The Complete Guide and FAQ to making a XBOX GAME BACKUP! LOOK HERE BEFORE MAKING "How to..." THREADS!

[bold]IMPORTANT INFO![/bold]

There is NO program that will copy an Xbox Game straight from a PC DVD-ROM drive. Don't get caught up in advertisements from "Game Cloner" and "DVD Wizard Pro" because they can't make your drive read the game. I don't care if it is a double layer drive, it STILL won't read it. Again, the only way to get an xISO of a game is to FTP into your xbox and get it from there.

I decided that this thread is vital to this forum because there are a lot of threads with the same question over and over, and as a result, we have to explain the same process over and over, which gets wearysome. So I request that this thread be made a sticky for future references by those who are curious on how to backup games.

With that said, let's continue!

[bold]1. What you need to make backups[/bold]

-A modded console (NO EXCEPTIONS). Yes, you might've heard of the wonder working xbox that can play backups, but YOURS WON'T! Trust me, save yourself the time.

Your Xbox also needs to be flashed. While there are several ways to do this, auto installers are the best (they flash, install dashboards, apps, etc.) Our fellow board member djboogie has made an auto installer, so lets support him and use his if you haven't flashed your xbox yet

You can contact djboogie via PM: http://forums.afterdawn.com/private_create.cfm?msg_to_id=82639

-A Dashboard-You need a dashboard besides the standard Microsoft dashboard to FTP. EvolutionX and Avalaunch are the most popular.

-A [bold]direct[/bold] connection between your xbox and pc via [bold]CROSSOVER CABLE[/bold]! This is one of the most misunderstood mistakes. The reason is because your xbox is a computer (in laymen's terms, that's what it is), and a crossover cable is needed to connect two computers. HOWEVER, if you plan on making the connection with a ROUTER/SWITCH/HUB, then you do NOT need a crossover cable.

-An FTP Program or Internet Explorer. It's strongly suggested that you use a FTP program. My personal favorite is IPSwitch WS FTP Pro. I've had better experience with this program rather than FlashFXP (the one almost everyone uses) but to each his own.

-An xISO program-This is another misunderstood process. People, you need an XISO program, not just an iso program. ISOs are the basic binary file layout of cds and dvds. Microsoft has designed Xbox with a whole different filing system, so you need an XISO program to accomodate that filing system so that your backups can look like original discs as much as possible. Good xISO programs are Qwix, CloneXB, Craxtion. However, the best one to use is GDFIMAGE. GDFIMAGE is Microsoft's disc image utility. For legal purposes, links cannot be given on this forum, so don't ask for it here!

-A burning program capable of burning isos. Nero, Alcohol 120, and DVD Decrypter (my favorite) are EXCELLENT programs that do the job and do it well.


[bold]2. Establishing an FTP connection between your computer and your xbox.[/bold]

As I said in the beginning, you need an modded xbox and a crossover cable for this to work. If you don't have either of these, STOP HERE! You can't FTP without a modded xbox.

You can establish a connection between your xbox and your pc by using the ethernet port in your computer, a NIC, or a hub/switch/router. If you're using your ethernet port or a NIC, you need to edit your LAN properties. Go to your LAN, and then choose TCIP/IP, and click properties. Choose "Use this I.P. Address"

And type in this:

I.P.-192.168.0.1
Subnet Mask-255.255.255.0


-The pic above was provided by joschez-

If you have a router/switch/hub, then edit your settings to the same settings.

And make sure your xbox IP is static. You can check this by going into your dashboard settings.

For a more in-depth guide about FTP into an xbox, check out PimpDawg's FTP guide: http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/213943

[bold]3. Getting the Game Files[/bold]

Now, go in FlashFXP (or whatever FTP program you have), and make a new site called "XBOX" or whatever you prefer. For the I.P., type in 192.168.0.3, and for the username type xbox, and for the password type xbox.

Now, you should be able to connect. You should see 7 folders. If you have a game in, that's excellent. If you don't, put one in. Wait for a few minutes, and click on the [bold]D: drive[/bold].

You should now see a number of files. Depending on the game, some files may be in folder order or all of them may just be "flat-out" in no kind of order at all.

Regardless, make a folder on your PC. Now, select all the files of that game, and drag them over to the new folder. This is a direct rip. There is NO other way to get game files from an xbox disc to your pc.

