Please Help a new guy

[D3F3ND3R16]

Hello together,
at first, im from Germany, so don't take my gramma to serious.
i've bought this drive back in October 2019:
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B07D8R ... UTF8&psc=1
at this time i did not even know that thinks like libre drive exist. i used this drive until yesterday without any problems. Until i inserted an UHD Movie. i got a lot of errors and was not able to open it up in makemkv.
I did hours of research an i'm still very confused.

Heres my drive:

Drive Information
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE BU40N
Revision: FR07
Serial number: 803HS013801
Firmware date: 2118-01-22 15:36
Bus encryption flags: 1F
Highest AACS version: 70

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.FR07J
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

so my drive is HL-DT-ST-BD-RE BU40N-FR07 if i got it right.
i got this error as soon as i inserted my disc, but it is not bricked because of this right?? i can still open normal BD with makemkv.

Error 'Scsi error - ILLEGAL REQUEST:COPY PROTECTION KEY EXCHANGE FAILURE - KEY NOT ESTABLISHED' occurred while issuing SCSI command AD010..080002400 to device 'DASPI:/IODASPIService/D6AF418D'
Can't read AACS VID from disc - most likely current AACS host certificate is revoked by your drive
Saved AACS dump file as /Users/ManuelFriedl/.MakeMKV/MKB21_v70_Zombieland_8C75.tgz
LibreDrive compatible drive is required to open this disc - video can't be decrypted.
Failed to open disc

so i did even more research and downloaded the MK firmware pack.
This should be the right firmware then HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_BU40N-FR07-JM02202-211801221536 is that correct?
But i don't geht the thing with the firmware numbers... can i flash that MK firmware to my drive or does this lead to a brick?! And if so, why? I did not find this out yet

Next, i'm on mac, but i've got a VM with an old WIN 7 build on it for testing some things.
There is no program to flash drives on mac right? but does this work via Windows in an VM?
i have access at work to win 10 pc. but no admin rights. May i could contact somebody else, a lot of peaple have win pc's... so this should not be the point.

i already downloaded sdftool_flasher.exe Should be fine according to some topics in this forum.

Soo, is that the correct way then? i have some concerns about the case my drive is build into. That seems also to make a difference if i read things right here

my next step would be to try this on my Win VM to get the ne firmware onto the drive... but i really have the fear to brick this thing. And it was expensive for my, 130€. Better try out on an WIN machine??

i would be very thankfull if anybody would help me bit out

[Billycar11]

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=19634
BU40N > BU40N 1.03MK

[DieMedia]

Hi D3F3ND3R16!

Stick with Billycar11 - he really knows his stuff. By the way, it seems you and I have similar drives.

In order to get started, you need two things: 1) a drive firmware flash utility that works with the LG firmware; and 2) a compatible firmware for your drive. Three or four years ago, I purchased a drive from Billycar11, he downgraded the manufacturer's firmware from 1.01 to 1.0, and also made it a LibreDrive, and it has worked flawlessly until I recently encountered even stiffer encryption on DVDs, such as "The Bicentennial Man" and "The Time Traveler's Wife", so I decided I needed to upgrade the firmware. Here's what I learned. There are two tools to modify the firmware: SDF Tool Flasher (and a separate download for the MakeMKV firmware you intend to use); and the ASUS Flasher, which comes in an all-in-one bundle. (See below.) Both of these tools are available on this forum.

1. SDF Tool Flasher Downloads

• "sdftool_flasher.exe"

• "mk-firmware-pack-20200720.zip"

2. ASUS Flasher Download

• The all-in-one, "(Modified) ASUS ODD FW Changer (24.08.2019) + UDH Friendly Firmwares + Latest MK Pack (20.07.2020).zip"

I didn't downgrade the firmware because Billycar11 already did it for me when he shipped me the drive. But when I investigated the ASUS all-in-one zip file and read other posts, I think he used the firmware "DE_LG_BU40N_1.00.bin" for the LG HL-DT-ST BD-RE BU40N located in the root folder of the ASUS zip file. Today, I used the SDF Tool Flasher and upgraded my drive to the "HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_BU40N-1.04-NM00500-212005061142.bin" firmware.

IMPORTANT!

• Be sure to read Billycar11's referenced post: it has invaluable information to prevent you from bricking your drive. Also, be sure to focus on LG flashing for a slim drive and the related flashing utility. That said, there is a special note for firmware 1.03 that you should take into consideration.
• Billycar11's downgrade of the firmware ensures that the drive continues to work with MakeMKV as well as other UHD programs. I think Billycar11 offers a service to remotely flash your drive, and he'll be sure to get it right and not brick your drive. It's worth the $25.

DOWNGRADING THE FIRMWARE AND MAKE IT LIBREDRIVE
Below are the steps I would follow today. (I am NOT the expert here; Billycar11 is, so please refer to him for questions. I was only thinking how Billycar11 might have downgraded my drive's firmware to 1.0 and make it a LibreDrive.)
1. Unzip the ASUS all-in-one file.
2. Use the ASUS flash utility and make a backup of your currently existing firmware. You should not need to use the encrypted feature.
3. Use the ASUS flash utility, select the file, "DE_LG_BU40N_1.00.bin", and flash the firmware. When complete, and if no errors, you could use the drive as-is and it would be a LibreDrive. You should not need to use the encrypted feature.
4. Disconnect and reconnect your drive.
5. Run MakeMKV to be sure the firmware is set to 1.0, it's LibreDrive capable, and you can decode a UHD Blu Ray.

UPGRADE THE FIRMWARE
Do you need to downgrade the firmware in order to upgrade it to something else? I'm not sure. I'm simply relating a process I would do today, but I don't think it hurts. How long does it take to make a backup and flash with the new firmware? About 2 minutes, not including the downloads, unzipping files, etc.: 1 minute to create the backup and 1 minute to flash the firmware. To upgrade the firmware today, here's what I just did about 1 hour ago:
1. Unzip the SDF Tool Flasher and the "mk-firmware-pack". (See note below.)
2. Run the SDF Tool Flasher.
3. Make a backup of the current firmware. (Do not select the "enc" box - for encrypted.)
4. Using SDF Tool Flasher, select and write the firmware, "HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_BU40N-1.04-NM00500-212005061142.bin" following this path: mk-firmware-pack-20200720 | MK | HL-DT-ST | BU-40N-Main. For your drive, you'll need to look for this file: "HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_BU40N-FR07-JM02202-211801221536.bin", which is the model you have.
5. When complete, disconnect and reconnect the drive.
6. Run MakeMKV to be sure the firmware is set to 1.04, it's LibreDrive capable, and that you can decode a UHD Blu Ray.

NOTE: You may wonder why I didn't use the ASUS all-in-one flash/firmware zip file. Easy! I didn't have it at the time I flashed! I only downloaded it to write this post!

Drive Information
OS device name: E:
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE BU40N
Revision: 1.04
Serial number: <serial number>
Firmware date: 2120-05-06 11:42
Bus encryption flags: 17
Highest AACS version: 72

LibreDrive Information
Status: Enabled
Drive platform: MT1959
Firmware type: Patched (microcode access re-enabled)
Firmware version: 1.04
DVD all regions: Yes
BD raw data read: Yes
BD raw metadata read: Yes
Unrestricted read speed: Yes