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Xbox mod chips allow you to run unsigned code by overriding the default Microsoft BIOS that comes with your Xbox when you purchased it. Just so we're clear, a BIOS (Basic Input Output System) is the program that starts up your Xbox and communicates between the devices in the xbox such as the hard drive and graphics card. The BIOS is extremely important to your Xbox system. An xbox mod chip replaces the default Microsoft BIOS with its own hacked BIOS. The hacked BIOS will allow you to run unauthorized programs. Xbox Bios's can be divided into two primary categories, "probably legal" and "probably illegal". The probably legal bios's include bios's based on the Linux Cromwell bios, discussed below, and virtually any other bios that is shipped with modern day Xbox mod chips (Xenium-OS, SmartXX). Probably Illegal Bios's on the other hand are not shipped with any modern day Xbox modchip that I am aware of. These bios's must be found elsewhere.
Probably Legal Xbox Bioses.
Cromwell Bios: Most mod chips today are shipped with some version of the Cromwell Bios, a totally legal bios that was not designed with any copyrighted Microsoft XDK code. When you boot up your Xbox, with a mod chip enabled which has the Cromwell Bios installed, then you are overriding the virgin Microsoft Xbox Bios. The Cromwell bios is often used as a starting point to installing another bios, however many Xbox modders mod their xbox solely for the purpose of installing Linux. In this case, Cromwell is perfect because with it you can get complete control over the xbox boot process, allowing you to turn your Xbox into a Linux-only machine. For example, with the Cromwell bios you can repartition and format the hard disk completely for Linux, and erase all traces of the original Xbox bios.
A customized version of the Cromwell Bios called FlashBIOS is shipped with all Xecuter mod chips from Xecuter versions 2.2 on up. The FlashBIOS version of Cromwell is customized to make installing another bios (such as the Xecuter bios, discussed below) very easy by allowing for simple flashing.
SmartXX-OS: The Smart-XX is a legal bios that ships with the SmartXX mod chip. However, you will still need to install a hacked bios such as the Xecuter (X2) bios to do most things.
Xenium OS: The Xenium-OS is a legal bios that ships with the Xenium mod chip. However, you will still need to install a hacked bios such as the Xecuter (X2) bios to do most things.
Probably illegal Xbox Bioses.
Xecuter BIOS: The Xecuter Bios (or X2 bios as it is often called) is by far the most popular alternate Xbox bios. However, the Xecuter bios is allegedly built with copyrighted code (Microsoft XDK). Because this code may be considered illegal, the Xecuter bios is generally not posted on public websites. Also, don't confuse the Xecuter bios with Xecuter modchips. Although both the Xecuter mod chips and the bios are developed by the same team, they are not the same thing. Xecuter mod chips are hardware that is soldered to your Xbox. The Xecuter Bios is the software that you flash onto your Xecuter modchip to override the standard Microsoft bios. Also, you should be aware that the Xecuter bios is compatible with any other modchip. This means that if you have a Xenium, X-bit, Chameleon, Matrix, SmartXX or any other flashable Xbox mod chip, then the Xecuter bios is probably the bios that you will want to flash onto your mod chip. The X2 bios will allow you to perform all sorts of cool functions that the virgin MS bios will not allow such as upgrading the xbox hard drive, FTP into the xbox, disabling macrovision, copying xbox games to the hard drive, copying xbox games to dvd, copying xbox games to your own computer for archival purposes, and generally allowing your Xbox to boot any unsigned code. There are many different versions of the Xecuter Bios. To make sure you have found the latest version, please see my article regarding bios versions.
EvoltionX BIOS: The EvolutionX (or Evox) Bios was reasonably popular at one time. However, development on the bios portion of Evox has basically been discontinued, and the Evox team focuses exclusively on releasing new dashboards. For more information on Xbox dashboards, including the Evox dashboard, please see my Xbox Dashboard guide. The latest Evox bios that was released was Evox M7, and this bios is considered obsolete.
Creating and Burning the Xecuter Bios using the cd Flash Method
In this tutorial you will learn how to flash the Xecuter bios to your modchip. Remember, after you flash the bios to your modchip, you are only half-way there. You still have to install an alternate dashboard. However, flashing the modchip with a new bios is the first step. You can not install any alternate dashboard until your modchip is flashed with an alternate bios. Don't worry, this is a really simple process that basically just involves downloading the bios from the internet, making a small conversion using a program developed by team Xecuter, then burning the bios to a CD-RW or DVD for flashing to your modchip.
After you have downloaded the Xecuter bios, you will find that it is probably a single file that is 256k, with the extension ".bin". The next thing you're going to want to do is download the Xecuter2 Bios Manager. The Xecuter 2 Bios manager is the standard for converting bios sizes, regardless of which modchip you are using. The X-ecuter 2 bios manager is perfectly safe to use if you are planning on flashing a modchip other than an X-ecuter (i.e., Xenium, Chameleon, SmartXX, Aladdin, etc.) Although your Xecuter 2 bios is probably 256k when you first download it from the internet, when you're ready to flash that bios to your modchip you should convert the 256k bios to a 1024k bios. Using the Xecuter 2 bios manager program, you can convert your single 256k Xecuter bios into a 512k or 1024k Xecuter bios. For Xecuter 2.2 and 2.3 chips, you need a 1024k bios. The newer chips, such as the Xenium do not require 1024k bioses. Nevertheless, I recommend creating a 1024k bios anyway.
