumpdrive the light comes on an every thing but my xbox does not read it at all what to do

[daiatlus79]

read next post by MyGhost

[MyGhost]

These are all the jumpdrives that are compatible with XBMC
http://www.xbmc4xbox.org/wiki/index.php?title=USB_Mass_Storage_support_in_XBMC_for_Xbox

[TheHatchet]

Hey. Sorry to bother you. I have a problem. I have gotten as far as successfully loading the sid 3.1 installer on my hard drive. I put the game in and go to the load menu but the Linux save file isn't there. :-( Maybe I missed something. Thanks for any help.

[daiatlus79]

you have to load the SID file AND the save file for the game

[kleebaby]

I cant get any of my jump drives to be recognized in xplorer360 ive used a kingston 2 gb a sandisk micro 2 gb a sandisk micro 8 gb an ipod shuffle and a duracell 2gb they all format fine on the xbox but dont work in xplorer360 has anyone else had this problem and figured out how to fix it ive been trying different ways 2 softmod this xbox for almost a week now nothing works plz help

[daiatlus79]

use google and try to find a newer build of Xplorer 360 is all i can say, or try to jsut get your hands on another drive. my cheap nexxtech 2 gig from the source works fine for me

[Jon316]

Can you please reprase this sentence " Don't! Install Xplorer 360 to the desktop and as well, extract the NTSC folder within the compressed folder to the desktop as well" Im not really sure what you saying here. thank you.

[daiatlus79]

"Don't!" is it's own sentence, as any english teacher will tell you. the exclamation point at the end kind of denotes this. Install Xplorer blah blah blah is a new sentence. so... the sentence means install Xplorer 360 to the desktop, and as well extract the ntsc folder to the desktop... not that hard...