Getting a Mod Chip

To gain the freedom you want with your X-Box you will need a mod chip. This chip will bypass the X-Box's original BIOS replacing it with one you have installed on the chip. This is what allows you to run unsigned code and third-party applications, back up your games, put in a new hard drive, and, most importantly for me, get around the region lock on games and DVDs.

1. Choosing a mod chip: There are many chips out there (the X-Box Scene website has a complete listing), but since my technical skills are limited I decided on the Matrix Chip since it requires no soldering. Important is a flashable (i.e. upgradeable BIOS) to ensure the chip will work in the future (this is the case with generation 3b chips).

2. Getting the chip: I ordered the Matrix Chip from easybuy2000.com for $59 plus $5.50 for shipping and handling. They processed my order quickly and I received the Matrix chip about a week later.

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Preparing the Matrix mod chip for installation

The Matrix Chip does not have the necessary BIOS installed. This has to be done by you. The chip does comes with a programmer which will enable you to flash the BIOS of your choice to the chip, using your PC (see the Xodus package contents listing for info on what is shipped with the Matrix chip).

1. Things you'll need for flashing a BIOS to the Matrix:

• the Matrix programmer (shipped with the matrix)

• a fresh (i.e. brand new!) 9v battery

• the program WinLPC (this is the program you need to actually flash the BIOS)

• a BIOS (this is in the form of a bin file, and will be flashed to the chip using WinLPC)

2. Choosing a BIOS: Choosing the right BIOS is very important since the features you'll be able to use depend on the BIOS you choose (for a comparison of BIOS features click here). I chose the EvoX D 6 which can be downloaded by following this link.

3. Flashing the Matrix Chip: Once you've got everything together (For a step by step description of the flashing process with pictures click here),

• install WinLPC on your computer

• insert the 9v battery into the programmer (may require a little force)

• connect the Matrix to the programmer (only fits one way)

• plug the programmer into an LPT port of your PC (don't use any cables, plug the programmer in directly). Once plugged in a red LED on the Matrix should light up.

• Run WinLPC and click on the program button. Select your BIOS .bin file and start the flashing process. This should take about 3 minutes. During this I encountered a problem with the programming. After pinching the Matrix and programmer together during the whole process it worked (if you encounter problems take a look at this troubleshooting guide). Once programmed and verified, a done button will appear. Click on it to close WinLPC.

• Detach the programmer from the PC and then detach the Matrix from the programmer. Congrats you've just flashed your Matrix and are ready to install it!

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Installing the Matrix

Now we're ready to install the Matrix into the X-Box. Here is a complete guide with pictures, but I'll briefly describe the steps here.

1. Opening the X-Box: Disconnect all cables and connectors from your X-Box and remove the six torx screws located on the underside of the housing (one under each rubber foot, and two under the decals; don't remove the rubber feet, just pull them back).

2. Accessing the motherboard: Locate and remove the two torx screws which are situated on both sides of the DVD drive at the front of the box. Detach the Hard drive power plug and unclip the power cable from the plastic housing. Now gently lift out the plastic tray containing the DVD Rom and Hard drive to reveal the IDE and yellow DVD Rom power connector on the motherboard, gently detach these connectors.

3. Installing the Matrix: Locate and remove the torx screw on the motherboard as shown in the installation guide. Place the the spacer, that came with the Matrix Chip, over the hole and secure it with tape. Make sure the tape doesn't cover any areas where the pogo pins of the Matrix connect to the motherboard of the X-Box. You might want to clean the pogo pins of the Matrix and the G spot of the motherboard with alcohol as described in the installation troubleshooting guide. I had this problem when I installed my Matrix.

4. Aligning the Matrix: Place and align the Matrix as described in the installation guide, replace the torx screw and tighten it a bit. If you find the correct alignment the LED on the Matrix will start blinking green and you can carefully tighten the screw all the way. If it is not aligned correctly the LED will flash red. Once you've gotten it aligned, make sure you don't loose you're alignment when tightening the screw and don't over tighten it. The guide recommends, that you leave the X-Box unplugged and turned off while installing the chip. It also recommends, that you should only plug it in and turn it on to check the alignment, turning it back off and unplugging it again if the chip needs realignment. I had such a hell of a time getting the Chip aligned, that after about half an hour I left my X-Box powered up so I could constantly watch the LED while I wiggled the Matrix back and forth in the hopes of hitting that elusive G spot. That is how it finally worked for me. If you do what I did, just make sure not to touch anything else.

5. Setting the operational mode: Once you've gotten the Matrix snugly tightened in and the LED is still merrily flashing green, you can set the mode you want the Matrix to be in by flipping the dip switches. I set mine to mode two (Always On; Setting is: Dip switch 1 OFF, 2 ON; signified through a constantly lit green LED). This mode enables the Matrix to take over the original bios at all times. Check the installation guide for the different settings.

6. Final steps: That's it. Put everything back together and you're done with this step. Congrats you know have a modded X-Box!

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Making a boot disk to install the EvolutionX dashboard

You're going to need EvolutionX or a similar dashboard program in order to use all the capabilities of your newly modded X-Box. This program replaces the Microsoft dashboard, which is the screen you see when you boot without a disk (you know, the one with memory, music, and settings) and gives you the options you need to utilize you're new and improved X-Box.

