A USB Flash Drive (Check flash drive compatibility here.)
A X-Box Controller to USB Adapter or an X-Box Memory Card to USB Adapter (These can be made or purchased online)
MechAssault (Must be the original version, not the GOY Ed. Best bet for this is eBay or BlockBuster/GameStop. Look for MS02301 on the bottom of the disc)
An XBOX-to-USB Adapter (Click here for more information.)
First you need to make sure that your X-Box has the "X-Box Live" tab in the main menu. If it does not you can install the X-Box Live update by inserting any X-Box Live Capable Game and using that games X-Box Live option to install the update to make your X-Box Live Capable.
Once you have the "X-Box Live" tab on your main screen, you need to get all the latest X-Box Live updates. This can be done by connecting your X-Box to an internet connection and choosing the "X-Box Live" option on the main menu. If connected to the internet, your X-Box should automatically download the latest updates (Your X-Box may restart itself during this procedure, this is fine.) Once all the updates are complete you should be taken to the main X-Box Live screen.
Now check to make sure you have the proper dashboard installed before proceding. This can be done by going to "Settings" from the X-Box main menu and scroll all the way down to the "System Info" tab. Wait for all the legal mumbo jumbo to scroll down and then the last two lines should look like the image below. Once you have the 5960 Dashboard, you are good to go.
You now need to get Krayzie_Ndure_Installer_v1.1 onto your X-Box. Essentially Krayzie_Ndure_Installer_v1.1 is a saved game file for MechAssault, but not your ordinary saved game file. There is a security hole in the first release of MechAssault which allows foreign code to be ran from a saved game file. First you need a means of getting files from your PC to the X-Box. I have done this by using a X-Box memory card to USB Adapter. Microsoft was giving these away for 5.95 shipping and handling back in 2004 to connect a USB Keyboard for use in "Phantasy Star Online". Although, these are no longer available there are many different plans online for making your own or you can buy them for pretty cheap on eBay. An X-Box controller port is just a USB port with a fancy connector and a X-Box Memory card is just a USB flash drive with a fancy connector. More information on this here.
Once you have your X-Box to USB Adapter we can move on to the next step. Choose "Memory" and you will now be at the X-Box Memory Management Screen. (WARNING: Make sure you have backed up the files on your flash drive, the next step WILL format your flash drive instantly.) Connect your flash drive to your X-Box via your adapter. The X-Box should see the screen below stating your memory card has been erased. This is good. Your flash drive is now formatted as FATX (X-Box's proprietary storage format.) and can be used just like any ordinary X-Box Memory Card (Note: Your flash drive can always be converted back to FAT32 or NTFS for use with PCs again, click here for the steps to do this.)
Now insert your FATX flash drive into your PC. FATX is not readable by windows, so you may notice if you try to open your flash drive in My Computer it will say it is not formatted and ask you if you wish to format it. Don't do this now or you will have to repeat the last step. For reading and writing data to the flash drive we will use the Action Replay software. This software was designed for use with the Action Replay memory cards only but a small tweak will allow it to work with an USB Mass Storage device.
Download and install the Action Replay software on your PC as well as download the small application USBView.exe. I would also suggest disconnecting any USB storage devices connected to your PC other than the flash drive you are using as it will make the next step much easier. With your flash drive connected run USBView.exe and maximize it. It should look something like this
This program will give you hardware information on any USB device connected to your PC. We need to find your flash drive. It will be one of the "USB Mass Storage Devices. If you have more than one you might be able to distinguish the difference if you see the brand name of your flash drive in the details of that device. For instance mine showed the vendor as Sony (see why I said unplug all those USB Storage Devices you had connected?) Your screen should look similar to the image below. Except your the details will be different according to the flash drive you use.
Write down the last four characters of the idVendor and idProduct as you will need these in the next steps then close USBView.exe. For instance mine would be:
idVendor
idProduct
054C
019D
Now you need to open the "xbreader.ini" file located in "C:\Program Files\Datel\Action Replay XBOX\Drivers" and scroll down to the [_Devices] and the first line should look like this:
Delete the four characters after VID_ & PID_.
Now take those four characters your wrote down for idVendor and type them after VID_ (In place of the characters your deleted. Do the same for PID_ with the idProduct. Now your xbreader.inf should look similar to below (of course your VID_XXXX and PID_XXXX will likely be different from mine.)
Now you need to install the Action Replay drivers for your flash drive. Right click My Computer and select "Manage". Once the Computer Management Console has appeared, select "Device Manager" under "System Tools". In the right pane click the "+" next to "Universal Serial Bus Controllers" and look for USB Mass Storage Device. If you have more than one the easiest way to determine which is your X-Box formatted flash drive, is to right click one and select "Properties". Once the Properties windows has opened, select the "Details" tab at the top. The string of numbers displayed is the "Device Instance Id. Notice the VID_ and PID_ numbers. If they match your numbers from earlier, this is the correct USB Mass Storage Device.
