help Who has real experience flashing an LG GDR 8163?

[ILK_Fraiser]

I'm really in a bind here. All my xboxes are faulty in one way or another. They're going to be hard modded, HDD upgraded, and recapped, but I want a working disk drive and I've already sunk a lot of time into this.

I have a GDR-8163B, the computer BIOS recognizes it.

I have a USB drive flashed (Rufus) with FreeDOS.

And I have the Fixed Firmware (8050L), but when I try to flash it, I get the error "no CD/DVD Drive". I am at a loss of what to do to make this work.

Any help would be greatly  appreciated.

[KaosEngineer]

How's the GDR-8163B connected to your PC? 

The last one I flashed was directly connected to an IDE connector on my old PC.

To flash the drive, I believe you must connect the drive directly to a native IDE bus, not through a USB-to-IDE adapter.

[ILK_Fraiser]

Primary IDE via 80pin cable. Set to Master.

[sweetdarkdestiny]

I have flashed some but with an external flasher because I had the same issue. 

Quote

Usage:
 SF8163 [drive:][directory]filename [drive_No] [/f] [/c] [/p] [/o] [/i] [/l] [/s] [/m] [/r]

   filename     name of the download file.
   [drive_No]   drive location number you want to update firmware.
                drive location number is follows;
                0:primary master
                1:primary slave
                2:secondary master
                3:secondary slave
                If DRIVE_NO is omitted, the drive is detected automatically.
   [/f]         diable revision check
   [/c]         diable vendor ID check
   [/p]         diable product ID check
   [/o]         diable OEM code check
   [/i]         interactive mode
   [/l]         create log file
   [/s]         for SLOT type drive
   [/m]         No messages (silent mode)
   [/r]         recover ucom from critical condition.(recovery mode)

For example, to flash an 8163B connected as the secondary slave with the 8050L 
firmware from 8050L.dld:

SF8163 8050L.dld 3 /f /c /p /o

one or more of the "disable xxx" switches may not be needed, depending on the 
firmware already installed on the drive. If you get a message saying there is no 
CD/DVD drive, try the /r switch, but make sure you have specified the correct 
drive first and maybe use the /i switch so you get one last chance to confirm it.

So, as primary master you could try :  

SF8163 8050L.dld 0 /f /c /p /o    OR    SF8163 8050L.dld 0 /f /c /p /o /r

[ILK_Fraiser]

sweetdarkdestiny, what external flasher did you use? I've attempted to run SF8163.exe with all flags and drive addresses. My BIOS screen will always display the drive correctly, but not in DOS.

[sweetdarkdestiny]

I desoldered the TSOP and used a TL866-II plus to flash it usin this decryptet dump file : https://1fichier.com/?660lpb8ofp0j6cmunluc

If you have an XP PC on hand, you could try this : https://1fichier.com/?5nkbyak7ld5wqhgkiao2   (MAYBE a bootable LiveXP would do but not to sure)

[Bowlsnapper]

I have 3 of these ready to get flashed and fitted. I just got hit by a car and will have same quality free time for a few months, so maybe I can get it done then while I have the free time.

[nikeymikey]

7 hours ago, Bowlsnapper said:

I have 3 of these ready to get flashed and fitted. I just got hit by a car and will have same quality free time for a few months, so maybe I can get it done then while I have the free time.

Hey BS, i hope your ok and not too badly injured!!

On topic, I had murders trying to flash on of these a couple of years back. Never got it working no matter what I tried. Even an old period correct XP pc wouldn't do the job so I gave up and sold the drive lol

[ILK_Fraiser]

The sf8163 program, after being fumbled around some more, returns the message "drive should not be upgraded because it already has NEW firmware"

What the hell even is this software...

[sweetdarkdestiny]

2 hours ago, ILK_Fraiser said:

The sf8163 program, after being fumbled around some more, returns the message "drive should not be upgraded because it already has NEW firmware"

You should be able to flash/reflash) it anyway if I'm not mistaken.

 

Edit: It's a software for windows to flash the drive. There is also a version of it for the 8164b which I used many times from the same coder. 

Edited May 10 by sweetdarkdestiny

[Hendi48]

For anyone wondering, the 8163to8050flasher.exe in the 1fichier link above is from my GitHub repo: https://github.com/Hendi48/gdr-tools/tree/master/Flashers

I created it 2 years ago after being frustrated that I couldn't get the DOS-based flasher to work on my hardware since my IDE controller was too new. Flashing from Windows is much less of a hassle anyway.

