How to Put Avalaunch on Your Xbox
By Nicholas Wyatt
Updated September 22, 2017
Items you will need
CDRW or DVD disc
FlashFXP
CAT5 Ethernet cable
Installing an alternate dashboard such as Avalaunch to your Xbox is a great way to put applications, emulators, files and even copied games to your hard drive. Avalaunch can be a confusing dashboard to install correctly on your Xbox. The method below will aid you in the installation process and let you effectively have the Avalaunch dashboard running on your Xbox.
Make an Xbox ISO image with Xiso
Navigate to SoftPedia (see Resources) and click on "Download" to save Xiso to your computer. Install Xiso and open the program.
Go to "Tools" and select "Make a xISO." Browse for the folder containing your "Avalaunch" files and select it. Confirm that "default.xbe" and avalaunch.ini are in your Avalaunch folder and click "OK."
Choose where you want your Avalaunch ISO image saved and choose what you would like your saved image to be named. Select "Save" once done naming the folder.
Burn Avalaunch Dashboard
Navigate to Nero (see Resources) and enter your e-mail address, then click on "Download" to save Nero Burning ROM to your computer.
Go to "Recorder" and choose the recorder option. Choose which burner you're using and click "OK."
Select "File" and choose "Burn image." Browse for your Xbox Image and select "Open."
Choose "Write" and select a maximum writing speed of "2x." Click on "Finalize CD." Your disk containing Avalaunch will be burned.
Installing Avalaunch to Your Xbox
Navigate to FlashFXP (see Resources) and click on "Download" to save FlashFXP to your computer. Install FlashFXP to your computer and open the program. Connect the CAT5 Ethernet cable from the Xbox Ethernet port to your computer's Ethernet port.
Insert the Avalaunch disk into your Xbox and turn on the system. Select "System Utils" once Avalaunch loads. Choose "System Settings" and select "IP." Make note of your Xbox's IP address.
Click on "Quick Connect." Type in the Xbox "IP" address. Set the "username" and "password" to "Xbox." Set the "Port" to "21." Select "Apply" and "Connect."
Back up your Xbox hard drive by selecting "C" & "E" in the right window of FlashFXP, right clicking and selecting "Transfer." Your Xbox hard drive will be backed up to your computer in case of Xbox system failure.
Click on the C directory on the right side of FlashFXP (Xbox harddrive). The last file should be xboxdash.xbe. Select the xboxdash.xbe file, right-click and select "Transfer As." Fill in "msxboxdash.xbe" and click "ok." Go to the directory on your computer hard drive where Avalaunch is stored. You will now have an "avalaunch.ini" file and a "default.xbe." Rename the "default.xbe" to "xboxdash.xbe." Once completed, transfer "avalaunch.ini" and "xboxdash.xbe" to the "C" drive on your Xbox. If a message prompts you to overwrite, select "Yes." Navigate to the location you transferred "msxboxdash.xbe" to on your computer. Transfer the file again (with the new file name) to "C" on your Xbox hard drive. This option will enable you to launch the original Microsoft dashboard from Avalaunch. Remove the CD from your Xbox and reboot your system. Your Xbox will now have Avalaunch installed.
Tips
Refrain from using CD-R disks because most Xbox drives cannot read them. The best media is either CDRW or DVD. If your Xbox has troubling reading the CDRW or DVD you chose, try using another CRDW or DVD brand. Different brands of CDRW or DVD run differently. Some are accepted while others are rejected.
References