1. What you need:

• A CD-Rom burner

• burning software (I used Nero, download it here)

• the evolutionX dashboard (get it here, the downloaded .rar file should contain the files evox.ini, evoxdash.xbe, and a skin folder)

• the program xISO (get it here) in order to make an ISO image to burn to your boot CD-RW, that the X-Box can read.

• a CD-RW (You have to burn an ISO CD image to your disk in order to make your boot disk. ISO requires a very slow burning speed. The slowest speed I could write with was 4x. Since the first boot CDs didn't take, that includes Sony CD-RWs, I went out and bought high speed CD-RWs from Maxell and these finally worked.)

• a dummy file (Any file larger than 90 Mb will do, just rename it abc.dat and add it to your ISO file. This is necessary because some of the X-Box DVD drives seem incapable of reading small files).

2. Preparing the EvolutionX .ini file: In order to ftp to your X-Box, which will enable you to install the EvolutionX Dashboard, you might have to make some changes to the evox.ini file (I know I did). Open evox.ini in an editor (Windows Notepad will do quite nicely) and make sure your Network Settings look like this:

Also if your using your original X-Box hard disk and plan on installing apps and games to run right away, it may be wise for you change all fields in the evox.ini from f: to e:. This is necessary since the evox.ini is set up for items to be executed from the f: partition that you will not have with an original hard disk. If you don't plan on running or installing apps and games to or from the hard disk this won't be necessary. Once done simply save your changes.

3. Making the Evox ISO:

• Make a folder called evox and add the changed evox.ini file, the evoxdash.xbe file, the skin folder, and the abc.dat file.

• Rename the file evoxdash.xbe to default.xbe.

• Start the xISO program and under the menu "Tool" click on the "make an xISO" option. The program will ask you to select the folder containing the files for the ISO. Browse to and open the Evox folder you just made, name the ISO Evox_v1.8.3752.iso, and hit save.

4. Burning the EvolutionX boot CD-RW:

• Insert your Maxell high speed CD-RW into your burner and open Nero-Burning Rom.

• Under the menu "File" choose the "Burn Image" option.

• Browse to where you saved your file Evox_v1.8.3752.iso and click open.

• Select the options: "Write", "Finalize CD (No further writing possible!)", "Write Speed" as slow as possible (in my case 4x), and "Write Method Disk-At-Once".

• Then click on "Write".

That's it you've got your boot CD.

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Installing the EvolutionX dashboard

1. What you'll need:

• Your boot CD

• a crossover cable (costs about $8 at Circuit City)

• a network card if your PC doesn't have one,

• FlashFXP Ftp software (get it here)

2. Booting the EvolutionX CD: Open the DVD tray of your X-Box and insert the boot disk. Close the tray and turn the X-Box off. Power back up again so the X-Box boots from the CD. If you get an error message that the X-Box can't read the disk, power back down and try again. My X-Box requires 3 tries (powering down and then up again each time) before it takes the disk and boots from it. You should now see the EvolutionX dashboard.

3. Setting up your PC to communicate with the X-Box: In the windows control panel of you PC open up the "Network Connections". If you don't already have a broadband connection installed, click on the "New Connection Wizard", when it opens hit next and then choose "Connect to the internet", hit next again and choose "Set up my connection manually", hit "next" again and choose "Connect using a broadband connection that is always on" hit "next" and "finish". Right click on your LAN connection symbol (either already there, or we just made on) and choose "Properties". Now highlight the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and click on "Properties". Choose "Use the following IP address" and enter the following:

Now click on "OK" closing properties and "OK" again to close the connection properties.

4. Installing EvolutionX to your X-Box hard disk: Now, connect your PC to your X-Box using the crossover cable and open up Flash FXP. Connect to the X-Box using the following settings:

Once connected, You will see C: D: E: F: X: Y: and Z:. The only two Partitions that you have to worry about now is C: and D:. Open up D: and you will see the contents of your boot disc. On your computer make and name a folder (e.g. evolutionx) and copy the files default.xbe, EvoX.ini, and the Skins Folder from D: of your X-Box to it. Now that you have the files from your boot disc on your PC, rename the default.xbe file to xboxdash.xbe. Next open up C: on the XBOX and rename xboxdash.xbe to msxboxdash.xbe. Once you've done this, upload xboxdash.xbe, evox.ini, and Skins from your PC to C: on the XBOX. Eject the EvoX boot disc from your XBOX and reboot, you should now see the EvolutionX Dashboard as your default Dashboard.

Congratualtions!!!! That's it! You now have a fully functional modded X-Box. Have fun!

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For further infos check out the following sites:

• X-Box Scene Tutorials. Probably the most extensive collection of X-Box modding and hacking tutorials on the net.

• The X-Box Scene. A very comprehensive site on X-Box modding and hacking.

• The HaxBox Net. Tons of downloads needed for modifying the X-Box (BIOSs, Apps, Dashboards, etc.)

• Xodus. Downloads of installation and troubleshooting guides for the Matrix mod chip.

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