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Flashing an Xbox modchip can be a confusing topic for new Xbox modders. This article is an attempt to provide a general overview about the xbox mod chip flashing process.
After your new Xbox mod chip is installed in your Xbox, you will probably want to flash the chip with an alternative BIOS. Most Xbox mod chips today are shipped with a version of the Cromwell Linux BIOS. The Cromwell Linux Bios is great if you only want to install and run Linux on your Xbox. It is a completely legal Bios because it was not built with any illegal Microsoft development code. However, if you want to do anything else such as upgrading your Xbox HDD, playing DivX movies or MP3's from your Xbox, running a video game emulator, or making backups of your existing Xbox game library, then you will need to flash a hacked Bios onto your modchip.
The flashing process means that you are transferring an alternative bios from your computer to your modchip. There two primary methods to accomplish this task depending on the type of modchip you have. Method 1 involves using an external modchip programmer. Method 2 involves using a CD-RW (or DVD) to flash your mod chip.
Method 1: External Xbox Modchip Programmer
Some modchips offer external programming cables and custom software for flashing a modchip. Basically, by connecting one end of a programmer such as a special USB or Serial cable to your computer, and the other end to your Xbox mod chip (which should already be installed in your Xbox), you can transfer the bios from your computer to your mod chip. Several modchip companies have programmed custom software to automate this process.
Method 2: CD-RW / DVD Xbox Modchip Flashing Method
More of the "premium" modchips are shipping with external programmers, but the CD-RW/DVD flashing method (hereinafter referred to as CD flashing method) is still frequently used, especially when you have no external programmer available. To perform a CD xbox mod chip flash, your Xbox mod chip should have shipped with some version of the Cromwell Linux BIOS. There are several versions of Cromwell, but the latest versions include what is known as the Cromwell FlashBios. After you have installed your new xbox mod chip, and boot your Xbox up with the mod chip enabled, then you will encounter a screen that says "Cromwell FlashBIOS Please Insert CD". At this time you will insert the CD-RW or DVD that you burned with the alternate bios on it (such as the latest xecuter bios). Pretty much any CD-RW or DVD format will work; +r, +rw, -r, -rw, etc.
Some of the older Xecuter mod chips such as the 2.0, and 2.1 shipped with an earlier version of the Cromwell Bios. This older version did not include a buil-in FlashBIOS utility, and as such users were required to first insert CD that included a flashing program. The most popular program was OzXflash. Once the flashing program was loaded, then you could proceed to load the CD that included the alternate BIOS, and complete the flashing process.
That's essentially the whole cd flashing method. You just have to make sure that you have burned a good disc with the bios, then you let flashbios actually program the new bios firmware onto your xbox modchip. It's a very simple process, and really not something that should be considered daunting in any way.
Occasionally, for various reasons, you may encounter a "bad flash", which means that the mod chip was not properly flashed with the alternate bios. There are a couple of ways to remedy this problem. If you are using an external programmer, just reflash the modchip. If you are using the cd flashing method, and you do not have access to an external programmer, than try selecting a different flash bank on your modchip. With a different flash bank selected, you should get the Cromwell FlashBIOS again, and you can repeat the process with your cd containing the alternate bios. Another point to mention is that some of the premium mod chips such as the Xenium are shipping with a built-in recovery mode that is use to repair a corrupted flash. The Xenium mod chip ships with a built-in "Xenium-OS", and in the event of a corrupted flash the Xenium-OS can be re-loaded to its default configuration. Pretty cool.
In conclusion, I hope that this article has introduced you to the Xbox modchip flashing process. Seriously, it really is not a complicated process, and you should not be worried about attempting it. By reading this website, you will have all the information you need to make sure it is done properly. However, there are other considerations in the mod chip flashing process such as making sure that you have the right alternate Xbox bios.
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