Learn To 

Play Guitar Course

Click For More On Learn To Play Guitar Course!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

What Does It Mean To Flash An XBOX 360?

By Daniel Thompson

Your XBox 360 is one of the most powerful and versatile gaming systems ever made. Not only can you play all of your favorite games on this console, but you can also go online for interactive game play, enjoy music and movies and much more besides. Even though the XBox 360 offers a lot of functionality to gamers, there are some limitations imposed by the default settings in these gaming systems.

The main limitation that generates much concern among gamers is the inability to play backup games and other custom games including hacked and homebrew ones. This is a common protection that older consoles utilized to reduce piracy rates and encourage users to buy the original games. Just like how people did it with the other consoles, people took the matter to their own hands and devised methods to bypass these security checks.

One of the popular methods of breaking these limitations is through the process of modding. Modding involves purchasing a mod chip and opening your system to install it by following a series of steps that people with hardware backgrounds can perform easily. While modding is generally an easy process, mod chips can be tough to get in certain areas and mistakes can be fatal to the system. This can intimidate some people especially since opening the gaming console is required.

Flashing is another method which can get around the limitations imposed by your XBox 360's default configuration and while you'll still have to open up your console, you won't have to do any soldering as you would when installing a mod chip. Flashing involves hacking the firmware of your console to allow your system to play back up copies of games and customized games without taking the risk of modding your console. Flashing isnt necessarily for people trying to play pirated games " in fact, many people would like to make backup copies of their games to play so that their original copies can stay in good condition and scratch free.

You will need an Xbox opening kit. These are not expensive and can be easily obtained. Once you have this kit opening the console will present no problems. To flash means that you switch the DVD connector with the computer?s SATA port. You will use a firmware tool to flash it using a disc. Sometimes there is no SATA port. This is when you can try using a PCI SATA card on the condition that it has the VIA 6421 chipset. If it does not, it probably will not work.

Before you start flashing, write down the type of drive you have. This may be Samsung, Hitachi or Benq, each of which will require a different flashing procedure. Usually, you'll need to use the firmware tools IXtreme or Dosflash, which are run from a disc.

If you'd rather avoid opening up your XBox 360, then there is another option. You can use an online service which will let you download the software you need to easily unlock your XBox 360. You'll typically have to pay a subscription fee for these services, but you'll also have access to technical support, firmware updates and tutorials to make sure that flashing your XBox goes according to plan.

If you want to get around the limitations of your XBox 360, flashing is a good alternative to modding. It's important to keep in mind that neither of these techniques are free of risk and Microsoft discourages these practices. If your flashing goes well though, you'll finally be able to play backup copies of your favorite games and custom games; as long as these are legal in your state, flashing your XBox 360 can be a rewarding experience. - 18423

About the Author:

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home