Rebadged LiteOn flashed with LiteOn FW still rebadged

[cfitz]

I own a Memorex 48MAXX 2448AJ. I used FlashFix to convert the LiteOn flashing executable for firmware version SS0C so that it would flash any drive, and then used it to convert my Memorex to a LiteOn LTR-48246S with firmware SS0C.

While playing with the "Raw CMD" facility of KProbe this evening, I discovered that even though my drive now reports itself as an LTR-48246S and runs off the SS0C firmware, deep at heart it still knows itself to be a Memorex 48MAXX:



The hex data on the left and the ASCII translation in the middle are the data returned by the raw command I was testing. The active drive on the right is the identity string returned by the new LiteOn firmware with which I flashed the drive.

As far as I know this doesn't have anything to do with FlashFix. FlashFix doesn't modify the firmware itself. It just modifies the flashing utility to remove the safety check that would otherwise prevent you from flashing the "wrong" drive. The "Memorex 48MAXX 2448AJ" string still within the drive is probably in an EEPROM area that isn't touched when flashing new firmware. If so, perhaps that area of EEPROM is what WSES's "CLEAR EEPROM" command wipes out to render your drive irretrievably dead.

Also note the date string "20020906" in the data. My drive was made in September of 2002 according to the bar code on the box, so I assume this date is the date of manufacture. Now I know my drive's exact birthday!

I don't have any reason to believe there is any real significance to all of this. I just thought it was interesting and decided to pass it along.

cfitz

[dhc014]

cfitz, would you mind making a binary backup of your firmware and send it to me please? The Inquiry command returns the LTR-48246S info, right?

Could you post which command you used to obtain this?

[Ian]

Interesting.. its possible that there are parts of the flash rom that are not changed by the firmware update.

[cfitz]

I thought I might hear from you, dhc014.

would you mind making a binary backup of your firmware and send it to me please?

You want the firmware that is actually burned in the drive, right? In other words, back up the actual drive with mtkflash. I can do that if that is what you want.

The Inquiry command returns the LTR-48246S info, right?

Yes, it sure does: LITE-ON LTR-48246S SS0C.

Could you post which command you used to obtain this?

CDB = DF 82 05 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

cfitz

[cfitz]

Check your mail, dhc014.

For others who may be interested, the backup does contain a Memorex string at the very end of the file. Given this fact, I suppose there is a reasonably good chance that flashing the drive with a firmware backed up from a "true" LiteOn using mtkflash might erase all traces of Memorex from the drive. Apparently the LiteOn flasher leaves some bytes untouched that mtkflash doesn't.

By the way, I don't think it should matter but I used mtkflash 1.55 to do the backup.

cfitz

[dhc014]

Yes. mtkflash writes all banks whereas the Windows Flasher doesn't... This would also explain why a firmware extracted right from a Windows Flasher differs from one extracted from a drive that was flashed with a Windows Flasher...

Thanks cfitz

[Spazmogen]

Yes. mtkflash writes all banks whereas the Windows Flasher doesn't... This would also explain why a firmware extracted right from a Windows Flasher differs from one extracted from a drive that was flashed with a Windows Flasher...

Thanks cfitz

I may try and use the 6S0D firmware again, this time from DOS with MTK Flash. It was buggy as all hell when I did it with the Lite On firmware flasher.


cfitz: have you tried it with MTk Flash from DOS with authentic Lite On firmware? You'll need an authentic .bin to do it.

[cfitz]

Thanks cfitz

You're welcome. And thank you.

have you tried it with MTk Flash from DOS with authentic Lite On firmware?

No, I haven't. I just flashed it with the LiteOn Windows flasher modified by FlashFix.

cfitz

[dhc014]

Yes, if you do flash in DOS, first try it without the "/m" command, to see if mtkflash also only wrote part.

[cfitz]

That is what I had in mind, if I decide to experiment.

cfitz

[CDRecorder]

In the "pflash.exe" program which is used to flash older Lite-On drives (such as my 12101B), there is an option (/all) that says it can "Also update the Boot Code". I wonder if this is the part of the flash that isn't being updated with the Windows flashers.

