The Firmware Page

Hey there,

I've read for days now but even though people seem to understand things simple its quiet hard for me.

I have a Mac Book.
My drive is
HL-DT-ST DVDRW GS21N:

Firmware Revision: SA18
Interconnect: ATAPI
Burn Support: Yes (Apple Shipping Drive)
Cache: 0 KB
Reads DVD: Yes
CD-Write: -R, -RW
DVD-Write: -R, -RW
Write Strategies: CD-TAO, CD-SAO, CD-Raw, DVD-DAO

From all my reading I am guessing this is in LG even if its nowhere written on my Mac.

I want to be able to play all DVD Regions as I am traveling a lot.

Now I tried to follow many descriptions here, but somehow I always came out on a dead end.
So maybe someone can go with me step for step.
I am really thankful for all your efforts and support!

Harvyman

Firmware is in the database SA18. two options either use a windows based system or environment, or use devilsclaw utility to rip the bin file from the exe. Then again within a windows environment you can patch it with MCSE. The portal page has the database linked, MCSE is in my signature, and devilsclaw utility is

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=46137

have a read

Hey,

thanks a lot.
So I've spend a lot of time reading .
And I feel I got quiet far.

I have downloaded flasher
dumped main and core.
run MCSE in parallels
(here I wasn't quiete sure if what I did was right)
I loaded the from the database downloaded Firmware
checked the rpc2 autoreset button

now I struggle
I tried to rip the .exe
result:

Devilsclaw's LG Renesas Drive Utility
cmd_ripexe: Starting firmware ripping process
firm_spliter: Unable to create MAIN_/Users/.../Desktop/GS21N_SA18.exe.bin
firm_ripexe: Failed to split firmware
cmd_ripexe: Failed firmware ripping process

Where did I go wrong?
And am I right that this will not let me play all regions but lets me reset the region limitless? (Just so I know what I am expecting)

Thanks a lot

you don't need to rip the firmware from the exe if you have used devilsclaw's utility. with the firmware you patched from MCSE. Use that via the utility and flash it to the drive. You can watch all regions, all that happens is afet a power down the region counter resets, so you can swap regions without issue.

you must have the exe in the same location as my tool to rip the firmware from the exe. this as been explained before even in the main topic as the flasher post.

Wait so Puma you say I don't have to rip the exe? And devilsclaw you say I need to have it in the same folder!

I just tried to flash it directly with the exe
this is the result:

...-macbook:downloads ...$ ./flasher -d 1 -f G21N_SA18_speedpatched.exe
Devilsclaw's LG Renesas Drive Utility
cmd_drive: Opening Drive: 1.
cmd_flashfirm: Flashing process started
falloc: Could not open G21N_SA18_speedpatched.exe file
cmd_flashfirm: Failed to falloc G21N_SA18_speedpatched.exe

If I would rip the exe I would get a main and a core wouldn't I?
How would I flash that? Both or just the main?
Or did I go wrong somewhere else!
Thank you for your help!

Oh sorry to write double.
But somehow mysteriously I found a main and a core in that foulder? I don't know where they come from?
Is that the dumped or did flasher just create them, and thats the one I need to use?

So again, thats where I am:
I dumped the main and core with flasher.
I created a speedpatched exe with MCSE

now do I have to rip that or not?
And what file(s) do I need to flash with flasher?

Thanks again! You're awesome!

Read your post you said you have dumped the main and the core. If this is so then it's the same as what is in the exe. Confirm if you have aleady dumped the firmware.]

You should have two files from the dump. Easier to dump it from the drive, them patch the bin file via mcse, and then flash that file.

Ok I am a little confused now!

- Yes I have dumped the firmware (main and core) via Devilclaws flasher.
- are you saying now I should take that dumped file and patch it via mcse?

Dang it wrong button, somehow I already submitted the last thread.

-> I always opened the downloaded GS21N_SA18.exe in mcse and ticked the "rpc2-reset-tick"
with that I got a new "speedpatched" exe.

So is that not correct?
As far as I understand do I need a bin file to flash my drive!

Thanks!

Patch the file you dumped in mcse. The exe is the same firmware. For mac use this method.

Ok, I took the main_firmware.bin that I found since I dumped mine in the same folder (guessing thats the dumped one).

That one I copied on my desktop (otherwise its hard to find in parallels)
The patched one I copied back in the same folder of flasher.
Tried to flash the drive with flasher, result:


...$ ./flasher -d 1 -f main_firmware_speedpatched.bin
Devilsclaw's LG Renesas Drive Utility
cmd_drive: Opening Drive: 1.
cmd_flashfirm: Flashing process started

firm_flasher: Drive should be flashing its light.
firm_flasher: This indicates its flashing its self.
firm_flasher: This can take a while, Please be patiant.
firm_flasher: Failed to write at 0x00000000
firm_flasher: your drive should still be fine.
cmd_flashfirm: Flashing process failed

what did I do wrong?

