Upgrade Liteon lvw-5045 to 400G successfully

[bithead9]

Nice job! SSD must be great for reading those video files. If you have equipment you used and USB adapter that might be helpful information to others

[lojelo5]

Yes mate like I said in PM it's straight forward just like putting a mechanical drive in with the right attachments.

I use one of these to attach it to the ide on the machine this is called a IDE to SATA Adapter



Then when I take it out of the unit I attached this which is a SATA to USB Adapter, this works and powers up a SSD drive when inserted into a USB slot on your PC



All my devices are now being upgraded to 500GB SSD drives (the one in the picture is only a 256GB drive but I have tested a 500GB and it works).

It will come up with an error but soon as you turn the machine on and off it works perfectly.

[bithead9]

looks good! I have tested the IDE SATA on the DVD burners before and mixed results. Those pics will help others that might want to do the same

[lojelo5]

I have noticed whatever IDE DVD burner I have attached to the lite-on has worked not had one fail and I have tried quite a lot, though I have never tried a SATA DVD drive via one of these adapters. When using the adapter for the SSD drive it looks like it hasn't worked at 1st because an error comes up at the bottom of the screen, like it does when you try and boot up without the hard drive attached, though if you turn the device off and back on it works, it also works if you wait a minute or so without turning the device off and on.

[mikeb]

Hi

Just registered to post the updated link for Ye Olde Hacked Liteon Firmware because I'm still seeing failed download attempts coming via links various posted on here absolutely donkey's years ago !

It can now be found HERE after several years of going AWOL due to persistent abuse, server demise and various other issues.

Apologies to anyone who's been looking for it but only ever managed to find dead links for just about everything. Most of the old forum sites with Liteon-related threads have long since gone as has the official Liteon site with standard firmware so these links are obviously still dead. However, the hacked firmware downloads are now back online and available to anyone who might still need them.

It's also possible that I've still got a backup lurking in a dusty drawer somewhere containing copies of the latest standard Liteon firmware for the various models that have been hacked if anyone needs it. Let me know if so and I'll try to find them and hopefully will be able to add download links for any standard firmware I have at some point in time.

[bithead9]

MikeB ! great to see you back on the forum! I been supplying fw as needed. It is kind of you to resupply firmware for all the LIton and Ilo users!

[mikeb]

Hi bithead9 I noticed a few familiar names from back in the mists of time when I quickly scanned the thread !

I kept on top of the server abuse for a while but when it finally died I decided not to bother replacing it. I didn't want to risk putting them up on my ISP server at the time either because of their somewhat draconian Ts&Cs. Too much abuse would have got everything I hosted taken down and the A/C suspended causing no end of grief. Anyway, new host new rules, so they're back online for at least the next several years now barring any unforeseen nightmares.

[miata80]

Hi,
I have an LVW-5027 HC+, I used the original 80GB ide drives for the transfer to my computer, it worked but now it is no longer recognized and I have the error 0x810d004? I tried another ide drives but still error 0x810d004... Does the drive need specific formatting? Thanks for the help

[CrazyCanuck]

The way to "format" a HDD on a Liteon is to "erase" the HDD while in the Liteon using "Tools, Erase" and choose HDD. That code you see is always there when the HDD is either being replace with a new (or bigger if you used the hacked firmware) or in instances where once read by a PC, the program you used to read the HDD might have written or change something on the HDD and made it unrecognizable.

[CrazyCanuck]

While I'm here, a shoutout to mikeb and thanks for putting the firmwares available again

[lojelo5]

While I'm here, a shoutout to mikeb and thanks for putting the firmwares available again

Same here, I've got the one's bithead9 did for me as well all saved.

out of curiosity this has bugged me for years, anyone on here actually ever seen the HD-A970GX unit anywhere? only asking because I have never seen one at all even for sale on the bay.

[CrazyCanuck]

Seen it on Ebay in the day but UK only, never was a NA model.

[lojelo5]

It just makes me think has it really ever been released, I'm in the UK mate and not once have I seen it. In all these years I have collected several models many that I have grabbed from eBay at really low prices and 1 my wife actually got from a friend for £10. I just want this device so I can use the HDMI the TV I currently use is on the way out and the only other spare TV we have doesn't have a scart socket.

[CrazyCanuck]

Saw it once, and only once. I was going to buy it thinking it was a NA model but past on it when I noticed it was a UK model and didn't record in HD. Same here, bought all of my Liteon (5045) and ILO HD04 (Walmart Liteon clone) models on Ebay, learned how to replace the drives and been modding them ever since. All of them have the hacked macrovision and larger HDD capacity (500GB) firmware applied to them.

