I have a WH14NS40 that I thought was too old to be a NS50 model, but after opening up my case and checking the label, sure enough, it's a 50. So I plan to flash LibreDrive support onto it, but I noticed multiple versions of that drive's firmware have been posted here recently.
HL-DT-ST BD-RE WH14NS40 ATA Device - Driver Download. Vendor. Windows 7 64-Bit Driver. Total Driver Versions: 1. Recommended Driver. Windows cannot start this hardware device because its configuration information (in the registry) is incomplete or damaged. (Code 19) The device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the drivers required for this device. I'm relieved that this can be run from a GUI, but I've never used this Windows boot maker before, so I'm not sure if it's going to ask for a CD or a 32-bit Windows license or something. I use a small Windows 10 desktop, but have access to a 32-bit Windows XP netbook, but no way to hook the drive up internally, but hopefully that won't be an issue. Device manager shows Win10 using driver version 10.0.10586.0 from June 21, 2006. I've got to think that there's newer/better driver software available. (My understanding is that any DVD/BR drive uses Windows drivers and only firmware can be updated from the manufacturer.).
Billycar11's pack with the patched flash utility includes a 1.02 firmware per this post:https://www.2mkv.com/forum/viewtopic.ph ... 858#p70284
But then Mike's more recent master firmware collection has a 1.03 file:
https://www.makemkv.com/forum/viewtopic ... 113#p71880
As a follow-up question, I really only want LibreDrive support to disable the 'SilentPlay' speed lock on this drive, so I can rip my 1080p discs at full speed (I don't plan to rip any 4k discs anytime soon). My understanding from looking around the forums is that speed limitations haven't been addressed in any of the LD firmwares yet. Is that accurate? And if so, is there any other benefit for me to do the flash right now, other than the UHD read capabilities? Or should I just wait till a version is available that takes off the speed lock?Hey folks, I'd like to thank everyone who put together the downgrade instructions for the WH16NS40. I was able to use those instructions to downgrade my LG WH14NS40 drive. It's currently ripping my first UHD. I bought it open box from newegg for around $40. It arrived as a Rom Ver. 1.03 manufactured in January 2018 with service code NS50.
In the spirit of sharing I thought I'd create an account here and share my experience.
The method I used to downgrade it to 1.02 was this:
- make a bootable DOS flash drive with Rufus 3.3 on my Windows 10 PC
- copy the dosflash.exe and the dosflash.typ data file to the flash drive.
- on the old machine where the WH14NS40 is installed boot from the flash drive
- run Dosflash at the prompt. Try again if it tells you no ATAPI devices were detected.
- When prompted choose R for read and save the file to something like 'backup.bin'
- shut down the flashing PC when this is done and then put the flash drive back in the Windows PC
- make a copy of 'backup.bin' for safe-keeping. Now make another copy somewhere else.
- Run the EEPROM_Data_Mover.exe and follow the directions. You'll need your backup.bin file and the 'clean firmware file' (I used WH14NS40 ver 1.02)
Out of step 8 comes a new modified firmware file I called 'modded.bin' It helps to keep the names short in DOS because you end up having to type them in. - copy 'modded.bin' to the flash drive and take it back over to the flashing PC
- boot from the flash drive and run dosflash again this time in W mode. Specify the file name modded.bin or whatever you called the file created in step 8
Floating around is a dosflash package which contains a dosflash.typ that is missing this line:
As a follow-up question, I really only want LibreDrive support to disable the 'SilentPlay' speed lock on this drive, so I can rip my 1080p discs at full speed (I don't plan to rip any 4k discs anytime soon). My understanding from looking around the forums is that speed limitations haven't been addressed in any of the LD firmwares yet. Is that accurate? And if so, is there any other benefit for me to do the flash right now, other than the UHD read capabilities? Or should I just wait till a version is available that takes off the speed lock?Hey folks, I'd like to thank everyone who put together the downgrade instructions for the WH16NS40. I was able to use those instructions to downgrade my LG WH14NS40 drive. It's currently ripping my first UHD. I bought it open box from newegg for around $40. It arrived as a Rom Ver. 1.03 manufactured in January 2018 with service code NS50.
In the spirit of sharing I thought I'd create an account here and share my experience.
The method I used to downgrade it to 1.02 was this:
- make a bootable DOS flash drive with Rufus 3.3 on my Windows 10 PC
- copy the dosflash.exe and the dosflash.typ data file to the flash drive.
- on the old machine where the WH14NS40 is installed boot from the flash drive
- run Dosflash at the prompt. Try again if it tells you no ATAPI devices were detected.
- When prompted choose R for read and save the file to something like 'backup.bin'
- shut down the flashing PC when this is done and then put the flash drive back in the Windows PC
- make a copy of 'backup.bin' for safe-keeping. Now make another copy somewhere else.
- Run the EEPROM_Data_Mover.exe and follow the directions. You'll need your backup.bin file and the 'clean firmware file' (I used WH14NS40 ver 1.02)
Out of step 8 comes a new modified firmware file I called 'modded.bin' It helps to keep the names short in DOS because you end up having to type them in. - copy 'modded.bin' to the flash drive and take it back over to the flashing PC
- boot from the flash drive and run dosflash again this time in W mode. Specify the file name modded.bin or whatever you called the file created in step 8
Floating around is a dosflash package which contains a dosflash.typ that is missing this line:
NEW OPTION: 'UHD Friendly' Firmware Downgrade / Cross ...
Make sure whatever dosflash.exe you are using that it has a dosflash.typ containing that line. My CRC32 hashes for the files used are as follows:dosflash.exe - EDC26008
dosflash.typ - 53B2DB76
EEPROM_Data_Mover.exe - 2A37A03C
flash_HL-DT-ST_BD-RE_WH14NS40_1.02_NS50.bin (AKA clean firmware) - 509D06F0
Also I should mention in case it's significant that I did the flashing on a 10+ year old foxconn N15235 motherboard which uses AWARD BIOS. The SATA setting that worked was called 'compatible,' which I believe meant 'IDE compatible.' I have seen other terminology for this in various BIOS such as 'ATAPI', 'ATA', 'PATA', 'EIDE', 'Legacy' and I'm sure there are others. Just thought I should mention that because a lot of the how to's are specifically saying 'IDE' mode which I have never seen in any BIOS referred to by that name. Most commonly I have seen 'ATA.'