Asus BW-16D1HT Firmware

[StarryEyed]

Willing to have a go at downgrading the firmware, I tried the instructions but ran into two problems:

1) Winhex trail version only works with 200KB files, the flash dump is larger than this. How do you do the hex editing part?

2) Where can I find the LG 1.02 firmware? I prefer to downgrade my LG drive. One link I tried was keen on installing something else.

[fryguy]

Willing to have a go at downgrading the firmware, I tried the instructions but ran into two problems:

1) Winhex trail version only works with 200KB files, the flash dump is larger than this. How do you do the hex editing part?

2) Where can I find the LG 1.02 firmware? I prefer to downgrade my LG drive. One link I tried was keen on installing something else.

I didn't manually hex edit my firmware - I used EEPROM_Data_Mover. It's the "automatic" alternate option instead of manual hex editing.

I can't help with LG firmware, I used the Asus firmware posted I the thread.

[StarryEyed]

Firstly, many thanks for all the help from everybody. I am now able to open UHD discs with Makemkv.

I had some problems getting a bootable USB drive so there are the issues I had and the solutions.

1) USB drive size matters. I first tried a large USB drive and could not get this to boot. I then tried a 1GB USB drive and this worked first time. 1GB is plenty big enough.

2) I had to set the USB drive to a fixed disk drive in the BIOS. This is an old Intel video that shows how to do this:

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en ... video.html

Just goes to show not all ASUS firmware 3.02 are the same.

[Skopin]

Why are you crossposting the same question ?

Anyway the answer is NO, the NS50 firmware will not work on a NS40 device.

I apologize for the crosspost, but I wasn't really sure which topic to post it in. In any case, I appreciate the responses, and was able to get my drive back up and running.

[mtucker]

.......Just got finished with the exact same issue. Brand new out of the box 3.02, manufacture date of 2018 01 26 - would not read UHD discs. Went through TeddyRaspin's guide linked by st4evr to load the "clean" 3.02 using a USB boot stick, and am currently about 40% through a Batman v Superman rip.....

Just got my BW-16D1HT in the mail today. It has a 1/26/2018 manufacturer date also. I will go ahead and try using it as is, but more than likely I will have to put a clean FW version on it. There is a zip file of clean firmware versions that I downloaded that have 3.00 and 3.01 in it as .bin files. I then found a link for a clean version of 3.02 on page 8 of this thread. That file (ASUS ODD FW Updater for BW-16D1HT.exe) is an executable and not a .bin file. Maybe this will become clear at home with the drive plugged in, but where does that executable file fit into the process? I see three steps 1. Dump current FW, 2. Merge dump with clean version of FW, 3 Flash the combined file to drive. If the executable was just a 3.02.bin, then I would merge it and flash it. What does that executable do?
Thanks.

[fryguy]

Maybe this will become clear at home with the drive plugged in, but where does that executable file fit into the process? I see three steps 1. Dump current FW, 2. Merge dump with clean version of FW, 3 Flash the combined file to drive. If the executable was just a 3.02.bin, then I would merge it and flash it. What does that executable do?
Thanks.

The .exe did not work for me. I tried it and just got an error message - which I googled and seems to be intentional by the manufacturer to disallow downgrades. I'm on mobile, so it's inconvenient to check, but one of the posts in the guide has a clean 3.02 .bin.

Once you get the 3.02 .bin your three step process looks good to me.

Edit: I may be mistaken as to where I found the 3.02 I used...
https://www.makemkv.com/forum2/viewtopi ... =75#p59568
The attached .zip has both an .exe and .bin. I think it's what I used.

[mtucker]

.......Edit: I may be mistaken as to where I found the 3.02 I used...
https://www.makemkv.com/forum2/viewtopi ... =75#p59568
The attached .zip has both an .exe and .bin. I think it's what I used.

Thanks. That makes sense. The 3.02.BIN file is what I was looking for.