[miata80]

hi,
I just used the hacked firmware but I still have the same error code? When I want to use using "Tools, Erase" and choose HDD it doesn't work? I can't erase on a computer?

[lojelo5]

Hmm video input/output says using HDMI 1080i & 1080p but it says it records in HQ quality that's only 720p on all the other models, but if your recording via HDMI surely it records in 1080i/p!!

hi,
I just used the hacked firmware but I still have the same error code? When I want to use using "Tools, Erase" and choose HDD it doesn't work? I can't erase on a computer?

That could be a DVD drive error if your still getting it I would try and plug a PC sata DVD drive and see if that works. I've had to do this for a certain error I had to remove the drive completely and put the PC drive in seeing that I don't use the DVD at all it doesn't bother me.

[miata80]

with the hacked firmware I have no more options in my setup page (blank page only writes setup at the top of the page)? It's normal ?

Thank lojelo5, I would try a new DVD drive.

[CrazyCanuck]

miata80, make sure your hdd is properly plugged in and if you had to reset the jumper of the hdd to plug it to your pc, ensure that the jumper is set at CS (cable select or M(master) when putting it back in the Liteon.

[miata80]

Thank CrazyCanuck, the hdd it's original in liteon 80 or 160 GB and I don't touch the jumper select. I don't understand why it doesn't work like before?

[lojelo5]

Sorry, misread your post thought it said you tried to update the firmware but all you keep getting is that error.

Like you I don't change the jumper it works fine, but I would still unplug the power and ide cable and plug them in again but I would also try a different drive.

[CrazyCanuck]

I wished that models would come with HDMI inputs for recording although the whole idea behind the introduction of HDMI was to prevent piracy so no recorder has ever had a HDMI input. Other than receivers and TVs, nothing else comes with HDMI inputs. HDFury used to provide a dongle that would convert HDMI to RGB and/or Component at full HD output for non-HDCP compatible displays, nothing else was on the market. HDFury were told to stop production of those dongles years back as they could be used to record at full HD with the right gear such as the Hauppauge PVR Recorder.

[miata80]

Thank you, I found the source of the problem. The ide cable was slightly disconnected at the base of the card! I saw it while wanting to change the dvd. Now the setup page options are back. For years I have made a copy of my drives on my computer for backup. I just discovered the method for SSD drives so I'm going to try it but for that I have to buy IDE to SATA Adapter... How do I know that the hacked firmware is installed correctly? Thanks again.

[CrazyCanuck]

To verify if the hack is installed: Press "Set Up", at the bottom of the page there's four sets of 4 digits. The second set of digits should start with "0", meaning copy protection is off if that model can be turned off, not all can, the second digit should be "2", your region, if it's set at "1", you will need to reset the region manually.

To reset the region code manually: Press Set up, scroll down and sit on the bottom exit icon, press "2960" this will open up the hidden region menu, choose "region free" if not already set by the hack.

Another way is if you have a larger HDD, slap it in, "erase" and check the amount of recording time, on a 80gb, it's 17hrs/HQ, a 160gb=35hrs/HQ, a 250GB is around 55 hrs.

To verify the copy protection hack, record a commercial dvd via line input from a dvd player or recorder. It will not copy from the drive to the HDD function.

[miata80]

Hi, the hack is not installed? Is there a special procedure for copying the hack onto the DVD? Do you have to put the dvd with the hack in the drive and this is done automatically or is there a procedure to follow? Thanks for your help.

[mikeb]

(1) You MUST have the correct version of firmware for your model. It is not possible (or in any way sensible !) to attempt to install the firmware for a different model or for a different region. If it were possible to install incorrect firmware it is almost certainly going to completely screw up your device. Fortunately, any attempt to install the wrong firmware is usually rejected so it will not get installed. Check that the Liteon model reference number for the hacked firmware you downloaded from this link matches your Liteon model EXACTLY and that it is also for the correct region i.e. UK, EU or US.

(2) You need to 'unzip' the hacked firmware that you downloaded. The downloaded 'zip' archive contains 3 files: [something].log which is a text file output from the code I wrote to hack the standard firmware and document what's been tweaked, [something].DA? (usually .DA1 or .DA3 or similar) which is the (approx 4MB) hacked firmware data and readme.txt which is a text file containing more details on the hacked firmware and some other information. You can do this in Windows File Manager or using a 3rd party utility such as Winzip. Similar things will exist on any other computer be it a Mac or Unix-based.