[Bowlsnapper]

10 minutes ago, Hendi48 said:

For anyone wondering, the 8163to8050flasher.exe in the 1fichier link above is from my GitHub repo: https://github.com/Hendi48/gdr-tools/tree/master/Flashers

I created it 2 years ago after being frustrated that I couldn't get the DOS-based flasher to work on my hardware since my IDE controller was too new. Flashing from Windows is much less of a hassle anyway.

Thank you.

 

Admin, is there a way to bookmark/favorite threads?

[sweetdarkdestiny]

19 minutes ago, Bowlsnapper said:

Admin, is there a way to bookmark/favorite threads?

Sure. Grab the Tab and move it into a folder in your favorit browser. :)

[Bowlsnapper]

2 hours ago, sweetdarkdestiny said:

Sure. Grab the Tab and move it into a folder in your favorit browser.

Oh right... I guess that's one way.

[Tartarus]

I am presuming that one needs to be doing this on a period correct machine that has IDE.. drop flasher on the desktop run the application cross your fingers?

 

 

 

[sweetdarkdestiny]

How would you connect the drive without having IDE on your MB? Don't say it. Maybe a PCIe to IDE could wörk but I personaly have not test it. I used a 15 Euros Dell Dimension 3000 and a old more or less free PC made from scap parts. But with the rest you are right. Put the flasher on the desk and run it. Or make your self an USB stick with FreeDOS or MSDos if you prefere and you are also able to flash the drive.

When that is done just a little soldering and tada....  

[Tartarus]

yeah that's actually what I was targeting was an older Dell with IDE

 

HAHA! back in 2000 I was playing Diablo 1 on a Dell clamshell case or scissor case I've heard it called both getting the pants scared off me drinking too much soda staying up late.. you might laugh at that now but as a kid that was actually kind of freaky to be underground with the weird sounds demonic s*** running around trying to kill you

 

cool sounds like I'm on the right track thank you

Edited August 1 by Tartarus

[Bowlsnapper]

I'[m still stuck with my 616Ts. I have no pc to flash them with!

[Tartarus]

with you being in California you should be able to find a lot of old computers they're pretty easily I live in cornfields with Oodles of cow shit everywhere

hop on the local Facebook should be able to find something really easy probably for dirt cheap or maybe even a trade of some kind

[Tartarus]

might even be able to find an old pawn shop that has one kicking around or maybe one of those old PC recycle shops where they have old stuff laying around

I've also had issues finding older computers where I'm at generally I have to Outsource out of state or occasionally I can find something on Facebook that's not price through the roof

[Bowlsnapper]

3 minutes ago, Tartarus said:

might even be able to find an old pawn shop that has one kicking around or maybe one of those old PC recycle shops where they have old stuff laying around

I've also had issues finding older computers where I'm at generally I have to Outsource out of state or occasionally I can find something on Facebook that's not price through the roof

Facebook seems.like a really good place to find stuff.

[Tartarus]

yes and I feel like it would be a specially in your area I could be wrong I feel like they would just have one of those shops where they have old parts especially over there in California where they're real big on Recycling and reusing

I mean it's not like you're going to take PC remains and turn those into a pair of f****** Moses sandals

I'm sure you'll find something around there and it'll give you something to do and share your findings 

[Bowlsnapper]

4 minutes ago, Tartarus said:

yes and I feel like it would be a specially in your area I could be wrong I feel like they would just have one of those shops where they have old parts especially over there in California where they're real big on Recycling and reusing

I mean it's not like you're going to take PC remains and turn those into a pair of f****** Moses sandals

I'm sure you'll find something around there and it'll give you something to do and share your findings 

I just might do that! I'll take a look.

[sweetdarkdestiny]

@Bowlsnapper If you can find something with Win 98 which is also capable of running Win XP it's almost perfect, Maybe it's an option to just gether some parts for that project. It's probably a bit more expansive but to have both 98/XP on hand in one mashine it's probably worth to spend a couple of bucks more. 

[Bowlsnapper]

15 minutes ago, sweetdarkdestiny said:

@Bowlsnapper If you can find something with Win 98 which is also capable of running Win XP it's almost perfect, Maybe it's an option to just gether some parts for that project. It's probably a bit more expansive but to have both 98/XP on hand in one mashine it's probably worth to spend a couple of bucks more. 

Okay. I'll keep that in mind. I'm worried a machine designed for 98 will probably need memory upgrades to run XP very well... Although I may get lucky.

Retro is starting to cost a lot. Look at every single CRT listing on ebay: Every single listing "retro gaming" in it. Like people looking for a crt don't know what the benefits are. lol. If you see "retro gaming" in the title, you can expect to pay hundreds of dollars.