HP BU40N firmware flashing

[crisvan04]

Hello everyone, totally a newbie here. Quick question, is the HP BU40N drive "just" the LG BU40N with HP label? If the answer is "yes", that means I could flash my drive using the ultimate guide to unlock UHD Blu-ray ripping, right? Here's the specs of my drive:
Model: BU40N (S05NT)
Firmware: BW42
H/W: B
Manufactured: October 2018
Thanks!

[MartyMcNuts]

Hello everyone, totally a newbie here. Quick question, is the HP BU40N drive "just" the LG BU40N with HP label? If the answer is "yes", that means I could flash my drive using the ultimate guide to unlock UHD Blu-ray ripping, right? Here's the specs of my drive:
Model: BU40N (S05NT)
Firmware: BW42
H/W: B
Manufactured: October 2018
Thanks!

Have you tried a UHD discs yet? Not sure if BW42 firmware is compatible or not. If not UHD compatible, you can flash it directly to BU40N 1.00 as BW42 isn't encrypted.

[crisvan04]

Hello!
Sorry for my very late response. I just came back from my long vacation.
Anyway, I did tried putting an UHD disc in, and the drive didn't do anything. So I went ahead and tried flashing my drive using your software and the firmware pack file. After selecting the drive, the tool immediately thrown an "Input string was not in a correct format" error. So what's the problem with it?

[MartyMcNuts]

Hello!
Sorry for my very late response. I just came back from my long vacation.
Anyway, I did tried putting an UHD disc in, and the drive didn't do anything. So I went ahead and tried flashing my drive using your software and the firmware pack file. After selecting the drive, the tool immediately thrown an "Input string was not in a correct format" error. So what's the problem with it?

Ensure you have MakeMKV installed in the default location which is C:\Program Files (x86)\MakeMKV.

Make sure that there isn't a disc in the drive and the tray is closed.

[crisvan04]

Yeah I didn't change anything when installing MakeMKV. Also the drive tray was closed and no disk was inside when I plugged it in through direct SATA connection and opened the tool. I'm using the latest Windows 10 build, installing the latest MakeMKV version from the website.

[MartyMcNuts]

Yeah I didn't change anything when installing MakeMKV. Also the drive tray was closed and no disk was inside when I plugged it in through direct SATA connection and opened the tool. I'm using the latest Windows 10 build, installing the latest MakeMKV version from the website.

If you haven't used MakeMKV since you installed it, check MakeMKV's preferences and ensure "allow internet access" is checked then insert a standard blu-ray disc and open/intiialize it. Now remove the disc and close MakeMKV before trying to flash it again.

[crisvan04]

I did try a standard Blu-ray disc of mine lying around. The funny thing is the drive was recognised in Windows, but when I put the disc in, MakeMKV detected and tried to load the disc, but ended up showing that "No disc inserted". The flashing tool still threw the same "Incorrect string format" error.

[MartyMcNuts]

I did try a standard Blu-ray disc of mine lying around. The funny thing is the drive was recognised in Windows, but when I put the disc in, MakeMKV detected and tried to load the disc, but ended up showing that "No disc inserted". The flashing tool still threw the same "Incorrect string format" error.

Did you make sure MakeMKV has internet access? How is the drive connected to your PC? You are using Windows 11 64 bit?

[crisvan04]

Of course I did, the "enable Internet access" box was checked by default. The drive is connected into SATA connection directly because my main PC is a laptop and I swapped the stock DVD slim drive for the BU40N one. And I'm currently using Windows 10 64-bit.

[crisvan04]

I just took a spare HP BU40N to see if I just ignored the error and tried to flash it according to the guide, what would happen?
The flashing process went completed and MakeMKV saw new information of the drive. I put a standard and even a 4K Blu-ray to test, MakeMKV detected the discs and ripped them perfectly fine (with the stock firmware the software couldn't even see the discs). I didn't expect this to happen (thought I bricked my drive already). So, that's unusual, isn't it?

[MartyMcNuts]

I just took a spare HP BU40N to see if I just ignored the error and tried to flash it according to the guide, what would happen?
The flashing process went completed and MakeMKV saw new information of the drive. I put a standard and even a 4K Blu-ray to test, MakeMKV detected the discs and ripped them perfectly fine (with the stock firmware the software couldn't even see the discs). I didn't expect this to happen (thought I bricked my drive already). So, that's unusual, isn't it?

No, there have been several instances of people reporting an error yet the flash completed successfully.

[crisvan04]

Okay, my drive was flashed successfully when I ignored the error. After being flashed, it isn't bricked and rip UHD discs smoothly, which means it's good, isn't it?

[MartyMcNuts]

Okay, my drive was flashed successfully when I ignored the error. After being flashed, it isn't bricked and rip UHD discs smoothly, which means it's good, isn't it?

Yep

[s-a-g-b]

I am having trouble with the HP drive as well, here is the label information:

HP Drive labeled "UHD Blu-Ray/DVD Writer"
Model: BU40N (S05JH)
FW: BW42
HW: B
HP PN: 849057-6F1
Manufactured: October 2018
Made in Malaysia
MEZ65047704

I am having trouble with just plane old playback in VLC viewer. I have another BU40N (non HP) and it works consistently and all the time using VLC, but the HP is trouble.

I have tried all of the old MKV firmware the version 1.03 causes CRC errors in VLC. I currently have HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_BU40N-BU12-OM01001-211902230922 flashed on it. In order for it to play, I have to load Make MKV and open the disk, or open MKV, open the disk, then close MKV (completely random as to when this will work) It will stay capable until I reboot the computer, then the shenanigans start all over. Sometimes it plays the disk, sometimes it does not. (The HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_BU40N-1.04-NM00500-212005061142 also does not work)

Is there a recommended firmware for this drive that will get it to work as well as my other BU40N? I was trying to build a home theatre PC for my parents. Ripping 4K is just too expensive on storage, I would really like the playback to work consistently.

Please note: I made a firmware dump of the original firmware before I flashed it. Can it be modified to work?