MtkWinFlash can recover dead drives now, in Windows!

[dimitri]

MtkWinFlash - Direct IDE Port Mode

The next version of MtkWinFlash will have 2 separate modules:
Standard "send to drive" mode and the new Direct IDE port mode .
This new mode sends the binary firmware to any IDE port you tell it to.

It means you can flash recognized or unrecognized Mediatek-chip based drives!

You can now recover dead drives while staying in Windows!

Though the next version itself is not quite ready yet, the Direct IDE port module is ready and tested.








Read all about it / download it through this LINK. It's fully functional.
Please report your experience.

Thanks

[cfitz]

Great! It keeps getting better and better. Thanks digi.

cfitz

[Reg-da-Ripper]

Great! It keeps getting better and better. Thanks digi.

cfitz

Agreed.

One question: Will there ever be USB 2.0/IEEE 1394 support with this utility?

[dimitri]

One question: Will there ever be USB 2.0/IEEE 1394 support with this utility?

This utility is based on vxd and sys drivers from Mediatek. As of now they can only address the 4 IDE ports. Even extra ide controllers and raid controllers are out of boundary, not only for this utility but other tools that are based on these vxd and sys drivers, eg: official Liteon and BTC Flash utilities. But never say never...

[dhc014]

Great! It keeps getting better and better. Thanks digi.

cfitz

Agreed.

One question: Will there ever be USB 2.0/IEEE 1394 support with this utility?

Highly unlikely since the adapters used and all can vary. There are flashers for external CD-RW drives though so who knows?

As for the new version of mtkWinFlash; I tested it and it works wonderfully

[KCK]

I'm not sure if it is relevant to this discussion, but I used Lite-On's firmwares VS06 and VS08 to flash my LTR-48125W in an external IEEE 1394 (FireWire) enclosure with the Oxford bridge 0XFW911 under XP Pro. I didn't even bother to turn off DMA for the drive before flashing.

[UALOneKPlus]

This is a very interesting program! Thanks!

I've never come across a dead drive before. Under what kind of circumstances would a dead drive occur?

A bad firmwareflash?

[cfitz]

Under what kind of circumstances would a dead drive occur? A bad firmwareflash?

That's one way, and probably the most common way.

cfitz

[dimitri]

I'm not sure if it is relevant to this discussion, but I used Lite-On's firmwares VS06 and VS08 to flash my LTR-48125W in an external IEEE 1394 (FireWire) enclosure with the Oxford bridge 0XFW911 under XP Pro. I didn't even bother to turn off DMA for the drive before flashing.

I find this interesting info. The IDE Port mode won't be any good for you but could you just start MtkWinflash (standard mode) and see if it detects your drive? You can get it HERE

Thanks!

[KCK]

dimitri:

I have just download MtkWinFlash1211.zip. When unzipped, it creates a directory MtkWinFlash1211 with 5 files: addon.dll, fide.sys, FIDEVXD.VXD, MtkWinFlash.exe and MtkWinFlash.txt. Before running MtkWinFlash.exe, I want to make sure about the following points.

Will MtkWinFlash.exe make any changes to the registry or install any files in C:\Windows or its subdirectories?

Does it require any special ASPI layer under XP SP1?

In other words, I don't want to mess up my OS.

[dimitri]

No, no and no

[KCK]

dimitri:

Unfortunately MtkWinFlash only recognizes my Toshiba DVD-ROM SD-2502, but not LTR-48125W in the external enclosure. This was done under XP SP1 without any system ASPI, with and without InCD (killed via Task Manager). I may try my 98SE box later.

[dimitri]

Thanks KCK but I would be really surprised if it did see it. It's only because you said the Liteon flash utility did detect your firewire connected drive that I got curious. I still can't figure out how it did.. It might be that the software drivers of the Oxford Bridge are emulating a virtual IDE port...

Thaks for checking it up

[KCK]

dimitri:

Nero InfoTool| Configuration lists Primary IDE Channel, Secondary IDE Channel, and then Texas Instruments OHCI Compliant IEEE Host Controller (File: System32\Drivers\ohci1394.sys provided by MS) with a single descendant Oxford Semiconductor Ltd. OXFORD IDE Device IEEE 1394 SBP2 Device. As for Drivers, almost all are from MS, except for several installed by Nero, InCD and EasyWriteReader from Ahead, some from PCtel for my internal modem, and a single OMCI driver from Dell. My external enclosure came with no drivers.