Ultimate UHD Drives Flashing Guide Updated 2026

[Coopervid]

Just bought an external BD drive before reading this and I was wondering if there was a place I can send my firmware dump for checking?
I wanted to ask before just throwing attachments to the forum on my first post.

Drive shows as: HL-DT-ST_BD-RE__WH16NS58 and I

There is a MK version for NS58 in the firmware pack but you can also flash it straight to BH16NS60 1.02 which works better for 3-layer discs. I have a NS58 firmware on one of my drives to do disc quality checks for burned media with Vinpower VPTools / qxptools. If you are only interested in ripping discs, flash BH16NS60 firmware.

[Stingray]

Go to the SDFtool Flasher thread and follow the first post.

if SDFtool does not see my new ASUS BW-16D1HT -will it Motherboard issue? and I need to try another PC or adapter

[MartyMcNuts]

Go to the SDFtool Flasher thread and follow the first post.

if SDFtool does not see my new ASUS BW-16D1HT -will it Motherboard issue? and I need to try another PC or adapter

Do you have MakeMKV installed in the default directory?
How is the drive connected to the PC?

[Coopervid]

Go to the SDFtool Flasher thread and follow the first post.

if SDFtool does not see my new ASUS BW-16D1HT -will it Motherboard issue? and I need to try another PC or adapter

If anything fails, get that SATA-USB adapter I recommended further up.

[Stingray]

Do you have MakeMKV installed in the default directory?
How is the drive connected to the PC?

yes, MakeMkv installed in the default folders
the drive is connected to internal SATA (Z790 MoBo)

[Billycar11]

yes, MakeMkv installed in the default folders
the drive is connected to internal SATA (Z790 MoBo)

just use the command line scary black box good not bad...

[Stingray]

disc quality checks for burned media with Vinpower VPTools

please advice from where VPTools could be downloaded?

[Coopervid]

disc quality checks for burned media with Vinpower VPTools

please advice from where VPTools could be downloaded?

Try qpxtool or write a PM to me.

https://qpxtool.sourceforge.io/download.html

[bruzzel]

Dear experts,
I have bought a new BU40N drive and wasn't able to flash it with the command line or de SDFtool Flasher 1.3.5
The command line throughs an error:
.\makemkvcon64.exe f --all-yes -d G: rawflash enc -i c:\temp\makemkv\HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_BU40N-1.03-NM00000-211810241934.bin
No drive tool logic found in SDF.bin
Internal error 0x8d000000

The SFDtool flasher simply does nothing:
It doesn't dump the current firmware and refuses to flash the 1.03 firmware. It recognizes drive still.

Drive Information
OS device name: G:
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE BU40N
Revision: 1.04
Serial number: MOENC6I3954
Firmware date: 2120-05-06 11:42
Bus encryption flags: 17
Highest AACS version: 77

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible (with patched firmware)
Drive platform: MT1959
Harware support: Yes
Firmware support: No
Firmware type: Original (patched version available)
Firmware version: 1.04
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)

What is my fault here?

Thanks for any feedback and hints!

[MartyMcNuts]

Dear experts,
I have bought a new BU40N drive and wasn't able to flash it with the command line or de SDFtool Flasher 1.3.5
The command line throughs an error:
.\makemkvcon64.exe f --all-yes -d G: rawflash enc -i c:\temp\makemkv\HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_BU40N-1.03-NM00000-211810241934.bin
No drive tool logic found in SDF.bin
Internal error 0x8d000000

The SFDtool flasher simply does nothing:
It doesn't dump the current firmware and refuses to flash the 1.03 firmware. It recognizes drive still.

Drive Information
OS device name: G:
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE BU40N
Revision: 1.04
Serial number: MOENC6I3954
Firmware date: 2120-05-06 11:42
Bus encryption flags: 17
Highest AACS version: 77

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible (with patched firmware)
Drive platform: MT1959
Harware support: Yes
Firmware support: No
Firmware type: Original (patched version available)
Firmware version: 1.04
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)

What is my fault here?

Thanks for any feedback and hints!

How is the drive connected to your PC?

[kiranmehta]

Most likely the chipset of that enclosure doesn't support flashing. You will need to attach it to SATA or buy this USB-> SATA adapter.

https://www.amazon.com/BENFEI-Drive-Ada ... r=8-3&th=1

Just got new USB 3.0 adapter and was able to flash my asus bw-16d1ht properly and everything worked out fine.

Thank you to all in the forum who guided me @CooperVid, @MartyMcNuts and @Billycar11.

Additionally can anyone confirm if newegg.com has the Pioneer BDR-XD08UMB-S with 1.01 firmware in the US? My friend is coming next month to india so figured to bank on this (or LG BP60NB10) as well as a backup external drive

[bruzzel]

How is the drive connected to your PC?

It is in an external housing connected with a USB 3 cable

[Coopervid]

How is the drive connected to your PC?

It is in an external housing connected with a USB 3 cable

Attach it directly to SATA. Not all enclosures support flashing. If you only have a laptop then buy the adapter I recommended further up.

[sm0r3s]

To the GODs of MakeMKV, to my understanding, I'm pretty sure I cannot flash my LG WH16NS40 SVC Code:NS40 manufactured Feb 2015, using the OWC Mercury Pro. Am I correct from reading everything before doing so?

Drive Information
OS device name: \Device\CdRom0
Current profile: BD-ROM
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE WH16NS40
Revision: 1.02
Serial number:
Firmware date: 2114-05-07 10:26
Bus encryption flags: 17
Highest AACS version: 78

LibreDrive Information
Status: Enabled
Drive platform: MT1939
Firmware type: Original (unpatched)
Firmware version: 1.02
DVD all regions: Yes
BD raw data read: Yes
BD raw metadata read: Partial
Unrestricted read speed: Yes

[Woodstock]

The question is really, why would you need to flash it?

UHD didn't start shipping until almost two years after this drive was built, so it doesn't add anything to your capabilities.