Dumping & Downgrading firmware on UHD Friendly Devices. (OUTDATED)

[teufel82]

pity, but thanks for the info

 

[theosch]

I bought a BW-16D1HT with F/W 1.01. must i upgrade to 3.02 and then downgrade to 3.01 or can i modify this F/W direct?

If you're sure on your ASUS BW-16D1HT drive's label on the outside case really the firmware version is printed with a "one" at the start Firmware "1.01" (production date before 2015) , instead of the either needed "3.00" or "3.01" or "3.02" (production date 2015+, 2016, 2017), then you certainly have the older (UHD incompatible) revision.

Afaik the old Asus BW-16D1HT revisions (before 2015+) also used 1.00 /1.01 firmware name shemata like the new LG UHD friendly ones uses.

And as of the the LG name shemata , the LG BH16NS40 (SVC 50 code) UHD friendly drives afaik, at least the BH16NS55 (UHD-frinedly compatible) definitely also use 1.00 / 1.01 / 1.02 which can be further confusing when telling if you looked at that too.

I hope you made that confusion without checking the label correctly and or/just miswrote the number, that there's a 3.01 (Asus drives) on it in fact, and you can rip UHD, hehe

 

[Calleo]

So glad I came to this forum and am very thankful to Teddy and you other clever folks.

I want to backup and / or stream from my NAS my 4k movies (well, just on the verge to buy a couple) as per my sizeable DVD / BluRay collection to date. I'm in the UK and awaiting delivery of an Asus BW-16D1HT in anticipation to replace an older BluRay Pioneer drive. It remains to be seen whether it has FW older than 3_02 - or, if 3_02 - whether that is in fact an Asus 'improved' (making it non-friendly) version. So, again in anticipation, and if need be, I'm following instructions as best I can intending to follow the Windows method. I have a bootable (Win 7 Live) USB stick ready, along with the various files unzipped to DOSFLASH folder, and a copy of VSO Inspector (to check FW version) in the same USB stick.

Re Hex editing section, I note the instructions state 'Open the dumped DOSFLASH firmware and the new one you want to flash on your device'. Further down the instructions under the 'automatic' method section, there is a link to a download which contains flash_ASUS_BW-16D1HT_3.00.bin and flash_ASUS_BW-16D1HT_3.01.bin so I'm assuming either of these would do? I thought I saw another post where there was a link to a 'clean' 3_02 version but forgot to bookmark its location (can anyone advise, please)?

My current PC set up has the UEFI feature and I can't as yet fathom getting into the plain old BIOS sytem options but I have an older PC to hand so can / should use that. I'm not too familiar with the term CSM but read it as only applicable to UEFI - I'm pretty sure my older PC doesn't won't have this and I should hopefully figure out how to change the SATA controller to IDE; is this for when connecting the actual Asus drive?

BTW - I like to help where I can and, comfortable to some degree understanding and interpreting hex, am in the process of compiling a 'walk-through' with screen shots (using HxD) for anyone who is currently shying away from this method worried about offsets and all, though the automatic method you provide is always there too. I'm using a generic example of how to use and navigate through the requirements to copy / paste the two hex ranges between the two FW version files as per instructions; I'm just hanging fire as I want it to be accurate, and if possible someone can clarify the above point (re 'clean' file for relevant drive) and hopefully reassure me (or otherwise correct) my understanding thus far.

 

[Calleo]

Hex - Walk Through.

I've put together the attached, in case it may be of help to some of you out there (caveat - I haven't got around to doing this myself yet, see my previous post). Please let me know if I've missed something, or is erroneous in any way, thanks.

 

[Calleo]

My Asus BW-16D1HT has been delivered. Sticker on the back of the drive states manufactured June 2018 so I'm guessing it'll have either 3_02 (and likely Asus 'improved', making it non-friendly) or 3_03 (ditto). I'll attempt the downgrade to 3_01 using flash_ASUS_BW-16D1HT_3.01.bin - unless I can locate the 'clean' 3_02 I thought I saw posted somewhere (or does it really matter?) - my time has otherwise been spent researching lots of forum stuff and compiling the walk-through Hex thingy I uploaded earlier. Once my brain becomes a bit less frazzled I'll tackle this and let you know how I get on (just need to buy a couple of those 4k movies, maybe starting my tests with Gladiator).

 

[Terramex]

Ripping-speed-wise there is no difference between 3.01 and 3.02 afaik.
But if you want the old 3.02 version it can be found for example attachwd to this post: https://forum.redfox.bz/threads/dow...-laufwerken-unter-freedos-mit-dosflash.74480/

As a sidenote: i know people noticed differences using a Hexeditor and the EEPROM data mover, but the mover never failed me yet.