Any news on my problem?
Thanks!

I think its simply the wrong drive....

"cmd_drive: Opening Drive: 1."

Ok, now I am confused. Thats the drive I dumped from as well.


raphael-hartmanns-macbook:downloads Raphael$ ./flasher -D
Devilsclaw's LG Renesas Drive Utility

AVAILABLE DRIVES AND IDs:
Drive ID: 1 Name: DVDRW GS21N
...$ ./flasher -d 1 -m main_firmware.binDevilsclaw's LG Renesas Drive Utility
cmd_drive: Opening Drive: 1.
cmd_dumpmain: Starting dumping process
cmd_dumpmain: Dump process finished
...$ ./flasher -d 1 -c core_firmware.binDevilsclaw's LG Renesas Drive Utility
cmd_drive: Opening Drive: 1.
cmd_dumpcore: Starting dumping process
cmd_dumpcore: Dump process finished

But if you say thats wrong, you're probably right. What would I have to type in then?

just input flasher -D to get drive id and name. what is the size of the main firmware from your dump?

Size is 1,7MB

So when I put in the flasher comand is it not simply ... -d 1 -f
but rather
...-d DVDRW GS21N

Is that right?

"ID 1" should be correct IF its the correct ID for this drive.

Ok I now tried it again. If I type in ID 1 nothing happens. It is like this:

---$ ./flasher -d ID 1 -f main_firmware_speedpatched.bin
Devilsclaw's LG Renesas Drive Utility
cmd_drive: Opening Drive: ID.

thats it.
If I type in 1 something happens, but the flash fails like I said before.

Assuming somewhere I made a mistake I am writing again step by step what I did:

1. Find out Drive ID.

...$ ./flasher -D
Devilsclaw's LG Renesas Drive Utility

AVAILABLE DRIVES AND IDs:
Drive ID: 1 Name: DVDRW GS21N

2. Dump main and core firmware:
...$ ./flasher -d 1 -m main_firmware.bin
Devilsclaw's LG Renesas Drive Utility
cmd_drive: Opening Drive: 1.
cmd_dumpmain: Starting dumping process
cmd_dumpmain: Dump process finished
...$ ./flasher -d 1 -c core_firmware.bin
Devilsclaw's LG Renesas Drive Utility
cmd_drive: Opening Drive: 1.
cmd_dumpcore: Starting dumping process
cmd_dumpcore: Dump process finished

3. patch main by:
- Open MCSE in Parallels
- open my dumped main_firmware.bin
- tick the rpc2 auto reset on the bottom right
- save the file

-> that created a main_firmware_speedpatched.bin

4. flash drive with that new firmware:
(still the same Terminal open)

...$ ./flasher -d 1 -f main_firmware_speedpatched.bin
Devilsclaw's LG Renesas Drive Utility
cmd_drive: Opening Drive: 1.
cmd_flashfirm: Flashing process started

firm_flasher: Drive should be flashing its light.
firm_flasher: This indicates its flashing its self.
firm_flasher: This can take a while, Please be patiant.
firm_flasher: Failed to write at 0x00000000
firm_flasher: your drive should still be fine.
cmd_flashfirm: Flashing process failed


Can you see any mistake. How I said I also tried "ID 1" instead of "1" but nothing happend. Terminal just jumped in the next line.
Might be the mistake in parallels?

Thank you for your help guys!

Yeah, it really looks so.

Do you have another option to flash your drive?

Could you try with the Mac version of flasher?

sorry I am not following.
I am using flasher (Devilsclaw's tool) for mac all the way just for the MCSE part.

This might be a stupid question, but its not possible to use MCSE on another computer?
I was thinking because I am just working on the firmware with it. Not actually anything on the drive...

You asked if I have other options... Are there other options? If there are I can try if I can make them work!

Thanks!

I thought you have used flasher under Parallels........

All I did in parallels was to patch the dumped firmware. Everything else I did with flasher from Devil'sclaw in Terminal of Mac Os X.
Is that where is the mistake?
Is there an aswere to the other question?



Cause I could just do it on a Windows PC. With USB Drive. Cause it seems like the problem is the patched file.
Or can I patch the firmware in another way? Not over Windows?

Thanks for your help!

./flasher -d 1 -f main_firmware_speedpatched.bin

make sure your file is in the same directory as the flasher or point to the correct location of where it is.