Tutorial written by : XanTium
Last edited: August 31, 2004

Upgrade / Swap / Install new HD (HDD, Harddisk, Harddrive) in your Xbox with EVOLUTIONX v1.8.2594 or higher/newer

1. What you need :

* EvolutionX 1.8.2594 or higher/newer dashboard. (for legal reasons I can't place a downloadlink on this site)

* A modchip/bios with the HDD-swap hack. (check our modchip tables to make sure your modchip/bios has the hdd swap feature).
If you plan to install a +137gb HD, you will have to patch your bios to add with LBA48 support if it doesn't have it yet. You can use XBtool or EVtool to patch the latest bioses.
You have 2 choices on how to patch your bios: give all available space to partition6 (drive F) or give all available space till 137gb to partition6 (drive F) and rest to partition7 (drive G). Note that this last option is only officially supported since evolution-x 1.8.3921. Pro side of the 2nd option is that you can also still boot your xbox with older hacked bioses without LBA48 support. (you will only see drive F, not drive G).
If your HD is larger then 137gb and your bios does not have LBA48 support you will only be able to use max 137gb.

* A new Harddrive/Harddisk/HDD. NO need to zero(hdprepare) the drive anymore like with older evo-x versions.
update (only important if you plan to use a HD larger then 137gb): Newer bioses can now be patched to add LBA48 support so +137gb drives are now possible. If you use a +137gb HD and do not have a bios/kernel with LBA48 support you will only be able to use max 137gb.

* A CD-RW/DVD-RW (or anything that reads fine in your xbox).

* EvoX dashboard installed on your current HD. (tutorial)

* Know how EvoX Dashboard works (ftp , transfering files , configuring ini file , network settings, ...).

2. Backup your settings

Boot your Xbox.
Under "Systems Utils" , select "Backup". (this is the location of the backup utility if u didn't change the menu structure in the original evox.ini file).
This should have made a backup of some important settings of your xbox.
If everything worked fine it made a directory /backup in the C drive of your Xbox HD.

3. Backup your drives

Connect with FTP to your Xbox and copy the whole "C" and "E" drive to your PC HD. ("C" is pretty small , the size of "E" depends on what u uploaded there already).
Make 100% sure you have a FULL backup of the Xbox C & E drive on your PC.
Also check that in C you have a directory /backup with 5 files in it. If you don't have this it means something went wrong in step 2.

4. Make a EvoX Install HD disk

These are the files you need on your Evox Install HD CD :

* The EvoX XBE file , should be placed in the disk root and called "default.xbe"
* The "evox.ini" should be changed , open it in notepad.
Make sure the network settings are set correctly for your home network.
Under "[Misc]"
put "UseFDrive" to "Yes"
If you have a +137gb HD and want to use partition7 (drive G), also put "UseGDrive" to "Yes", else leave it to "No".
Delete everything what's under "[Menu]" it and replace by this :

For EvolutionX version 1.8.2594 till v1.8.3285 (if your HD is +137gb and you have a bios with LBA48-rest-to-part6 support it will make 1big F drive)

Section "Install Menu"
{
Item "Install New drive",@210
Item "MS Dashboard",@3
Item "Reboot",@5
Item "Power Off",@10
}

[Action_10]
Info "Install HDD - Xbox-Scene"
Warning "This will format all drives"
Warning "Make sure you have a backup of C & E"
Progress "Formatting drives"

ConfigSector "\backup\disk.bin"
Format c:
Format e:
Format f:
Format x:
Format y:
Format z:

For EvolutionX v1.8.3682 or higher/newer (if your HD is +137gb and you have a bios with LBA48-rest-to-part6 support it will make 1big F drive)

Section "Install Menu"
{
Item "Install New drive",@210
Item "MS Dashboard",ID_MS_Dash
Item "Reboot",ID_Quick_Reboot
Item "Power Off",ID_Power_Off
}

[Action_10]
Info "Install HDD - Xbox-Scene"
Warning "This will format all drives"
Warning "Make sure you have a backup of C & E"
Progress "Formatting drives"

ConfigSector "\backup\disk.bin"
Format c:
Format e:
Format f:
Format x:
Format y:
Format z:

