A new BIOS for the original Xbox was recently released: Cerbios. It has many great features, but there is one in particular that is exciting: up to 8 TB HDD support, with the potential of 16 TB in the future. The Cerbios team reached out asking if FATXplorer’s formatting tool could be updated to support larger sizes. After some positive initial tests, FATXplorer and Cerbios are ready to deliver extra large HDD support for the original Xbox.

Getting Started

First, you need to set up Cerbios on your Xbox. You can find it on Xbins – here is an NFO describing it. At the time of writing, it only works on Xbox versions 1.0 through 1.3. It’s expected it will support all versions in the future. Make sure you use at least V1.01, released Feb 9, 2022 (V1.0 has a bug).

Second, you need a large HDD. Get one that is 8 TB or less. Don’t forget an IDE to SATA adapter and a modern IDE cable.

Third and finally, you will want to connect the HDD to your PC and use FATXplorer beta 19 or newer to format it. When you choose to format an Original Xbox HDD and select a disk over 2 TB in size, FATXplorer will ask if your console is set up with Cerbios:

Answering Yes bypasses the typical BIOS Selection page and puts you right into the partition configuration. FATXplorer automatically configures the partitions, so most of the time you can just click Next.

Make sure to add dashboard files to the C & E drives via preloading, or add them after formatting. Then put the drive in your console and you should be set!

Limitations

  • By default, FATXplorer will set up partitions with a maximum size of 927.78 GB. This is to avoid compatibility problems with some homebrew Xbox dashboards. Not all dashboards have problems, however. XBMC can support slightly larger sizes, up to 1 TB. Click the “Max” button if you want to fully enlarge your partitions:
  • FATXplorer will recognize and format drives up to 16 TB in size. If they are larger than that, only 16 TB of space will be formattable. At the time of writing, Cerbios only supports up to 8 TB of space. 16 TB may be possible in the future, with partition sizes up to 2 TB. If there are any developments in that regard, the formatting tool will be updated again.
  • Most Xbox dashboards will show the F & G drives, but partitions 8-14 may not be shown. If you don’t see them, try a different dashboard/launcher, like XBMC.
  • You technically can increase the size of the C & E drives, but to maximize compatibility, it’s recommended that you leave them as-is.

Help & Support

For help setting up Cerbios, please join the Cerbios Discord Room. Cerbios is not an official part of FATXplorer and problems with the BIOS itself should be reported to the Cerbios team. The Cerbios team is also looking for feedback on various drive models and sizes. Share your results in the Discord to help them improve the BIOS for everyone.

For help with FATXplorer’s formatting tool, leave a comment below or send a private email.

Download beta 19 from this page