XBHDM is a process used to softmod your console and allow you to use homebrew software and game backups. The method behind it involves using various methods to unlock the Xbox hard drive, plugging the hard drive into a PC, directly modifying the files on the hard drive, and re-locking it to the Xbox using its HDD Key or its user password.
Instructions (FATXplorer)
First, you will need a way to get the Xbox's hard drive key. You can use HDD vendor commands to directly retrieve the user password from the HDD itself, or use an EEPROM/HDD Key backup from the console itself to use the lock/unlock hard drives for the console. It could be directly installed on a new HDD if you have the matching password or HDD key for the Xbox, but the XBHDM installer may have issues on fast drives, so it's best to use the stock HDD to do the initial installation first, then back up the C & E partition contents to a new drive.
Using the "Hotswapping" method of unlocking the hard drive is strongly discouraged, due to the fact that safe methods of getting the hard drive key are quite accessible nowadays.
- On a Windows PC, download and extract FATXplorer 3.0 Beta and XBHDM Build.zip to their own folders.
- Disassemble the Xbox in order to access the hard drive, and connect it to your PC.
- Open FATXplorer, and select HDD Security Tools.
- Select the Xbox hard drive, and unlock it with either the HDD password or the EEPROM backup from the console, whichever you happen to have.
- Select your hard drive, mount the C partition, and make a backup of its contents.
- It's highly recommended to make a backup of the E partition as well, as it will contain save data and potentially unarchived DLC.
- Drag and drop the contents of the XBHDM softmod to your Xbox's hard drive, replacing any original files.
- Use FATXplorer to re-lock the hard drive to your Xbox in the HDD Security Tools menu, go to Devices to safely unmount the partition from the computer, then remove it from the computer so it can be installed back into the Xbox.
- If the process was done correctly, the Xbox should boot into a softmod installer when powered on. Go through the installation process.
Once the softmod installation has finished, you can proceed to Upgrading your Hard Drive to have more space for installing content.