Ultimate UHD Drives Flashing Guide Updated 2026

[Coopervid]

Did you power off your PC and reboot it? Do so and post your Makemkv info.

[fox87]

Did you power off your PC and reboot it? Do so and post your Makemkv info.

Drive Information
OS device name: E:
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE WH16NS60
Revision: 1.02
Serial number: KLZP37A3845
Firmware date: 2118-10-29 19:36
Bus encryption flags: 17
Highest AACS version: 76

LibreDrive Information
Status: Enabled
Drive platform: MT1959
Firmware type: Patched (microcode access re-enabled)
Firmware version: 1.02
DVD all regions: Yes
BD raw data read: Yes
BD raw metadata read: Yes
Unrestricted read speed: Yes

No disc inserted

[Coopervid]

Now try a disc.....

[fox87]

Now try a disc.....

powering the drive it made a weird scratchy noise. then after inserting a disc it seems to be trying very hard to read it. at some point it is taking up speed, but stopping abruptly. that happens either once or twice. then it's giving up and makemkv is eventually showing "no disc". that's the same as before the power cycle.

[Coopervid]

Your drive is on SATA inside a PC right? Try a regular BluRay disc and not an UHD since they are hard to read especially when not cleaned before reading. Report back.

[fox87]

Your drive is on SATA inside a PC right? Try a regular BluRay disc and not an UHD since they are hard to read especially when not cleaned before reading. Report back.

Ah, i didn't mention. it's via usb. the case is also the recommended OWC Mercury Pro.

I tried regular BD and DVD. No success.

[Coopervid]

A full reset is only possible if you turn off power to the OWC AND remove the USB cable since USB still provides power to the drive. Try that.

[fox87]

A full reset is only possible if you turn off power to the OWC AND remove the USB cable since USB still provides power to the drive. Try that.

turned off case, removed usb cable, removed power cable, waited 5min.

plugged everything back. tried different bluray. same result.

the fact i didn't power down my pc while the drive was not connected doesn't make any difference, does it?

[Coopervid]

No. These drives are merely junk. Flash LG BH16NS55 1.03 (<1.05) or so and then use the offical LG flasher to flash it to 1.05. Then return the drive.

[outsideworlds]

I have the same enclosure on a Mac as well. Big ups for the tip my friend, ordered the same drive, modded it slightly in the enclosure and just flashed. Ripping away!

This Guide Is Made By: Billy/Billycar11, MartyMcNuts, Blackened2687, Coopervid, d00zah, mike admin, SamuriHL, st4evr, TeddyRaspin, Woodstock, Bluntman, Alex/jonghotti, garygomm
Even if they didn't contribute directly i have used their information

Huge props and thanks goes out to everyone involved to make this possible. Just wanted to report my recent success with the BU40N I purchased last week. Drive arrived with the following fw:

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Drive Information
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE BU40N
Revision: FR07
Firmware date: 2118-01-22 15:36
Bus encryption flags: 1F

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible (with patched firmware)
Drive platform: MT1959
Harware support: Yes
Firmware support: No
Firmware type: Original (patched version available)
Firmware version: 0.FRO7J
DVD all regions: Possible (with patched firmware)
BD raw data read: Possible (with patched firmware)
BD raw metadata read: Possible (with patched firmware)
Unrestricted read speed: Possible (with patched firmware)

I was able to easily update to the 1.03 fw following Billycar11's detailed guide:

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Drive Information
Manufacturer: 
HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE BU40N

Revision: 1.03
Firmware date: 2118-10-24 19:34

Bus encryption flags: 17

Highest AACS version: 77



LibreDrive Information
Status: Enabled

Drive platform: MT1959

Firmware type: Patched (microcode access re-enabled)

Firmware version: 1.03

DVD all regions: Yes

BD raw data read: Yes

BD raw metadata read: Yes

Unrestricted read speed: Yes

FYI, I installed the drive into my trusty old Sonnet Echo 15+ Thunderbolt 2 dock connected to a Mac Pro 6,1 (running Monterey 12.7.6) and flashed from there. Some slight modifications were performed to properly fit the drive into this enclosure since the BU40N is considerably slimmer than the previous existing drive (HL-DT-ST CT30F). Basically, just some 3M double-sided tape and rubber spacer rings were required to ensure the drive is balanced, as only one screw mount point aligned from the original included cage.