 

[Calleo]

Ripping-speed-wise there is no difference between 3.01 and 3.02 afaik.
But if you want the old 3.02 version it can be found for example attachwd to this post: https://forum.redfox.bz/threads/dow...-laufwerken-unter-freedos-mit-dosflash.74480/

As a sidenote: i know people noticed differences using a Hexeditor and the EEPROM data mover, but the mover never failed me yet.

Nice one, thanks Terramex.

 

[Calleo]

Oh dear. I'm sure I have followed instructions BUT . .
Connected drive - booted up via USB, checked f/w via vso Inspector, it was 3.03 version. I ran the DOSFLASH executable, read and saved the original f/w (3.03), tweaked the clean one (3.02) which I saved ready for after next reboot. Rebooted using USB, ran DOSFLASH again, this time chose Erase - started 'erasing' . . but I keep getting 'Error Erasing Flash !' - 'Wrong flash status 00' messages.
Whilst dosflash GUI still open, I tried writing the tweaked 3.02, it again shows 'Erasing . . ' but I end up with similar message 'Error Writing Flash !'. Lots of repeats but still same message(s).
Anyone able to help me?

 

[Terramex]

Have you already tried to erase/write with Freedos USB drive instead ?

 

[Calleo]

Have you already tried to erase/write with Freedos USB drive instead ?

TBH - I've just left the situation as it is, I still have the hexflash program open (do I close it, reopen and try again?), while still in the Win 7 (USB) environment (so I haven't switched off PC or rebooted to try again), awaiting any advice.
The vso inspector now shows my f/w as basically zilch (everything 'N/A' and nothing checked for any of the read / write features for all the various disc formats). I'll maybe try your suggestion and try the DOS / freedos angle once I've configured USB stick. Am I still safe for now, having at least saved the original f/w dump?

 

[Terramex]

From my experience those drives are very forgiving even if something goes wrong right in the middle of it.
You should be safe for now.
But still: i never had that very situation, so maybe i'm not the best advisor

 

[Calleo]

From my experience those drives are very forgiving even if something goes wrong right in the middle of it.
You should be safe for now.
But still: i never had that very situation, so maybe i'm not the best advisor

ok, ta Terramex, and thanks for responding. Nothing ventured . . . I'll reboot and try again, else if no joy, will try the DOS thingy as you suggest. It's all down to me . . .

 

[Calleo]

I may be good now. I think. And sorry to ramble on at some length, but I think that reliving my experience may possibly be of some help / reassurance to others?

So. I chose the 'Windows' / hex method. I connected up my Asus BW-16D1HT to an older PC – via the SATA / power leads. The BIOS (Phoenix something or other, I recall) was configured as (and was already default to) IDE – it’s an old shuttle PC I built some years ago and I'm so glad I kept it. I set boot order to USB (/floppy) as top of the list and fired it up; when prompted I pressed ‘any key’ to boot from USB (the Win 7 Live) previously set up.

Like I said, an old PC; it took several minutes to load Win 7 Live and show the desktop - all sorts of program shortcuts and, hey - I remember using ‘Ghost’!
Next, I installed vso Inspector – and it read my new optical drive - see attached screen shot - 'Before Anything.jpg'.
As suspected, version 3.03 f/w but a lot of ticks there; the ones missing appear to relate to writing to HD discs. Ah well.

I then ran DOSFLASH32_BH16NS40.exe and selected ‘Read flash’: See screen shot - Before-Flash-Read.jpg. The status bar displayed ‘Reading Bank 1’ . . 2 . . 3 . . 4 . . and so on, until about 27 (ish?).
I then got a 'successfully read' message (see Flash-Successfully-Read.jpg). So I clicked ‘OK’ and I saved this to a folder ’01 BACKUP ~~~’ in my bootable USB stick. I even made a backup copy elsewhere. I prepared the folders / files on the USB stick as per screen shot 'Folder Structure.jpg, just FYI.

Next, I opened both the original dumped f/w (which I saved to ’01 BACKUP~~~’ folder), and the ‘clean’ 3.02 version (from my ’02 CLEAN-FW-UNTWEAKED’ folder) into HxD. I then copied the two hex ranges as per instructions from my original f/w into the ‘clean’ version file, and saved the latter as a 'tweaked' (3.02) F/W file in another folder ‘03 CLEAN-FW-AFTER-TWEAK’.

