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[Alan M]

I have got an old Samsung MS25 that i WAS going to spoof as a Benq to use in my Elite.  I got the firmware dumped from my Benq no problem, found the key and sorted the firmware out for the spoof with Hex Workshop.  The problems only started when i hooked up the MS25 to my system (and there was me thinking these drives were easy to flash...).  Anyway, i backed up the original firmware from the MS25 with Dosflash (latest version), and then tried to flash my spoofed ixtreme with Dosflash.  The program froze up while flashing bank 1.  Now Dosflash doesn't recognise the flash chip in the drive, and MTKflash just won't play ball.  I've tried the 10 second trick, but had no luck with it.  Is there any other way i can save this drive that doesn't involve me pulling the flash ram off the board and doing it the hard way?

Any help much appreciated...  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[sosotiit]

since it froze during the flashing, try with mtkflash without the ten sec trick, just
mtkflash...
select port
enter

[Alan M]

I've already tried MTKFlash with and without the 10 second trick, but i've just tried it again anyway.  Still not working...  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Any more ideas anyone?

[HackaJack]

I would load mtkflash with your Benq Drive connected so that it detects something on the SATA port, then swap drives after you booted into mtkflash and press 1 or 2 to start flashing. The way to flash recover a Samsung is the same as above except using another working Samsung Drive while you boot into Mtkflash, don't know if having the BenQ connected will do the trick. Also, the Samsung bad flash method takes a few attempts, keep that in mind if you going to try with the BenQ

[Alan M]

I'm not having problems detecting the drive on the sata port, my computer is seeing it fine.  The trouble is that MTKFlash just does nothing after selecting the port to flash, and Dosflash comes up with Unknown Flash Chip or MTK Vendor Info Failed if i give it the details manually.

I know that the bad flash recovery takes a few attempts to work, but i'm now into the hundreds of attempts...

I'm starting the think that this drive is now scrap.  (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[antz1970]

as far as i know its impossible to brick a samsung drive completely(they can usually be recovered) via failed firmware flash , what sata card/motherboard are you using? ,it is maybe sata incompatability , im pretty sure theres also a mtkflash command to erase the chip , you could maybe try that too

This post has been edited by antz1970: Sep 17 2007, 04:09 PM

[Alan M]

I'm using a Via 6421 card, which is as far as i'm aware 100% compatible with the samsung drives.  I've tried erasing the chip too, and get much the same result as when trying to flash with MTKflash.  It just sits and waits doing nothing after selecting which port to flash.

I thought you couldn't kill a Samsung with a bad flash myself, but it looks like i've proved myself wrong...

This post has been edited by Alan M: Sep 17 2007, 04:43 PM

[Alan M]

Right, got it working.  Had to use my brother's MS28 to hot swap in MTKflash, but it would only work after i flashed his drive with a copy of my original MS25 firmware.  I originally flashed his drive with my old firmware to try and get it recognised by Dosflash, as Dosflash wouldn't work with his drive either.  It made no difference to Dosflash, but i decided to try it with MTKflash and it worked.  Can't figure it out myself...

Anyway, i'm not too pleased with Dosflash.  It worked to read my Benq and read my Samsung, but since it screwed up during flashing my Samsung, it still won't detect it, even though it's now been reflashed and working again.  Dosflash has never once picked up my brother's MS28, and that drive works fine too, both in the Xbox and with MTKflash.

Thanks for the help anyway guys.