How To: Install Default Xbox Dashboard

[drew15b]

This will go through the process I used to setup the default Xbox Dashboard within XEMU.

Use Case:

If you like the original look and feel of Xbox, or want to setup XEMU for use with Insignia, then this guide will be helpful.

Notable:

• I use Xemu on Windows 11, so this guide is written from this perspective. This may work for other OS's as well, but the guide is not written or tested from these perspectives.
• This process will wipe your HDD, so if you have saved any games you may want to back them up before continuing or start with a fresh virtual HDD.

Prerequisites

• Xemu Installed (v0.7.120 at time of writing) - If possible, put on an SSD for best emulation speeds.
  • If installing everything (Bios, Virtual Disk) to an Admin owned location such as "c:\Program Files\xemu" you will want to ensure the permissions are set so your user account can make changes to this folder structure.
• Bios: Cerbios
  • Latest can be obtained from Pandora.
• Xbox Virtual HDD:
  • From XEMU Site.
    • Expanded at a later point in time using this guide.
• MCPX Boot Image
  • This guide will not cover how to obtain this file.
• TruHeXEn 2024
  • Can be found here.
• Xemu Compatible Controller:
  • Review this guide for officially supported controllers. I use the Xbox 360 wireless dongle w/ controllers and PS4 controllers.

Steps

1. Launch Xemu for the first time.
2. Navigate to Settings > System
   Note: If you change any of these below settings at a future point, it requires the emulator application to be fully closed and opened again to load values. I personally do this regularly when switching Xbox Virtual disks.
   1. MCPX Boot Rom > Select appropriate folder on HDD.
   2. Flash ROM (BIOS) > Select Cerbios bin.
   3. Hard Disk > Select the appropriate <image>.qcow2 file
   4. EEPROM> This should be automatically created upon first launch. Nothing to do here. (This is what ties your device to Insignia servers, so back up this file if required.)
   5. Optional: Set System Memory to 128MiB (May not be supported with all custom tools or games, so revert settings as needed if tooling / ISO's don't work at a future point.)
   6. Close this window.
3. Stop Xemu by selecting Machine > Exit
4. Launch Xemu again.
5. Select Machine > Load Disc.
6. Find the TueHeXEn 2024 iso.
7. If it does not boot to disc automatically, reset the emulator via Machine > Reset.
8. Select "2. Boot TrueHeXEn BFM for Softmods."
   Note: I have noticed that this tool does not always correctly detect F and G drive filesize at this screen.
9. A warning will appear. Since our XEMU instance is similar to a SoftMod more than a hardmod we want to boot this option (it is not emulating any additional hardware for hardmods to my knowledge)
10. Select "Yes" to load the menu. This will load a few screens before dropping us back to a similar looking menu.
11. Select "5. Dashboard Tools - SoftMod."
12. Select "5.3. Dashboard Repair Tools".
13. Select "5.3.2. Restore HDD to Stock".
14. Another warning will appear to warn us that the HDD and partitions are going to be wiped and reloaded. 
15. Select "Yes" to continue.
16. Another Warning screen will appear to advise that basically any data that exists will be lost.
17. Select "Yes" to continue.
18. Another screen will appear, push both triggers and Start button to move forward. You may be warned a second time with red text so press the key combo again.
19. Another screen will appear asking about the F:\ drive, if you want this then press both triggers and Start button. If you don't want to it to touch this partition press both triggers and Back button.
20. After this screen the partitioning of the drive will be complete, press both triggers and start button again to continue to install the required files.
21. The extraction screen will appear for a few minutes while all the files for the default dashboard are coped to your virtual hard disk.
22. Once it is done, it will take you back to the screen showing options 5.3.X. 
23. Select Machine > Eject Disc to ensure this tool doesn't load again at this point in time.
24. Select Machine > Reset to reboot the virtual machine to the default xbox dashboard.

Afterwords

Now your device is setup to boot to the original Xbox dashboard. From here you can do several things:

• Setup Insignia for playing online with Xbox Live.
• Setup FTP to copy files to and from your virtual drive.
• Expand your virtual drive.
• Install Custom Dashboards and Applications for OG Xbox.
• Manage any game saves going forward.
• Manage any music stored to the virtual drive.
• Manage Xbox Live settings (This is the only dashboard I have been able to find that allows you manage these settings).
• Manage Network settings (This can be managed from other dashboards as well).

Edited April 3 by drew15b

[ThighHiDemise]

Xemu just crashes even with v0.7.120
EDIT: I have to constantly press ignore on this error popup to do anything.

EDIT#2: User error, I had surround sound turned on.

 

Edited August 24 by ThighHiDemise

[Monkee]

Thank you for this great tuto!

May I ask why the Cerbios bios is a prerequisite? What does it add? Thanks!

Edited September 11 by Monkee

[drew15b]

9 hours ago, Monkee said:

Thank you for this great tuto!

May I ask why the Cerbios bios is a prerequisite? What does it add? Thanks!

You can use standard bios as well but you will have to legally obtain it. Cerbios is custom made, still regularly maintained and updated to include new hardware features that weren’t originally available to Xbox such as larger HDD support. 

[Monkee]

9 hours ago, drew15b said:

Cerbios is custom made, still regularly maintained and updated to include new hardware features that weren’t originally available to Xbox such as larger HDD support. 

Thanks for the explanation!

Wasn't there some compatibility issues between Cerbios and the Vulkan version of Xemu though? Might be temporary if that is the case, I would imagine.

Edited September 12 by Monkee

[drew15b]

13 hours ago, Monkee said:

Thanks for the explanation!

Wasn't there some compatibility issues between Cerbios and the Vulkan version of Xemu though? Might be temporary if that is the case, I would imagine.

I would be curious as to where you saw that. 
 

They say it is supported here:

 

[Monkee]

4 hours ago, drew15b said:

I would be curious as to where you saw that. 

On the Xemu discord but it was conversation between users I believe, not the devs themselves.