This is a must-read Tech-Recipes tutorial for Xbox fans. This was missing from my original tech-recipe, and it is much needed!
The following guide is Seamonkey420’s tech-recipe for making an Evolution X dashboard boot CD/DVD and installing Evolution X to the Xbox hard drive.
Required Hardware/Software:
-Evolution X Dashboard, 1.8.3285 or higher
-Mod Chip with BIOS (installed)
-Neroburn or Easy CD Creator
-XISO/Isomaker or any Xbox image creating program
-Flash FTP
-Network Card
-Router or Crossover network cable
-CD-RW or DVD+-R/RW Disk (This depends on the DVD drive in your Xbox. Some are pickier than others.)
Step 1 – Introduction
Once you have downloaded the Evolution X dashboard version 1.8.3285 or higher, open up the folder where you saved the files. You should have the following files (The default.xbe might be named xboxdash.xbe or evoxdash.xbe. Rename it to default.xbe):
-bios folder
-skin folder
-evox.ini
-default.xbe or xboxdash.xbe (Again, rename it so it is default.xbe)
-IMPORTANT: You should have at least the evox.ini file and the default.xbe file. (It might have been xboxdahs.xbe until you renamed it.)
Step 2 – Editing the evox.ini File so You Can Network/FTP into Your XBOX
Open up the evox.ini file.
Go to the section that reads:
_______________
[Network]
SetupNetwork = Yes
StaticIP = No
Ip = 192.168.0.3
Subnetmask = 255.255.255.0
Defaultgateway = 192.168.0.1
DNS1 = 0.0.0.0
DNS2 = 0.0.0.0
___________
Make sure you have a YES next to SetupNetwork, and also make sure that you enable FTP (see below).
_________
[FTP]
Enable = Yes
Password = xbox
IGR = Yes
________
If you want, you can put yes next to StaticIP. If you do, be sure to set the IP below. You will need this IP later to FTP into the XBOX. Save it. Next, you will need to create an Xbox image file of this folder, and then burn it to a blank CD-RW.
I will explain more about the evox.ini file after you get the dashboard installed onto your Xbox.
Next, you need to create an Xbox image file of this folder containing the evox.ini, default.xbe, BIOS folder, Skin folder. (Xbox uses a different type of file structure than most DVDs.) Then burn the .iso file to a blank CD-RW. Once you have created the .iso file, you will need to open up Nero or Easy CD creator and open the .iso file. After that, burn it to a CD-RW or DVD+-R/RW disk. (Most Xboxes do not read cd-r disks.)
Now, you need to hook up the Xbox to be able to FTP into it.
The can be achieved in two ways:
1. If you have a router, it is easy. Just plug it into the network like a PC.
2. Without a router, use a crossover network cable and setup the evox.ini with a static IP (different from your PC). Use the same subnet and so forth and connect them.
Step 3. Booting your XBOX with the Evolution X Dashboard CD-RW we made
Power on your Xbox as usual. After you turn it on, open up the drive, and put in the CD-RW boot CD you made. Then power off your Xbox, and turn it on with the CD-RW in it. It should load up to the Evolution X dashboard. You can tell right away if your BIOS worked or not if the Xbox logo reads “matrix inside” at the bottom.
Check to see if the network is available or not. Go to System Utils and you will get a new screen. Then go into Settings:.
I use a router to connect to my Xbox, so you will see the DHCP as type. My network works fine. With a router, you do not need to use a static IP.
If you are using a crossover cable and a network card to connect to your Xbox, you will need to setup a static IP.
At the top, it will give you the network status. Hopefully you are connected.
If you go down farther, you’ll see this:
Make sure that it reads Enable YES for FTP.
This is important. If it does not have “yes,” you need to edit the evox.ini file that you edited, and then reburn a new boot CD-RW.
Step 4- Installing Evolution X Dashboard to your Hard drive and FTPing into the XBOX
Boot your XBOX with the Evolution X Dashboard boot CD-RW you made. Let it load up. Then open up FlashFXP and click the Quick Connect button. Here, put in the IP address you found in the Settings part of the Evolution X Dashboard.
Mine was IP: 192.168.0.104
Username: xbox
Password: xbox
Once you click connect, you will get a list of folders on the right. These are the different drives on your XBOX.
C: folder is the main folder.
D: is the DVD drive. When you put in a game, you will want to copy this folder over to your computer and then make an xISO of the folder. Burn it to a blank DVD, and you have a xbox backup!
E: is where you will want to save your games and programs if you have the factory hard drive in your Xbox. This drive has only about 5-7 GBs of free space. Do not delete the folders already there. Just add two new folders: apps and games. Click to see the pic. Then to install games or apps, just make a folder in either games or apps, and then copy the files over to it.
F: is the largest drive if you have added a hard drive into your Xbox (I will explain how to do this later.). You can save your games and programs here just as described above. Otherwise, if you have the factory drive, you cannot save anything to this folder.
The other drives are just temporary storage folders for when you play a game. Leave them as they are.
READ!!
Before you do anything, you want to make a COMPLETE BACKUP of the XBOX’s C: folder and E: folder. Save them to your computer. JUST IN CASE.
Step 5 – Installing Evolution X Dashboard to your XBOX (You do not need to boot from CD-RW)
Again, boot your Xbox with the boot CD you made. Connect to your Xbox with FlashFXP (described above). Go into the C: of your Xbox. Copy over the folder where you made the boot CD (The one that has the default.xbe, evox.ini, skins folder and bios folder.) into the Xbox’s C:.
Then rename the default.xbe to evoxdash.xbe. This way your Xbox will load up the Evolution X dashboard instead of the the Microsoft dashboard (xboxdash.xbe in the c: folder). Also, you might not have as many problems with Xbox live damaging your dashboard, etc.
This is the nice thing about Evox BIOS. It will look for the evoxdash.xbe file first then the xboxdash.xbe if it cannot find the evoxdash.xbe. I tested this out just to be sure, and it works.
Now, disconnect from the Xbox and reboot it without the CD. It should load up the same Evolution X dashboard as before. If not, you might have to boot from the boot CD and then FTP into the Xbox and rename the xboxdash.xbe (Microsoft, factory one) to msxboxdash.xbe. Then rename the evoxdash.xbe to xboxdash.xbe. Then reboot, and it should work.
Tips/Hints:
-If you have problems booting with the CD/DVD, try different brands and burn speeds. I have used Memorex 4x DVD-RD’s with my version 1.0 Xbox. I have also used Memorex and Ritek DVD+RS.
-If using a CD-RW or DVD-+RW, try doing a FULL ERASE on it, and then reburn the Xbox image file.
-Network problems: Check your PC’s network settings to be sure you have them set up correctly. Also, be sure to open up the FTP port on the network if you run a firewall.
-Login problems: Be sure your logging into the Xbox with the same user name and password as you have in the evox.ini.
