BIOS has nothing to do with the dashboard you choose to use. In this instance you'll be using UnleashX at the end of your modification. So no the BIOS won't effect skins.
An easier way to do all this is to just make a bootable tool disk. Auto Installer Deluxe is awesome for doing everything short of flashing the TSOP and mod chips. It might do that too but I didn't bother since I've already got my BIOS flashed. It allows for building of new HDD and formating old ones. As long as the Xbox can get access to the drive you can do whatever with this disk. I used it to recover from my crashed dashboard on my temporary 40GB drive. Completely deleted the MS dash and went with UnleashX only on the C partition. May install a modchip with MS debug BIOS and configure a debug dash later if I ever get it upgraded to 128MB RAM. (256K single BIOS only TSOP chip...) As for the AID tool, I used the light version since I want to configure everything myself. It easily burns to a standard CD. 4.53 comes with a few dashes to install. Last MS one, EvoX, UnleashX, XBMC, and a few others I don't remember. The download from the link above even has a few tutorials for other hard mods like access lights for DVD, HDD, and network. May still be best to flash the BIOS with the exploit method for a stupid simple, can't-fuck-this-up method. After that AID is the way to go for setting up and configuring a HDD. It can even build a new drive from a blank one. Everything is really simple and the site above has an online manual for almost anything you could possibly think of and some stuff you'd never think of (like making a debug system from a retail box) and the manual is also included in the download. Just have to burn the .iso file to a CD if you have the light version or DVD for the loaded version and you're set to go. Pop that sucker into the Xbox and let 'er rip. EDIT: Found this method after spending hours looking for other stuff. XboxHDM, manual methods, Linux methods, auto methods, etc. I finally narrowed it down to Slayer or AID. I choose AID since it is still being updated. Final note: Tried XBMC and hated it instantly. Guess I've used UnleashX so much it grew on me...
Ah cool, thanks! Hmmmm, from what you guys have said, I should definetly flash my TSOP, since I have the ideal model and I don't plan to change the HDD, so would Auto Installer Deluxe still be of some use to me? Okay, I've finished refurbishing the Xbox, everything looks nice and clean and shiny now! I also used guitar polish on the gem to shine it up It turns out that the badge in the center of the controller isn't sealed and can fill up with water :\ I also bridged those two sets of solder points to allow the TSOP to be overwritten. Console boots up and runs fine, so I guess the mod was a success, just need that USB cable and the exploit game! Had a bit of trouble getting the tray to eject when I'd reassembled it, but it turns out I'd forgotten to re-solder the contacts for the eject motor after I de-soldered it (it's a long story involving a chunk of stuck cotton bud stick and an attempt at manually ejecting the tray) worked fine after I re-soldered it There's this odd visual element that I've noticed since I got the console: Are those white dashes at the top of the screen normal? Also, should the screen flicker when it boots up a game?
Flicking when a game starts is normal since sometimes it changes video modes from 480i to 480p, happens even with the standard AV pack. Those white dashes I have no clue about, doesn't happen on any XBOX I've owned and repaired. AID will be fine to use for the finishing process.
Okay, so after I flash the TSOP, I should use AID to do stuff like switch to NTSC video mode and install skins? I was reading on the website that it can "Install the latest version of the MS Xbox Dashboard", does this mean I can use the stock Microsoft dashboard even with the flashed TSOP hacks like region-free and NTSC video mode enabled? And will doing all this erase my game saves? A bummer you don't know the cause behind the white dashes, they're starting to annoy me. I'm hoping there's a problem with the video cable, which will go away when I swap them for the component cables.
All you have to do with AID. Is setup "Modchip Install" and follow everything on screen. For the dashboard select "UnleashX". When you have UnleashX setup, you go to Settings > Video > Select NTSC. Or you can use the Video Switcher Application from the "Tools" section in AID if I remember correctly. Like I said previously, wait until you're ready to do each step as this probably sounds confusing already. It's very straight forward though.
Good idea, I'll wait until I'm up to that step before I start worrying about it (though it's good to know in advance! ) For now, I just need to wait for the USB cable and Agent Under Fire to arrive! In an earlier post, you said the console can be setup to automatically switch video modes, does this mean the console won't run in NTSC mode when I play a PAL game, and thus, can't play PAL games in HD?
I've seen those white dashes before. It's because the screen positioning is off. Once you get UnleashX installed there's a setting for adjusting the screen positioning in it. Just follow the onscreen instructions and adjust the top screen up a little until the dashes are gone. My old CRT tube is 640 x 480 capable on component but due to overscan coverage I had to reduce the resolution on my Xbox down to around 592 x 452 so none of the dash is cut off. EDIT: I can make a video with a tutorial on how to set everything up with AID if needed to make everything easier but it will be later on today since it is morning here and I have work.
If the console is set to play in NTSC, it will play in NTSC. Regardless of what region game, because the video mode is stored in the EEPROM.
