The Firmware Page

This question is getting asked far too often and the answer is repeatedly given. The firmware consists of two parts the KERNEL and the NORMAL these both have to match up with the OEM mark or there will be serious problems in the drives operation. An upgrade of firmware usually only involves the NORMAL unless there is a major upgrade so the KERNEL is not usually included when there is an upgrade.
Changing the drives firmware from the OEM to PIONEER involves in flashing the KERNEL as well as the NORMAL parts so that both parts of the firmware match. Now to revert back to the OEM firmware the KERNEL and NORMAL parts are both required to successfully flash the drive. The OEM's do not release the firmware a regular as the Pioneer ones and the KERNEL part is only included in revisions when it has been changed. Without the KERNEL and NORMAL for the OEM it is not possible to successfully flash back to the OEM.

If I understand you, since I have flashed my TEAC DV-W50E to the Pioneer DVR-105 firmware, I can not take it back to the original TEAC configuration because TEAC hasn't supplied any firmware for the KERNAL and NORMAL?

Exactly. For the technical aspects of things, the Kernel/Normal aspect of things can be simplified like this. You have to consider the Kernel and the Normal part as 2 very separate entities.

1/ When the drive boots, it runs the reset/init routine from the kernel
2/ This init routine contains the address of the Normal part routine that will perform the rest of the initialization and get your drive ready . This address is HARDCODED in the kernel
3/ If the kernel init routine is unable to run the Normal part initialization for any reason, it will fall back to failsafe mode, in which only a very limited set of commands (like the ones that flash the drive) are available.
You can definitely not do much of anything in failsafe mode, especially, you cannot read or write any CD or DVD.

Now, if you flash a Kernel and a Normal part that are not matched, the hardcoded address from the kernel routine is invalid and the drive has no choice but to go in failsafe mode


Now, here is what happen in various cases.

o You try to flash a Normal part and the flashing goes bezerk
Result: the init routine of the kernel will not be able to run the Normal part initialization and you will end up in failsafe mode.
This is definitely a good thing, because it will allow you to flash again and maybe get your drive back

o You try to flash a Normal part that does not match your current kernel (eg: you try to revert from kernel+normal true Pioneer to normal only OEM, because you don't have the kernel)
Result: the hardcoded kernel address is invalid, and the drive will stay in kernel mode. The only way to get out of this is to re-flash the Normal part that matches the Kernel

o You flash both a kernel and a normal part that match (eg: OEM -> True Pioneer 106D firmware where we have both kernel + normal)
Result: Since the kernel is updated, the hardcoded address obviously matches the Normal init routine and your drive will run properly.

Now, it is MORE complicated than that so to all those who will say "Can't you just do a universal Kernel firmware that will find the Normal part of any firmware", the definitive answer is NEVER.

If you are worried about the fact of not being able to flash back from true Pioneer then don't flash to true Pioneer.

Now, if you are the opinion like myself that a cat should be called a cat, and that a Pioneer 106D drive should really run a Pioneer 106D firmware, you won't really give a damn about not being able to get back to the OEM firmware.

Yes but the problem for me, for example, is that if I transform my Acer 106RD in a true Pioneer I lose the 2years warranty.
So, I'd like to know, if there's any way to extract the KERNEL and the NORMAL parts of the firmware that is into my drive or if someone in this board can find a solution to flash back the OEM drives (in my case the Acer 106RD) or if anyone knows any more information about this argument.

Supposing that there's no way to find both KERNEL and NORMAL parts of the original firmware of my drive, I think I'll have to return my drive to reseller 'cause I cannot have a drive without its warranty... it's a big risk.

Immediately you flash your drive with any firmware other than an official one THE WARRENTY IS VOID. That is the risk you have to take.

I bought my Pioneer 106 which turned out to be an ACER 106RD.

Point 1, as an OEM (all 106RD are OEM, AFAIK) then warrently is less than the retail A06, so don't assume the same.

Point 2, I bought a pioneer 106, I have the receipt, so although the label says 106RD and the firmware now says pioneer 106D, I may have redress with the supplier if Pioneer won't help

Point 3, Accept/know the risks; I did and the upgrade worked fine (which is the immediate risk if messing after putchase) so if the drive fails for some physical reason, I'll buy another drive. I had an IBM OEM HD that failed aftert 14 months (due to heat!) which is part of the course. I'm not definite but most problems with DVDR drives tend to be either laser or drive belt orientated - both of which show themselves early, so if you have burnt a variety of +/- disks & read them with no problems on the original firmware, then you have a decent drive and can proceed (that's not to say something couldn't go wrong with the electronics, or an electrical storm whilst flashing the drive can't result in a big paperweight).

Ultimately, if warranty is of greatest importance to you, then buy a retail product NOT an OEM version - the price reduction for OEM is not just saving on packaging. OEM versions are really meant fort companies building computers who will offer their own warranties, not end users buying cheap.

