SDFtool Flasher

[kaito]

a feature request for the flash tool

kept having 0xff056103 and only finding I didn't try to eject that disc.
I know this is dumb, but prompting an eject before flashing would be very helpful.

[MartyMcNuts]

a feature request for the flash tool

kept having 0xff056103 and only finding I didn't try to eject that disc.
I know this is dumb, but prompting an eject before flashing would be very helpful.

This is specified in the Requirements & Usage sections of the first post where you download the tool.

[Sayaka]

Reuploads due to missing attachments (Marty, please feel free to edit your original post and replace the old links with those if you so wish - also, if you ever want me to remove the old, original version of SDFTool flasher, please let me know) :

Old, original version of SDFtool Flasher :

https://mega.nz/file/f7wQyLrB#1PqbDfoSt ... hCq_G9gKDk


Recovery firmware DE_LG_WH16NS40_1.01.bin :

https://mega.nz/file/TnoF3YjT#Xqp0LrByn ... PtXWBWke_A


Recovery firmware DE_ASUS_BW-16D1HT_1.01.bin :

https://mega.nz/file/yqokTSzR#u9ICgA3me ... 5Nvkts4OFM


Recovery firmware BP50NB40-NB40-1.00-Clean.bin :

https://mega.nz/file/mnwHlbbS#mphALHyxo ... j37GAxoxLU


EDIT : Thank you for editing the first post of this thread, Marty !

[thedavidweng]

This question may have already been answered - but I couldn't find it! Is there a version of the SDF tool that runs on macOS (Sequoia)??

This is my cross-platform app inspired by SDFool Flasher.
It's not tested by anyone else so use it at your own risk, but the app is honestly just a wrapper for sdftool/makemkvcon very simple.
https://github.com/thedavidweng/sdf-flash-gui

@thedavidweng:

I've been to your GitHub site & read through that - a couple of questions:

1. IIUC, I do not actually need "Homebrew" to install your tool - I can go to the "Releases" page, and download the .dmg file for my "architecture" (ARM or Intel) - is that correct?

2. Does the .dmg file contain *everything* that's needed to flash a drive? IOW, does it include the optical drive firmware, and the software app to apply it? Does it require that any other software/firmware be installed to use it - in other words, MakeMKV or SDFtool or firmware blobs, or ...?? Anything?

Hey I just replied to your issue on Github but I will paste it here again:

1. SDF Tool Flasher is nothing but a graphical interface for makemkvcon (come with MakeMKV) and sdf.bin. You will need to install them first, What SDF Tool Flasher does is it eliminate the need to type commands into the terminal to use them. You need the actual firmware for your optical drive.
2. Homebrew is the first-class way to install it, but you don't have to use it. The .dmg file from the release is the exact same file.
3. It does have fail-safe mechanisms that prompt a second confirmation when you perform an obviously incorrect action, forcing you to think twice. However, it won't actually stop you from proceeding, so you still need a clear understanding of exactly what you are doing.

I see that you have a BH16NS58, that case you want to flash DE_LG_WH16NS60_1.02_MK.bin, which can be find in the link below.

MartyMcNuts' "All You Need Firmware Pack" containing 18 MK (MakeMKV) and DE (Downgrade-Enabled) firmware binaries for LG, ASUS, and Buffalo Blu-ray drives on the MT1959 platform:
https://archive.org/details/all-you-nee ... pack-marty

[seamus]

I've done a bit more "poking around" in my macOS in an effort to prepare for and clearly understand the firmware flashing process. Can someone tell me what is the function of this (sdftool) file? It's listed as a "Linux executable":

Code: Select all

/Volumes/Macintosh HD/Applications/MakeMKV.app/Contents/MacOS/sdftool

[Sayaka]

The "sdftool" command is exactly the same as "makemkvcon f" : it is the universal firmware tool.

[seamus]

The "sdftool" command is exactly the same as "makemkvcon f" : it is the universal firmware tool.

What is its relation to the 'SDFtool' mentioned elsewhere in this topic?

[Sayaka]

"SDFtool Flasher" is a Graphical User Interface frontend for "makemkvcon f"/"sdftool" made by MartyMcNuts for flashing/dumping firmware (LG MT1959 Blu-ray drives only).

