Modding an Xbox

19-10-2003 11:09pm #1

I am thinking of modding my Xbox , but not sure if i should . What are the pros and cons of modding an Xbox ?

Creamy Goodness · 19-10-2003 11:13pm

if ya feck it up there's no going back

Snaga · 19-10-2003 11:26pm

well no going back without some cost. The modding itself can be easy enough especially if you know someone who has done it before or are handy at soldering and are willing to spend a few minutes with google.

There are plenty of motherboard/hard disk combos being sold on ebay for people who screw it up (The hd is locked to the motherboard unless you know what your doing).

pro's are, you get to run what you want, theres a large amount of third party software you can use, media players for your divx's, multi region dvd software, emulators for your roms, you can even install linux on it if you like.

cons are, well bye bye guarantee, youve no comeback with microsoft if you open your xbox. Ive heard that if you connect to xbox live with a modded xbox then youll be blacklisted which would be unfortunate if you wanted to do that.

Im sure others will add to the list.

mfield · 20-10-2003 11:42am

Originally posted by Snaga
cons are, well bye bye guarantee, youve no comeback with microsoft if you open your xbox. Ive heard that if you connect to xbox live with a modded xbox then youll be blacklisted which would be unfortunate if you wanted to do that.

This can be overcome by fitting a switch to your xbox, so that you can turn off the chip when playing on xbox live.

The homebrew side of the xbox is brilliant, and makes it well worth doing!

There are no cons as far as I can see :cool:

mfield.

Snaga · 20-10-2003 1:03pm

Originally posted by mfield
This can be overcome by fitting a switch to your xbox, so that you can turn off the chip when playing on xbox live.

mfield.

Yup, but you better make sure you pop that switch every time, it only takes the once to block you

Certainly a good idea once you forcefully educate everyone who might use it while your not there!

mfield · 20-10-2003 1:52pm

Originally posted by Snaga
Yup, but you better make sure you pop that switch every time, it only takes the once to block you

Certainly a good idea once you forcefully educate everyone who might use it while your not there!

You can also go onto other servers instead of xbox live, if you like, and belt away regardless of having a chip or not.

jesus_thats_gre · 20-10-2003 1:56pm

I know someone in the Swords area who does it. PM me and I will give you his email address if you want.

elmer · 20-10-2003 2:19pm

Originally posted by Snaga
Yup, but you better make sure you pop that switch every time, it only takes the once to block you

Certainly a good idea once you forcefully educate everyone who might use it while your not there!

another solution i came across recently was to change the executable the modded bios looks for - the bioses normally looks for a default.xbe file - so if you tell the modded bios to look for something else such as no.xbe - then it can't load xbox games straight off the disk except from the dashboard - so if anyone else uses the xbox they won't be able to just stick a disk in - they'd have to go to the replacement dash first and then load it from there. which should give anyone a good indication that the chip is on

thelad · 20-10-2003 6:31pm

If you put the latest slayers dashboard on it has the xbox live already installed and I have heard of people plying live and they have not yet been banned (with chip switched on)......

elmer · 20-10-2003 10:07pm

Originally posted by thelad
If you put the latest slayers dashboard on it has the xbox live already installed and I have heard of people plying live and they have not yet been banned (with chip switched on)......

a very tough one to call - lots of people have said they haven't been banned while accidentally going on live etc. i still wouldn't be trying it unless you've a spare eeprom

Attreu · 20-10-2003 10:30pm

It is possible to "mod" your xbox without physically opening the case.

It is known as an exploit and can be done with a memory card and one specific original xbox game.

I'm thinking of offering the service charging approx €15 a time.

Same benefits of having your box chipped without losing warranty, easily reversable.

Chips have had their day for the xbox.

also Gamecube has been cracked without need for a chip.

Attreu

mfield · 21-10-2003 1:30am

Originally posted by Attreu
It is possible to "mod" your xbox without physically opening the case.

It is known as an exploit and can be done with a memory card and one specific original xbox game.

I'm thinking of offering the service charging approx €15 a time.

