How to JTAG your Xbox 360 and run homebrew
I will be going over how to install XBR and Xell onto your Xbox 360. Installing XBR allows you to do many things such run unsigned code(homebrew), install any sized hard drive(even 3.5in desktop hdds!), ftp into your box, and custom dashboards. There are endless possibilities with being able to run any code you want. You are able to modify Xbox 360 games to run custom maps and cheats. You can also launch games off the hard drive without a disc. It should cost you around $5 in parts, maybe even free if you have the parts already.

Finding out if your Xbox is exploitable
Your kernel must be kernel 2.0.7371.0 or lower for this to work. You can do this by opening up the system info tab. After there is one more step to check if it still is exploitable, but you have to build your cable to dump your nand first.

step 2 Getting your parts
Tools Soldering iron Solder Computer with LPT port. Parts 1x 25 pin d-sub connector (male or female depending on which kind of cable you have) Digikey # 225FE-ND 1x 25 pin d-sub cable (lpt cable) You can actually skip the cable if you buy a male connector and make your wires long enough to extend from your xbox to the computer Digikey # AE9863-ND 3x 330 ohm…

step 3 Soldering the cable
Soldering is generally pretty straight forward. You actually don't need any solder for the motherboard end, as the holes all have solder in them. So you just need need to heat it up and slide the wire through. I suggest using at least a 30w iron as a 15w will have trouble getting the lead free solder hot enough. All resistors on the connector are optional,

step 4 Dumping the nand
Download the files here (I forgot to include nandpro get that here ) Extract the rar, and open up the nandpro folder install port95nt.exe (if running vista or 7 set it for compatibility mode for xp.) Plug your Xbox 360 in, but don't power it on. Plug the lpt cable in Pop open cmd and change directories to your nandpro folder type nandpro lpt: -r16 nand.bin

step 5Testing if it's exploitable
You're going to want to open up degraded included in the file pack. Go to settings and under 1BL key make sure it says DD88AD0C9ED669E7B56794FB68563EFA and is checked. You are also going to want to change file system start to 39. Open up your nand dump and look at the CB version If your CB is the following you're in luck! Xenon: 888, 1902, 1903, 1920,1921, 8192 …

step 6 Extracting the keyvault, injecting and flashing XBR
Select the proper XBR for your motherboard included in the rar file and put it in your nandpro folder. Rename it to xbr.bin to make things easier. Open up cmd, navigate to your nandpro folder and type nandpro nand.bin: -r16 kv.bin 1 1 nandpro nand.bin: -r16 config.bin 3de 2 Then typenandpro xbr.bin: -w16 kv.bin 1 1 nandpro xbr.bin: -w16 config.bin 3de 2 …

step 7 Getting your CPU key
Reassemble your 360, and boot your 360 with the DVD drive ejected. Or if you don't have a DVD drive you can plug in a wired controller into the back usb port. You should see a blue screen pop up and whole bunch of things fly by. When it says CPU fuses, your either going to want to write really fast or snap a picture. fuseset 3 and 5 or 4 and 6 is your cpu key.

step 8 Extras
I included quite a few extra programs in the .rar file. A lot of them will come in handy with your Xbox 360 homebrew experience. I'll be going over what each program is good for. 360 Flash Tool This tool allows you to view all the files in your nand and your keyvault. You need your CPU key for this. KeyVault Modder This allows you to modify the region code,

step 9 Installing a 3.5 in desktop HDD
This requires you to cut the end off a sata cable and solder it under the HDD connector. Wiring goes as follows Pin 1: SATA Signal GND Pin 2: SATA Signal A+ Pin 3: SATA Signal A- Pin 4: SATA Signal GND Pin 5: SATA Signal B+ Pin 6: SATA Signal B- Pin 7: SATA Signal GND The side of the sate cable with the writing goes up, and you start left from right.

step 10 My avatar is only a silhouette!
Usually your avatar will be a blank silhouette and it will tell you, you need to install an update to use them. All you need to do is download this update file, and place it on a USB flash drive, and plug it into the back usb port of your xbox. Your 360 should detect it and install it. Make sure you extract it first and the root of the drive is the $SystemUpdate folder.