How do I update the version # on the LG GSA1463B?
I currently have version A104 and I see A105 as listed now.
Where do I find this download?
How do I do it?
What are the advantages (and pitfalls) of doing this?
My other drive is a TSST corp CDW/DVD TS-H492A HP03
I am using windows XP and use Nero to burn my discs
Thanks GD8ck
Try one of the following sites :
http://au.lgservice.com
http://gb.lgservice.com
http://sg.lgservice.com
Then click on Device Driver-> DVD-ROM(Writer)
Scroll down the list of firmware available and you should find A105 for the 4163B. Instructions are included with the firmware in a readme file. No real pitfalls upgrading to A105 from A104. Just don’t turn off or reboot the system before the upgrade process is finished. The advantage is support for new types of media.
Gone to their website and got the automatic loader
Automatic loader cannot access their website, so I sent enquiry to LG Canada
Just waiting for their reply
GD8ck
Why bother with the automatic loader? You can just get A105 off those websites.
A big thanks to karangguni and all your help!!!
I had misread the readme file. With A104, you don,t have to go inside the box. With A103 and earlier, it was too complicated for me!
Thanks again and have a good day!
GD8ck
LG firmware update instructions
1. Connect the drive as ¡°master¡± by it self, on the secondary IDE controller
with no other device on the same IDE cable, making note to set the jumper
on the back of the drive to the ¡°master¡± position.
I know very little about computers but I’m still running version A101. I realize that some of my computer problems when using the dvd burner may be attributed to old firmware.
With regards to the instruction point 1. I only have one optical drive. Does it apply to me? I don’t know if my dvd drive is on the master or secondary or IDE??? I have 3 other harddrives… would that be connected in any way to my dvd drive?? Like I said, I know very little about computers but I think if I can get some clarification, I can update my dvdroms firmware.
Thank you
Checked BIos:
Prim master: Harddrive 1
prim slave: LG4163B
second master: harddrive 2
second slave: harddrive 3
I’ll try to explain things a bit. Most computers have two cables which are used to carry data between data devices, such as CD/DVD drives and hard drives, and the motherboard. These cables are known as IDE cables. The first of these two cables is known as the primary cable and the second, the secondary cable. Why I have no idea. Each cable has three connectors. One of these plugs into your motherboard. The other two can each be connected to either a CD/DVD drive or a hard drive :
| | | | | |
| |==========| |====================| |
| | | | | | <----- to motherboard
| |==========| |====================| |
| | | | | |
Now if two of these devices are connected to one cable, one must be configured as “master” and the other as “slave”. Again, why these terms were used, I have no idea. The settings that dictate whether a device is “master” or “slave” are set on the devices themselves. That is done by means of connecting a plastic cap (called a jumper) in certain preset positions on the device.
You cannot have both devices on the same cable set to “slave” or both set to “master”. If only one device is connected, then it is usually set to “master”, although some devices have a special jumper settings for use when connected alone.
Now then if you have gotten this far without getting confused, Your bios settings show that your DVD writer is set as the primary master (master device on primary cable). So yes, those instructions from LG do apply to you.
However, I suspect firmware isn’t the main reason for most of your problems. You haven’t mentioned what they are, but I can begin to guess. One of the rules about connecting a DVD writer to a computer is never to put it on the same IDE cable as a hard drive. You either put it on the same cable as another DVD reader or writer, or alone on a cable. Why?
Think of an IDE cable as a drive way, a DVD writer as a little convenience store and the hard drive as a big supermarket . If you have both the DVD writer and hard drive connected to the same cable, it is like the convenience store and the supermarket sharing one drive way to both of their car parks. Now the supermarket is obviously going to get more customers going to and from its car park. If you were trying to get to the little convenience store, you’d get stuck in congestion on the drive way caused by all the people going to the supermarket.
If you have been having problems with really slow burns, that is what has been going on. The data to the writer has been fighting with congestion caused by the traffic to the hard drive. If you’ve been burning 8x discs and it’s been taking 20-30min (it should only take 8min for a full 8x disc), that is probably the cause.
As for updating the firmware, LG typically specifies that you connect your writer to the second (secondary) IDE cable on it’s own with nothing else connected on that cable. Typically these instructions are just precautions to play things safe. Many people (including me) have got away with updating their LG writers with it connected together on the secondary IDE cable with another DVD writer or reader. However, I do not know of anyone who flashed their DVD writers with it connected on the same cable as a hard drive. I think flashing that writer with the hard drive connected may be a risk.
So in your case, I would pull out hard disks 2 and 3 and connect the DVD writer on the secondary cable alone. You’ll need to set the jumpers on the writer to make it master though or else the computer will not detect it. This assumes harddisk 1 can boot into windows to let you run LG’s firmware updater.
Sorry, there isn’t an easy answer here but I hope this has been of some use to you.
That is correct, but I would get a PCI adapter-contoller for one ot two of the hard drives. One never has enough hard disk space.