How to Install an Xbox 360 External Hard Drive

It is possible to connect an external hard drive to your Xbox 360 console. While you can't save games to it, you can reduce your photo and MP3 storage on the main drive (very useful since the main drive has only 20 gigabytes). The most important thing is formatting the drive to read FAT32 files.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Ensure you have an external hard drive with a USB 2.0 adapter. The type of drive is not important; it just needs the USB 2.0 to connect to the Xbox console.

2. Install a program like Symantec Partition Magic, which allows you to format FAT32 file systems. You will have to purchase this program. You'll need it because most Windows systems won't format FAT32 above 32 gigabytes.

3. Connect the external drive to your Windows PC. Windows XP or later should automatically install the USB adapter. Using Partition Magic, create a new FAT32 partition on the drive and format the volume.

4. Attach the external drive to your Xbox 360 console with the USB connection. Anything loaded onto the hard drive after it's formatted for FAT32 can be read by going to the Media selection on your Xbox and selecting "Portable Device."

Tips & Warnings

• If you're still running Windows 98, you can format the drive without a separate program as long as it's no more than 127 gigabytes in size. In this case, however, install a driver for the adapter.
• You cannot transfer anything from the Xbox main hard drive (such as game files) to the external drive. It can only be used to read other files like MP3s.

[dkhayes]

on 5/27/2009 I have a 1TB external hard-drive and would like to store movies and tv shows on it to view through my xbox. Currently, I have the drive partitioned into a 400 GB drive (which I believe is the maximum in FAT 32 format) that can be viewed through my xbox. The problem is that my xbox will only read this drive and not the other drives I have created with the rest of the space on my external. Is there a way to be able to sort through the different drives on my external to utilize all of the space?Derek Hayes