Format an external USB hard drive to store files bigger than 4gb on the Xbox 360

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kookmasteraj

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Jul 26, 2009
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Introduction
This tutorial will explain how to format a External HDD drive into the HFS+ Format and enable it to be used on the XBOX 360 for viewing HD WMV, DivX, XviD, Mp3's and other supported content of any size. No longer is there a 4GB file size limit like FAT32.

Required Software:
- MacDrive 7.0 (trial does not work! im not posting a link to it because i dont know if its allowed but you can probably find it googling it)

For this tutorial i am going to format my Segate Freeagent Desktop" 500gb USB External HDD from NTFS to HFS+.

Let's Get Started
1. Download Macdrive 7.0.
2. Install Macdrive onto your PC.
3. Restart Your PC.
4. Start "Macdrive" by clicking the icon from the start menu or desktop.
5. Click on format and repair mac disk.
6. Tick modify Mac volumes than choose "Next".
7. Click on the external usb hard drive than click on initialize disk
8. Click on "free space" then "new volume".
9. Name the drive .
10. Make sure format is Mac OS Extended (HFS+).
11. Press ok .

That's it. Your drive is now formatted ready for use with your Xbox 360.
Now you are ready to copy xvid/divx to drive and play your own HD content on the Xbox 360.
Thanks must go to forahobby (hobbs) for walking me through the process.

Hope this helps out all you guys wanting to watch your movies, music videos etc on your xbox 360 with the new divx and xvid codecs now supported.

*Note* For now you will need to buy macdrive because once the trial runs out you can't access your files on the drive. Just remember if your USB HDD is FAT32 it should work just fine, this tutorial is only to break the 4GB filesize limit.
 
Doing this allows someone to use the hard drive as a replacement to there 360 hard drive? Lets say I have two 1TB USB HDD. Would I then be able to download demos, themes, gave saves and all that I normally would with my 360 drive onto them?
 
xzKinGzxBuRnzx said:
Would I then be able to download demos, themes, gave saves and all that I normally would with my 360 drive onto them?
Click to expand...

I don't think it would work like that. I think it'd be just like having a flash drive into the 360 you'd be able to browse whats inside for videos and music to play. I don't think you can play a demo via flash drive, so I'd imagine it'd be the same with the portable Hard Drive, although I have never tried.
 
Yes your correct Dark Scyth, for some reason Microsoft never gave the 360 the ability to read NTFS formatted drives yet it can read HFS+ which Mac’s use perfectly fine... i never really understood that as both the 360 and NTFS are created by Microsoft.

As kookmasteraj says a HFS+ formatted drive will simply allow you to store files bigger than 4gb and allow the 360 to still read the drive.
 
i used the usb and nothing happens i have 3 different usb and i added the $SystemUpdate folder with the update inside and nothing happens wen i put it in the 360 no update saying if i wanna update. i went into music and i saw the file $SystemUpdate asking whether to play or not and i press play all obviously nothing cause its not a music file, but otherwise it doesnt seem to work for me. can someone tell me wats wrong with my 360??

p.s. sorry i'm such a noob<_<
 
What update are you trying to use? If your 360 already has a newer update or your trying to use the same update again it won’t work.
 
InsaneNutter said:
What update are you trying to use? If your 360 already has a newer update or your trying to use the same update again it won’t work.
Click to expand...

i'm trying to update it to nxe i have the first version from 2005, so the games that i can download from digiex do i have to update to play them since everytime i burn a dvd it says mixed disc could a update solve this?
 
Its supposed to say mixed media disc, you go to the games tab / section to play them.
Having the latest dashboard can only help though.
 
InsaneNutter said:
Its supposed to say mixed media disc, you go to the games tab / section to play them.
Having the latest dashboard can only help though.
Click to expand...

plz i try to use the usb but it doesnt work wen i insert it, and no money to buy a memory card or hard drive:( so i really want use the usb should i just put the content of the $SystemUpdate in the usb or the whole folder cause wen i put the folder nothing happens:'(
 
InsaneNutter said:
Have you not just got a new game? Playing quite a lot of games released this year will update you to the NXE.

You need to put the $SystemUpdate folder on the usb, plus it in to the console then switch it on. You should be asked to update.

Use this update here, it includes all the avatars and everything: https://digiex.net/xbox-360-content/1780-nxe-full-dashboard-avatars-offline-install-june-2009-a.html
Click to expand...

ahh sorry to be a bother but thats the problem it doesnt ask me to update is something wrong with it? i drag and drop the $SystemUpdate folder onto the usb and insert it into my 360 and it doesnt ask me to update:'(
 
Alternately

You could just plug your external drive into a mac & format it to HFS+(if you like to spend too much mo... I mean, prefer Mac. Or borrow a friends). Also, does Linux support HFS+? I have not played around with it much. It is surprising that MS did not include NTFS support, maybe next update there will be or maybe exFAT, that would be awesome.
 
Linux can somewhat read HFS+, I dont think it can format drives or write to it though.

I guess you could also use an OSX install CD to format the drive, the tutorial is probably the most simple way for someone who doesn't have access to a Mac or an OSX cd to get the job done.

I agree i don't know why something by Microsoft supports HFS+ but not NTFS.
 
I just wanted to ask since now xbox is updated so it can format USBs and use them to store saves and demos and play them, do I need this thread or I can just plug the HDD into xbox and it will format it for me ? thx
 
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