Pioneer BD Drive Utility Won't Install?

[pendell]

I just added a Pioneer BDR-S13U-X to my setup for UHD disc ripping. It's an internal drive on the very first SATA connection for my motherboard. MakeMKV and Windows both recognize it and use it no issue.

I wanted to install Pioneer's BD Drive Utility so I could switch the drive into "performance mode" or whatever Pioneer calls it, so that it will rip my discs as quickly as possible with no concern about how loud it gets. But when I downloaded the correct utility direct from Pioneer's website and went to install it, it says it's extracting a .msi file, and then gives a vague error that simply says "Not found" and then closes saying it didn't install anything.

Going into my user's Appdata folders, I'm able to locate the .msi file it extracted, and running it gives the exact same error. I've also tried running the install with Administrator privileges, no dice. It simply refuses to install.

This is a BRAND NEW installation of Windows 10, from a USB drive made with Microsoft's official Media Creation Tool. Windows 10 22H2, OS Build 19045.2673 for anyone interested.

(Sidenote, one of the things I did to try and make the Drive Utility work was update the firmware to 1.04... so now my drive isn't officially LibreDrive compatible anymore lmao. Already emailed in the firmware dump MakeMKV generated though, so hopefully it'll be added to the list once again next update).

[Billycar11]

You big oooofed 1.04 looks to be the first one that fixes the exploits and you can't downgrade exchange the drive if you still can

[Coopervid]

Return it while you are in the return period.

[pendell]

You big oooofed 1.04 looks to be the first one that fixes the exploits and you can't downgrade exchange the drive if you still can

Wait, for real? Like, it won't be re-added to LibreDrive? Ever?

[Billycar11]

You big oooofed 1.04 looks to be the first one that fixes the exploits and you can't downgrade exchange the drive if you still can

Wait, for real? Like, it won't be re-added to LibreDrive? Ever?

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=30383

[pendell]

You big oooofed 1.04 looks to be the first one that fixes the exploits and you can't downgrade exchange the drive if you still can

Wait, for real? Like, it won't be re-added to LibreDrive? Ever?

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=30383

Ugh god, I literally had a PERFECT drive and I ruined it because Pioneer's own drive utilities are busted... I ordered from Amazon, so I'll have to get a refund and then just re-order the drive and hope I get one with 1.03 or earlier again... That'll take like a week or two, damn.

[Octopi]

I wanted to install Pioneer's BD Drive Utility so I could switch the drive into "performance mode" or whatever Pioneer calls it, so that it will rip my discs as quickly as possible with no concern about how loud it gets.

How do you come up with such an idea?
When ripping, it is the result that counts and never the speed!
To get the best result, you read slowly and not quickly.

[Woodstock]

How do you come up with such an idea?

It happens after you rip 10 or 20 disks in a single setting.

[Billycar11]

Fyi for anyone else reading this later makemkv drives speed control works natively on pioneer drives it is not persistent like the pioneer utility can write it to the drive the speed setting but anytime you use makemkv it can set your speeds if you follow this
viewtopic.php?f=19&t=22689

[Bungle]

The same thing happened to me, had a new Windows install for a new pc build with the BDR-S13U-X, downloaded the latest firmware without looking here first and now the drive utility will not install, uhd playback is busted and now even normal blu-ray playback isn't consistent (freezes on occasion, skips, the drive wouldn't even detect a disk once, saw a uhd and blu-ray as the same disk, etc.).
I know there is a Pioneer flashing utility out there but for whatever reason it's not available to the public. I'd gladly pay money to be able to use it.
In any case I contacted Pioneer support about the issues (didn't mention the UHD playback though neither should others as they likely intended that to be busted), and I'll see what they have to say. I'll complain over the phone if their e-mail based contact is of no help. I'd suggest anyone with the same issues does as well.

[pendell]

The same thing happened to me, had a new Windows install for a new pc build with the BDR-S13U-X, downloaded the latest firmware without looking here first and now the drive utility will not install, uhd playback is busted and now even normal blu-ray playback isn't consistent (freezes on occasion, skips, the drive wouldn't even detect a disk once, saw a uhd and blu-ray as the same disk, etc.).
I know there is a Pioneer flashing utility out there but for whatever reason it's not available to the public. I'd gladly pay money to be able to use it.
In any case I contacted Pioneer support about the issues (didn't mention the UHD playback though neither should others as they likely intended that to be busted), and I'll see what they have to say. I'll complain over the phone if their e-mail based contact is of no help. I'd suggest anyone with the same issues does as well.

Yeah, I ordered mine through Amazon and luckily all I had to do was return my unit as "not working properly" and immediately ordered a replacement. Fortunately the replacement is still on 1.03, which I will staunchly keep it on. Strange that I'm not the only one having trouble with the Drive Utility; I wonder if Pioneer intentionally released a broken Drive Utility to trick people into updating their drives? But I suppose one should never attribute to malice what can always be sufficiently explained by stupidity. Good luck, hope you can get your drive replaced. I would try returning direct to the seller you bought from tbh

[pendell]

Fyi for anyone else reading this later makemkv drives speed control works natively on pioneer drives it is not persistent like the pioneer utility can write it to the drive the speed setting but anytime you use makemkv it can set your speeds if you follow this
viewtopic.php?f=19&t=22689

Well that solves my problem perfectly without needing the Drive Utility, thank you so much! I got a replacement in still on 1.03 so I'll just adjust the registry value for this new unit haha.

[Bungle]

A small update. The new drives Pioneer sends out have the 1.04 firmware installed so all the issues that come with it. Can't even play UHD's without error on PC's with Intel SGX (tried it on two different systems). Absolutely garbage firmware.

[supersailor]

You need to install the Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2013. They have x86 and 64bit versions, I installed both just in case. I found out about this after having your exact same issue. Tried the last version and got the "not found" message. Then I tried an older Japanese version and I got a message telling that the Visual C++ package was needed. I got the files from MS, vcredist_x64.exe and vcredist_x86.exe , installed them an then tried again the last version of the Pioneer Drive utility. It completed the install and worked. My drive is a brand new BDR-S13UBK with FW 1.04.
When you get the "Npt Found" message is NOT because the drive is not found, it is referring to the missing software package and it has no relation to FW version.

[Bungle]

You need to install the Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2013. They have x86 and 64bit versions, I installed both just in case. I found out about this after having your exact same issue. Tried the last version and got the "not found" message. Then I tried an older Japanese version and I got a message telling that the Visual C++ package was needed. I got the files from MS, vcredist_x64.exe and vcredist_x86.exe , installed them an then tried again the last version of the Pioneer Drive utility. It completed the install and worked. My drive is a brand new BDR-S13UBK with FW 1.04.
When you get the "Npt Found" message is NOT because the drive is not found, it is referring to the missing software package and it has no relation to FW version.

In my case that was not the issue, I had everything installed, even went through a mass installer for all packages to make sure in case there was a corruption with one of the packages.
There seems to be some sort of communication issue with the motherboards or perhaps something in Windows in my case, but I did a fresh Windows install and still saw issues, and tried the drive on two different motherboards.
Honestly I'd pay someone an extra $100 per drive just to have drives with the 1.03 firmware. I even bought the Japanese version the 13J-X (which is really the same drive), same problems (and the seller lied to me as their listing was from spring 2022 and they sent me a February 2023 drive even after I asked them to make sure I was getting the older listed drive).
It really stinks as with the 1.02 and 1.03 firmwares the drives were flawless, played disks seamlessly, and LG and Asus drives have playback issues as well (but at least they cost a lot less so now I'm suck with them).