[mtucker]

Got it going tonight. It took me a few hours, but I learned as I went. Here are a few notes for others.
I followed this guide https://www.makemkv.com/forum2/viewtopi ... 16&t=17058
Asus BW-16D1HT made in January 2018. MakeMKV listed the firmware as 3.02, but as we knew from fryguy's info, the 3.02 that ships on newer drives is not good. For kicks, I tried reading two different UHD disks. Disk not found for both.
Next step was to flash the working 3.02FW onto my drive. I was unable to make a USB FreeDOS boot drive with Rufus that would work on my computer. That could be because I never found a BIOS option to Disable CSM (Compatibility Support Mode) or anything that sounded like that. Switching SATA to IDE/Legacy was easy to find in BIOS. I noticed the Windows method for dumping the FW wanted CSM enabled so if CSM was my problem then I figured the Windows option would work. It did! DOSFLASH_Windows7 ran, but my BW-16D1HT did not show up so I could not read the FW. I double checked that I had the Asus plugged into SATA1 or SATA2 ports per the instructions, but I noticed SATA ports 0 and 1 were a different color on my motherboard so I plugged the Asus into port 0 and bam! It showed up in the Windows version of DOSFLASH. I read the FW, used the EEPROM_Data_Mover.zip to merge my dumped FW with the clean 3.02 FW ( https://www.makemkv.com/forum2/viewtopi ... =75#p59568 ), erased FW, and then wrote back the merged file.

After I put the Asus back to SATA port 2 and AHCI, MakeMKV can now access my UHD disks. Great info on this thread. Thanks.

[Gadgety]

I got the ASUS BW-16D1HT from a local store. The only one on the shelf. Manufactured 1/2017. It says BlurayDisc, ASUS, E-Green M Disc on the tray front. I ran VSO Inspector on it which states it's running Firmware 3.00 with an odd Date code W006706S...etc. Under DVD features it says Region code: None; Region control RPCII. User changes left: 5. Vendor Resets Left 4.

Read Features that are NOT checked are: HD-Burn; HD-DVD ROM, and Hybrid. Write Features NOT checked are HD-Burn, HD-DVD-R, -RW, -RAM, -R DL, -RW DL. I don't have any UHD disk to try it with, but I assume the non-checked HD alternatives signify that it's not UHD-compatible.

Since the production date is Jan 2017, and the firmware is 3.0, shouldn't it work?

[st4evr]

I got the ASUS BW-16D1HT from a local store. The only one on the shelf. Manufactured 1/2017. It says BlurayDisc, ASUS, E-Green M Disc on the tray front. I ran VSO Inspector on it which states it's running Firmware 3.00 with an odd Date code W006706S...etc. Under DVD features it says Region code: None; Region control RPCII. User changes left: 5. Vendor Resets Left 4.

Read Features that are NOT checked are: HD-Burn; HD-DVD ROM, and Hybrid. Write Features NOT checked are HD-Burn, HD-DVD-R, -RW, -RAM, -R DL, -RW DL. I don't have any UHD disk to try it with, but I assume the non-checked HD alternatives signify that it's not UHD-compatible.

Since the production date is Jan 2017, and the firmware is 3.0, shouldn't it work?

Yes it should work. The first page of this thread answers your question as it has examples of people on this drive with that firmware discussing rips. You should buy at least one disk to fully confirm if you have doubts.

Additionally, read and have an understanding of this from Mike (MakeMKV developer):

http://www.makemkv.com/forum2/viewtopic ... 16&t=16832

[Braymatter]

Just received an LG WH16NS40 SVC: NS50 with FW 1.03 manufacture date looks to be Feb 2018

MakeMKV will not read UHD disc (unless I'm somehow doing wrong)

Assuming 1.03 is making it not possible?

What is proper method to either downgrade FW and/or cross flash with ASUS fw?