[dhc014]

In the "pflash.exe" program which is used to flash older Lite-On drives (such as my 12101B), there is an option (/all) that says it can "Also update the Boot Code". I wonder if this is the part of the flash that isn't being updated with the Windows flashers.

Most likely. This is also a parameter in a special Lite-ON Windows Flasher...

[CDRecorder]

In the "pflash.exe" program which is used to flash older Lite-On drives (such as my 12101B), there is an option (/all) that says it can "Also update the Boot Code". I wonder if this is the part of the flash that isn't being updated with the Windows flashers.

Most likely. This is also a parameter in a special Lite-ON Windows Flasher...

Do you mean the Lite-On Windows flasher that is available for download from Lite-On's web site, or is there another one that I haven't come across?

[dhc014]

This one: http://www.iodata.co.jp/lib/soft/r/rw48s_f101.exe



Maybe karr_wang could tell us a little about it since it looks like he wrote it

[CDRecorder]

I downloaded KProbe and tried the Inquiry feature on my Creative RW1210E (flashed to LTR-12101B). It didn't show "Creative" anywhere, just Lite-On and LTR-12101B. BTW, I flashed it using PFLASH using the "/all" option I mentioned in an earlier post.

What version of KProbe did you use in the screenshot above, cfitz? I used KProbe 1.1.8, and I didn't see the "active drive" data in the purple box at the right of the KProbe window.

[dhc014]

I don't see the data either (1.1.8). I see:

Code: Select all

'wam...K........
................
........).......
................
................
................
...............!
................

[cfitz]

LiteOnGuy, I used version 1.1.8, although I think any version will do. And I didn't issue the pre-made "Inquiry" command (which does return the flashed LTR-48246S identifier for my drive). I typed the hex digits I posted earlier directly into the CDB entry boxes.

LiteOnGuy and dhc014, try issuing the command after you have completed a C1C2 scan. It appears that something Karr sets up for doing C1C2 testing in KProbe enables the output of this command. And it also appears to be affected by some state that is maintained in the drive, not in KProbe. I haven't tested enough to say conclusively, but it seems that I can't get the command to work when I first turn on the system. But after I run a complete C1C2 scan, I can get the command to work even if I shut down KProbe, start KProbe again, and issue the command in the new instance of KProbe without running another C1C2 scan. Curious is all I will say for now.

Finally, I only got it to work on my LTR-48246S (or is it... ) CD-RW drive, not on my LTD-166S DVD-ROM drive. That doesn't surprise me.

cfitz

[dhc014]

cfitz... Indeed it does work after running the test. This is freaky. I also have a Memorex 48MAXX 2448AJ, my screenshot is different from yours.

[cfitz]

Hey, our drives were "born" only two days apart! I wonder if they rode in the same truck together?

Your screen-shot looks essentially the same to me. Obviously, the date of manufacture is different, so that doesn't really count. But I believe at least some of the other differences, particularly in the low-order bytes, are due to those bytes being data returned in the C1C2 measuring process rather than being bytes from the firmware dump.

cfitz

[CDRecorder]

So, you get all of this extra data after you run a test, presumably a C1/C2 error scan? Interesting...

I'll give this a try and post my results.

[MediumRare]

OK I had a look at my drive too- it was always a LiteOn but came with an unusual firmware (SID1). I had tried the command earlier but without scanning first (same problem as Dave and LiteOnGuy). If you're impatient, it suffices to start a scan and stop it after it starts sampling.



My drive's birthday comes right in between your Memorex's.

cfitz- how did you find that command? I checked the MMC specs from the TIO-site spath mentioned, but couldn't find anything there.

G

(Post no. 200 )

[CDRecorder]

Congrats on 200 posts, MediumRare!

I tried running a C1/C2 error scan on my LTR-12101B, but it didn't show all the info you saw.

[MediumRare]

Congrats on 200 posts, MediumRare!

Congrats to you too you must have passed that mark overnight .

G

[dhc014]

It would be interesting to get a database of these screenshots going...

[CDRecorder]

Congrats on 200 posts, MediumRare!

Congrats to you too you must have passed that mark overnight .

G

Thanks!

BTW, what hosting services are you all using to host your screenshots?