The Firmware Page

Well, I have now a solution and a new question.

First, the solution: My SD-R2102 is now back to life. I purchased the CD-Slim-to-IDE adapter, plugged it on the CD drive, and then the pack is added on a desktop PC. Now, I restarted my PC on DOS mode and I used the flashing program to recover it. Now I have the original 1316 firmware back.

Now, the question: The original 1316 firmware doesn't recognize DVD-RW discs. The misflashed 1916 firmware reads it as well, but it sets my drive to master. The 1316 sets to slave. It's sure I need to upgrade my drive firmware, but what is the correct one? On firmware page there is a lot of then and I don't know which of then sets as master and which sets as slave( i need these ones). Do I need to try one by one??

Thanks for your help.

Symp Silva.

There is also a 1916 which sets to SLAVE. You can try with this.

WOW! Really???

Well, let's say what I did. My drive has 1316 f/w. Looking my drive, I can't see if it is a rev A or B, so I assume it is a rev A. And the firmware actually written is a rev A. Other info:
Model: SD-R2102
Ver No: 300
ROM ver: 1316
Manufactured: May 2002 CT
M/S type (I think it is a Master/Slave, and not a CSEL). Default setting is Slave.

I downloaded the 1916 and X916 firmwares on this site and flashed then, without success (my drive was turned master). So, where I can get the 1916 firmware with slave setting? There will be many people greeting you by this information, since I saw a topic asking this.

Additionally, I tried to flash many other versions to see if I can read
DVD-RW discs. Using DiscInfo, my drive reports I can read, but when I put one to read, the drive doesn't recognize it and the yellow lamp is always on.

The versions I flashed were:
XD98 -> set as master
1916 -> set as master
x916 -> set as master
1A16 -> set as master
1G15 -> set as master
1718 -> Ok, set as slave. But shows same problem as 1316.

Any help will be apreciated. Thanks.

Symp Silva.

Sorry pal, I made a wrong conclusion.

Maybe 1A16 (Rev.A) would give what you are searching for. I have not that much insight into Toshiba firmwares, so it's just a guess.

Unfortunately no. I tried 1A16 (Rev.A) before (I wrote it above), and my drive was set to master. I actually flashed the RPC1 version (XA16.HEX), that is the same as 1A16.

And a have a curiosity: I said I flashed 1316 RPC1 on my drive, and on my desktop PC works well. But when I put on my notebook, it doesn't read any discs as well. Windows could see the drive. When I reflashed to 1718 RPC1, my drive could read CDs. And the region selection was unassigned (when I see on Windows Properties), with 2 changes. Is it normal?

Thanks.

Windows has it's own regioncode software lock.

Did you get an IDE #1 Error maybe?

No. As I said, now, the drive works as before. I can now read and write CD-R and CD-RW discs, read DVD-ROM and DVD-Video discs. But I still can't read DVD-RW discs.

As I can see the drive, no more IDE #1 Error is seen (good!).

I'm only waiting a firmware to read DVD-RW. It will be good if f/w 1916 (or a equivalent) would be set as slave...

Thanks again!

Some drives only can read DVD-RW rated/burnt at 1x and 2x, others have no problems with even 4x and 6x rated ones. The reason behind this is the different DVD-RW revisions which makes it necessary for older drives to get a firmware update.
Finally, not other choice.

Hi,

I have a problem similar to those described by ste1 and others earlier in this thread. Except that in my case after misflashing my DVD drive it's the HD that is no longer recognised in the BIOS!

I got into this mess when the DVD drive could suddenly no longer read any disks I thought perhaps the driver was corrupted. Searching the Internet for an updated driver for the Toshiba SD-C2502 I came across a firmware download on the Dell support site. In my ignorance about firmware versions I figured that would work, but the installation seemed to hang (it said Comparing then Waiting with a timer that counted down for several minutes) so I shut the computer off. When I rebooted, surprise: no hard drive!

I removed the HD and tested it, fortunately it seems to work fine. I installed the latest BIOS on the laptop (Medion) then tried putting the HD back in but that made no difference, it still won't recognise it (I don't see an Autodetect feature in the BIOS setup). Contrary to what others have described, the DVD drive is recognised, but it doesn't work (I tried to boot from Windows installation CD but no luck - the drive spins a few times and then stops).

Do I have to remove the DVD drive (a very complicated procedure, I have to practically disassemble the laptop) in order for the BIOS to find the hard drive, or is there anything else I can try first?

I'm assuming the DVD drive is defective, but how can I be sure?

Thanks for any advice

Larry

.........messed up and misflashed my toshiba sd r2102 ver 300 rom 1317 with 1916a and now got IDE #1 Error..........

anyone got a link for laptop to desktop connector so i can reflash it back to 1317 on a desktop ??

Depends on where you live.
http://www.datapro.net/products/1920.html

No use to flash it back to 1317 ; force the CDROM to work in slave mode by strapping pins 47 and 48 of the internal connector of the reader (you will have to unscreew the 2 [*Profanity*] located on each side of the external connector).

I'm newbie here and have to introduce myself. My name is Alex, 28 y.o. from Hungary. I have been looking for such kind of forum for a long time and at least I'm here. Hope that I'll become a member of this community and finally get the answers on all my questions, and may be my experience will be useful for all the ppl around. My Geek code QA7fMi9imv2udB.

