Pioneer DVR-103 / DVR-A03 firmware hacks [archived]

[lordsmurf]

I happen to be quite proud of some of my hacks and mods, in the past 15 or so year of hacking/modding hardware and software. The alterations done to Compaq OEM Pioneer 103 drives is one of those times.

This was originally posted at http://forum.rpc1.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8766 but disappeared for a while when that site went down. Not wanting to lose this info, I'm reposting it here for posterity.

Quote:

I've got one of the first Pioneer DVR-103's that came with a Compaq in early 2001. It came with some kind of firmware that I updated with the Compaq 1.90 when they sent me an email about 2 months ago.

I just learned I could 'hack' the burner with the 2x4all firmware, but no matter what I try, it does not seem to work. I've tried to downgrade to several other versions, tried to replace my 1.9 with all versions of the 2x4all firmwares for a 103, and the only 'success' I've had was during one upgrade, it told me I had '1.901.90'. Other attempts give various errors about wrong firmware.

Has anybody got an idea how to get me to 2x4all?

HELP! I want 2x on all my discs, especially the 2x ones that will only give me 1x speed.

Flash/Flashman suggested I use the 104 /F custom upgdvd.exe with a batch.

Quote:

I made the batch file.

Gave me this in return...

C:\Compaq\Pioneer DVDR Firmware\RPC v190>UPGDVD /F

/// DVD-ROM/DVD-RW Firmware Upgrade Utility Ver1.12E

Detect the IEEE1394 interface.
Current Revision>> PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-103 1.90 02/06/05
Model name of kernel part is not macthed.
Continue because Force Upgrade option is specified.
Continue because Force Upgrade option is specified.
Model name of normal part is not macthed.
Continue because Force Upgrade option is specified.
Current Firmware is not Pioneer Model.

I just want any region free 2x4all. I tried the same method with the 1.68 and no go there.

I used a HEX editor on the 1.90 files, and made them look like 1.92 files, but no luck. Same error: "Current Firmware is not Pioneer Model."

I tried to use the Compaq version of UPGDVD, and it'll work, but then it cannot return to "normal mode" and blanks out the firmware to version 0000. However, even then, I can't upgrade to anything other than Compaq 1.90 (even Compaq 1.40 is refused) because of the same error "Current Firmware is not Pioneer Model."

I opened the Compaq UPGDVD.exe, but see no place where to remove or change this necessary ID'ing of the drive brand. I think it is something within the UPGDVD.exe file itself that is preventing me from moving on.

I've got some other Pioneer DVD flash utility, but it just gives me the same errors in a pretty windows screen instead of the DOS command prompt.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much for trying to help so far! In time, I think we can get this thing working 2x4all.

Was noted that I forgot to use the hacked/modded upgdvd. Oops.

Quote:

Alright, I admit I missed that the first time. So I've now gone and gotten the Bat-Hacked edition of UPGDVD.exe, and it gives me this error now:

C:\Compaq\Pioneer DVDR Firmware\RPC v190>UPGDVD /F

/// DVD-ROM/DVD-RW Firmware Update Utility by Battousai.

Detect the IEEE1394 interface.
Start updating the device No.1.
Current Revision>> PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-103 1.90 02/06/05
Model name of kernel part is not macthed.
Continue because Force Update option is specified.
Continue because Force Update option is specified.
Model name of normal part is not matched.
Continue because Force Update option is specified.
Selected file is illegal fw file.
Continue because Force Update option is specified.
FW is already latest version.
Continue because Force Update option is specified.
Now updating the firmware.
Please do not turn off the power and do not reset the pc.
key0 = 0000h : key1 = 00ddh
Processing 100% --> Complete
Now internal rebooting with new firmware....
Failed to move to the normal mode.
New Revision >> PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-103 0000 00/00/00

I tried to redo it several times, with no success and the same error. Using any other upgrade utilities once again gave me the 'Please use firmware data for COMPAQ' error messages, so I'm on another Compaq edition.

It did allow me to downgrade to Compaq's 1.40, so I've made progress in being able to reflash the drive, but unfortunately, still not an RPC 2x4all edition firmware.

Once again, any help is appreciated...

No reply.

Quote:

Just to see, I tried out the bat-hacked UPGDVD.exe on both the 1.68 and 1.90 again, now that I'm back on Compaq 1.40. This time, new errors, and in fact, confusing ones:

/// DVD-ROM/DVD-RW Firmware Update Utility by Battousai.

Detect the IEEE1394 interface.
Start updating the device No.1.
Current Revision>> PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-103 1.40 01/04/11
Model name of kernel part is not macthed.
Continue because Force Update option is specified.
Continue because Force Update option is specified.
Model name of normal part is not matched.
Continue because Force Update option is specified.
Selected file is illegal fw file.
Continue because Force Update option is specified.
Now updating the firmware.
Please do not turn off the power and do not reset the pc.
key0 = 0000h : key1 = 0000h
Error occurred at step 0.
Processing 0%
Failed to update the normal part.
New Revision >> PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-103 1.40 01/04/11
New FW = COMPAQ
Success to update the firmware.
Update operation is completed.
Detect the IEEE1394 interface.

Apparently the drive went into fail mode. Doh.

Quote:

Alright, I re-downloaded the 1.90 from the same place where I got the new hacked UPGDVD.exe file, so I'm assuming this is where I'm supposed to get the official RPC files.

I did NOT get "Selected file is illegal fw file" this time, so some progress there.

