Required Files
xemu is a low-level, full-system emulator which emulates the actual hardware of the Xbox; this means that in order to actually run xemu, you must have a copy of the stuff that a real Xbox needs when it turns on:
Unfortunately, distributing some of these items would violate copyright laws, so you'll need to acquire them on your own.
Disclaimer
The xemu project does not endorse or promote piracy. We don't link to copyrighted files, or discuss how to acquire them. The only legal way to acquire these files is to dump them from your real, physical Xbox. Please don't ask us how to get them.
MCPX Boot ROM Image¶
MD5 (mcpx_1.0.bin) = d49c52a4102f6df7bcf8d0617ac475ed
If your MCPX dump has an MD5 of 196a5f59a13382c185636e691d6c323d, you dumped it badly and it's a couple of bytes off. It should start with 0x33 0xC0 and end with 0x02 0xEE.
Flash ROM Image (BIOS)¶
Xbox compatible BIOS. Due to key DRM functions being unimplemented, xemu is currently unable to boot games when using an unmodified retail BIOS. You must use either a debug BIOS or a modded retail BIOS that can boot unsigned software.
People have reported most success using the modified retail "COMPLEX 4627" BIOS.
Hard Disk Image¶
You can use a pre-built 8G Xbox HDD image, free of any copyrighted content, and only containing a dummy dashboard.
Download Pre-formatted Xbox Hard Disk Image
Note
By design, this particular drive image does not contain the official Xbox dashboard, but instead contains only an unsigned dummy dashboard. More information
Alternative Options
Alternative 1: Image your real Xbox HDD
This is the most authentic way to do it. Unlock your drive, connect it to a computer, and dd the entire contents of the drive straight to a file. This file can be used as-is with xemu.
Alternative 2: Build a new HDD image from scratch
You can also create an Xbox hard-disk image using XboxHDM. Directions on how to do this can be found here.
FATXplorer can also create an Xbox hard-disk image.
Note: XboxHDM and FATXplorer are 3rd party tools and not maintained or supported directly by xemu project. Use at your own risk.