How to configure a USB memory stick to be used as Xbox 360 storage (Saves & Profiles)

Discussion in 'Xbox 360 Guides' started by InsaneNutter, Sep 1, 2011.

  1. InsaneNutter

    InsaneNutter Resident Nutter Staff Member

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    This is very simple to do, however I have had a fair few messages about this lately, and many people dont even know its possible. So here is a quick tutorial on how to use a USB memory stick up to 16gb, to store save games, profiles, games and dlc.

    Note: you can have a maximum of 2x usb memory devices / hard drives configured for Xbox 360 use connected to the console at any one time. The maximum space you can reserve for 360 use on each device is now 2TB with later dashboard updates..

    First connect your USB memory stick to the consoles USB port, it doesn't matter which one:

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    Go to system Settings:

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    Select Memory:

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    Now select your USB storage device:

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    You will have two options, "Configure Now" and "Customise":

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    Configure now will use all the space on the USB device for Xbox 360 storage, Customise will let you choose how much space you wish to reserve for use on the Xbox 360:

    The options shown if you select Customise:

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    You will be warned that everything will be erased from the USB device, so be sure if you have anything on it you want, copy it elsewhere first:

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    The USB storage device will be tested, if its fast enough to be used in the Xbox 360 it will be configured:

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    All been well your memory stick will be setup fine:

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    You will now be able to access the content stored on the device from within the Xbox 360 dashboard:

    [​IMG]

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    Games should ask you if you wish to save on the USB drive from now on, you can also copy your saves on to it as a backup.

    That's it, a very simple way to increase the storage capabilities of your 360, or an easy way to have a big memory card you can backup all your save games and content to.

    I personally have my profile and all my saves on a USB drive, that way I can continue playing no matter what Xbox 360 i am on, I find this very useful when having Xbox 360 lans where i might not always be on my own console.
     
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  2. MasterChief

    MasterChief Addict

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    A 1tb drive in an Xbox 360, i sense Jtaggery there ;)
     
  3. cassinni

    cassinni Member

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    Hi,

    i want to put my original 250gb slim hdd into my phat console.
    before i want to back everything up to the usb stick as here advised.
    then i want to put in a new Western Digital Hdd into my Slim console
    and back up everything from the usb stick to the new Western Digital Hdd.
    In your guide you say nothing about corruption to the files when doing the usb method,
    wont i have to deal with corruption on the files if i do it the way you say?

    thanks a lot
     
  4. InsaneNutter

    InsaneNutter Resident Nutter Staff Member

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    Nothing will get corrupted unless one of your consoles is either banned or flagged to be banned, if thats the case we have a tutorial on here on how to un-corrupt your data already.
     
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  5. cassinni

    cassinni Member

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    the phat console is banned. the slim isnt. i backed up my gamertag thru xboxlive from phat to my slim and it works.
    now i want to backup my slim files so i can exchange the harddrives and then move the gamertag etc. back to the slim after it got the WD harddrive.
     
  6. InsaneNutter

    InsaneNutter Resident Nutter Staff Member

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    cassinni likes this.
  7. cassinni

    cassinni Member

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    ok, i did as this guide advised and copied the dlcs to my usb stick. could only move the gamertag to the usb.
    now i put the stick into win 7 64bits and there is only one folder, hidden, with 7,46 GB data (Data0000->Data0008) but the files
    i copied off the console were only like 500MB altogether at most, weird?? it used the whole space of the usb stick to store 500mb...
     
  8. Rick

    Rick Moderator

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    the 360 creates that so you can use the usb stick for storage
     
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  9. cassinni

    cassinni Member

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    ok, thanks! As long as my files are in there i am good..just wanted to email the 2mb gamertag but cant do it now with this size..hehe
     
  10. InsaneNutter

    InsaneNutter Resident Nutter Staff Member

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    You need to use USB Storage explorer , with that app you can extract your profile and inject it in to another USB stick or hard drive.
     
  11. Kenny Rucka Jarvis

    Kenny Rucka Jarvis New Member

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    Thank you nutter you helped me through this whole update optional media thing it was a nightmare but i got it done thanks again.
     
  12. Backchat

    Backchat Active Member

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    Hasn't it increased from 16gb to 32gb in a previous update?
     
  13. Rick

    Rick Moderator

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    Yes.
     
  14. Aurorans

    Aurorans New Member

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    Hello. I have an xbox white version. Not sure of the make and model, due to getting it pre-owned from a seller. I just got onto the xbox live for 360.

    However, I'm trying to do this step, but when I go to my xbox content, it says "Storage" instead of memory. Also, after formatting my 2 GB usb drive and plugging it into the pc, I can't get any reader software to recognize it. The only file on the drive is a folder called "Content" and nothing else
     
  15. InsaneNutter

    InsaneNutter Resident Nutter Staff Member

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    Copy some content to the usb drive you just configured, after plug the usb drive in to your PC. Can you then see anything in the content folder?
     
  16. lizred

    lizred New Member

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    Hello!

    I am trying to set up a USB drive to be used with the USBxtaf software (trying to download tuners for a game). When I plug my 16 GB USB drive into the xbox 360, it does not provide me with the option to "configure" or "customize" the USB drive. Rather, it already pops up with all the Xbox 360 file folders. However, when I go to use the USBxtaf software on my PC, it is unable to find a pathway to the USB drive. I am not sure if I am doing something wrong. Further, I tried copying some files to the drive and retrying, but still had no result.

    I realize this is the first post on this forum in like 2 years, but I would still love some help if possible. Thanks!
     
  17. InsaneNutter

    InsaneNutter Resident Nutter Staff Member

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    Do you have the Content\0000000000000000 folder on the usb drive? if so i suspect the drive is already configured.

    I'm pretty sure newer versions of the 360 dashboard just dump the files on the usb drive so you don't need special tools to extract them anymore. At least on the 500g drive I randomly used on the 360 a while ago that was the case.
     

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