If you have a big hdd in your xbox, and you just want to store your games there, then create a folder in your F: drive and name it "Games." So you're structure should look like "F:/Games." Now, use DVD2XBOX, and it will rip the games in the directory that you choose. This avoids the process of going to the pc and back to the xbox and saves a lot of time. You can obtain DVD2XBOX from Slayers Auto Installer or in IRC groups.

4. Making an xISO[/bold] (If you want to make an UDF, skip down to the FAQ)

Moving on, you now have the game files. You're probably wondering what to do with them. Grab one of those xISO making programs and put it to work! If you can find GDFIMAGE and a General User Interface (GUI) for it, then use it. GDFIMAGE is the best and it produces the best results (well it should, considering how MS uses it for their games). If you can't find GDFIMAGE, then use Qwix or Craxtion to make the xISO.

[bold]5. Burning the xISO[/bold]

Now, you have an xISO. This is the last process! This is the easiest part too! Just open Nero, Alcohol 120, or DVD Decrypter. If you're using Nero, then close the startup wizard, and go to open, and use the drop down list and choose (iso, bin, cue) Do the same for Alcohol 120. Now, choose the xISO you just made. Now, for your settings. Make sure that you finalize the disc you're about to burn the xISO to. Make sure that you burn it at the lowest rate possible (4x is fine. If you can burn at 1-2x, that's perfect.) Now, with that done, press "Burn", and while it's burning, chill out for a while. It's going to take a good 10-13 minutes (for the average game). Go grab yourself something to drink or get a sandwhich. When you get back, it should be done. And that's it! Go play with your xbox!

For DVD Decrypter, Go to Mode>Iso>Write. Now choose where the ISO is, and set the burning speed as low as possible. Then burn it

[bold]How to copy xbox games to the hdd[/bold]

Ok, so maybe you've bought a premodded xbox with 250 gig, and you really don't want to burn games onto dvdr to play them. That's cool. Just put them on the hdd then!

Alright, as you know, you WILL need a dashboard to do this.

This tutorial will use [bold]DVD2XBOX[/bold]

In order to get dvd2xbox, you will have to use either Slayer's Auto Installer OR you will have to manually get it from IRC/newsgroups/p2p networks.

Now, if you got it from IRC/newsgroups/p2p networks, then you need to have an active FTP connection to your xbox.

Create a folder in your F: drive of your xbox called "Apps." It should look like "F:/Apps." While you're at it, create a folder called "Games" in the F: drive as well. So that should look like "F:/Games."Now, transfer the dvd2xbox FOLDER into the "Apps" folder. Reboot your xbox.

Now, you should see dvd2xbox under the Apps section. Pop in a xbox game. Now, go to your apps section, and choose dvd2xbox.

Wait until your xbox recognizes the game, and then go to dvd2xbox.

Choose which directory you want the game to go (F:/Games). Then let dvd2xbox rip the files. Once it's done, reboot your xbox.

Now go into the Launch Menu (Wherever your apps are) and you should see a folder called "Games." In there should be the game DVD2XBOX ripped.

[bold]How to make a backup of a backup[/bold]

This is a fairly easy process. This tutorial shows how to do it with Stomp RecordNow Max or DVD Decrypter (Easier)

In RecordNow Max, you can click on the drive with the backup in it, and left click, and go to "Extract tracts"



Next, you should see this:



Dvd Decrypter

First, go to Mode>ISO>READ



Then, press the "DVD to hdd" button, and it will extract the iso from the dvd in a matter of minutes.



_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Frequently Asked Questions:

[bold]I can't FTP into my xbox, even with a crossover cable![/bold]

If your FTP program says you're connected, but you can't see the files, then your firewall is probably on. Disable it or configure it to accept your xbox's I.P. address. Other reasons why you can't ftp is that your xbox and pc are not on the same subnet mask.

[bold]My Xbox just won't read the disc\Having trouble reading it. What do I do? Do I need a patch\fix?[/bold]

For one, make sure you have a updated bios on your xbox. It's worth the trouble to update your bios to a new one so you won't have to deal with "patching."

However, there are programs like Qwix and Craxtion that patch the default.xbe for older bios.

[bold]Can I burn Xbox games to cd-r(w)?[/bold]

Very few games can fit on a standard 700 cd-rw. And when I say very few, I mean VERY FEW (like 2 or 3). For the ones that do fit, burn them on a CD-[bold]RW[/bold]. In some cases, cd-r works. I'm not saying it will work for every xbox. Besides, there are very few games that will go on a standard cd-r anyway.

