Ultimate UHD Drives Flashing Guide Updated 2025

[Billycar11]

Since @Billycar11 offers to check...

I have a Verbatim 43888 slim drive with the following MakeMKV drive information:

Code: Select all

Drive Information
OS device name: G:
Current profile: BD-ROM
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE BU40N
Revision: 1.05
Serial number: <redacted>
Firmware date: 2124-04-23 13:47
Bus encryption flags: 17
Highest AACS version: 68

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible, not yet enabled
Drive platform: MT1959

Disc Information
Label: DR_STRANGELOVE
Timestamp: 2020-01-17 11:00:31
Protection: AACS2.0/C v68
Data capacity: 58.69 Gb
Disc type: BD-ROM UHD
Number of layers: 2
Bus encryption flags: 80

So if I understood the video correctly this is the command I need:

Code: Select all

makemkvcon64.exe f --all-yes -d <drive letter> rawflash enc -i <path to LG slim BU40N folder>\HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_BU40N-1.03-NM00000-211810241934.bin

Is that correct for this drive?

yeah looks fine

[Coopervid]

No. These drives are merely junk. Flash LG BH16NS55 1.03 (<1.05) or so and then use the offical LG flasher to flash it to 1.05. Then return the drive.

thank you for your time : )

may i write you a dm?

Sure. Go ahead.

[FoodOcean]

Hey, idk if this is the place to ask this, but does anyone know how to get my BU40N out of "BOOT" mode?
I successfully patched my firmware, thinking it would help me read a specific disc, which it did not, so I tried to revert it back to the official firmware provided by Hitachi/LG and ended up corrupting it. My computer still recognizes the drive in device manager and disk manger, but it says the partition is in MBR and it won't open when I press the eject button.

I have used SDF Tool Flasher, BD-RE_BU40N______1.05 (from LG), and BH14NS40_N1.00-A4_patched (from MakeMKV) and neither of them have worked. I am at a loss and ChatGPT is hallucinating and being more trouble than it is helpful.



Can anyone provide any guidance; is it salvageable or do I just need to buy a new drive?

[kfoster1979]

Thanks for the guide..

My old drive died last week, and I picked up a LG WP50NB40. Amazon delivered at noon, and I was ripping again by 12:30.

[drkoontz]

You guys/girls Rock, Thank you for the guides!!!

[Spycrowsoft]

Since @Billycar11 offers to check...

I have a Verbatim 43888 slim drive with the following MakeMKV drive information:

Code: Select all

Drive Information
OS device name: G:
Current profile: BD-ROM
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE BU40N
Revision: 1.05
Serial number: <redacted>
Firmware date: 2124-04-23 13:47
Bus encryption flags: 17
Highest AACS version: 68

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible, not yet enabled
Drive platform: MT1959

Disc Information
Label: DR_STRANGELOVE
Timestamp: 2020-01-17 11:00:31
Protection: AACS2.0/C v68
Data capacity: 58.69 Gb
Disc type: BD-ROM UHD
Number of layers: 2
Bus encryption flags: 80

So if I understood the video correctly this is the command I need:

Code: Select all

makemkvcon64.exe f --all-yes -d <drive letter> rawflash enc -i <path to LG slim BU40N folder>\HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_BU40N-1.03-NM00000-211810241934.bin

Is that correct for this drive?

yeah looks fine

Thanks for your faster than expected reply.
Unfortunately I did not get around to flashing this drive because it failed to burn BD-RE-DL and BD-RE-TL discs in my initial sanity test, so the drive is being returned as DOA. I'll check back in later when I have a replacement, but at least now I know what to do.

[Coopervid]

Since @Billycar11 offers to check...

I have a Verbatim 43888 slim drive with the following MakeMKV drive information:

Code: Select all

Drive Information
OS device name: G:
Current profile: BD-ROM
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE BU40N
Revision: 1.05
Serial number: <redacted>
Firmware date: 2124-04-23 13:47
Bus encryption flags: 17
Highest AACS version: 68

LibreDrive Information
Status: Possible, not yet enabled
Drive platform: MT1959

Disc Information
Label: DR_STRANGELOVE
Timestamp: 2020-01-17 11:00:31
Protection: AACS2.0/C v68
Data capacity: 58.69 Gb
Disc type: BD-ROM UHD
Number of layers: 2
Bus encryption flags: 80

So if I understood the video correctly this is the command I need:

Code: Select all

makemkvcon64.exe f --all-yes -d <drive letter> rawflash enc -i <path to LG slim BU40N folder>\HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_BU40N-1.03-NM00000-211810241934.bin

Is that correct for this drive?

yeah looks fine

Thanks for your faster than expected reply.
Unfortunately I did not get around to flashing this drive because it failed to burn BD-RE-DL and BD-RE-TL discs in my initial sanity test, so the drive is being returned as DOA. I'll check back in later when I have a replacement, but at least now I know what to do.

