Replacing HDD from a modded Xbox - How hard is it?

[norkusa]

Running out of space on my modded Xbox's 80gb HDD (I bought it pre-modded) and I'm thinking about sending it out to a modder to put a bigger one in for me. How hard is it to install new HDD's? I haven't read up on it much but I think I remember seeing something about having to re-flash the BIOS plus altering my INI file, and that pretty much scared me off for doing it myself.

If it is simple as formating the new drive, copying over all my old files + directories, I think I might be able to do it myself. Or is it more complicated than that?

[shadowkn55]

You can either use Slayer's auto-installer disc or format it through ftp. Either way, you'll need to make a backup of your current drive and copy it over later.

[SkiDragon]

I am curious myself. Is the xbox a soft mod, or a chip mod? I have an unmodded, broken xbox that needs a new hard drive. I can't soft mod it since it is broken. How can I fix this?

[shadowkn55]

You need to install a modchip to fix it. I have a solderless xecuter chip that i use to fix broken xboxes.

[Goblin]

You can either use Slayer's auto-installer disc or format it through ftp.

Slayers disk makes it real easy. I've done for others in the past, but I keep meaning to upgrade mine. I just haven't gone out and picked up a drive to do it. Norkusa, if you do yours and are interested in getting rid of your 80GB let me know. Maybe we can work out a sale or trade.

[djh82uk]

Yes using a solderless chip is a good idea, so you can just remove it after locking the HDD. I want another xbox now :(

DJH

[ASSEMblerEX]

With the newer chips / bios you can theoretically do up to a 2tb hdd.

[Goblin]

I just dropped a 200GB drive in this afternoon. Even easier than adding a new drive to a computer. I've spent most of the afternoon loading it full of movies and ripping all my games. This thing is awesome.

[SkiDragon]

Can somebody please suggest a cheap chip that will accomplish my goal of putting a new hard drive in my broken Xbox? Once I fix it I may later decide to put emulators, etc. on it, but mostly I just want to fix it. I am not afraid of soldering, I just want to do it on the cheap. Thanks.

[shadowkn55]

http://www.divineo.cn/cgi-bin/div-cn/xb-duox2cr.html

Comes to about $15 shipped.

[SkiDragon]

Thanks. After installing the chip, how would I go about installing the new hard drive? It can't be as simple as a computer installation. Must I load the dashboard software on it first?

[shadowkn55]

It's been answered earlier in the thread.

[SkiDragon]

Ok, I purchased the suggested chip and installed it. When I power on the console, I can see the chip's menu or whatever, but the picture is screwed up. The picture rolls, and reminds me of watching a bad VHS tape. If I power on with the eject button, the console acts normal and boots into the error screen. I haven't tried replacing the hard drive yet.

EDIT: Nevermind. I had the Xbox hooked up with component cables. When I used composite it worked. Now I have to figure out how to install the new hard drive.

[SkiDragon]

I would just like to know how to restore the Xbox to working condition. I installed the chip and the new hard drive, but I have no idea what I should do next. I assume that all I need to do is somehow format the hard drive and get a dashboard OS on it. I cant back up my old drive because it is busted.

Later on, once I get the Xbox working, I may think about adding some additional functionality. Can somebody answer these questions or point me to a good FAQ? Thanks.

[shadowkn55]

Slayers will format the drive and copy the necessary files.

[SkiDragon]

Must I do anything before using the slayer disk? I burnt the disc and it doesn't do anything in my xbox. Let me describe what happens. When I turn on the Xbox it now boots into the new BIOS menu thing, thanks to the chip. It gives me two options, CD or Network. I choose CD and it tries to read the disk I made, but it just sits there and nothing ever loads up. The only two things I have done so far are switch out the hard drive and physically install the mod chip.

[shadowkn55]

You need to flash your chip with a hacked bios of some sort before slayers will work. You can use the eurasia flash disc to do it but you still need a bios.

[SkiDragon]

The chip apparently has both the Cromwell BIOS and the FlashBIOS. It has been booting into the Cromwell BIOS. Will neither of these allow me to use the slayer disk?

[shadowkn55]

Cromwell can't do much except for booting linux based tools like Eurasia. FlashBios lets you flash your bios without the need for Eurasia. You'll have to find another bios that will allow you to boot Slayers.

[SkiDragon]

There are many different types of BIOS types. Is any type preferred? I just downloaded the EvoX BIOS because it's name seems to be thrown around a lot. According to the mod chip's website "Please note that you will need a 512KB bios (ie 2 X 256KB of the same bios since most bios are only 256KB)"

The BIOS I downloaded is 256 KB. How can I "multiply it by two"?

[SkiDragon]

I found a 512 kb bios and it seems that I was successful. I was able to play Halo 2 and the Xbox seems to work fine.
Thanks for all of your help.