So far so good. As per instructions, I believe I was then at the stage to reboot. So I did. After another lengthy reboot (old PC, remember), I ran the DOSFLASH_BH16NS40.exe again, this time selected ‘Erase Flash’. Oops - I then fear a problem. I kept getting a dialogue box pop up stating ‘Error Erasing Flash!’ – and at the bottom a status bar message ‘Wrong flash status 00’. I then tried to ‘Write flash’ – browsing to my tweaked 3.02 version – it began informing me ‘Erasing . . .’ but I ended up with a similar error dialogue box.

Rats, I thought. My new drive is bricked. Or maybe semi-bricked. I kept trying the ‘write’ to but to no (apparent) avail. I was fearful what to do, scaredy cat that i am, so posted my problem on this forum. I then remembered something about this drive having a ‘power’ problem – and decided to unplug / replug the power lead to the drive. Just as quick, I tried to re-write the new f/w from the still open dosflash program but no joy, it just hanged - forever ‘Erasing . . . ’. In retrospect, I think the power problem I recalled was more of a ‘physical’ bug re the drive ‘sleeping’ after a short period of inactivity, so that seemed to be a red herring.

After a few hours (and with some reassurance from that nice chap Terramex), I decided just to reboot my old PC. Several minutes re-loading later, I’m back in the Win 7 Live desktop, and the first thing I tried was (re)installing vso Inspector program. And this time - deep joy - it was telling me my drive was now 3.02 - see After-Flash now 3-02.jpg !!!

Everything looks the same as per original 3.03 – only now assuring me it’s 3.02 But does this mean success? I loaded a newly arrived 4k disc (Gladiator) – it shows on Windows Explorer, but I can’t seem to play it on anything (including VLC). I then stuck a blu-ray disc movie in; again, Explorer recognises, but I can’t find anthing (VLC / Windows media player) to play it. I then stuck a DVD movie in and it loads / plays no probs.

What does this all mean? I initially dreaded having maybe 'bricked’ my new Asus drive, but all is seemingly not lost. I think the reason I can’t play any Blu Ray / 4K media for now is because (1) the drive / software is still on my (very) old PC (2) I need the right software to open and play these discs from the computer. I intend to now unplug the Asus drive from my older PC and relocate / replace my internal Pioneer BD player on my much newer / faster PC where I have been ripping with either MakeMKV / Handbrake / ClownBD over the last few years and hopefully either of these will now also 'rip' 4k films to hard drive, and that I can glean software (VLC, surely?) to play these discs on my PC if required.

Update: I ran dosflash and did another 'read' and immediately afterwards I ran vso Inspector and it showed zilch, like before - but this appears to be an 'inspector' bug and can be ignored. Anyway, I saved this new read file as 'to-check.bin' and since compared it with the tweaked f/w version I wrote to the drive yesterday, just being a tad paranoid that there may have been an occasional / corrupt written hex value given the error message that kept popping up. I did this using Notepad++ and happy to report that both files match.

To original poster TeddyRaspin - many, many thanks

 

[avsion]

Hi Teddy, many thanks for the guide, i bought 2 new LG BH16NS55 with firmware 1.03 i follow your instructions in the OP using the EEPROM data mover method and successfully downgrade to 1.02.
however i had a hard time finding the clean firmware as the firmware link in the OP is not available [page showing the file info but no download link just naked women ads ]. after going through all the thread pages i found one #48
with a link from a german thread that i used with the EEPROM data mover (see attached firmware i used and screen shot of the drive info from DOS and MakeMKV Beta running in windows 10 VM) but i'm not sure if this is the correct firmware. can you confirm if the attached firmware is the latest one and has a the necessary features to burn 4k? if not can you kindly refer me to the link? for the reference, i did manage to rip BR with the 1.02 firmware but didn't try yet 4K. last question is the EEPROM data mover file from the OP is still the latest upto-date file to use? Sorry just want to make sure i'm on the right track before i start ripping my collection.

Thank you,

 

[theosch]

Sry for double posting I'll delete my previous post soon.
[EDIT] by theosch - my previous post deleted

{...}

So. I chose the 'Windows' / hex method. I connected up my Asus BW-16D1HT to an older PC – via the SATA / power leads. The BIOS (Phoenix something or other, I recall) was configured as (and was already default to) IDE – it’s an old shuttle PC I built some years ago and I'm so glad I kept it. I set boot order to USB (/floppy) as top of the list and fired it up; when prompted I pressed ‘any key’ to boot from USB (the Win 7 Live) previously set up.