Now, if your HD is +137gb and you want to use partition7 (dirve G), you need EvolutionX 1.8.3921 or higher/newer and a bios with LBA48-137-to-part6-rest-to-part7 support. Use this:

Section "Install Menu"
{
Item "Install New drive",@210
Item "MS Dashboard",ID_MS_Dash
Item "Reboot",ID_Quick_Reboot
Item "Power Off",ID_Power_Off
}

[Action_10]
Info "Install HDD - Xbox-Scene"
Warning "This will format all drives"
Warning "Make sure you have a backup of C & E"
Progress "Formatting drives"

ConfigSector "\backup\disk.bin"
Format c:
Format e:
Format f:
Format g:
Format x:
Format y:
Format z:

You might need to change the network settings of the evox.ini for your configuration. (use the same network settings as on your EvoX dashboard installed on your original Xbox HD).

* You should also add the complete /backup directory from the C drive on your Xbox.

* So , the complete CD should contain :

default.xbe (the evox dash executable)
evox.ini (the evox ini file you configured above)
/backup/bios.bin (from /c/backup on Xbox HD)
/backup/disk.bin (from /c/backup on Xbox HD)
/backup/eeprom.bin (from /c/backup on Xbox HD)
/backup/hddinfo.txt (from /c/backup on Xbox HD)
/backup/hddkey.bin (from /c/backup on Xbox HD)

First make a xiso of the disk content with any xiso creator (tutorials: Craxtion, SimpleX ISO, yursoft xiso), then burn it with PrimoDVD (tutorial) or Nero (tutorial) on media compatible with your xbox (most xbox drives will read cd-rw/dvd-rw/dvd-r, the samsung xbox drive will also read cd-r fine).

5. Replace HD

Open your xbox (tutorial) and replace the HD. Make sure your new HD is set to "cable-select" and don't forget to plug-in both the electricity-cable & IDE-cable.

I strongly suggest to keep your old harddrive untouched... you might need it later if something goes wrong.

6. Try booting the CD & FTP

Boot your Xbox (it will give a red light after some secs) and put the Evox Install HD disk in the drive.
Power off your xbox and restart it (with disk in the drive).
Evox should boot.
Now make sure that your network settings (in the evox.ini file) are correct ... try to FTP to your xbox. (if it doesn't work, correct evox.ini and reburn a new evox Install HD disk)
If EvoX doesn't even boot , it means :

* you used media your xbox can't read.
* your evox dashboard isn't called default.xbe
* you made an error in the evox.ini
* you didn't make a "xiso" before burning.
* you didn't burn the "xiso" correctly
* your modchip doesn't have the HDD-swap feature
* the disk has no /backup directory with 5files
* your modchip is disabled

7. Format the drives

If everything above is OK , just select "Install New drive" and then confirm ("Yes").
The software will now format the drives.
When finished , it will return the EvoX dashboard.

8. Transfer C & E

Now connect with FTP to your xbox. You should see all drivenames.
Transfer the whole C & E backup u made on your PC to the C & E on your new Xbox HD.
Remove the disk from your Xbox , and reboot.
The Xbox should now reboot from your new xbox HD.
If not , you probably did something wrong while restoring the drives.
Just boot the Evox Install HD disk and you can FTP to your xbox again and check what might have gone wrong.
If needed you can always reinstall your old xbox HD.

9. Change evox.ini on C
Under "[Misc]"
put "UseFDrive" to "Yes"
If you have a +137gb HD and you use partition7 (drive G), put "UseGDrive" to "Yes", else leave it on "No"
else you can't use the F/G drive correctly.

10. Lock your harddrive
It's a good idea to 'lock' your HD. If your HD is not locked you will not be able to boot your Xbox with modchip disabled (so you can't go on Xbox LIVE anymore).
Some HD brands/models can not be locked ... there is no complete list ... so the only thing you can do it try to lock it and see if it works. (if it fails your HD will not be broken, so you don't risk anything).
Since EvolutionX build 3921 you can lock your HD directly in EvolutionX Just add these lines in your evox.ini

Your new xbox HD is installed :-)