Open the Xecuter2 Bios Manager program and fill all four banks with the EXACT same BIOS by selecting the appropriate bank and the choosing OPEN under "Selected Bank Options". Select all banks four banks which you have just imported the BIOS into and choose SAVE under "Selected Bank Options". Save the file as "BIOS.BIN". It is VERY important that you use the name "BIOS.BIN" when saving your new 1024k file, because this is the filename that your flashing program will look for when it's trying to locate a bios to flash to your CD-RW or DVD.
Now that your 1024k bios.bin file is created, its time to burn that file to a CD-RW or DVD. Many Xbox's have problems reading CD-R's, so CD-RW or DVD are the preferred media. Also, version 1.0 Xbox's shipped with a "Thompson" brand DVD-Rom. Unfortunately, this particular DVD-Rom does not read CD-RW's very well. You may have to experiment with several CDRW brands until you find one that your Xbox will read. Memorex and FujiFilm worked for me. If you have a DVD burner available (+ or - will both work), then it's best to burn your bios.bin to a DVD, to make sure that your Xbox will be able to read the data on the disc.
When burning the bios.bin file, I highly recommend using a program called Nero. There is a free trial version of Nero available from their website. Open up Nero (don't use the wizard). Select "CD-ROM (ISO)" and click New. Move your 1024k BIOS.BIN file over into the ISO compilation window. You should also load a "dummy file" of at least 50 megabytes into the compilation window. Because bios.bin is only 1024k, a dummy file is often needed to make sure that there is enough data on the disc for the Xbox to read it. The dummy file can be any single file as long as it is at least 50 megs in size, and as long as it is NOT named bios.bin. I usually just throw a big, random .exe or .zip file onto my discs for use as a dummy file. If you have a 2 hour porn movie, that will work fine. You can use your imagination. Anyway, once bios.bin and the dummy file are moved into Nero's compilation window, Click -File->Write CD and make all of the settings identical to the following: Multisession Tab, ISO Tab, Label Tab, Burn Tab. Lower your burn speed to the lowest possible setting. If you can go lower than 4x, then do it. It's always best to burn at the slowest speed possible. If for some reason Disc at Once doesn't work for you then try Track At Once. Let Nero do its thing, until its finished. Just discard the session data when the burning is done, and the disc should eject.
Now for the actual modchip bios flashing. Power up your Xbox with the mod chip on. If you are using an Xecuter 2 modchip, then make sure its in unprotected mode by flipping the appropriate switch, and with bank2 selected. Your drive tray should eject when the Xbox boots up, and your screen have a FlashBIOS prompt telling you to put a CD into the tray and close it. If you are using a Xenium modchip, or SmartXX modchip, or any of the other newer mods that ship with their own flashing OS that is different than FlashBIOS, then just follow the on-screen instructions for flashing your chip, using the CDRW/DVD that you created in nero. If using FlashBIOS, then when you close the cd tray with the CDRW/DVD inside, it should tell you that the CD "BIOS" has been found and begin to flash your new BIOS onto your modchip. You can watch the flashing progress on screen, and the program will automatically shutdown when the flashing is complete. You really don't have to do anything but put in the disc, and let FlashBIOS do its thing.
If your disc is not recognized (i.e., it doesn't tell you the name of the disc), then go back into Nero and try the Track at Once burning method. If that still doesn't work then experiment with different CD-RW or DVD media. If your disc is recognized and it tells you "No BIOS Found... Halting!" then go back and recheck the names of your files. Also, make sure that the jumper setting on an Xecuter 2 is switched to "unprotected". If all that is correct then try a larger dummy file. The process is virtually the same if you are using a Xenium modchip, except that you must navigate through the Xenium OS until you reach the "flash bios" menu. Just follow the instructions.
That's all there is to it. Now, you should have the Xecuter bios on your modchip. Excellent Work! Now, it's time to install a dashboard.
Special Note: If you are using an older X-ecuter modchip, such as the original Xecuter 2, or X-ecuter 2.1, then you will have to burn another CD-RW/DVD which contains the OzXFlash program. Beginning with X-ecuter 2.2 and up, OzXflash was built into Cromwell by incorporating "FlashBIOS", However, the earlier X-ecuter chips shipped with only Cromwell, and no FlashBIOS modification. Therefore, with an older X-ecuter modchip you must download OzXflash, and burn it to a CD-RW or DVD using Nero. Then, you will first insert the OzxFlash disc, and when the OzXflash program loads, you will be prompted to insert your bios disc. This exception ONLY applies to older modchips that ship with a version of Cromwell that does NOT include FlashBIOS.
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