Xbox360 Game Dumping Method (Tutorial)

' JSR - from the MaxConsole forums - seems to have discovered a method allowing you to perform a dump of your Xbox360 games to your PC. Below is the quoted procedure.'

Xbox 360 Game Dumping Tutorial:
In order to include/ understand the goal of the ‘ hotswap’ method, it is necessary to include/ understand how a reader CD/ DVD functions: At the time of the insertion of a disc, the reader reads the FAKE (Table Of Contents) which describes in particular the size occupied by the data on the media.

This size is expressed in sectors, each sector making 2048 bytes. The reader will not read again any more than fake, unless we’re ejecting the disc, but this is what we want to avoid. Indeed, what prevents us from copying a XBOX DVD towards its hard disk is the fact that this DVD contains a fake header, which describes only the first session (the DVD video, the only visible thing when you to try to read the DVD with another reader than the XBOX), which makes only some MB (approximately 100000 sectors). Our goal is to copy a maximum of sector from the DVD, that is to say a maximum of 9Go approximately, that represents 4500000 sectors.

You thus should insert a DVD containing the maximum of data: A DVD video often makes between 7 and 9 GB, a good film of 2 hours should be appropriate. It should then be replaced by the XBOX game to be copied without opening the drawer (if not the reader will read again the FAKE). And that is when it becomes complicated: To replace the DVD without opening the drawer it is necessary to have access to the top of the reader, that is to say to have disencumbered it of its metal hull. I will not explain this point, I am sure that you will know how to make or how to find the method. Once the DVD is open, start by inserting a DVD videoo, let Windows read the FAKE content and wait until the DVD stops turning. Then, without opening the drawer, replace the video DVD by the XBOX DVD. The reader won’t realize it and will read as many sectors as the FAKE of the video DVD has. I made all my tests with a DVD of 7,7 GB, for approximately 3850000 sectors, I advise you to use at least that.

Now let’s pass to the creation of the ISO file. Ben says it is rather simple, if the DVD doesn’t contain defective sectors, which must be a physical protection which will make it possible for the XBOX to make the difference between an original DVD and a DVD-R. The problem of these sectors is not the loss of data, because they do not contain any, but rather time that your burning software will need to bypass these defective sectors. For example with Alcohol 120%, the management of the defective sectors is really very slow, I think that it would take several days to make the ISO. Personally I used CloneCD 5.2.6.1, which passes the defective sectors quickly, I made the ISO in 30 minutes.

Attention, if you use this software, in the window of choice of the file targets it is necessary to choose the type ‘ Image’, and put a file name which ends in ISO and especially not by DVD here, at the end of 30 minutes you will have your image, which you will be able to use with nothing, because the softwares currently cannot open it. I have already coded a software for that, I will soon put it up for download with its sources. It makes it possible to open the Iso and extract one or more files (or all of course).

You can also mount the ISO with daemon- style tools, but you will only see the DVD video track … (inevitably very well copied, even the FAKE is there). I suggest you to create the ISO image of in RAW mode, because it is a binary copy of the disc without any kind of alterations. Have fun, take care with your hardware and media, and do not distribute these files - all this is for educational purpose only.

And one more time: The tutorial cannot be used for burning and playing these images, they won’t work in your XBOX !

Unfortunately, at the current moment, you’re unable to play these dumped games on your Xbox360 console. But keep checking Xbox360 Hacks for future revelations.

News-Source: http://www.maxconsole.net