You should read this posted by kitahoshi:

https://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=185539&page=19

[Spycrowsoft]

yeah looks fine

Thanks for your faster than expected reply.
Unfortunately I did not get around to flashing this drive because it failed to burn BD-RE-DL and BD-RE-TL discs in my initial sanity test, so the drive is being returned as DOA. I'll check back in later when I have a replacement, but at least now I know what to do.

You should read this posted by kitahoshi:

https://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=185539&page=19

Thanks!

Isn't this analogous to the -ssa -option of dvd+rw-format?
In that case the burner was most certainly faulty because I ran it with -ssa=default.

But that thread contained a lot of other useful information as well.

[Coopervid]

No. Only BD-Rs can be burned with spare areas. DVDs can not. However with DVDs you could define where the layer break happens for double-layer discs. Same issue that the quality at the outer edge before switching to the next layer was often bad. With BDs the buner MUST burn to the outer edge but if the burn there is bad this information can be burned to the spare area.

[Spycrowsoft]

No. Only BD-Rs can be burned with spare areas. DVDs can not. However with DVDs you could define where the layer break happens for double-layer discs. Same issue that the quality at the outer edge before switching to the next layer was often bad. With BDs the buner MUST burn to the outer edge but if the burn there is bad this information can be burned to the spare area.

Despite the name, dvd+rw-format also handles BlueRay formatting for the RE discs.
See: https://web.archive.org/web/20250512175 ... W/Blu-ray/

[Coopervid]

You are talking about the software, I was talking about the media.

[McQueen216]

I think I've gotten it to flash alright. Drive information below. Windows 11 machine, connected internally, powering down between flashed. Drive shipped with v1.0, I've flashed it to this, that, and every other thing, to include with ASUS_BW-16D1HT_3.10_MK which I am pretty sure it didn't need. Drive manufactured in 2013.
The issue? Doesn't read any discs. I've deleted drivers, and had Win reinstall them fresh. I'm sure it's something small & insignificant & stupid that I've missed, but I've poured through here looking, applying diligence. Goal is to read & rip 4k. Help me, Obi-wan...

Drive Information
OS device name: F:
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE WH16NS60
Revision: 1.03
Serial number: SIK83D1TE232
Firmware date: 2120-05-08 10:10
Bus encryption flags: 17
Highest AACS version: 16

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

[Coopervid]

I think I've gotten it to flash alright. Drive information below. Windows 11 machine, connected internally, powering down between flashed. Drive shipped with v1.0, I've flashed it to this, that, and every other thing, to include with ASUS_BW-16D1HT_3.10_MK which I am pretty sure it didn't need. Drive manufactured in 2013.
The issue? Doesn't read any discs. I've deleted drivers, and had Win reinstall them fresh. I'm sure it's something small & insignificant & stupid that I've missed, but I've poured through here looking, applying diligence. Goal is to read & rip 4k. Help me, Obi-wan...

Drive Information
OS device name: F:
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE WH16NS60
Revision: 1.03
Serial number: SIK83D1TE232
Firmware date: 2120-05-08 10:10
Bus encryption flags: 17
Highest AACS version: 16

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

Return it.

[Spycrowsoft]

You are talking about the software, I was talking about the media.

Yes I understood that.
Thank you for your time though. I really appreciate it!

[Billycar11]

I think I've gotten it to flash alright. Drive information below. Windows 11 machine, connected internally, powering down between flashed. Drive shipped with v1.0, I've flashed it to this, that, and every other thing, to include with ASUS_BW-16D1HT_3.10_MK which I am pretty sure it didn't need. Drive manufactured in 2013.
The issue? Doesn't read any discs. I've deleted drivers, and had Win reinstall them fresh. I'm sure it's something small & insignificant & stupid that I've missed, but I've poured through here looking, applying diligence. Goal is to read & rip 4k. Help me, Obi-wan...

Drive Information
OS device name: F:
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE WH16NS60
Revision: 1.03
Serial number: SIK83D1TE232
Firmware date: 2120-05-08 10:10
Bus encryption flags: 17
Highest AACS version: 16

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

If you flashed it to the Asus 3.10 on a 2013 drive you killed it the guide clearly states 2016+