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Echo 15 TB2:

  Vendor Name:	Sonnet Technologies, Inc.
  Device Name:	Echo 15 TB2
  Mode:	Thunderbolt 2
  Device ID:	0xC
  Vendor ID:	0x8
  Device Revision:	0x1
  Route String:	3
  Firmware Version:	25.2
  Port (Upstream):
  Status:	Device connected
  Link Status:	0x2
  Speed:	Up to 20 Gb/s x1
  Current Link Width:	0x2
  Cable Firmware Version:	0.1.23
  Link Controller Firmware Version:	0.14.0
  Port:
  Status:	No device connected
  Link Status:	0x7
  Speed:	Up to 20 Gb/s x1
  Current Link Width:	0x1
  Link Controller Firmware Version:	0.14.0

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HL-DT-ST BD-RE BU40N:

  Firmware Revision:	1.03
  Interconnect:	USB
  Burn Support:	Yes (Generic Drive Support)
  Profile Path:	None
  Cache:	4064 KB
  Reads DVD:	Yes
  CD-Write:	-R, -RW
  DVD-Write:	-R, -R DL, -RAM, -RW, +R, +R DL, +RW
  BD-Write:	-R, -RE
  Write Strategies:	CD-TAO, CD-SAO, CD-Raw, DVD-DAO
  Media:	To show the available burn speeds, insert a disc and choose File > Refresh Information

Ripped 4x UHD BDs last night, with max speeds writing to internal dual-SSD RAID0 of the dock at 6x speed.

[Spycrowsoft]

Since @Billycar11 offers to check...

I have a Verbatim 43888 slim drive with the following MakeMKV drive information:

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Drive Information
OS device name: G:
Current profile: BD-ROM
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE BU40N
Revision: 1.05
Serial number: <redacted>
Firmware date: 2124-04-23 13:47
Bus encryption flags: 17
Highest AACS version: 68

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible, not yet enabled
Drive platform: MT1959

Disc Information
Label: DR_STRANGELOVE
Timestamp: 2020-01-17 11:00:31
Protection: AACS2.0/C v68
Data capacity: 58.69 Gb
Disc type: BD-ROM UHD
Number of layers: 2
Bus encryption flags: 80

So if I understood the video correctly this is the command I need:

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makemkvcon64.exe f --all-yes -d <drive letter> rawflash enc -i <path to LG slim BU40N folder>\HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_BU40N-1.03-NM00000-211810241934.bin

Is that correct for this drive?

[fox87]

No. These drives are merely junk. Flash LG BH16NS55 1.03 (<1.05) or so and then use the offical LG flasher to flash it to 1.05. Then return the drive.

thank you for your time : )

may i write you a dm?

[Billycar11]

Since @Billycar11 offers to check...

I have a Verbatim 43888 slim drive with the following MakeMKV drive information:

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Drive Information
OS device name: G:
Current profile: BD-ROM
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE BU40N
Revision: 1.05
Serial number: <redacted>
Firmware date: 2124-04-23 13:47
Bus encryption flags: 17
Highest AACS version: 68

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible, not yet enabled
Drive platform: MT1959

Disc Information
Label: DR_STRANGELOVE
Timestamp: 2020-01-17 11:00:31
Protection: AACS2.0/C v68
Data capacity: 58.69 Gb
Disc type: BD-ROM UHD
Number of layers: 2
Bus encryption flags: 80

So if I understood the video correctly this is the command I need:

Code: Select all

makemkvcon64.exe f --all-yes -d <drive letter> rawflash enc -i <path to LG slim BU40N folder>\HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_BU40N-1.03-NM00000-211810241934.bin

Is that correct for this drive?

yeah looks fine

[Coopervid]

No. These drives are merely junk. Flash LG BH16NS55 1.03 (<1.05) or so and then use the offical LG flasher to flash it to 1.05. Then return the drive.

thank you for your time : )

may i write you a dm?

Sure. Go ahead.

[FoodOcean]

Hey, idk if this is the place to ask this, but does anyone know how to get my BU40N out of "BOOT" mode?
I successfully patched my firmware, thinking it would help me read a specific disc, which it did not, so I tried to revert it back to the official firmware provided by Hitachi/LG and ended up corrupting it. My computer still recognizes the drive in device manager and disk manger, but it says the partition is in MBR and it won't open when I press the eject button.

I have used SDF Tool Flasher, BD-RE_BU40N______1.05 (from LG), and BH14NS40_N1.00-A4_patched (from MakeMKV) and neither of them have worked. I am at a loss and ChatGPT is hallucinating and being more trouble than it is helpful.



Can anyone provide any guidance; is it salvageable or do I just need to buy a new drive?