Ah good, I was hoping it would be possible to at the very least, hide them. Would it be the version of my Xbox or something? I find it really weird that HEX hasn't see this issue before. I don't think a video guide will be necessary, it's sounds mostly straight forward, there's just a lot of options to choose from Oh good, the AID website said something about changing the video mode to enable the playing of games from different regions, but I was under the impression that the console could be made totally region-free and that you can run PAL games in NTSC mode. If I have a PAL copy of a game that supports HD in the NTSC release, will the PAL version also play in HD or will I need the NTSC version for that?
From what I've seen UnleashX has an option that seems to be an auto video mode switch. That just might be for switching 480i, 480P, 720i, 720P, etc. I don't know if it will also switch NTSC and PAL or not since I have only NTSC games and my TV doesn't accept PAL. I think it's the TV more than anything. Different sets have different ways of dealing with overscan.
What's the USB Cable for? Not sure what's up with the video. Hopefully it's the cable. Not something like from a splatter on the board close to the video chip. X2 as others have recommended is great for editing the Bootup flubber or adding custom parameters using the X2 Config app. available for Windows or OS X even. Otherwise if it's already softmodded and the points are bridged like you say they are just pop in the slayer's disc and go on and tsop flash her up! ;-) Wondering if it'll work as It looks like a ST chip in there which I think should work fine with the evox tsop flashing tool off the slayer's disc as far as I can remember.
With the AID disk that won't be needed for softmodding since it has everything needed right there on the disk for both softmodding on stock TSOP and hardmodding for those with a flashed TSOP. The OP is going to use it to transfer the saves needed to flash the TSOP. Then again if he were to softmod it first he could then just FTP the save files needed to the HDD and go from there. I don't care for Slayer's since it hasn't been kept up to date like AID has. Not to mention AID does everything Slayer's does and then some. I have an ST chip in my unit and once I found a tool that was sort of readable I was able to flash it with no problem. Only difference I think is mine is a 256K and the chips in the 1.0 models are 1024K. Need to find the proper sized BIOS for the chips. The M8+ BIOS comes in 256K, 512K, and 1024K variations and the bootup animation is same as stock minus the Linux penguin added to the top left corner of the screen. I may get that tool and customize my bootup screen to look completely stock. On a side point, I'm looking for a skin for UnleashX that looks like the stock MS dash. Anyone know of one? My idea for the Xbox is to make it look stock to the untrained eye. Only thing to give away it's been modded would be the extra options on the dashboard. Otherwise my idea is to make it so that no one knows of the replaced HDD, DVD drive, BIOS, and dashboard until they start digging into it. A "sleeper" if you will excuse my car terminology. EDIT: I've found that with the M8+ BIOS you don't have to have the DVD drive connected and the HDD can be unlocked. This is very helpful. Once you get the BIOS flashed, HDD upgrades are stupid simple. Building it is even easier with AID. I was able to unlock both my original HDD and my current 40GB model using the included Config Magic app found on the AID disk. The original HDD is currently sitting on my PC formatted as a FAT32 drive. If my current drive craps out before my 750GB SATA unit (with adapter that is confirmed working with Xbox) shows up then I can just pop the original back in unlocked and use it temporarily.
Okay, we're partway there! I've got the copy of Agent Under Fire, just waiting for the USB cable! I've also got the component cable, but when I plug in a TOSLINK cable... Nothing. In fact, my AV receiver switches away from it. I think it's working, since there's a red light coming out of it, but I get no sound. I've got Dolby Digital enabled and everything. I know the cable and AV receiver work, since they're the same ones I use with my PS2. Don't tell me... I can't use digital because PAL Xboxs have HD disabled?
I don't understand what is the USB Cable for? There's no need to use one to tsop flash. Not sure if there's even a TOSLINK connection on the Xbox.Anyways to get the TSOP Flashed go on and softmod it to ANYTHING doesn't matter AIE / UXE whatever, and just mod the thing so it'll at least run / execute the "Slayer's Disc" if that's the route you chose to go, then you can go on and tsop flash right off that disc use X2 or M8 and make sure the xbox version matches up... Again I really am curious as to what that USB cable is for....
As I understand it, you put the exploit files on a USB drive and plug that into the console. You then play an exploit game, which tricks the console into loading the files on the USB drive, flashing the TSOP. There's suppose to be other way to flash the TSOP, but from what everyone is saying, the USB and exploit game is the easiest and safest, and it doesn't involve having to hook up the console's HDD to a PC or FTP it. The console doesn't have the TOSLINK connector, but the component cable does. There's a little socket on it that you plug a cable into.
Ah memory card ;-) There's no way to plug a usb jump drive into the xbox unless you made / soldered in a female to accept em ;-) You'll still have to ftp em files over there to get onto the memory card (Got another mate with a modded box already? Use his to make / prep the memory card with your chosen exploit) unless you have an adapter that'll read the xbox memory cards on the pc and let you load gamesaves to it. Then you can finally COPY it over to the Xbox HDD and then load the game up and get on with your business ;-)
I dunno. It's glowing red, so I have no idea... Yes, that's the point of the USB cable, it has an Xbox plug on one end and a female USB port on the other so you can plug in a regular USB stick, which the console thinks is a memory card plugged into a controller. From what's been described, I don't need to FTP or anything, just run the exploit from the USB drive which will flash the TSOP.
