just4kicks wrote: ↑Tue Jul 09, 2019 9:58 am
Hello,
Noob (to this concept), and band-wagon jumper to do something about my 4K discs not being usable on my computer/media server. I was reading a forum post on AnyDVD about friendly drives (huh? WTH is friendly? And, while I'm at it, WTH is not friendly). I started at this post here:
https://forum.redfox.bz/threads/anydvd- ... tus.74435/ -- this fired me up into taking action.
For those of you, like me, who think you can read parts of info and instantly become an expert...
WRONG! I failed and flailed around a lot and lucky I didn't end up with some serious problems and a broken drive for my arrogance. So, on that AnyDVD thread, I saw a post about ordering LG or ASUS 'friendly' drives, and to hurry up and order one. So I thought, "Oh Crap - before the 'friendly' ones are gone, I better go get one" and ordered an ASUS BW-16D1HT from Amazon (July 2019, with Prime, it arrived in 24 hours). Popped open the box. Found the manufacture date of May, 2019.
Probably too new, and not good for me. So, I saw some posts about downgrading the Firmware.
[NOTE: I am posting it here for your reference, BUT I DON'T RECOMMEND you go to this dvd-cloner link!!!]
https://www.dvd-cloner.com/knowledge/ho ... e_378.html!!! I started perusing the info on that dvd-cloner link... It had a link to a Windows 7 PE download that you could use to run some firmware tools to downgrade your drive. I thought, "okay, hey, I'm an IT guy, I have spare machines back all the way to a Pentium II, Pentium 4, Core 2 duos/quads, 1st gen I7s, 4th gen i7s, and could load DOS, Windows 3.1, 95, 98, XP, Vista, 7, 8, and 10 OS options - I should be able to come up with something here, right?" MAYBE... Well that link to the Windows 7 PE on that DVD-cloner site took me to a site that my Antivirus/Firewall started alerting me I was being attacked. Still, I was hell bent on getting this done, so trusting in my Antivirus to protect me, I proceeded, but no matter what I did, to get to the point to get the software, I'd have to install some other software (one was a PDF merger and another a twitter utility that really did not seem reputable or safe and I decided not to proceed further). Yeah, Antivirus is alerting me and so I think this software is SAFE to install? NOT! I am not going any further with that link. Specifically, the error said: "Malicious Site: Malicious Domain Request 22" and it was related to an attack/signature against Chrome.
So, I did a search, and ended up here next. THANK GOD for you all here and for doing what you do and taking the time you do take for such things - things that despite my background, I have no clue how to properly updated hex values and modify firmware without bricking my hardware and/or without breaking anything (last time I tried that, was to try and break the floppy disk requirement of the video game Thexder - yes, I'm that old!). While reading this post (at least I think it was this one), I saw someone say something about putting their drive in an external USB enclosure and patching the drive that way. I really didn't want to bring back to life an old machine to run that other site's solution, but I do have a system on standby that is old and new enough to have IDE option needed for that other solutions. I put that on hold for the time being, and though, "hmmm. I can afford to brick the drive and try again once or twice before my financier and CFO (wife) starts to ask questions and shake her head at me". So, using my slightly old, but capable Vantec USB 3.0 to IDE/SATA plug, I added the ASUS drive to my current 8th Gen i7 and Windows 10 machine in a USB 3.0 port. Drive came up. AnyDVD reported the drive firmware as 3.03. RAD, it's not the latest firmware, 3.10 on the ASUS site, I thought I was saved. WRONG. 3.03 wasn't working. So, I downloaded the links on this page for the ASUS Flasher and the updated firmwares.
I ran the utility, picked the 3.02 firmware version, and clicked START. I was worried that having two virtual clone DVD drives, and a physical SATA Bluray reader/burner drive might cause problems. Suddenly, the drive tray popped open. Well, in very NOOB fashion, not having read ALL the instructions before doing anything - you know the smart way you should do things - I decided that closing the tray was the prudent choice. I then read that it opens when the firmware update starts and closes when it's done. OOPS. About 10 mins later, the firmware patcher (the one from this site) popped some memory error related to the patch failing. I exited the program, and it would not start again. I saw in task manager it was still running. Tried to kill the exe file and a few other options - nothing would kill it. I rebooted.
Next, tried again - ran the executable, picked the ASUS 3.02 firmware and clicked START... Waiting... Waiting... 60 minutes later, no change, no status update, nothing. I finally exited the patcher again. THIS time, I exited the always on AnyDVD client (you know, the icon in the bottom right, right click, and selected Exit). I then loaded up the patcher one more time, even let it run as administrator (just in case) and if this failed this time, I was going to try it on an old machine setup. Again, selected the 3.02 DE ASUS Firmware, and with fingers crossed, I clicked START. This time, unlike all attempts before, I saw a blue status bar move across the ASUS patcher pop up/executable. I'd not seen that before. In about 60 seconds, via my USB connected drive, it patched, and now reported FW version 3.02 in the Patcher pop up (and, as it would later in AnyDVD). I unplugged the USB from the computer, unplugged power so I could reboot the drive (just to be sure) and rebooted the computer. Came back up, AnyDVD auto restarted (as it always does) and everything looks perfect! I am now starting my first RIP... And it completed successfully. Now to find a machine I can play it on with a 4K TV (I have such a device, but have to go to work in the morning, so despite my OCD nature, I can put this off until later today I guess).
Thank you again, very much, for all your hard work on this. By posting the above, I'm hoping to help anyone else that experiences some of the same issues or had some of the same doubts.
[updated]: first rip was a success
