100% Firmware Downgrade for ASUS BW-16D1HT and LG BH16NS55

[jonghotti]

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[Mysus456]

Everything teddy says is Gospel I’ve used the win 7 pe stick to crossflash over 50 units in the last two weeks and have 26 more sitting here.

Thank you, what's your target code?

EDIT:
This page and this page I feel is what's lacking in the first post which is filling in the gaps for me.
essentially:
step1. execute "DosFlash32_BH16NS40" to "Read Flash" original firmware. [OEM-BAK]
step2. execute “BH16NS40_EEPROM_Data_Mover.exe” to combine firmware from OEM-BAK & clean target FW version and save result --MERGED-FW
step3. execute "DosFlash32_BH16NS40" & select MERGED-FW and "Write Flash".
step4. reboot

[Mysus456]

update, with the extra detail from my last update and using the web guide I upgraded to the 3.02 using FW here: Asus 3.02 clean firmware ASUS_BW-16D1HT_302.ZIP. [Direct Download link]

currently backing up first 4K disk (Coco), Speed in MakeMKV sustained (>30 sec) 33 M/s [7.7x] for larger segments.

[Mysus456]

Theres some werid "grinding" sounds, like laser tracking is off (laser is at end of track with motor still moving to progress it). Anyway, not sure if I should try a difference firmware. This happens as MakeMKV terminates the backup &/or I exit the program.

Thoughts?

[pkscout]

I just wanted to take a moment to thank the OP for all the work put into getting this to work as well as the instructions. I found the hardest part to be finding a computer old enough to set the SATA controller to IDE (or ATA as it was labeled on the Dell I was using) mode.

For anyone reading this thread trying to figure out the right steps, I think the key is to figure out what you can ignore from the first post. Specifically despite what it may seem like, you do NOT need to do any hex editing. Here's my recommendation on how to read the first post:

• In the requirements, you need everything there EXCEPT the hex editor.
• Download the ISO file mentioned in the Steps for dumping firmware : (Windows Method) section and make a bootable USB stick
• Download the DOSFLASH_Windows7.zip mentioned in that same section
• Download the EPROM Data Mover and the zip of clean firmware versions mentioned in the Steps for importing data from backup firmwares : (Automatic Method) section
• Add all that stuff to the USB stick (this way you won't have to do any reboots)

And now the actual steps:

• use the Windows method for dumping the firmware
• when you get to step 8, IGNORE it and instead scroll down to the section labeled Steps for importing data from backup firmwares : (Automatic Method) and do those steps
• go back to step 9 in the Steps for dumping firmware : (Windows Method) section (remembering that you don't need to reboot)
• finish up

That's what worked for me. Creating the USB stick took me about 10 minutes, and actually doing the firmware update another 10 minutes (3 of those sweating over hitting the write button to move the new firmware to the drive). It took me about 7 hours to get a machine that would work for this. I had an old custom build I pulled out, got the BIOS set, verified I could boot from the USB, and then set aside while I waited for the drive to arrive. Then day of I pulled it out and it wouldn't power up. Tested everything, and it looks like the motherboard died. So I went in to the office and grabbed an old Dell Optplex 990 (thank god I work in IT and had access to old equipment), fought with a monitor to get it to use it's DVI port, and then got everything done.

I put the drive in a USB3 external case and ripped Black Panther 4K in about 90 minutes. Watched it last night via Kodi on my new OSMC Vero 4K+ without any issues. So again, thanks.

[railgun]

Perhaps the OP could edit the first post and put...

Important note :

If you forget to make a valid dump of your drive before flashing or try to flash a dump taken on the net, there is a high risk (> 90%) your device will be useless
and you will have to throw it in the WC.

At the top? Kind of an important note and, in my case, reading top down like normal, didn't see that until it was too late.

[d00zah]

At the top? Kind of an important note and, in my case, reading top down like normal, didn't see that until it was too late.

Maybe it's just me, but why wouldn't you have read the complete (well written) procedure (multiple times) & understood all the implications, collected necessary downloads, etc., prior to executing? I don't mean to appear unsympathetic, but this seems like a self-inflicted wound... which I suspect you won't repeat.

Just an observation.

[jonghotti]

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[d00zah]

Speaking of which, what's a 3 slow (two second) and 2 fast (1 second) blinking LED pattern on a WH16NS40 mean?

Fine question. I've never have seen that (possibly because mine is hidden behind a panel). No mention in the LG support section/manual, etc.. One non-specific google hit suggests re-seating all cable connections, but that's all I've found.

Possibly a low-level POST (power-on self test) failure? Might require an in-house LG 'decoder ring' to determine what it means.

What's the context? Drive idle? Disc inserted, or empty? Reading disc?

[railgun]

At the top? Kind of an important note and, in my case, reading top down like normal, didn't see that until it was too late.

Maybe it's just me, but why wouldn't you have read the complete (well written) procedure (multiple times) & understood all the implications, collected necessary downloads, etc., prior to executing? I don't mean to appear unsympathetic, but this seems like a self-inflicted wound... which I suspect you won't repeat.

Just an observation.

Perhaps. However, in EVERY manual you see, warnings to particular things are usually on the top. In my experience, flashing FW is a straight forward thing to do. In this case, for whatever reason, it's not. Flashing video cards, cameras, usual BIOS flashing...it's as uncomplicated as it goes. FW for a device is FW. In this case, it's not, thus the caveat should lead the article.

[d00zah]

Perhaps. However, in EVERY manual you see, warnings to particular things are usually on the top. In my experience, flashing FW is a straight forward thing to do. In this case, for whatever reason, it's not. Flashing video cards, cameras, usual BIOS flashing...it's as uncomplicated as it goes. FW for a device is FW. In this case, it's not, thus the caveat should lead the article.

Not to quibble, or lecture, but FW modding isn't quite the same beast as downloading a FW update from the manufacturer... who go to great lengths to make the process fool-proof (pls pardon the expression). Been doing it for fun, as well as in the course of my employment, for a very long time... long enough to want to RTFM & not necessarily assume. Sorry you ran into issues.

[jonghotti]

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[d00zah]

Thanks for the research D didn’t expect that. It’s gotta be a partially flashed unit-my bad if so.

IF that's the case (& it's NOT a failed flash chip), I'd TRY to re-merge the dump/clean image & re-flash the drive. It ain't over... 'til it's over!!

[jonghotti]

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[FrankStallone]

Hey guys, I am having some issues downgrading the WH16NS40 SVC Code NS50 with 1.03 firmware. I have used 4 machines now to find one that supports IDE mode on the SATA. When we run the doshflash32 on windows 7 32bit, we are able to get the software to recognize the drive, but as soon as we try and read the flash, we get an "No known flash chip on this port!" error.

When we try to read the flash via freedos, we get a "Unknown Flash Chip" error.

Is there something we are doing wrong here?

Thanks for the help.