XBOX-BACKUPS Forum

"Built with (MS) XDK" or "Built with (MS) SDK"

What does it mean ?

It means the software you are trying to download or have, has been written and compiled with the official Microsoft® SDK (System Development Kit) for Xbox.

This specific compiler is only available to Microsoft approved programmers (developers),  and can not be used by "end users" to build 'homebrew software'.  This specifically, is what makes the software you want to download "illegal" (not in most people's eyes, because the software itself that is compiled, has completely been written by the programmer; but, in the eyes of the law it is illegal).

You can often find these programs on irc channels or newsgroups - we can't help you to find them, so please don't ask, or mail us about it.

This is also why (similarly) a Modchip BIOS (not Cromwell) is illegal.  With the Xecutor, and EvoX BIOS, most of the original Microsoft BIOS is still in tact, or used.   Since the M$ BIOS already contains the necessary information and code needed for the Xbox functionality, the Modchip BIOS is a modified version of that original code.  This means keeping most or all of OE I/O functions in tact, while bypassing the signature security routines, or removing them all together.