grampaw Posted January 1, 2006 Posted January 1, 2006 I finally got around to updating all the FW on the five different DVD writers - ImgBurn Drive FW update feature really helps. Anyway, four of the writer FW updates went smoothly, all updated to the latest FW. A few glitches, but I figured them out. The last one I'm not sure exactly how to do. The writer is a Creative DR8420E which is really a rebadged BTC 1008IM. The last FW update the Creative people put out was 0054, which I flashed way back when I got the writer out of the box with the 0053 FW. The Creative FW flasher was a Windows flasher, just double click the exe file. Using ImgBurn's FW search, RPC1 has a "0059-Synthesized" FW for the Creative DR8420E. I downloaded and unzipped the zip file - the unzipped files are: FIDE.SYS, FIDEVXD.VXD, IDEFLASH.EXE, IDSTRING.TXT (the text is "CREATIVEDVDRW DR8420E ""RPC1V059.BIN""Y"), and RPC1V059.BIN. Now I show my ignorance - I have no idea how to do the flash update. Is this a DOS flasher?, a Windows flasher?, or what? I looked around on the RPC1 site, and couldn't find any cookbook type script to do the flash. Do I just double click on the EXE and it does it's thing, opening a DOS window if necessary? Or do I have to open my own DOS window (which I don't know how to do in WinXP)? Or, heaven forbid, do I have to do some sort of DOS Boot disk like years ago? I figure someone on this Support Forum can point me in the right direction. I assume updating the FW means changeing the DVD Writer ID, which in turn means other applications (NERO comes to mind) looking for something in its approved list will now be a no go. Should I even update the FW? - the RPC1 site doesn't tell me what added features the update gives me.
polopony Posted January 1, 2006 Posted January 1, 2006 I assume updating the FW means changeing the DVD Writer ID, which in turn means other applications (NERO comes to mind) looking for something in its approved list will now be a no go. Should I even update the FW? - the RPC1 site doesn't tell me what added features the update gives me. updating your firmware will not change the drives ID.The newest firmware 0054 is to expand the media that the drive will support. IDEFLASH.EXE from its name would be the file to flash
grampaw Posted January 1, 2006 Author Posted January 1, 2006 Polopony Thanks - worked perfectly! The IDEFLASH.EXE flashed the firmware from 054 to 059, the drive name stayed the same. I now understand how various flash files work together. In retrospect my initial post, besides rambling on and on, was pretty dumb... #39;(
volvofl10 Posted January 1, 2006 Posted January 1, 2006 grandpaw your initial post wasent "dumb" at all you did the right thing, you wasent sure so you asked . i dont see that as being "dumb" . if you had'nt asked, and dived in , you "could" have ended up with only 4 drives that still work
polopony Posted January 1, 2006 Posted January 1, 2006 Polopony Thanks - worked perfectly! The IDEFLASH.EXE flashed the firmware from 054 to 059, the drive name stayed the same. I now understand how various flash files work together. In retrospect my initial post, besides rambling on and on, was pretty dumb... #39;( great ,like volvo says jumping in and having no clue could be a disaster .I only found firmware 54 when I used Google if they are up to 59 already they're pretty busy with this drive.There's a good bunch of people here who are willing to help answer any questions you might have
grampaw Posted January 2, 2006 Author Posted January 2, 2006 The reason I thought my question was dumb was that I didn't do my homework - LIGHTNING UK!, I'm sure, would expect a little more research before asking. All I had to do was do a simple Google search to find out what these flash files were. IDEFLASH.EXE in this case is a generic windows ide device flasher. It relies on the IDSTRING.TXT file to first identify the ide device (the DVD writer ID, "CREATIVEDVDRW DR8420E" in this case), next the actual data to be flashed (the BIN file, "RPC1V059.BIN" file in this case), and finally if verification is requested (the "Y"). The FIDE.SYS and FIDEVXD.VXD files are Mediatek drivers that actually interface with the first 4 ide ports - apparently you're out of luck if your device is on a second ide, orRAID controller. As a follow-up, I'm all excited now that I updated the writer FW on my Dell Latitude X1, the subcompact 2.5 lb notebook. This computer has the Dell D-Bay external USB NEC ND-6500A DVD writer that came with FW 202C that only wrote SL media. Now with the latest FW 203D, it writes DL media that even verifies with ImgBurn Verify mode when using RIDATA DL media (not reputed to be the best media available).
volvofl10 Posted January 2, 2006 Posted January 2, 2006 well you can read everything there is on a subject sometimes and still not be sure, untill someone else points you in the right direction, or explains it in easy terms . who do you trust the most ?, someone youve actually spoken with or some info on google ? ( better make that google if its me you spoke with ) either way, youve got 5 drives that STILL work , and Polo summed it up nicely a favourite saying of mine is , " if in doubt, ask !"
zacoz Posted January 3, 2006 Posted January 3, 2006 @grampaw: Don't know anyone around here who minds helping out when someone such as yourself has made at least some effort themselves - which is obvious from your first post.
lfcrule1972 Posted January 3, 2006 Posted January 3, 2006 Well done grampaw ! @volvo - missed you being around mate - you still make me laugh !! who do you trust the most ?, someone youve actually spoken with or some info on google ? ( better make that google if its me you spoke with )
lfcrule1972 Posted January 4, 2006 Posted January 4, 2006 I think the .gif belongs to zacoz - it's nice tho !!!
zacoz Posted January 4, 2006 Posted January 4, 2006 My identity crisis is getting worse First I'm dbminter and now I'm volvofl10 just don't anyone confuse me with jmet #39;(
lfcrule1972 Posted January 5, 2006 Posted January 5, 2006 There is no help if someone mistakes you for jmet !!
BurnerFreak Posted January 5, 2006 Posted January 5, 2006 I think the .gif belongs to zacoz - it's nice tho !!! Oooops im sory Ill just now
zacoz Posted January 8, 2006 Posted January 8, 2006 Thanks Spinner, that helped. No Probs BurnerFreak.
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