Same benefits of having your box chipped without losing warranty, easily reversable.

You can't go on Xbox Live with this method

elmer · 21-10-2003 4:45am

i presume you mean the tsop method - how do you make the onboard tsop flashable(excluding a v1.2+) without opening it up?

i prefer chips becuase if the chip gets screwed atleast you still have your onboard bios

joc_06 · 21-10-2003 8:03am

I've been out of the modding scene a long time (year or so)
but i was once chief(!?!) installer for limk area. Not many xbox's but loads a ps2's - magic 3, 3.1, even early dms and of course messiah.

As i can recall there was a simple modchip for xbox that all u had to do was screw in 2 screws and if u got a green light ur good to go, red light and u just realign it!! no solderin!! i think it was called xploder or xsomething anyhow

jus what i can recall

Gummy Panda · 21-10-2003 11:53am

it was called the xecuter

elmer · 21-10-2003 12:40pm

back then it must have been a matrix - original xecutor was solder install - wasn't til the x2 lites that they used pogo pins - matrix was a great idea - but hard to use sometimes and no use for newer xbox becuase the trace points were moved slightly when they changed from a 1m bios/tsop to a 256k one

CivilServant · 21-10-2003 12:45pm

You still have to solder two points when using pogo on x2

mralphabet · 21-10-2003 12:50pm

I recently modded my box with the new ALX2 R3 Mod .. which is just pure fantastic!! I dont need to worry about being banned from Xbox Live! as it has the old bios as well as the mods which is easy to use hold the power button on the xbox for 2 seconds u have the mod and evox and everything ya could want from xbox .. press it normally and youve your old plain gawdy green xbox lol! i would recommend this mod... i purchased it from xbox-mod.co.uk .. who were very good and qick to deliver. But i dont recommend trying to solder this yourself if you dont have a clue about it. Its one akward mod to solder on .. but its a very good one. Has played all of my "Backup" Games without a problem to date.

elmer · 21-10-2003 12:58pm

the one i came accross with an x2.1 was solderless - granted you could solder install if you liked but you could definately install without any soldering. can see the purpose of pogo pins if you have to solder too

CivilServant · 21-10-2003 1:10pm

didn't have a x2.1 pretty cool if u don't have to solder. Nearly impossible to f up.

patch · 21-10-2003 2:21pm

Originally posted by Attreu

also Gamecube has been cracked without need for a chip.

Attreu

How would you get around the tiny dvd issue? Forgive me if this is a silly question!

gimme · 21-10-2003 2:25pm

you put isos on your pc and then you use the broadband adapter and a certain online game, then you can play certain things over the network.

patch · 22-10-2003 10:32am

Thanks for that Gimme! Off to google with me........

Stormfox1020 · 22-10-2003 4:32pm

What would modding your xbox, give you in return? I know about playing imports and stuff, and can u play copyed games and such?

peterk19 · 22-10-2003 4:46pm

Basicly it lets you run backup games imports run unsigned code upgrade your Harddisk run emulators (Nes snes megadrive xbox atari mastersystem mame neogeo) play all region dvds the list is pretty much endless its all down to the programmers imagination really
Pete.

Banshee2003 · 02-11-2003 7:36pm

does anyone now someone in dublin who can chip an xbox????

kensutz · 02-11-2003 8:05pm

I know a few sites but I don't know if we're allowed tell you where to go to. Actually i think it was posted before.

vorbis · 02-11-2003 11:34pm

you can mod the xbox without openig it. I've done it myself. You can either use the audio or font exploit. The audio is safer as it doesn't get caught in loops. With the games Mechassault or 007 Agent under fire, you can create a buffer overflow. this allows you to load evox. You then for the audio change the database file. You get the new one to load phoenix bios loader. pbl is used to load a bios that can do more "interesting things". To load this bios normally afterwards all you have to do is attempt to copya music file to the hard disk. this creates anther overflow that loads pbl. Thats it, a modified xbox witout voiding the warranty.

Modding an Xbox

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