That said, my 106RD flashed to 1.07-RPC1 works brilliantly (save for not supporting 90 or 99 min disks, but that's a hardware problem).

paniQ

In Germany, you get 2 years warranty for ANY product you buy. It is established in German law.

There are some users who use their drive intensely. So although the drive is not defective and works fine, it may break after some time. When you still have warranty, why not make use of it?

Nevertheless, I flashed my Teac OEM to a true Pioneer because I benefit from the superior performance. In addition, I do not use the drive too often so I assume that it will not break within the next 2 years.

Not any, but most of all.
And, this warranty-time is law in all countries which are members of the EU.

just to make things absolutely clear there it is impossible to flash my now pioneer 107 dirve back to the ACER OEM 105?

That is what the original post is all about

so theres no hope...

I have PIONEER DVR-105 and i flashed it to 1.33 hacked fw, now I want to go back to original 1.33B firmware and flash utility says, that the firmware is tha latest. So I tryed flash it to 1.30 hacked fw, flash utility says, that it cannot be applicated to this firmware, becoase is not right.

so I have same problem that you writted FLASHMAN???

> C.O.D
Use the upgdvd.exe that is supplied with the hacked Pioneer firmware and replace the one with it that is in the firmware package you want to flash to your drive and use the /F option and it will work
Alternately you can download the ready made package from my site for all the 105 firmwares official and unofficial

I solved this problem with DVRFlash_v1.0, gracias

i have a Pioneer 106D and i flashed it to the hacked 1.07 firmware. so since the 1.07 firmware didn't flash the kernal, only the normal, i can downgrade to firmware 1.06 with just flashing with the nomral firmware correct

please respond

Post subject: WHY CAN`T I FLASH MY PIONEER BACK TO THE ORIGINAL OEM F/WIf your drive is not an OEM drive then your query is irrelevant in this thread.
Providing the Kernel and the Normal firmwares are the same type there is no problem

I have a pioneer 106D and it came with the 105 firmware.

So it had 105 kernel and 105 firmware??

And now when I flashed with 107 Hacked, the kernel is still 105 and firmware is 107 ?

why can't I flash back to 105 with the orginal pioneer firmware since there whas no new kernel in 106 or 107 ?

does the 107 lock the "rollback" option somehow?


(I know I can force it back to any firmware, just want to know why there was no new kernel in 107FW)

Read my post above this thread is about OEM drives.
There is no problem flashing back to firmware 1.05 if you have an original Pioneer drive and not OEM. The kernel was not changed after firmware 1.05 the only problem would be if you wanted to go back to firmware 1.00

Hi newbie here

Im just wondering ive just got a pioneer DVD RW DVR106D which shows up in windows as firmware 1.07 and has region protection it was listed as OEM on scan where i got it

Ive got the OEM_Pioneer_DVR-106_UNIVERSAL_Flash_1.0.zip from here, am i right in thinking that patching mine with the above 1.07 firmware will just make it region free ?

See i have just got it and havent tested it on anything yet even backing up my files so really wanna test it first

If all that will do is make it region free i'll pass as i already have a region free player
Cheers for the help

I am sorry if i am totally misinterpreting this but I have an OEM Pioneer 106 with 1.07 firmware.

So if i went to the Pioneer Website and found that they had released version 1.09 for example, could I flash my drive with this firmware?

Or any other firmware releases?

Cheers!

I got my Pio 107D today. It was manufactured in January 2004 and came with fimware revision 1.05.

Being a fool, I decided to flash the firmware at once. DVRFLASH wouldn't do it at first, claiming that the model didn't match with something. I remember the program listing Kernel type and Normal type as "MEDION" or some such thing.

I then tried flashing again, using the -f parameter, which worked and the drive now had firmware v1.10 (official, not the hacked one). Flasher now lists Kernel and Normal as "GENERAL".

I burned a Verbatim (MCC) -R at 4x and measured the results with a LiteOn 851S, using the KProbe's latest version... and the results were quite terrible. First quarter of the disc is way out of spec, with PI past the 300 mark. With Pio 106D and firmware 1.07, the PI was steady 20-25 all through the disc.

So, I'm thinking: did I mess up the drive by forcing the firmware upgrade?

.: colin

I already post this on another thread but I think Flash can give me an answer - or anyone else: it is VERY important to me to find. Here is the text: I have an Asus 0804p. If I flash it to Pioneer A07 is there a way back to original Asus firmware? DVRflash could help if I had the original firmware from Asus - 1.08? Pls give me a hint, I know that this was possible with the DVD-Rom drive 120 but is it working with this? The firmware's archive from Asus came with 3 files: upgdvd.exe, r7123107.112 (1M size) and r7123007.112 (64k size). Is the little-sized file the kernel-file? If I have this file can I succesfully flash back my drive to Asus... The DVR-flasher will work? Please answer and give any indication you think may help!

Yes it looks like the files will work to revert back to the ASUS firmware and you will find the appropriate compiled set of files on my site in the appropriate ASUS section

Thank you Flash! I hope I'll manage to transform my drive!