The Firmware Page

I'm already embarrassed, so no need to yell at me, but...

I just got a new Mac Pro desktop and wanted to flash the pre-installed Pioneer DVR-112D to RPC-1 region-free. It has been a couple of years since my last drive-flashing experience (DVR-110D), but I thought it would be like riding a bicycle. Instead, I think I killed the drive.

I put a lot of hours into re-reading the forums regarding Mac flashing and Pioneer firmware, and decided that I wanted to use Koba's DVR-112D flashing kit to flash to the current Buffalo 8.21 firmware (which I would first patch to RPC-1 using MediaCodeSpeedEdit).

If you could, please do me a favor and either confirm, "Yes, it's dead," or if there is still hope, please instruct me on how to undo the damage and forge ahead.

From the top...

Computer/software info:
Mac Pro desktop
Mac OS X 10.5.2 Leopard pre-installed
Parallels Desktop 3 installed along with Windows XP Professional so I could run the .EXE files.

Drive info before the bad flash:
Device : A:
Vendor : PIONEER
Model : DVD-RW DVR-112D
Revision : BC14

Status : RPC-2 (region locked)
Region : 1
Changes : 4 region changes remaining
4 vendor resets remaining
state is 'Region set'


My plan of action was to:
1. Flash to 112D / Buffalo 8.06 firmware using The Dangerous Brothers' RPC-1 patch
(R12DOI.EXE with A0813541.806).
* I added this as my first step because one forum member said flashing his 112D straight to 112L firmware (versus incremental updates) resulted in some disc media not being recognizable by his drive.

2. Flash to 112L / Buffalo 8.06 firmware using The Dangerous Brothers' patch
(112L_806.EXE).

3. Flash with Koba's patched Buffalo 8.06 firmware
(R12LOIN.EXE with A0413541.806, made RPC-1 with MediaCodeSpeedEdit).

4. Flash with the original Buffalo 8.21 firmware from Koba
(R12LOIN.exe with A0413541.821, made RPC-1 with MediaCodeSpeedEdit).


What really happened:
1. I launched Parallels Desktop and started Windows XP Professional.

2. I double-clicked TDB's 112D_806.EXE file.

3. I got this error message in the program that opened:

/// ODD Firmware Update Utility Ver2.41A
Available target is not found.

Since that didn't work, I decided to go back to Mac OS X and try using DVRFlash through Terminal.

4. I put the DVRFlash unix file in a folder with TDB's DVR-112D 8.06 firmware (A0813541.806). (*Now I realize that I misread the DVRFlash instructions, thinking I didnt' need both the kernel and firmware files. Now I see the warning, "It is most important that both firmware and kernel files be used when downgrading a drive or cross-flashing OEM models." Nuts!) Then, in Terminal, I entered the command line:

./DVRFlash -f PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-112D A0813541.806

But received this error message:

Firmwares and Drive type mismatch

I read another forum post where someone had encountered the same problem, and was told that since the Pioneer drive was an OEM model, in order to flash it with new firmware, one would need to use the parameter -ff to crossflash the drive. So, I thought that would be the ticket.

5. In Terminal, I entered the command line:

./DVRFlash -ff PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-112D A0813541.806

And got the message:

Firmwares and Drive type mismatch
Continue because superforce option was specified
WARNING: Hardware and Firmware really don't match!
Continue because superforce option was specified
Are you sure you want to flash this drive (y/n)?

So I hit "Y" and enter, and this was the result:

Switching drive to Kernel mode:
Description : PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-112
Firmware Rev. : 0000
Firmware Date : 06/08/11
Manufacturer : PIONEER
Drive is now in Kernel mode

Now sending the Normal part:
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
|============|============|============|============|
Please hold your breath for about 30 seconds...

Could not send the Flash command (Sense: 04 4C 00)

So I figured I'd better check the drive's specs to see where I was at, and got this reply:

Device : A:
Vendor : PIONEER
Model : DVD-RW DVR-112
Revision : 0000

Status : RPC-1 (region free)

It's region-free, hooray, but now there's no firmware revision (and it's also listed as DVR-112, not DVR-112D), so I figured I should go back into Parallels Desktop/Windows XP and just try to continue with the next step in my original plan: flashing with TDB's DVR-112L / 8.06 firmware.

6. In Parallels/Windows, I double-clicked on the 112L_806.EXE file. TDB's DVR-112 Series Windows Flasher popped up and recognized the drive as "PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-112 0000." I clicked the "Flash" button and got this simple error message:

Upload and burn failed.

And that's where I'm stuck at the moment. The drive has no firmware revision, the Windows .EXE flasher files don't seem to work in Parallels Desktop, and I don't know what to do!

Please help this sad Mac user out. Thanks.

basically you should of flashed straight to the 112L, no need to flash any other firmware before.

