Backing up and restoring an XBox 360 hard drive

[Arcana]

Posting this situation for a friend, though I'm sure any one of you might have to face this one day.

Someone I know has an XBox 360 w/ 20GB hard drive. This person also bought one of those "extended service plans" from the retailer that allows you to replace the device, no questions asked, for something like 3 years.

The XBox 360 is broken now. However, this person wants to back up the hard drive because the replacement plan requires that all devices be sent back for service, including the hard drive.

What options are there to back up the hard drive (ex: to an external HD, or to a computer) and then restoring it to a new XBox hard drive?

[prophetik]

find a guy with a 360, transfer all your files to a brand new hard drive that he buys using the transfer cable, send the whole kit and caboodle back. sell refurbished drive on ebay.

actually, since savegames are all that matter (you can re-download DLC by transferring the license with the license transfer tool...you can only use it once a year, though) just have him get a memory card to save his stuff onto. they're like 20 or 30 bucks.

you can't transfer files to a computer without installing some dastardly i/o device drivers that can really screw with your system. and, last time i tried (a few weeks ago), xp sp3 isn't supported without severe system instability.

[phill]

You can't plug in a decent USB stick or harddrive and copy things to that?

[prophetik]

it's a proprietary interface that only fits on the 360, unlike the ps3 which fits most hard drives that fit in the case slot. and, if i remember correctly, it's got a customized file structure within that can't be duplicated without opening it through a special program.

[phill]

I mean plug something into the XBox and back up to that, the XBox does have usb connections right.....right?

[prophetik]

it does, but it's not a computer. most usb devices aren't compatible with it. some hard drives are, but only if they're formatted in a specific way, and you can only use them to play movies and music, if i remember correctly.