How To Update your DVD Writer firmware

by Frank Hedley  |  May 24, 2008

It is always a good thing to be safe and be sure to have the latest firmware for your drive installed as this will provide you with the latest media codecs in media tables.

The first step is to find out the exact model and current firmware of the drive. You can do this either by physically removing the drive from your PC and checking out its label for the model number, either by downloading and running this tool. The latter method is more advisable, since the first method can make your PC guarantee void. The program will show you all the optical drives installed on your PC along with their current firmware versions.

Next, select the drive you want to upgrade, keeping in mind the current model and firmware version as listed. You have to check the manufacturers' website, and look for the firmware download page where you can find upgrades for your drive. You have to select the exact model number, including any letters before and after the number and inspect the firmware version that should always be of a similar format, provided you have selected the correct drive. You can tell if the firmware is the latest version if it has the highest digits or letters and it will be the one with the latest date.

If the identification process is finished, you ca proceed to the downloading part. You may download the firmware to its own folder on your hard drive and open it. Such programs come in different formats and so you have to treat them differently. You can tell how to treat a file by its extension. Usually firmware files are executable files, .exe, or archived ones, .zip.

Executable files can be either self executable, automatically applying the firmware with few dialog boxes to reply to, or they can be a self extracting archive that extracts firmware files and flashing utility, possibly running a flasher after extraction.

Archived files need to be previous decompressed with tools like Winzip. If the extraction pops up a dialog box in which to introduce a destination directory you can modify this as you please but it is preferable to extract the files to the same folder.

Once extracted you should have a single executable firmware, single self extracting firmware archive, self executable flashing utility, firmware file(s) (1 or 2) and flashing utility, firmware file(s) (1 or 2). Hopefully there will also be a readme file with descriptions and instructions included.

Things you should keep in mind, at all times during the upgrade:

1. Eject the drive tray and remove any disc that may be there.
2. Disable any IDE accelerators, such as the Intel IAA drivers.
3. Just to be safe, it would be a good idea to start up your computer in the "Safe mode" before applying the upgrade.
4. Maybe you should first check out this website for more information on IDE connections - Guide to IDE Connections , in order to know how to connect the drive as the Master by itself. You should connect the drive in this way on the secondary IDE controller, with no other device on the same IDE cable. You have to be sure to set the jumper on the back of the drive to the Master position.
5. Close all other applications and programs, like screen savers, antiviruses and power-down programs, because they might try to engage your PC during the update process, causing interruptions and damages of the drive.
6. You can not cancel the operation once it has begun because the drive may become permanently damaged.
7. Do not start any system operations or programs during the update process, because they might interfere with the data transfer and may harm the drive.
8. It is crucial to restart the PC immediately after the completed firmware upgrade in order for Windows to register the drive properly.

Related articles:

DVD Formats For Dummies
DVD Recording For Dummies

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