Is my UHD LibreDrive toast?

Discussion of LibreDrive mode, compatible drives and firmwares
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goestoeleven
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2025 3:33 pm

Is my UHD LibreDrive toast?

Post by goestoeleven »

I have two identical UHD flashed as follows:'

Drive Information
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE WH16NS60
Revision: 1.00
Serial number: <redacted>
Firmware date: 2117-04-25 17:56
Bus encryption flags: 17
Highest AACS version: 82

LibreDrive Information
Status: Enabled
Drive platform: MT1959
Firmware type: Original (unpatched)
Firmware version: 1.00
DVD all regions: Yes
BD raw data read: Yes
BD raw metadata read: Yes
Unrestricted read speed: Yes

No disc inserted


Both have been working great for 8+ months. All of a sudden, one of the drives can't seem to read anything (Blu-Ray, UHD, CD). It is picked up by the OS (Mac or Windows 11 VM), but any time I insert a disc, the drive closes, it spins for a while, and then spits the disc back out. I've ordered a lens cleaning BD disc, but I don't know if that's the issue or not.

Is this fixable?
Billycar11
Posts: 6028
Joined: Sun Aug 24, 2014 5:49 am

Re: Is my UHD LibreDrive toast?

Post by Billycar11 »

goestoeleven wrote: Thu Aug 13, 2026 3:43 am I have two identical UHD flashed as follows:'

Drive Information
Manufacturer: HL-DT-ST
Product: BD-RE WH16NS60
Revision: 1.00
Serial number: <redacted>
Firmware date: 2117-04-25 17:56
Bus encryption flags: 17
Highest AACS version: 82

LibreDrive Information
Status: Enabled
Drive platform: MT1959
Firmware type: Original (unpatched)
Firmware version: 1.00
DVD all regions: Yes
BD raw data read: Yes
BD raw metadata read: Yes
Unrestricted read speed: Yes

No disc inserted


Both have been working great for 8+ months. All of a sudden, one of the drives can't seem to read anything (Blu-Ray, UHD, CD). It is picked up by the OS (Mac or Windows 11 VM), but any time I insert a disc, the drive closes, it spins for a while, and then spits the disc back out. I've ordered a lens cleaning BD disc, but I don't know if that's the issue or not.

Is this fixable?
power it off for 5 mins completely disconnected from power and usb

what usb case do you have just for my ongoing stat tracking of dead drives

lens cleaning discs are a joke return it
take it apart to clean it
eject tray

unplug drive with tray out

pop off front bezel clips on sides and bottom with plastic tool

undo screws from bottom will be under stickers if you have an s13, 213 does not have stickers.

flip backover and remove top cover

clean lasers with a lint free cloth or qtip and water or alcohol and dry with another do this 2 times and do not let it air dry you must remove the residue with a dry one!
Buy a drive from the guide and video maker: viewtopic.php?t=17831
UHD Drive Guide: viewtopic.php?t=19634
Auto flash kit $40 Email Billycar5924@gmail.com No attachments
goestoeleven
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2025 3:33 pm

Re: Is my UHD LibreDrive toast?

Post by goestoeleven »

Billycar11 wrote: Thu Aug 13, 2026 4:02 am
power it off for 5 mins completely disconnected from power and usb

what usb case do you have just for my ongoing stat tracking of dead drives

lens cleaning discs are a joke return it
take it apart to clean it
eject tray

unplug drive with tray out

pop off front bezel clips on sides and bottom with plastic tool

undo screws from bottom will be under stickers if you have an s13, 213 does not have stickers.

flip backover and remove top cover

clean lasers with a lint free cloth or qtip and water or alcohol and dry with another do this 2 times and do not let it air dry you must remove the residue with a dry one!
It's a bundled OWC Mercury USB enclosure, which I've opened up to expose an LG drive: Model BH16NS40 (Mfg date of March 2025). Label says ROM VER 1.05
goestoeleven
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2025 3:33 pm

Re: Is my UHD LibreDrive toast?

Post by goestoeleven »

I have opened the drive and cleaned the lens as suggested. Sadly, it has not changed the behavior. I reached out to OWC, and they've offered to service or replace it. Never thought I'd ask this question, but should I reflash it to stock firmware before doing so?
Billycar11
Posts: 6028
Joined: Sun Aug 24, 2014 5:49 am

Re: Is my UHD LibreDrive toast?

Post by Billycar11 »

goestoeleven wrote: Thu Aug 13, 2026 9:45 pm I have opened the drive and cleaned the lens as suggested. Sadly, it has not changed the behavior. I reached out to OWC, and they've offered to service or replace it. Never thought I'd ask this question, but should I reflash it to stock firmware before doing so?
Won't hurt just use the official LG updater after flashing back to whatever your stock fw drive was probably a wh16ns40
Buy a drive from the guide and video maker: viewtopic.php?t=17831
UHD Drive Guide: viewtopic.php?t=19634
Auto flash kit $40 Email Billycar5924@gmail.com No attachments
goestoeleven
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2025 3:33 pm

Re: Is my UHD LibreDrive toast?