[bold]My xISO program\Burning program says that the xISO is too big for dvdr. What do I do?[/bold]

In most cases, games will fit on a standard dvd-r. However, there are some that won't fit. However, deleting Xbox Live files often make a xISO that can fit on a standard dvd-r. You can also try Double Layer discs with 8.5 Gb of storage. They run more expensive than standard dvd-r, but they're good if you don't want to delete any files.

[bold]I'm not that good and it's too much of a hassle. Are there sites that sell backups?[/bold]

Yes. Two of them are is http://www.morbidbackups.com and http://www.ritegames.com

Ritegames is the cheapest, but backup outlet looks more legitimate and the backups look like originals (without the Xbox holographic label of course)

[bold]Can I use programs like Games X Copy or DVD Wizard Pro to copy Xbox games?"[/bold]

No, you can't. Simple as that. The technical explanation is that xbox dvd rom drives are configured differently than pc drives. Xbox games are made from the outside in, rather than inside out (like PC drives). So your PC dvd rom drive CANNOT read Xbox games, so it's impossible for a program to "make it" read xbox games. Then to add to that, Microsoft makes games on dual layer discs, which is why you get that video when you pop it in your pc dvd rom. The first layer has the video, the second layer has the game.

[bold]How do I make Xbox Backups with a Mac?[/bold]

Xbox-scene.com has a good tutorial on how to do this. It can be found here: http://www.xbox-scene.com/articles/macosx-backup.php

However, some people have experienced problems with Toast. I have researched and found another mac iso/bin/cue burning program called Firestarter. It looks legitimate and it's freeware, so give it a shot if Toast doesn't get the job done (or just messes up)

[bold]The truth about UDF[/bold]

It is commonly said that UDF is "better" than the xISO because you can read the files on your PC and play it on your xbox. However, because of the way UDF is structured, problems might occur when the backup is played. In some cases, the game will freeze because it expects the files to be in one place and it's not there. So in actuality, xISO>UDF because of better gameplay, which is most important.

Nonetheless, here is the guide to making a UDF backup:

You will need that original folder with all the game files in it. With that, open Stomp RecordNow Max, and go to options:



Set PRE-MASTERING CACHE and FILE DATA and TIME to whatever you like. Larger Cache wouldn’t hurt systems with more than 256MB of RAM. Larger

RAM Cache may help your burner to avoid using it’s BurnProof or JustLink or other similar technologies.

For CDRW Burns set RECORDING TYPE to Disk at Once (DAO), Closed. Mode1, with FILE SYSTEM TYPE set to “UDF – Up to 128 in Filename Length, any char, plus 8+3 Bridge”

For DVD Blank Media types set RECORDING TYPE to Track at Once (TAO), Closed or Disk at Once(DAO) Closed Depending on Burner used. FILE SYSTEM TYPE set to “UDF – Up to 128 in Filename Length, any char, plus 8+3 Bridge”



That’s it… you can fill in other fields… with no adverse effects. Click OK to continue. I’d recommend setting Burn Speed to 1x, but if you have faster media… try it. Worse thing that can happen is you produce a shiny new coaster. Select a Recorder by Double-Clicking on a Device in the Left window. Then Click the RED Record Button, sit back and wait!

When finished... you have a brand new UDF Burned XBOX Backup. Now go play that puppy in your XBOX!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

That's it for now. The FAQ will be updated as needed.

[bold]Credits to the UDF backup guide go to xbox-scene.com[/bold]

[bold]EDIT: DVD Decrypter Guide Added.[/bold]

[bold]EDIT: PimpDawg's FTP guide link added[/bold]

 

I cant type 0.0.0.0 at the DNS box. It says it has to be from 1 to something.(Dont remember) Do I leave it blank? . . . . ?

 

Leave it blank. You could type something in, but it's best to leave it blank.