But the flash ended in all 0000's again. And from your suggestion of "It is always advisable to power down the PC before flashing the drive a second time so that everything has reset" I went ahead and reset the machine after it got the all 0000's flash. Upon reboot it found a new CD-ROM, and I re-ran the batch file with the official RPC 1.90.

This time I got:

C:\Compaq\Pioneer DVDR Firmware\Latest RPC v190>UPGDVD /F

/// DVD-ROM/DVD-RW Firmware Update Utility by Battousai.

Detect the IEEE1394 interface.
Start updating the device No.1.
Current Revision>> PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-103 0000 00/00/00
Model name of kernel part is not macthed.
Continue because Force Update option is specified.
Continue because Force Update option is specified.
Now updating the firmware.
Please do not turn off the power and do not reset the pc.
key0 = 0000h : key1 = 0000h
Error occurred at step 0.
Processing 100% --> Complete
Now internal rebooting with new firmware....
Failed to move to the normal mode.
New Revision >> PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-103 0000 00/00/00

This was new: "Error occurred at step 0."
And I'm still getting: "Failed to move to the normal mode."

I've reflashed the drive yet again into Compaq's 1.90 to make sure the drive was not hosed, whereas WinME immediately refound the drive as a DVD-ROM, and I was able to burn a quick 5 megs to a DVD-RW. Still working, thankfully, but still not what I want.

Thanks for continuing to help.

If it helps, I can move the drive to another system to flash it. I saw somewhere where this has been done before, though I don't know why it would make a difference. I'm running WinME, and the other system I could put it in runs WinXP-Pro.

On a side note, I was able to update my Compaq DVD-116 to a region-free firmware that now shows up as a true Pioneer DVD-116. So I'm one for two.

This Compaq/Pioneer DVR-103 is just being stubborn.

Trying another OS was suggested, XP known to work.

Quote:

Alright, I tried moving the burner to two other systems, both with different Windows OS versions. The case remains that non-Compaq firmware will not load. I tried to use the UPGDVD.exe hacked versions, I've tried combinations of programs, I've tried to HEX edit the files to fool the system to thinking it was Compaq firmware, but in all cases, the error returned is FAILED TO MOVE TO NORMAL PART or something like that, and it reverts to firmware version 0000. Even after ard reboot, it remains 0000.

I am now back on Compaq 1.40 firmware, and able to still burn 1x and certified 2x DVD-R just fine, but I seem to have lost DVD-RW somewhere during these trials. Not sure if it is realated. Now I'm worse off than before.

Any ideas on how to get to 2X4ALL, on any versions? In all honesty, I don't even care about the RPC part. I just want 2x ability on all my -R discs.

Can anybody try to write software to hack the drive with?

I noticed while hex editing that the Pioneer and Compaq official UPGDVD.exe files are the same, but the REFINQ.DAT files are EXTREMELY different on the 1.90 versions. In fact the Compaq 1.40 does not EVEN HAVE a REFINQ.DAT file, or even anything else that looks close to it. So Compaq does something different, but I'm clueless as to what that is. Stupid OEMs. Always gotta mess up the drives.

I get this from time-to-time also...

/// DVD-ROM/DVD-RW Firmware Update Utility by Battousai.

Detect the IEEE1394 interface.
Start updating the device No.1.
Current Revision>> PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-103 1.40 01/04/11
Model name of kernel part is not macthed.
Continue because Force Update option is specified.
Continue because Force Update option is specified.
Model name of normal part is not matched.
Continue because Force Update option is specified.
Now updating the firmware.
Please do not turn off the power and do not reset the pc.
key0 = 0000h : key1 = 0000h
Error occurred at step 0.
Processing 0%
Failed to update the normal part.

No replies.

Finally, I solved it:

Quote:

THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Alright, while the exact method you specified did not work, it brought something new to my attention: the ability to edit the REFINQ.DAT file with NOTEPAD. Prior to this, I'd only been trying with hex editors.

In order to update a COMPAQ version of the Pioneer drive, edit the hacked firmware's REFINQ.DAT file in NOTEPAD. It must reflect COMPAQ and NOT Pioneer info.

Look for the lines:
ATPIO1.68 // 8: OEM Mark
N // 6: N: Normal only, A: Kernel+Normal

Change it to:
ATCPQ1.68 // 8: OEM Mark
A // 6: N: Normal only, A: Kernel+Normal

This will remove all the nag messages about wrong vendor, OEM, etc. And, as suggested by co4003, the N to A change will remove the 'failed to normal part' message problem.

Run the newly edited REFINQ.DAT file with the RXXXXXXX.### firmware files, and install with either the Battousai's HACKED UPGDVD.exe or the firmware 2.00 UPGDVD.exe installer, along with the /F command, depending on which version of the firmware you're trying to install.

UPGDVD /F

I'm now running 2X4ALL RPC firmware thanks to FLASHMAN, BATTOUSAI, GRADIUS, and CO4003.

If anybody else out there needs more help with OEM versions of 103/A03 drives, let me know, and I'll be glad to help. I know how much of a major pain this can be, and I couldn't have done it alone.

It took a mix of editing work, but it went well.

After those posts, I continued to alter the firmware, though those notes were destroyed in a hard drive crash in 2005 (99% recovered, but those notes were in the 1% not restored).

[lordsmurf]

At one point in time, I had planned to share the hacked files, however those were accidentally deleted shortly after the hack was successfully finished.
Oops.

That was right around the time this site was getting re-done, and it was lost in the confusion.

Some of the pre-hacked files (that you can hack yourself with the above instructions) can be made available if anybody wants them. Just reply to this thread. Given the age of that burner, I don't think there'll be many takers though!