Post by goestoeleven »

Billycar11 wrote: Thu Aug 13, 2026 9:47 pm Won't hurt just use the official LG updater after flashing back to whatever your stock fw drive was probably a wh16ns40
Apologies / I used your purchased/supplied flasher to update these drives. Can you point me to where I can download the stock wh16ns40 1.05 firmware? Pulling my hair out looking for it across the forum
MartyMcNuts
Posts: 4995
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2017 11:45 pm

Re: Is my UHD LibreDrive toast?

Post by MartyMcNuts »

goestoeleven wrote: Thu Aug 13, 2026 11:36 pm
Billycar11 wrote: Thu Aug 13, 2026 9:47 pm Won't hurt just use the official LG updater after flashing back to whatever your stock fw drive was probably a wh16ns40
Apologies / I used your purchased/supplied flasher to update these drives. Can you point me to where I can download the stock wh16ns40 1.05 firmware? Pulling my hair out looking for it across the forum
viewtopic.php?t=24443

The BH16NS40 is the 4th post.
Cheers :D
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
** NEW Single Drive Flasher ** available worldwide! https://payhip.com/b/MyeJ9
Email: martymcnuts@outlook.com
goestoeleven
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2025 3:33 pm

Re: Is my UHD LibreDrive toast?

Post by goestoeleven »

MartyMcNuts wrote: Thu Aug 13, 2026 11:46 pm
goestoeleven wrote: Thu Aug 13, 2026 11:36 pm
Billycar11 wrote: Thu Aug 13, 2026 9:47 pm Won't hurt just use the official LG updater after flashing back to whatever your stock fw drive was probably a wh16ns40
Apologies / I used your purchased/supplied flasher to update these drives. Can you point me to where I can download the stock wh16ns40 1.05 firmware? Pulling my hair out looking for it across the forum
viewtopic.php?t=24443

The BH16NS40 is the 4th post.
Thank you!!!
MartyMcNuts
Posts: 4995
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2017 11:45 pm

Re: Is my UHD LibreDrive toast?

Post by MartyMcNuts »

goestoeleven wrote: Thu Aug 13, 2026 11:57 pm
MartyMcNuts wrote: Thu Aug 13, 2026 11:46 pm
goestoeleven wrote: Thu Aug 13, 2026 11:36 pm

Apologies / I used your purchased/supplied flasher to update these drives. Can you point me to where I can download the stock wh16ns40 1.05 firmware? Pulling my hair out looking for it across the forum
viewtopic.php?t=24443

The BH16NS40 is the 4th post.
Thank you!!!
To use it you will have to flash the drive to a BH16NS40 MK version lower than 1.05 then you can use it to upgrade to original 1.05. The MK firmware pack has HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_BH16NS40-NS50-1.04-NM01701-211901041338 in the "old" folder.

The other option would be to just flash it to the BH16NS40 1.05-MK from the MK firmware pack. They probably wouldn't notice any difference when you return it.
Cheers :D
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
** NEW Single Drive Flasher ** available worldwide! https://payhip.com/b/MyeJ9
Email: martymcnuts@outlook.com
goestoeleven
Posts: 18
Joined: Fri Oct 31, 2025 3:33 pm

Re: Is my UHD LibreDrive toast?

Post by goestoeleven »

MartyMcNuts wrote: Fri Aug 14, 2026 12:13 am
goestoeleven wrote: Thu Aug 13, 2026 11:57 pm
MartyMcNuts wrote: Thu Aug 13, 2026 11:46 pm

viewtopic.php?t=24443

The BH16NS40 is the 4th post.
Thank you!!!
To use it you will have to flash the drive to a BH16NS40 MK version lower than 1.05 then you can use it to upgrade to original 1.05. The MK firmware pack has HL-DT-ST-BD-RE_BH16NS40-NS50-1.04-NM01701-211901041338 in the "old" folder.

The other option would be to just flash it to the BH16NS40 1.05-MK from the MK firmware pack. They probably wouldn't notice any difference when you return it.
couldn't get it working in a windows VM, but I was successful under MacOS. I'm good to go, and I've learned a lot. thanks again!
eddienel10
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Aug 14, 2026 6:57 am

Re: Is my UHD LibreDrive toast?

Post by eddienel10 »

Sounds more like a failing laser/mechanical issue than the LibreDrive flash, and if a lens-cleaning disc doesn’t help, the drive itself may be on its way out.
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