Sorry, i read through this thread, but haven't found clear answer.

or should I just return and get a different one? if so, which one will be less troublesome?

thanks.

[st4evr]

Just received an LG WH16NS40 SVC: NS50 with FW 1.03 manufacture date looks to be Feb 2018

MakeMKV will not read UHD disc (unless I'm somehow doing wrong)

Assuming 1.03 is making it not possible?

What is proper method to either downgrade FW and/or cross flash with ASUS fw?

Sorry, i read through this thread, but haven't found clear answer.

or should I just return and get a different one? if so, which one will be less troublesome?

thanks.

Read this:

http://www.makemkv.com/forum2/viewtopic ... 16&t=17058

[Gadgety]

I got the ASUS BW-16D1HT from a local store. The only one on the shelf. Manufactured 1/2017. It says BlurayDisc, ASUS, E-Green M Disc on the tray front. I ran VSO Inspector on it which states it's running Firmware 3.00 with an odd Date code W006706S...etc. Under DVD features it says Region code: None; Region control RPCII. User changes left: 5. Vendor Resets Left 4.

Read Features that are NOT checked are: HD-Burn; HD-DVD ROM, and Hybrid. Write Features NOT checked are HD-Burn, HD-DVD-R, -RW, -RAM, -R DL, -RW DL. I don't have any UHD disk to try it with, but I assume the non-checked HD alternatives signify that it's not UHD-compatible.

Since the production date is Jan 2017, and the firmware is 3.0, shouldn't it work?

Yes it should work. The first page of this thread answers your question as it has examples of people on this drive with that firmware discussing rips. You should buy at least one disk to fully confirm if you have doubts.

Additionally, read and have an understanding of this from Mike (MakeMKV developer):

http://www.makemkv.com/forum2/viewtopic ... 16&t=16832

Thank you for your reply. OK, sounds good. I realize the ultimate test is to try it with a UHD disk. What threw me was the listing of all the non-checked HD alternatives. Do other people's UHD friendly drives list all the HD read/write features as unchecked?

In addition the read out from VSO Inspector on the Firmware Date was very odd. As far as I can see most list dates like 2117 or some such, whereas this reads W006706SIK9NH16F592. Not like anyone else's listing.

I did read most of the thread, and a lot of other threads, prior to buying, and my conclusion was it should work based on the production date. Then I that was supported by the firmware version. However, some of the data specifically the non-checking of the HD alternatives and the odd display of the firmware date made me think something might be wrong. In that case I should return it asap.

[st4evr]

Thank you for your reply. OK, sounds good. I realize the ultimate test is to try it with a UHD disk. What threw me was the listing of all the non-checked HD alternatives. Do other people's UHD friendly drives list all the HD read/write features as unchecked?

In addition the read out from VSO Inspector on the Firmware Date was very odd. As far as I can see most list dates like 2117 or some such, whereas this reads W006706SIK9NH16F592. Not like anyone else's listing.

I did read most of the thread, and a lot of other threads, prior to buying, and my conclusion was it should work based on the production date. Then I that was supported by the firmware version. However, some of the data specifically the non-checking of the HD alternatives and the odd display of the firmware date made me think something might be wrong. In that case I should return it asap.

"Do other people's UHD friendly drives list all the HD read/write features as unchecked?"

They may, but what's the point of checking for this through VSO?

1. You seem to be going down an unnecessary path here. It is not this difficult. The real and important tests are if your drive can read/write standard BD content and decrypt UHD discs.

2. You are using an application that I have hardly seen anyone here use for this purpose and appears to be completely unnecessary when MakeMKV will provide the information you need. Additionally it may be causing you more confusion then helping if it's providing incorrect information or information you don't need.

[aaronwt]

I just ordered this drive from Amazon since they have a $25 rebate.

If I get lucky and it has firmware 1.02, am I able to use the clean 1.02 firmware and easily load it? Or do I need to go through the same convoluted process that you need to use for downgrading the firmware?