Ok while there is a little risk involved in updating firmware on burners, it is really a pretty easy task. Dont update with a disk in the drive; dont hit the restart button while it is uploading to the drive... etc

I updated to SB01 without a hitch, the burner had a 100% 16x burn record. The only trouble I ever had was with nero7 and crappy media.

So.. today when I go to update to SB02, I found that TSST tried to boil down firmware updates to the n00b level. Ala, their new auto "One Click Firmware Update"

http://www.samsungodd.com/eng/Firmwa...t_code=&os_no=
(FF gave me trouble, use IE)

1. Used Wininquiry 1.03.1 to confirm Model and OEM Code: SH-S183L SB
2. Downloaded and executed the firmware .exe "SH-S183L_SB02.exe"
3. The program started, the drive activity light flickered, and it shut down without any explanation.
4. I immediately checked Wininquiry... Under Version, it read: BOOT
5. Restarted: Bios confirmed Version Boot
6. Wininquiry Version: Boot, but the drive installed itself in XP
7. Reran the firmware program... It started again and looked like it was going to upload... but it Failed four clicks into it and forced me to restart.
8. Checked Wininquiry: Version SB02

I did this process twice. Same exact outcome both times. WTF?

The drive seems to be working fine, but what the hell is going on?

After this place, I am going to try TSSt support.

Thanks everyone,
- Mike

Hi,

to get the "old fashioned" firmware update, just rename the downloaded .exe file to .zip extension and extract the contents to a folder you like. In addition you might try an older version of the flash utility (maybe that one, that worked for your with SB01).

Michael

Changing the file extension worked like a charm, but the "CMD Failed" when I tried to upload the SB02 and the SB01 Firmware.

Each time, it changes the Version to : Boot

Any ideas what to do from here?

Hi,Did you use the flasher that was available with your older firmware?
That means, the drive recovers to kind of safe mode.

This might be a controller issue. Where is your drive connected to?
Make sure, your SATA controller is not set to RAID or AHCI mode. If possible, run it with MS standard drivers. If not, then try the latest ones from the chipset manufacturer.

Also, during the firmware update process, do not quit the "update failed, reboot now" message unless the progress bar has reached 100%. I saw similar with my 182D, when it was connected to a Promise IDE controller.

Michael

I have that drive and i just used Firefox to download the .exe file and just flashed it with SB02, rebooted, and so far so good. Thanks for the post on the new f/w

Hi,

this would rule out a broken firmware updater at least
But I am still not able to download any firmware updates using Firefox or Opera. Did you use the direct link provided by the thread starter?

Michael

I downloaded the .exe file from the OP's link.

Hehe, you answered before I wrote my question

I'm old school i guess. I don't use the updater programs for any brand of drive

I just download the .exe or .bin etc......... and use what i need to flash my drives

Me too

btw: I just added a bunch of direct links in the Firmware announcement threads for Opera and Ff users

And now I am stopping this thread hijacking attempt. Let's see what michaelbret reports back

Michael

I just wanted to let michaelbret know i flashed with no problems and thanks for the update link using FF.

Thanks you guys, I may have figured/dug out the root of the problem.

mciahel, you were right on the money. Now it is all making sense. A few days ago, I tried updating my VIA drivers individually. That is, the chipset, then the VIA VT8237 PCI-ISA Bridge - DriveStation SATA RAID Controller (thank you Everest)

I was bsod 0x07e even in safe mode. After removing the driver i was back in business when I removed all via crap then installed with the most current.

Since HL2: DM was working fine and the drive was playing movies... no problems.

It was when I tried to burn a suse10.2 disk that i started getting an "Illegal Disk" error in nero. I knew my media was good, so i wrote it off as a winblows problem.

So before I read the stellar exchange between rolling56 and youself, I warranty exchanged the drive. Firmware problems exactly as above. I let it upload to 100% until i rebooted.....
Bios confirmed the correct Version: SB02

Tired to Burn suse iso... no dice same illegal disk error

Read the conversation while listening to fireworks outside the window, then uninstalled via sata drivers.

Burn Sucessful at 16x on Fuji DVD+R

This is what liteon media check v3.1.15 says about my media, FYI

Long winded and maybe TMI, but you guys rock. Thanks a metric ton.

Still a few more questions though.

#1 How do you guys upload the firmware. tftp or something? maybe a utility other than the one provided?

#2 Is there a way to checksum the firmware loaded in the drive?
I bring up this question because if you hit "reboot" to early during the "failed" upload, the data is obviously not all there. Can i verify this or is a successful 16X burn proof enough?

#3 (Noob Question) Performance wise, how can I benchmark my drive to tell if it is going to be a good one?

My original (before the BBY warranty exchange) never once did me wrong.

With this current drive, I am 1for1 with "legal disks" ala, working sata drivers. What do you fellas think?


Thank you again making me feel like the small fish in the big lake. Sadly, I get tired of being the smart guy; mciahel and rolling56, you are both true enthusiasts.

- Mike

Glad you have a working drive now. I'm not to keen on the auto update crap. It's better to just download the f/w update and flash it to me.

I've also read people have problems with flashing their bios update through windoze update so i always use a dos floppy to do that.

Is "flash it to me" a program or what? Would you mind walking me though how you do it?

Edit: Heh, I got it... flash it, to me.

I am by no means the grammar police, but this illustrates my level of noob zen on this site. Thanks again!

Anyone have a link for the SB01 ver. of sfdnwin.exe?

The above produces Version 3.25.6 of SFDNWIN.

- Mike

This is the release provided with older firmwares: http://www.samsungodd.com/Lib/File/sfdnwin.exe Also ver. 3.25.6.0

You might also try the newer version 3.27.11 from http://codeguys.rpc1.org/firmwares_samsung.html

Hi,You mean, how to "upload" the firmware to the drive? Well, normally the official flash tool is used. There is not much difference between the "old" way and the new "One-Klick"-Solution. Formerly, the firmware file and the flasher had to be downloaded separately, now they are put together in a self extracting ZIP file, that still can be torn apart if necessary. Other manufacturers (Benq, Liteon, LG) offer integrated firmware flashers.
In case the downloaded firmware is corrupt or wrong, the flasher will refuse to work. This is the reason why there were no RPC1 patched inofficial firmwares available.
Yes, you have really to wait until the progress bar is at its end. I consider this as a bug in the flasher. At the moment, there is no tool available that could retrieve the firmware from the drive in order to allow the comparison with the original firmware file. So there is nothing left but relying on the fact a burn was successfully.
If you are able to burn perfectly readable discs, you should be fine. The Samsungs are basically able to perform a "quality scan", but since the results are very variable, it is better to confirm the results with another drive (a Liteon DVDRW would be very good for that).
The most common problem with SATA drives are indeed the SATA drivers. If such problems are solved, then you should be fine.
Learn and share your experience In a short time, the small fish will grow up
That's why this is CDFreaks

Michael

Thanks again, all!

any possibility of getting an RPC1 version of the sb02 firmware?

Just PIY (Patch It Yourself). It's easy with MCSE