This frontend is Windows-only though.

[seamus]

"SDFtool Flasher" is a Graphical User Interface frontend for "makemkvcon f"/"sdftool" made by MartyMcNuts for flashing/dumping firmware (LG MT1959 Blu-ray drives only).

Mmm... I did not know that.

[MartyMcNuts]

"SDFtool Flasher" is a Graphical User Interface frontend for "makemkvcon f"/"sdftool" made by MartyMcNuts for flashing/dumping firmware (LG MT1959 Blu-ray drives only).

Mmm... you may want to consider editing (or deleting) this post... I don't think it's accurate.

How is that not accurate? That is exactly what it is!

[seamus]

"SDFtool Flasher" is a Graphical User Interface frontend for "makemkvcon f"/"sdftool" made by MartyMcNuts for flashing/dumping firmware (LG MT1959 Blu-ray drives only).

Mmm... you may want to consider editing (or deleting) this post... I don't think it's accurate.

How is that not accurate? That is exactly what it is!

OK - my bad. I did not realize that the LG MT1959 drive was the only model drive that "SDFtoolFlasher" worked with. Somehow, I got the idea that I could flash my Buffalo drive to read 4K/UHD... wonder where I got that notion?

[MartyMcNuts]

Mmm... you may want to consider editing (or deleting) this post... I don't think it's accurate.

How is that not accurate? That is exactly what it is!

OK - my bad. I did not realize that the LG MT1959 drive was the only model drive that "SDFtoolFlasher" worked with. Somehow, I got the idea that I could flash my Buffalo drive to read 4K/UHD... wonder where I got that notion?

MT1959 is a drive platform. it is mainly used by LG. Other companies such as Buffalo, Verbatim, ASUS etc actually source most of their OEM drives from LG, so if your Buffalo uses the MT1959 drive platform, it will have a LG drive inside it's enclosure.

[mario64]

Hi all,

Need some help please. I have a LG slim which is, I think, running OmniDrive 1.00. It shows as HL-DT-ST_BD-RE_BU40N_1.00_211612201528_SIK0APALE5303
I'm trying to upgrade it to OmniDrive 1.04 without success. I'm using sfdtool 1.35, select the drive then select the 1.04 firmware. SFD indicates success but when I unplug then re-plug the drive it still shows as 1.00
What is the trick to getting it to upgrade? I even tried a Restore by selecting the 1.04 firmware twice. Again, SFD shows success but the firmware version in Windows still shows 1.00

Thanks

[Sayaka]

The 1.04 indicates the OmniDrive version, not the "firmware version", which is supposed to remain as "BU40N 1.00", as far as I know.

If you did a non-encrypted flash (with the CLI that would be rawflash main instead of rawflash enc, and with SDFTool Flasher you would just have left "encrypted" unticked) of OmniDrive 1.04, the flash likely succeeded, even if MakeMKV/SDFtool Flasher show BU40N 1.00. If that's the case, please stop trying to flash your drive unless you really need to, as after a while you are likely to run out of flashes and you will be unable to update the firmware anymore.

And, no, there is no way to tell your actual OmniDrive version with MakeMKV/SDFTool Flasher as far as I know, since every slim OmniDrive firmware is based on the BU40N 1.00 firmware.

[jeremykunut]

Hi Marty,

I just got an Archgon drive and found that it doesn't work right away with MakeMKV, which has led me here. I'm new to the concept of flashing, but your GUI seems pretty user-friendly. I am a little confused about the different .zip files--I'm assuming I only need the newest version of the GUI (v1.3.6), but I have questions about the All You Need Firmware Pack:

I've seen several warnings about not flashing desktop firmware to slim drives, which I think applies to me with my Archgon drive? And for those who are new to this like I am, that means to AVOID the "Internal Desktop Drives" folder in All You Need? Looking into the Slim External Drives folder, I only see files that say LG and Buffalo. Is there a specific file I need to open once I have selected my drive? Or do I need an Archgon file that is not here in the folder?

Also, I saw something about dumping firmware from the drive. Is that a step that I need to do in order to remove the existing firmware so that I can do the necessary downgrade? And I guess that the folder that will be created is just there to save the files in case I ever need to put them back onto the drive?

Thanks!