Now Click on the "Driver Tab" and select "Update Driver". Select "No, not this time" and click "Next >". Select "Install from a list or specific location (Advanced)" and click "Next >". Select "Don't Search. I will choose the driver to install." Check "Show compatible hardware" choose "MaxDrive XBox" and click "Next >".
After windows is done installing the driver click "Finish" and close all the windows you just opened. Your computer may require a restart after installing the driver.
Download the Optimized for Action Replay version of Krayzie_Ndure_Installer_v1.1 and place the zip file in the 'C:\Program Files\Datel\Action Replay XBOX\Saves" folder.
Now keep your flash drive connected to the computer and run the Action Replay program (should be in your start menu.) Should look like this:
Now expand the "MechAssault" in the midddle of the three columns and by clicking the "+" beside the name. Drag the file "Run Linux" from the middle column to the left column (your flash drive.) This will take approx 15 seconds. Once this is complete there will be a "MechAssault" folder along with the contained file, "Run Linux", on your flash drive. You can now exit action replay, remove your flash drive and go back to your X-Box.
Insert your flash drive into your USB adapter and boot up your X-Box with no disc in it. Once you get to the main X-Box menu select "Memory". Now that you are at the X-Box Memory Managment screen you should see two drives, your X-Box hard drive and your inserted FATX formatted flash drive. Select your flash drive and press "A".
Go down to the "MechAssault" folder and scroll right to the "Run Linux" file. Press "A" and select "Copy". Wait as the X-Box copies the file from your flash drive to your X-Box hard drive.
Now back all the way out back to the X-Box main menu. Leave your flash drive connected as you will may decide to backup your EEPROM during the softmod to your memory unit as well just in case.
Insert your "MechAssault" game disc and get passed the loading screens to the main menu (Most of these can be skipped by pressing "A". Select "CAMPAIGN" and select "Run Linux"
The hacked game save will load up a special version of UnleashX to allow you to install the softmod. Once UnleashX is completley loaded, you will be taken to a screen that should look like this:
Select "1st Backup eeprom". Then select "Backup eeprom". Then select "Yes". Select "OK". You will now be taken to the EEPROM Backup Application.
Select "Backup eeprom". The screen will display "Backing up :)". Once is complete. You will be taken back to the main EEPROM Backup screen. Select "Return to main menu". You will then be taken back to the main UnleashX screen.
The next step is optional, but you may backup your EEPROM to a memory unit as well. This is a good idea. Your EEPROM is the code that your xbox hard drive is locked with. In the case of an unlikely failure. You will need this to use tools like xboxhdm to format your hard drive using a desktop PC. If you choose to do this, the X-Box will simply copy the EEPROM Backup file it just made on your hard drive to your memory unit for safe keeping. (Note it may even be a good idea to FTP into your X-Box now and backup the EEPROM to your PC as well. If you choose to do this you can FTP into the box using the IP address down in the bottom-right corner of your screen and use the username "xbox and the password "xbox". The EEPROM backup files can be found in the folder "/E/backups/eeprom".)
Now go down and select "Basic install". For the purpose of this tutorial we will be installing EvolutionX. (There is not a lot of difference, some claim that UnleashX is more geared towards new modders, and that Evox is more advanced and configurable. Honestly I do not see a whole lot of difference, but I myself prefer Evox. ) Select "Evolution X dashboard".
Select "Yes". Select "Yes" again. Select "OK". The installer will now check to make sure that you have the latest Microsoft dashboard (See why we updated it to 5960?) .
Once the installer has verified that you have the correct dashboard. It will then check to make sure you have backed up your EEPROM. Once the installer has verified the EEPROM is present you can then select "OK". The installer will now begin backing up your current drive and installing the softmod, you will see various screens showing the progress and the files being copied. This usually takes approximatley five minutes. Once everything has been isntalled you will see the screen below.
Select "OK" and your X-Box will shut itself off. Turn your X-Box back on using the EJECT button that way you can remove the disc inside before it attempts to boot back into MechAssault. Your X-Box will now boot up to another part of the installer.
Press "A" and then select "OK". Wait as the X-Box copies some more files (this time takes less than a minute usually.)
Once this is complete you will be taken to the following screen:
Now select "OK" on this and the next two screens. The installer will close itself. Reset your X-Box and you will boot into your nex EvolutionX dashboard.
Congradulations. You've done it. You are now ready to install third-party applications and play DVD backups of X-Box games. For information on applications and backing up X-Box games I suggest visiting Xbox-Scene.com. If you have any questions, or mistakes that I have made, or any comments you can email me at "pyrofallout *AT* pyrofallout.com" or you can im me on AIM screen name "pyrofallout". I look foward to writing more tutorials for everyone in the near future so check back often. Until next time, peace.
