LG BH16NS55 Firmware

[jpsdr]

There is a new 1.03 FW for BH15NS55, but... There is a huge risk it will fix the loophole.

[jpsdr]

Ok, i've tested the 1.03 firmware : UHD disc are not read anymore, so this FW fix the loophole.

[jpsdr]

Just to warn :
I've ordered a new drive a few days ago, manufactured december 2017, FW 1.03. So, recent drives allready have the last FW not working anymore on UHD disc.

[TeddyRaspin]

You can always downgrade it to 1.02 and restore the UHD friendly capabilities.

[jpsdr]

For this specific case, i'll keep it, because i use it as burner, so i want it to have the last FW. My reader is the ASUS 16D1HT. But this post was just to warn people. It seems that LG drives are more up to date than ASUS, for now, even if according what's said here, they are the same...

[TeddyRaspin]

1.02 burning is the same as 1.03 so why don't you downgrade it in order to have also UHD reading enabled ?

[jpsdr]

Because, my drives are dedicated. The LG is the burner, the ASUS is the reader. I don't need the burner to be able to read. And if one day it happens to have an 1.04 or more, i'll update it. But the reader, it will stay forever with 3.02.

[TeddyRaspin]

Sorry mate, but did you ever try to think that a firmware update (a phantomatic 1.0.4) could be not a so called "great idea" for a device ?
Sometimes people think that any update is useful, while it is not always true. Anyway, you can do anything you want, but I totally disagree your choices.

[KBJghost]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[preserve]

And in the case of UHD, if it ain't broke, upgrade your firmware and then it probably will be

[carrpet]

@barret70

Here are the attached zip file for you and the steps you need to properly downgrade, erase, and flash eeprom.

1) Prepare an USB stick with Rufus making Dos Bootable and unzip on USB root the attached file.

2) Disable CSM in bios or enable the Legacy Boot.

3) Disable any other SATA device except the BH16NS55 unit.

4) Make sure your BH16NS55 is connected to a primary SATA Port instead of a Slave one.

5) Boot from USB stick and at the command prompt type "DOSFLASH" and press enter.

6) Sometimes you should need to close DOSFLASH and retype 2 or 3 times as there could be a bug in detecting BH16NS55.

7) At the DOSFLASH question answer N and press the relative number of that unit (2 in my case).

8 ) Now press 'E' (without quotes) to fully erase the MT1959 (MediaTek) eeprom.

9) At the command prompt, retype DOSFLASH and select the device (if it does not detect it retype dosflash again).

10) This time press 'W' (without quotes) and enter, as filename, DUMP102.BIN and press enter.

11) The writing process will start. Wait patiently to the end of the task. When you will see the Data checksum at the end, you will notice the blue led lightning and your unit will be reinitialized.

12) Turn off PC, connect other devices, restore previous bios settings and try your "new" BH16NS55.

Let me know if this fix your issues.

Hi Teddy,

Thanks for all your great work. I am a convert !

I have used the 1.02.bin dump file you appended to this post and flashed it onto my BH16NS55. I did not do any data transfer step, just dumped the old 1.03bin, which I still have then erased the eprom and flashed your 1.02bin. The drive works perfectly based on one rip of Gladiator. Given that the drive appears to be 100% should I just leave it or should I now transfer my data from my dumped 1.03bin to a clean 1.02bin and reflash ? Would welcome your views !

Peter

[2BNierAuotmata]

I really hope someone can help. I basically was stupid when taking risks that ultimately led to a drive that still is detected in Windows. Makemkv even shows my drive to be Liber Info: 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. That all sounds great right. It detects the blu-ray writer as a BD-RE BU40N. Unfortunately, it actually is WH14NS0. I had tried every flash using a flash tool but, not with the de files that I found too late. Anyway, when I try to update it to any other Firmware, it simply freezes right after I push the "play" button on the great flash tool you all have done. I had made my initial attempts using the SATA to USB 3.0 Cable, BENFEI USB 3.0 to SATA III Hard Drive Adapter. Then I unhooked one of my SSD's and directly connected my LG BR Writer. This time they all still failed by getting stuck at 0% but, the one for the BU40N worked, unfortunately. I thought perhaps that I could then flash it to the .02 update to finally get it downgraded from .04. I've basically tried a lot of the suggestions on these 40+ pages to no avail. So, I can't even get it open with a paper clip. It's non-responsive when I push the button. It's too bad that I didn't read that one should never flash one of the slim units with a unit like mine. Now, I can see why. The door can't be open. Anyway, I'm suppose to get a replacement tomorrow but, I'd like to still see if I can fix this one and maybe keep the second to have an extra (Maybe one for playing the 4K Blu-rays since I dont' have a player. Does this device play the 4K Blu-rays well enough to be worth it? Is the latest was of flashing the replacement with the .02 downgrade or should I just leave it the way it is. I've noticed many people saying it's much easier now which I found out too late. This is my first post and I'm a newbie on this so any help would be great. Thanks.