Welcome Alex,

ask your questions but please have in mind to read around before and use SEARCH, the most powerful option in this forum.

help toshiba sd-2502 dead T_T


Thanks for you time.

Hello to all, I had a problem with my Compaq Presario 701E with DVD-ROM (Toshiba SD-C2502) which didn't want to read the CD discs in Windows XP SP2 so I thought to flash it with a new firmware in hope that it will fix this issue... in the first attempt with a floppy disk from DOS i flash it with the SD-C2502 with fw : 1Y09, after flashing and restart I insert the CD in drive and it doesn't read it, so I tried to reflash with an earlier version of the firmware : 1L13... I made a Dos diskette and typed in the "vup100k -a e1L13.hex" the response was : *** UNKNOWN ROM TYPE !! *** was continiously flashing all over the screen. I tried to disconnect the HDD and tried again with the same result....
Now neither bios neither windows does not detecting the drive...
I read the forum and cant find anything that I can do...
PLEASE HELP ME!!!! I'm desperate.... The Compaq service is charging with a 400 Euro for changing the drive!!!
The firmware that was in drive before flashing is 1011.
PLEASE RESPOND!!!
Sorry for my English.

This idea will not work.

Hi Chief,
I downloaded the e1011.hex firmware, the v169TEG.exe flasher and win98 boot disk and tried again with and without HDD in system, the result was that the flasher does't find toshiba dvd-rom in the system and quits....
Can you help me please? Maybe i can bye the controller to IDE and flash the drive on desktop PC? but i don't even know how to open the notebook so i can take out the dvd-rom...
Please help me Chief...

Does that mean you have booted from the DVD-ROM you wanted to flash??

No Chief, I boot the notebook with the Floppy Disk that i created in Win98 on another computer..... the DVD drive in Compaq nootebook is not recognizable so i can't boot from CD or DVD...
Maybe if I bye the Connector to IDE and flash on desktop computer it will work?? what is your opinion?
Can I try anything else??
Please help...

Yes, try that path with the ide adaptor.

Great post! It's very nice. Thank you so much for your post.

Hi,
Let me post my story which may help preventing some poor unfortunate soles from using their hammer.

Toshiba Satellite 1805-s254 laptop with SD-C2502 (1313) CD/DVD ROM has been acquired on eBay years ago, never to the best of my knowledge read DVD's been showing as DVD-ROM in the device manager but was fine with CD's.

1. In an attempt to make it read DVD's I flashed the original 1313...1999 firmware with some newer kit for this DVD-ROM model appeared to be Dell's 1D23. While running this diskette in pre-flash the DVD-ROM was identified as <Secondary> and 2. (Master) Toshiba bla-bla-bla. Result in DOS -- success. Upon reboot got IDE #1 ERROR. You can open the drive before the error message on the screen but it plays dead all the way afterwards. I haven't been able to overcome this IDE #1 ERROR with neither of the following:

2. re-flash with the same or any other firmware kits (useful detail: when you run your flash in REAL DOS interrupting it by <Pause/Break> key you can see that your drive now can only be the <Secondary> 3. (Slave) at the 4th place, after which point you have cycling "Unknown ROM Type!!" message and have to reboot the system.)

3. boot with disconnected HDD, DVD, or both pulling them out easily(useful detail: with both disconnected the error still occurs making it clear that the new firmware disconnected the DVD-ROM since I did nothing with the hardware or cables.)

4. I did not risk the hot-swap options suggested here since there was a forum member's message reporting the loss of his system board this way. Still think this was a right move, since:

5. Found logically correct the idea suggested here by the Russian guy Alex of shorting the ROM socket's 47th pin to either 0(ground) or +5V switching this way its mode to Master or Slave respectively. This was also highly supported by a lot of success reports from those who have used the "foil method": shortening pins 47 and 45 (making it Master?). Thus that's what I did, put a foil strip in, no soldering thank god but still however a highly precision demanding job. Immediate success -- no IDE #1 ERROR, DVD-ROM is visible in Windows, no read of DVD's however same as before. Uhhh...

6. In this "foil" mode re-flashed firmware back to 1313 with 1313b.hex found here, result -- error in DOS, and IDE #1 ERROR again upon reboot, which I thought was OK since the short was in place.

7. Took the foil off, no IDE #1 ERROR after couple reboots. Doesn't recognize DVD's and reads CD's fine. Region 1 device (no DVD reading but Region 1, weird.)

8. Re-flashed firmware to X313b, the DVD-ROM still doesn't recognize DVD's, but seems to be Region-Free now.

Here I am again at the beginning, how to make it read DVD's?? Thanks!

The reason is simple, the dvd part/lens must be defective.

Try to boot from a bootable DVD and you should see the outcome.

Chef, thank you for the input! I did try loading Vista setup DVD the only bootable one in my possession with no success.

I guess my point is that since there are so many help requests on the Internet including this forum about Toshiba SD-C2502 DVD-ROM not reading DVD's while ok with CD's, there must be some common knowledge and possibly a general solution to it. There shouldn't be a drastic difference in CD and DVD reading routines to consider a damage that allows the former but prevents the latter, should it?

Cleaning looks like a last option, but I doubt it will help. Can I do it myself do you think? Thanks again for your input, any advice is greatly appreciated.