{...}
Next, I installed vso Inspector – and it read my new optical drive - see attached screen shot - 'Before Anything.jpg'.
As suspected, version 3.03 f/w but a lot of ticks there; the ones missing appear to relate to writing to HD discs. Ah well.

I then ran DOSFLASH32_BH16NS40.exe and selected ‘Read flash’: See screen shot - Before-Flash-Read.jpg. The status bar displayed ‘Reading Bank 1’ . . 2 . . 3 . . 4 . . and so on, until about 27 (ish?).
I then got a 'successfully read' message (see Flash-Successfully-Read.jpg). So I clicked ‘OK’ and I saved this to a folder ’01 BACKUP ~~~’ in my bootable USB stick. I even made a backup copy elsewhere. I prepared the folders / files on the USB stick as per screen shot 'Folder Structure.jpg, just FYI.

Next, I opened both the original dumped f/w (which I saved to ’01 BACKUP~~~’ folder), and the ‘clean’ 3.02 version (from my ’02 CLEAN-FW-UNTWEAKED’ folder) into HxD. I then copied the two hex ranges as per instructions from my original f/w into the ‘clean’ version file, and saved the latter as a 'tweaked' (3.02) F/W file in another folder ‘03 CLEAN-FW-AFTER-TWEAK’.

So far so good. As per instructions, I believe I was then at the stage to reboot. So I did. After another lengthy reboot (old PC, remember), I ran the DOSFLASH_BH16NS40.exe again, this time selected ‘Erase Flash’. Oops - I then fear a problem. I kept getting a dialogue box pop up stating ‘Error Erasing Flash!’ – and at the bottom a status bar message ‘Wrong flash status 00’. I then tried to ‘Write flash’ – browsing to my tweaked 3.02 version – it began informing me ‘Erasing . . .’ but I ended up with a similar error dialogue box.

Rats, I thought. My new drive is bricked. Or maybe semi-bricked. I kept trying the ‘write’ to but to no (apparent) avail. I was fearful what to do, scaredy cat that i am, so posted my problem on this forum. I then remembered something about this drive having a ‘power’ problem – and decided to unplug / replug the power lead to the drive. Just as quick, I tried to re-write the new f/w from the still open dosflash program but no joy, it just hanged - forever ‘Erasing . . . ’. In retrospect, I think the power problem I recalled was more of a ‘physical’ bug re the drive ‘sleeping’ after a short period of inactivity, so that seemed to be a red herring.

After a few hours (and with some reassurance from that nice chap Terramex), I decided just to reboot my old PC. Several minutes re-loading later, I’m back in the Win 7 Live desktop, and the first thing I tried was (re)installing vso Inspector program. And this time - deep joy - it was telling me my drive was now 3.02 - see After-Flash now 3-02.jpg !!!

Everything looks the same as per original 3.03 – only now assuring me it’s 3.02 But does this mean success? I loaded a newly arrived 4k disc (Gladiator) – it shows on Windows Explorer, but I can’t seem to play it on anything (including VLC). I then stuck a blu-ray disc movie in; again, Explorer recognises, but I can’t find anthing (VLC / Windows media player) to play it. I then stuck a DVD movie in and it loads / plays no probs.
{...}

@Calleo
PLEASE always keep your backup dumps.

To others, don't forget to make original unit's backup dump, and store on safe place before writing anything!!


@Calleo

If issues even with ripping (on any UHDs) - (applies only to Calleos case):

I would rewrite the modified firmware with the Dosflash_1.7 + FreeDOS method. As your drive reports 3.02 now instead of 3.03, your old firmware is overwritten anyway. As of the write/erase error message, It also might be you did something wrong with the HxD method. I would use the EEPROM data mover method. I know the issue is not the EEPROM data mover, but rather manual hexediting. The issues Terramax told from others, that EEPROM data mover produces different checksum, it just corresponds to Official-UHD-firmware to UHD-friendly firmware conversion, what I had tested so far. NOT being different between EEPROM data mover and HxD methoda on a firmware-version-downgrade-to-UHD-friendly.


[Update]10-19-2018
@Calleo: In this thread I think it is like the Win7PE method + DOSFLASH32_BH16NS40.exe you did:
https://forum.cdrinfo.pl/f29/dosflash-v2-0-patched-support-bh16ns40-bh16ns55-drives-96930/
The files DOSFLASH32_BH16NS40.exe within "DosFlash32_BH16NS40_patched.zip" have the same checksum, except of maybe DosFlash32.ini.

The "DosFlash32.ini" get changed when DOSFLASH32_BH16NS40.exe has been run on other computer than on the computer from the poster who provided the files, e.g. for program history or just small setting. So I'd guess that is not relevant afaik to wonder.

