How to recover Boxee/XBMC after the Apple TV update

Apple TV update 2.3.1 came out last week – my Apple TV suddenly reset itself on Sunday and blew away my Boxee/XBMC installation – but fear not: it’s easy to fix. You just reinstall the patchstick!

For those of you who have ATV and don’t use XBMC, you’re missing out. The program plays AVIs natively so you can just upload, via SCP, to a folder and your videos appear right on the menu. Great stuff.
Here’s how:

1. Download ATVUSB creator.
2. Insert a USB stick. I used a 1GB model but you could get away with maybe 512MB. Larger keys have been known to have problems, so err on the side of too small.
3. Run ATVUSB creator.
4. Take out the key and plug it into your Apple TV. Unplug the ATV and watch Tux appear.
5. Let the installation run. Take out the key when it’s finished and restart the ATV.
6. Select the XBMC/Boxee menu and select Update. You will be prompted to download all of the latest media software.
7. Once you restart, all will be well.