-ff option is used when you have the kernel and firmware to crossflash a drive, you don't have the kernel, so when force flashing, it has put the drive into kernel mode, which is basically its safe mode.

best bet is to get it connected into a pc, and see if the TDB'S flasher/kernel can recover it.

DVRFlash needs a kernel and a firmware to do this

Thanks, PumaUK. I'll hunt down a friend with a PC and try to salvage it.

::cry::

Ok, I've read this thread thoroughly. I've also read the instructions on the new version of DVR flash. I have upgraded my old drives on my PPC Mac without any issue in the past and they're all Region Free. So I get the concept.

To be safe, I decided I would try this on the SECOND of my two drives (just in case). I have an Intel Mac Quad Core running Leopard. The only thing I need is region-free -- the rest doesn't matter so much to me, though faster and better is always a side-bonus.


1. I downloaded the Buffalo 8.06 firmware at The Dangerous Brothers' which gave me two files: R12DOI.EXE and A0813541.806

2. I loaded DVRFlash 2.5.1 and changed to the appropriate directory (into which I installed the ROM files).

3. I ran the following instructions as per DVR Flash. It seems to indicate that only the ONE file is required.
./DVRFlash B:PIONEER A0813541.806

4. I get this error: Firmwares and Drive type mismatch (much like the person in the first post).

I'm just not sure what I'm doing wrong. I've followed every single instruction for a very simple patch and nothing will make this work. I suspect I'm not using the EXE file as intended but hell if I know what to do

Here's my drive profile:
Device : B:
Vendor : PIONEER
Model : DVD-RW DVR-112D
Revision : BC14
Status : RPC-2 (region locked)
Region : none
Changes : 5 region changes remaining
4 vendor resets remaining
state is 'Region not set'

Thanks,
Eric

nope this is wrong, your trying to crossflash the drive, to do that you need a firmware and a kernel file, which there isn't any for the buffalo firmwares available, using just the firmware will not work.

Two options here, you can hook it up to a windows pc and use one of the dangerous bros kernel/firmware flashers to flash the drive, or try software that will allow you to run windows applications in a mac/leopard

or i can post you a 112 file that will flash the drive to a 112 Region free

A file or link to one would be way cool. Thanks for educating me on that a bit more. Although I am a geek, I am not one in this particular field. I'll do one, test it, and report back.

What's amazing to me, is in my research, how much conflicting information there is. This forum really got me on the right track at least. Once I have success, I'll certainly link to it for other Macheads who need help.

Thank you

here is the kernel and firmware files for the 112

http://sony0.rpc1.org/DVR112.zip

1. I got the file (thank you)
2. ./DVRFlash B:PIONEER A0013000.115 A0013001.124
3. Failed with same error: Firmwares and Drive type mismatch
4. Tried with the "-f" option ./DVRFlash -f B:PIONEER A0013000.115 A0013001.124
5. Failed again:
Drive Information:
Description : PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-112D
Firmware Rev : BC14
Firmware Date : 07/09/27
Manufacturer : PIONEER
Drive is in normal mode.

Firmwares and Drive type mismatch
Continue because force option was specified
WARNING: Hardware and Firmware really don't match!

Then returns to command prompt.

I know there's the FF option but I am a little nervous to use it now. What say ye? (Also notice the URL had "sony" in it and this is a Pioneer drive, but that may just be your FTP name).

-ff, and sony0 is my ftp account name

1. Success.
2. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.
3. I've given you a shout out on my blog in today's entry: http://www.darsys.net/2008/07/randomness-part-huit.html
4. See #2 again

good to hear, pleased your sorted

Please read the posts more carefully next time.
Puma already told you about the -ff option in post #2.

I know. I saw it. The reason I specifically questioned it was because it said that it was the WRONG drive. I wanted to make sure that it was okay to proceed despite that.

Believe it or not, I read every post in this thread and went through it carefully (hence my detailed original post showing what steps I took so you wouldn't think me a total idiot*).


* Or if you did, it wouldn't be for THAT reason

No problem, darsys.

You did right & finally succeed. Many people just give up...

I've just done this procedure on my Mac Pro with a 112D using the files supplied above, all seemed to work and system profiler no longer says it's region locked but when I change between a region 1 disk and a region 2 disk the system tells me I only have a limited number of changes left. I used -ff and had no errors.

Ahh, I stand corrected. As long as I change the code with RegionX, it works fine

yes regionX is require for an RPC1 drive

Hi, I have been through the exact same process, and have successfully flashed my 112D to 112 status.. but now i am unable to flash to anything else.. I have tried every firmware, even the 1.28 for the 112D after editing with MCSE but it just stays in kernel mode without upgrading. Am I stuck as a 112 now? Because I have trouble reading about 10% of my DVD collection..
Many thanks

J

you need a kernel file to crossflash between the model variations, to get back, you will need to use one of TDB's flasher/kernel ones, the only kernel on its own is for the 112, which is
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=43868

you will need to run the dangerous bros flasher in a windows environment