(3) You need to burn the hacked firmware data file [something].DA? to a CD. Unfortunately I can't remember whether it MUST be a CD or whether a DVD is also acceptable so best burn it to a CD if you can. You can try burning to a DVD if necessary ... but do bear in mind that the Liteon may not automatically recognise a firmware upgrade on a DVD.

(4) Insert the CD into the Liteon and it should automatically recognise the CD as containing a firmware upgrade. Follow any instructions VERY carefully and DO NOT turn the power off during the upgrade process. If/When the upgrade is satisfactorily installed, it is always a good idea to shutdown & restart the Liteon then fully erase & reformat the hard drive before using it for recordings. It's also a very good idea to read the readme file provided with the hacked firmware and the Liteon manual for details on how to perform a firmware upgrade before actually trying to do an upgrade needless to say

There is also an 'emergency/recovery' method for reinstalling firmware if there is some problem or potentially a corruption but try doing it the normal way first because there usually aren't any problems at all.

However, if you're still experiencing some problems then please post back here full details of your Liteon model, exactly what you've done and exactly what happened

[CrazyCanuck]

Just to add to mikeb's info, I've always used a fresh CD write-once myself, nothing else but the "DA" file on the CD and close the session after it's burnt. I've never used a DVD, DVD RW or a CD RW. An important note to know is that click-and-drag copying the firmware to CD will not work, it must be burned to the CD to work. Don't forget to "erase" the HDD to verify the larger HDD hack.

[mikeb]

The biggest concern with such an old piece of equipment is whether the PSU & DVD drive is still sufficiently reliable and also whether the disks currently available can be used without any particular issues. The DVD drive in my 5026 is now infinitely more cranky and unreliable than even Hitachi/Toshiba/Microsoft has ever managed to achieve at any time and with any piece of equipment various over the years

However, in all fairness, I really must point out that it's the original drive so around 20 years old now and it still does sort-of work. Every other CD/DVD writer that I've ever had in anything hasn't worked at all after much more than a year despite very little use and many of them being Liteon drives ! Really must get around to checking if I still have any new compatible-ish Liteon drives stashed away somewhere or rob one from one of the now unused 5005 models which have already had 1 or more compatible-ish replacement Liteon drives fitted if needs be.

The only sensible advice really is to use a brand/type of disk that you *know* generally works well with your device and don't risk doing a firmware upgrade if your DVD drive is known to be unreliable. Sort any DVD drive issues out first because a failed or corrupt firmware upgrade due to a dodgy drive could potentially leave your device totally unusable. There's no particular issue with RW disks as far as I know. If I'd only been able to use write-once disks when I first started playing around with this then I'd have needed to be ordering them from China by the container load ! I've also just found several DVD+RW disks on the shelf with various versions of Liteon firmware on them which suggests that firmware upgrades on a DVD are also acceptable ... at least in some models.

However, the non-HDD and some very early HDD Liteon models would generally speaking only recognise a firmware upgrade if it was on a CD and all of the relevant documentation from Liteon has always stated that drive and firmware update files should be burnt to a CD. That's why using a basic CDR is always the safest bet but a firmware update on a RW or any type of DVD might also be recognised correctly. There's certainly no harm in trying whatever disks you have available. Once again though, the important thing is to use a brand/type of disk that you *know* works well in general with your device.

BTW, one quick way of confirming that a firmware update has definitely been installed is by turning the Sleep Timer "OFF" before doing the upgrade. The setting can usually be found near the bottom of the first setup page. Check the setting after the upgrade process has completed and the device has been shutdown & restarted. The Sleep Timer should have been set to 120 Minutes if standard firmware has been installed, 30 Minutes if V2 Hacked Firmware has been installed and be unchanged if nothing has been installed. If the Sleep Timer setting has been changed as expected then it's a pretty safe bet that everything else which needed changing has also been changed correctly. The [something].log text file in the downloaded hacked firmware 'zip' archive will tell you exactly what changes have been made to the standard firmware.

[lojelo5]

I am having to make some room in the next few months so I will be selling 2 Lite-on HD A740 machines, both with either 250GB or 400GB ide drives in, both flashed so if anyone is interested in any of these machines (UK only) feel free to message me I will let people on this forum have 1st digs on them, price will be told in pm if interested.