I would try to rewrite the modified firmware several times (DOSFLASH32_BH16NS40.exe (=Dosflash 2.0) + Win7/PE method), as the thread suggests, it would be neccesary sometimes to write to flash several times. It is also mentioned here, to disable drive signature check to allow to install the portio32.sys driver.

Did you install portio.sys before running DOSFLASH32_BH16NS40.exe to dump your original unit's firmware and for writing modified fw?

In any case as the Win7 method also requires IDE, Legacy, I would have taken the Dosflash 1.7+FreeDOS method, so less work to do.
FreeDOS +Dosflash 1.7 method in a virtual machine emulating/virtualizing a BIOS-PC would be interesting if that works as the previous poster presented afaik, if a (real) PC itself only had UEFI and no SATA-IDE-level setting





Cheers,
theosch

 

[Izzzy]

First thing first, thankS @TeddyRaspin . Your walk-through was perfect and I nailed it first shot. My Asus BC-12D2HT came with updated firmware and now is rockin the 3.0 firmware

 

[johannu]

Hallo TeddyRaspian,

I have just bought a LG BH16NS55 SVC NS55, Firmware: 1.03, Dated 2018-05-21. I dumped successfully the firmware with DOS-Method you described.

Could you please so kind to make the modifications for me.

Thank you very much!

 

[Ch3vr0n]

No he can't, he stopped doing that months ago. You'll have to do it yourself though the guide or find someone else or return it and hope the next one has the right firmware.

 

[johannu]

@Ch3vr0n

I went through the guides, but the guides are different.

One says:
0x1E8000 to 0x1E84FF
0x1E9000 to 0x1EBFFF
0x1F0000 to the end

Another says:
0x1E0000 to 0x1E84FF
0x1E9000 to 0x1EBFFF
0x1F0000 to the end

Another one says:
0x1E8000 offset to 0x1E84FF
0x1E9000 to the end

What is the right one?

Thank you!

 

[theosch]

@Ch3vr0n

I went through the guides, but the guides are different.

One says:
0x1E8000 to 0x1E84FF
0x1E9000 to 0x1EBFFF
0x1F0000 to the end

Another says:
0x1E0000 to 0x1E84FF
0x1E9000 to 0x1EBFFF
0x1F0000 to the end

Another one says:
0x1E8000 offset to 0x1E84FF
0x1E9000 to the end

What is the right one?

Thank you!

PLEASE store several copies of your original unit's firmware on multi places, in case of a bad flashing or a wrong modify!

That one is the proper one,
Dumping & Downgrading firmware on UHD Friendly Devices.
0x1E8000 to 0x1E84FF
0x1E9000 to 0x1EBFFF
0x1F0000 to the end

because in your case it's only a firmware downgrade. You can use the EEPROM data mover to integrate with your original unit's laser calibration data and its (unique) DV value into a BH16NS55 1.02/1.01/1.00 Clean firmware (1.03 is NOT UHD-friendly). or into a Asus BW-16D1HT 3.02/3.01/3.00 Clean firmware (3.03 is not UHD-friendly). Asus BW-16D1HT in fact is same hardware internally as BH16NS55/WH16NS55
The Asus firmware rips a bit faster and less noisy.

If you want to use Asus firmware, 3.02 is not easy to find, just take the Asus BW-16D1HT 3.01-Clean-firmware, export your dumps data into it with EEPROM data mover, flash it with Dosflash+FreeDOS, and use Asus update utility (fw-version 3.02) after that. Unfortunately Asus does NOT longer provide it, only 3.03 (NOT UHD-firendly).

If you decided for Asus firmware 3.01, and want it updated with Asus-3.02-fw-utility, just ask me, I have it still stored from beginning of 2018. where it still was available,
and I'll attach it temporarily to this post.
--

The other hexrange (0x1E0000 to 0x1E84FF) only applies to when you had e.g. an official UHD drive, (like LG BH16NS60/WH16NS60) (because a firmware of that model downgraded with the firmware of that SAME model, would not make it UHD friendly). For that (LG BH16NS60/Wh16NS60) you would have to flash with a BH16NS55/WH16NS55 modified 1.00/1.01/1.02 Clean firmware, or Asus BW-16D1HT (same hardware)but the Clean firmware with other hexrange modified from BH16NS60/WH16NS60 dump: 0x1E0000 to 0x1E84FF
0x1E9000 to 0x1EBFFF
0x1F0000 to the end
<=ONLY applies to official UHD drive (LG BH16NS60/WH16NS60).

Cheers theosch