Ultimate UHD Drives Flashing Guide Updated 2025

[icourt]

Fortunately there are people around who see the fixing of the mistakes of others as a challenge, right?

Whether it’s people erroneously updating the firmware, or buying a drive that’s already been updated.

Or if it’s the drive manufacturers themselves, putting out badly broken firmware updates...

A successful result is a satisfying one.

[jonghotti]

Ouch! Icourt for the triple burn ladies and gentlemen, yes, that’s Icourt!

[icourt]

Yep, that’s me!

[filmgeek47]

Hey guys,
If I have a drive that ships with official UHD firmware (ie. bu40N) and I flash it for ripping purposes, will it still work with official disc playback on a PC via powerDVD, or would I need to flash it back to the official firmware?

[Billycar11]

Hey guys,
If I have a drive that ships with official UHD firmware (ie. bu40N) and I flash it for ripping purposes, will it still work with official disc playback on a PC via powerDVD, or would I need to flash it back to the official firmware?

It will still work

[Fearless Leader]

Holy crap!

I know this is anecdotal evidence and isn't proof of anything, but I post this in case it helps someone else.

I bought Avengers Endgame UHD right when it came out. It never successfully ripped. I can play the disc on a standalone player. Yes, makemkv could open it and start ripping it, but eventually it would come to a sector that the drive couldn't read. Re-running it many times showed no progress. So I just assumed bad disc, and ripped the blu-ray version instead, which worked fine.

As more versions of makemkv came out, I would sometimes re-try the Endgame UHD. Never worked.
Last night, I tried to re-rip Frozen II to try various things to deal with atmos problem (even with lastest makemkv, there is still a problem to be solved...but that is not the point here). Frozen II suddenly showed a sector that couldn't be read. This made me think the drive was failing, because it would be unlikely for a new disc like that to go bad (considering I handle my discs carefully). I re-tried a few times, still didn't work.

I started thinking the drive is failing. If was dying, I figured it wouldn't hurt to try cross-flashing to LG to overcome the sleep bug with my Asus.
After a successful flash, suddenly Frozen II ripped without the read sector problem. On a lark, I decided to try Endgame again. Holy crap, it worked this time!

Again, this is not evidence or proof of anything. It possible I just got really really lucky this time. But I feel like it helped me. Maybe it could help someone else.

[SamuriHL]

UHD is picky. That's why I keep 1 ASUS and 1 LG drive on hand. The NS60 has been the most stable drive for me but there are those oddball discs that can only be read in the ASUS from time to time. Highly annoying.

[Coopervid]

I posted this just a few minutes ago in another forum.

I have two LG BH16NS55. One flashed to ASUS 3.10MK, the other to 3.02.
3.10 rips fast. 3.02 stays longer at low read speeds if errors occur and was therefore succesful when 3.10 would fail.

Always clean problematic discs with liquid soap and water and wipe with a microfiber cloth. The last is what SamuriHL is always recommending. If it's enough then OK. If not, wash them like I do.

[mike admin]

3.02 stays longer at low read speeds if errors occur and was therefore succesful when 3.10 would fail.

1.15.2 has (would have once released) speed control feature that, among other things, would put the drive to the lowest speed in case of read errors and put back to maximum (possibly above riplock) once reading stabilizes.
This worked exceptionally well on all drives that I have.
Just a teaser...

[SamuriHL]

1.15.2 has (would have once released) speed control feature that, among other things, would put the drive to the lowest speed in case of read errors and put back to maximum (possibly above riplock) once reading stabilizes.
This worked exceptionally well on all drives that I have.
Just a teaser...

Stop teasing and get to it. Chop chop! LMAO

[Coopervid]

Mike you surely have some sadistic humor torturing us with these teasers.

[azeili]

Hello

You offered to support UHD Drive firmware downgrade by remote session.
I would be delighted if you can help me with my WH16NS60 with current firmware version 1.03.

When I try to flash I get an checksum mismatch error. In my BIOS I cannot switch SATA configuration to IDE.

Many thanks in advance for your support, azeili

[RedRaptor]

Could use a hand, tried to sideflash my lg wh16ns40 1.04 to the firmware that the guide says and got error #4. Did i read the guide wrong and this is unflashable?

[Billycar11]

Could use a hand, tried to sideflash my lg wh16ns40 1.04 to the firmware that the guide says and got error #4. Did i read the guide wrong and this is unflashable?

you read it wrong read the newer oem firmware section

[EyezOnJim68]

I have been using Video Solo for my Playing, Ripping, and Backing Up needs on my MacPro 10.15.5 OS and as the main purpose to do the same fore mentioned with my 4K UHD collection.

Communicating with VS support there was no real definitive answer why I couldn’t do a 1:1 copy of a UHD disc as the Archgon 4K UHD Optical Drive remained in a perpetual loading state with no end.

Come find out a year later a possible solution by downgrading the FW version to 1.00 friendly version.

However, having followed the step by step of flashing the firmware of the optical drive w the use of Win 10 pro. I am not sure if it completed correctly.

I am still in the same state in that I can play, rip, and back up BD Discs but 4k UHD discs never finish loading.

Hardware Properties events show initiated but “device update false”

Assistance would be appreciated. Do I need a next step here, Any solutions?

_________________

1.) Mac OS (available)
Mac OS 10.15 Catalina
Macbook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
2.4ghz 8-Core Intel Core i9
32 gb 2667 mhz ddr4
intel UHD Graph 630 1536mb

2.) Win OS (available)
Boot Camp Windows 10 Pro v1909
intel core i7 4890hq cpu @ 2.8ghz
16gb
64 bit
/
Mac Pro 15-Inch
2.8ghz quad core intel i7
16gb 1600 mhz ddr3
Intel iris pro 1536mb

3.) USB Optical Drive
Archgon MD-8107-U3
HL-DT-ST BD-RE BU40N:
Firmware Revision: BU10
Interconnect: USB
Burn Support: Yes (Generic Drive Support)
Profile Path: None
Cache: 4064 KB
Reads DVD: Yes
CD-Write: -R, -RW
DVD-Write: -R, -R DL, -RAM, -RW, +R, +R DL, +RW
BD-Write: -R, -RE
Write Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, CD-Raw, DVD-DAO
Media:
Type: BD-ROM
Blank: No
Erasable: No
Overwritable: No
Appendable: No

Device USBSTOR\CdRom&Ven_HL-DT-ST&Prod_BD-RE_BU40N&Rev_BU10\41443030303030303030303030303030&0 was configured.
 
Driver Name: cdrom.inf
Class Guid: {4d36e965-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}
Driver Date: 06/21/2006
Driver Version: 10.0.18362.1
Driver Provider: Microsoft
Driver Section: cdrom_install
Driver Rank: 0xFF0006
Matching Device Id: GenCdRom
Outranked Drivers: cdrom.inf:GenCdRom:00FF2002
Device Updated: false
Parent Device: USB\VID_13FD&PID_3609\41443030303030303030303030303030