Buffalo BRUHD-PU3-BK Refuses to read DVDs (reads bluerays just fine)

[FairyEri]

Hi friends. So, yesterday, I received the Buffalo BRUHD-PU3-BK I had ordered in the mail. I proceeded to flash its firmware to BU40N 1.03MK from using the "all you need firmware pack" from the makemkv forums as well as GUI SDF tool made by Marty. Now, to test it, I used a dvd I've been using as my test dvd. Nothing is wrong with it, and I was able to dump the entire contents. So far so good. Next, I went to dump a blueray disk. This also went fine, no issues. However, as I had let it run while I was asleep, the drive and the computer sat idle for some amount of time (how much, I don't know). Now today, I try to read a DVD in the drive. No matter what I do, the drive simply refuses to accept that there is a dvd inside. Windows doesn't see a dvd (even on multiple computers) and nothing about the drive seems to have changed (there is a chance I missed something. I can investigate further if needed.) Any ideas on what happened or how to fix it?

(just because its worth mentioning, makeMKV also refuses to recognize any disk within the drive. It will spin up, say that the disk is being loaded, then fail and simply say no disk inserted. Nothing in the makeMKV debug logs. The information makeMKV lists is as follows. Like i said earlier, as long as the disk that has been inserted is a dvd, this is all it does.)

Drive Information
OS device name: E:
Manufacturer: BUFFALO
Product: Optical Drive
Revision: 1.03
Serial number: <My Drives Serial Number>
Firmware date: 2118-10-24 19:34
Bus encryption flags: 17
Highest AAACS version: 65

LibreDrive Information
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

No disc inserted

[MartyMcNuts]

Hi friends. So, yesterday, I received the Buffalo BRUHD-PU3-BK I had ordered in the mail. I proceeded to flash its firmware to BU40N 1.03MK from using the "all you need firmware pack" from the makemkv forums as well as GUI SDF tool made by Marty. Now, to test it, I used a dvd I've been using as my test dvd. Nothing is wrong with it, and I was able to dump the entire contents. So far so good. Next, I went to dump a blueray disk. This also went fine, no issues. However, as I had let it run while I was asleep, the drive and the computer sat idle for some amount of time (how much, I don't know). Now today, I try to read a DVD in the drive. No matter what I do, the drive simply refuses to accept that there is a dvd inside. Windows doesn't see a dvd (even on multiple computers) and nothing about the drive seems to have changed (there is a chance I missed something. I can investigate further if needed.) Any ideas on what happened or how to fix it?

(just because its worth mentioning, makeMKV also refuses to recognize any disk within the drive. It will spin up, say that the disk is being loaded, then fail and simply say no disk inserted. Nothing in the makeMKV debug logs. The information makeMKV lists is as follows. Like i said earlier, as long as the disk that has been inserted is a dvd, this is all it does.)

Drive Information
OS device name: E:
Manufacturer: BUFFALO
Product: Optical Drive
Revision: 1.03
Serial number: <My Drives Serial Number>
Firmware date: 2118-10-24 19:34
Bus encryption flags: 17
Highest AAACS version: 65

LibreDrive Information
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

No disc inserted

Have you tried powering off the drive (and perhaps the PC as well) for a few minutes before powering back on and trying again?

It's also possible the RED laser that's used for CD/DVD maybe kaput...

[FairyEri]

I haven't yet (at least not intentionally. Will do so now. Certainly cant hurt to give it a go. Would be a shame if that little red guy is essentially DOA. Do you know if they're replaceable? I'd be willing to do some fixing.

[FairyEri]

Yeah, left him unplugged for about 10 mins, plugged him back in, nothing. While I would be curious as to any additional thoughts on the red laser and any potential repairs, I'm also curious, how would one re-flash the original firmware in order to return it to amazon? I did have GUI SDF read the firmware before I flashed 1.03 so I should be able to do at least something. Thanks for the help all the same!

[FairyEri]

Hi again. So I pm-ed you Marty (assuming you're maybe still looking at all this) but I was curious just in general, I heard that the firmware pack used to include DE firmware. Is there any chance that someone has a .bin file of HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_BU40N-BU14 floating around that they could send me? No pressure for anyone to do so, I'd just prefer this drive to not be on patched firmware (and ideally on the version it shipped with) before I return it to amazon. Thanks!

[MartyMcNuts]

Hi again. So I pm-ed you Marty (assuming you're maybe still looking at all this) but I was curious just in general, I heard that the firmware pack used to include DE firmware. Is there any chance that someone has a .bin file of HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_BU40N-BU14 floating around that they could send me? No pressure for anyone to do so, I'd just prefer this drive to not be on patched firmware (and ideally on the version it shipped with) before I return it to amazon. Thanks!

We don't have a BU14 firmware file. You could try flashing BU10 firmware and then maybe check the Buffalo website for any firmware updating tool?