[d00zah]

I really hope someone can help. I basically was stupid when taking risks that ultimately led to a drive that still is detected in Windows. Makemkv even shows my drive to be Liber Info: 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. That all sounds great right. It detects the blu-ray writer as a BD-RE BU40N. Unfortunately, it actually is WH14NS0. I had tried every flash using a flash tool but, not with the de files that I found too late. Anyway, when I try to update it to any other Firmware, it simply freezes right after I push the "play" button on the great flash tool you all have done. I had made my initial attempts using the SATA to USB 3.0 Cable, BENFEI USB 3.0 to SATA III Hard Drive Adapter. Then I unhooked one of my SSD's and directly connected my LG BR Writer. This time they all still failed by getting stuck at 0% but, the one for the BU40N worked, unfortunately. I thought perhaps that I could then flash it to the .02 update to finally get it downgraded from .04. I've basically tried a lot of the suggestions on these 40+ pages to no avail. So, I can't even get it open with a paper clip. It's non-responsive when I push the button. It's too bad that I didn't read that one should never flash one of the slim units with a unit like mine. Now, I can see why. The door can't be open. Anyway, I'm suppose to get a replacement tomorrow but, I'd like to still see if I can fix this one and maybe keep the second to have an extra (Maybe one for playing the 4K Blu-rays since I dont' have a player. Does this device play the 4K Blu-rays well enough to be worth it? Is the latest was of flashing the replacement with the .02 downgrade or should I just leave it the way it is. I've noticed many people saying it's much easier now which I found out too late. This is my first post and I'm a newbie on this so any help would be great. Thanks.

Seems like you tried a great many things without ever reading the definitive Ultimate UHD Drives Guide Updated 2020. The 1st post includes specific warnings.

See section "IMPORTANT Before you flash", which warns about identifying HW versions that can NEVER support UHD (Svc NS40, mfg'd before ~Oct 2015). This SOUNDS like your case. At this point, you can only verify by checking the physical, printed label on the drive.

If it's any consolation, you're not alone... i.e. 'Help an idiot with a 1st gen WH14NS40'

Already hosed once you'd gone down that road, you also missed this warning about crossflashing & kept on diggin... "Don't crossflash desktop drives to slim drives or the other way around"

Assuming this is the case, check out the guide section "NS40 Recovery Image:" & the accompanying video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXgybNfHhcg - Obsolete but can be useful for recovery.

It's nowhere near as straight-forward as current procedures, but until the new 'sdftool' method is ready for primetime, I believe that's your option. YMMV

[2BNierAuotmata]

@d00zah Thanks for your quick reply. It's very appreciated. My stupid mistake was cross-flashing the desktop drive with the slim drive firmware. I realized the model I had flashed it with was a slim drive, after the fact. That's what I get for getting impatient with it not wanting to flash with the correct one. So, I did make one of the mistakes. However, I didn't make the pre-Oct2015 mistake since my drive is a svc model NS50 with a manufacturing date of Apr2020. In other words it was brand new. I got a replacement drive and like the other WH16NS40 NS50 it has firmware 1.04. According to MakeMKV it is patchable for LibreDrive compatibility.

Now, I really would like it to be able to play the UHD discs. However, after this mishap and knowing how screwing up with firmware can easily get one a brick, I wanted to make sure that the 1.04 firmware definitely can be rolled back to 1.02 by flashing it through a USB with the HL Data Storage program. Furthermore, I've read about some people, over time, having drives loose their abilities to read even standard Blu-Ray discs not to mention UHD discs. Will this downgrade possibly lead to a negative outcome such as this? Could someone point me to the correct link for the firmware I need to flash it to? I have downloaded several versions of firmware, which I could list but, I figured it would be quicker to ask. In addition, I was wondering if I should back up the 1.04 firmware in case I need to send it in for repairs during the warranty period or get another replacement. I'm already concerned that I might have voided my warrant on the last drive by screwing up the firmware. For an Amazon return with a week, do you think they will charge me for it? If so, maybe I should hold onto it and fix it. Anyway, I'll read through the Ultimate UHD Drives Guide to avoid another screw up.

[d00zah]

@d00zah Thanks for your quick reply. It's very appreciated. My stupid mistake was cross-flashing the desktop drive with the slim drive firmware. I realized the model I had flashed it with was a slim drive, after the fact. That's what I get for getting impatient with it not wanting to flash with the correct one. So, I did make one of the mistakes. However, I didn't make the pre-Oct2015 mistake since my drive is a svc model NS50 with a manufacturing date of Apr2020. In other words it was brand new. I got a replacement drive and like the other WH16NS40 NS50 it has firmware 1.04. According to MakeMKV it is patchable for LibreDrive compatibility.

Sorry, it was difficult to tell.

Just to clarify, you originally mention a 'WH14NS40' (now confirmed as an NS50), which you bricked. Now you mention a "replacement drive and like the other WH16NS40 NS50"... which model(s) do you have?