 

"-A connection between your xbox and pc via CROSSOVER CABLE! This is one of the most misunderstood mistakes. You CANNOT ftp into your xbox without a crossover cable. The reason is because your xbox is a computer (in laymen's terms, that's what it is), and a crossover cable is needed to connect two computers. A patch cable is for internet connection. "

Nope, You ONLY need a crossover for DIRECT PC TO XBOX connection, if you are connecting your xbox via a router you ONLY need standard ethernet cable
As for cdr games and cdr media, if you have a samsung dvd drive ,trust me, theyll work just fine, I have 6 on cdr, 2 of them with "overburn" and they still work just fine,
never errored.But if you dont wanna use cdr, then make multidisks to save wasted dvd space
(course I use the BEST burning prog, stomp recordnow, all yo udo is choose burn as data, it asks you if you wanna make it as iso, you say yes, dont alter speed or anything, burns perfect every time)
Regarding the ISO creation, i prefere qwix over craxtion, as it doesnt search for the default.xbe, IDEAL for making readable discs of other types aside from games, If you use craxtion 4.0 remember you need .net installed on windows......forget trying to get GDFIMAGE you wont find it)

Aside from that, Nice "how to" post though, I remember doing a few
unfortunately I think most people have forgotten how to read before they ask

 

Looks like a great tut. Might I also suggest you add dvd decrypter to the burning options. In ISO write mode it is great for burning your ISO once you have run it through xiso or qwix. I use it all the time, its rock solid.

 

can any one out there tell me how i tell what kinda of version of x box i have how to i found out i am just learning i need to know what kind of chip will work on mine

 

where exactly can i get the flash-program?

 

got it, thanks

 

Ok, got it...well, i hope this is all freeware. I'm gonna buy the mod chip...is all this safe? Can someone gimme links (is it against rules) to get these programs? And do i have to download anything to my xbox?

 

were can you get a flash program and what is the best chip for the x box chip flash program and cable is that all i need can someone please email me a sight

 

Ok casacasa, you have to speak in complete and gramatically correct sentences.

Hablas en oraciones completas y correctas,

 

Hi ppl, wat is a ethernet cable where can i buy 1 and how much are they in AUD?

 

Hey im a newbie to this site. It seams like the only way to burn xbox games is to have a mod chip and copy the games from the xbox to a computers dvd burner. Yeahs thats great but im sure there is another way. So in my experiences unmodded xboxs cant play dvd+r movies only dvd-r burnt movies. But with a simple program called booktype the dvd burner can write the dvd+r in a format like (dvd-rom) and the unmodded xbox can read it and play the dvd movie. So what if someone reprogrammed this booktype program to burn lets say dvd+r to a format the xbox could read. On the Van Helsing Dvd there is an xbox demo for van helsing that someone can play. The demo files can be read on a computer's dvd drive and on the xbox. I bet if someone downloaded a game of the internet and burnt it with the redesisigned booktype program...it could be played on an unmodded xbox. But yeah someone has to desing that program and im sure many other problems would come up. Its just an idea. So what do you all think? like i said, i dont really know much about burning xbox games just backing up my dvds.

 

yeah well all the programs are easy to get but all i want to know is were i get a cable from to connect the two "computers" together could i get it from dick smith?

 

Hi miller4, you can get the "ethernet cable" AKA "Crossover cable" at any computer or hi fi specialist, about $15 American $. Just check out my thread, its, ?How To Burn Xbox Games? by sk8er sam.
THanx Youl, Sam

 

1) There isn't another way to get the files from an Xbox Game Disc other than FTP into the xbox.

2) Even if you "redesigned" the booktype, the Xbox only reads signed code, which means it still will fail.

3) Xbox games are made from the outside to the inside, unlike DVDs and CDs. So how could it read it?

4) If you haven't figured it out by now, Xbox games are not on standard dvds, and to top that off, their on double layer discs with different sector layouts. So how you go about reorganizing the game to place the files in certain sectors of the disc especially with the original xbox games going from the outside to the inside (something your pc CAN'T do).

 

hi guys im a noob to backing up my games as i just got xbox modded.anyway i need some help with backing up need for speed underground 2.ive got all files from the original dvd on my pc now and put them in a folder.it contains 2 folders and 4 xbe files but need to know what to do next.i tried copying them to a blank dvd but xbox wont recognise it.the program im using to burn them with is magic iso.i got the files onto my pc using flash fxp.any help would be much appreciated

 

Why are you making an xISO with magic iso? The instructions say that you need an XISO program, not just any ISO program.

 

hi i have record now max, nero, and quix. I tryed to create a backup of halo 2 but it said it was too big to fit onto one disc. I know that you can fit it onto one disc because me friend has a backup which he bought from someone but i have no idea how make a backup small enough to fit onto 1 normal dvd-r disc. i know that you can delete the xbox live files but i need them cause i only want halo 2 so i can play it online with my friends. someone plz help me to burn halo2 to 1 normal sized dvd-r disc.