7K100 OEM successful firmware upgrade - easy peasy!!

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Rory · #1 Post by **Rory** » Sat May 06, 2006 4:39 pm

grateful thanks to Messar and Sonnycool (who's one and only post was very useful - his post refers to the 100GB drive, which I've only just realised!)

I bought a T43 (2668) the other day and separately bought an 80GB Hitachi 7K100, not realising about the 2010 error. The drive came with f/w MC4OA51A

I've got the latest bios in the T43 (1.25) so had the option to skip past the error, but it was annoying. I read all the posts and got very confused.

In the end I did it, without editing files, checksums etc.

What worked for me:
Download the latest ISO file here
and burned it onto a CD.

Opened the FW.PRO file with notepad and searched for line for my drive:
HTS721080G9AT00 80.0GB
"HTS721080G9AT00","MC4IA41M","MC4IA51A","MC4IA51A.bdr","hfui15.exe","IA51A","/u mpcA51Ab.tbl
Thankfully there's just one line - I have to say that I dont understand why some drives have several lines?

Then I booted from the CD (checked in the bios but is was set to boot from the CD before the HDD anyway).

The CD autoruns and comes up with a screen that says no new firmware.
Then it displays "Turn off Power" - now press "Ctrl+C" to get a dos prompt.

(I've written this lower case so the o's and i's don't get mixed up for 1's and 0's

At the prompt I typed: copy mc4ia51a.bdf mc4oa51a.bdf
(the first time I missed this step and the upgrade didn't work)

Then: (with o for OEM in the version control)
hfui15.exe oa51a mc4ia51a.bdr /f mpca51ab.tbl
it tries to update but says fail - press anykey to continue back at a dos prompt

Then: (with i for IBM in the version control)
hfui15.exe ia51a mc4ia51a.bdr /f mpca51ab.tbl

Now it says PASS!!.

Rebooted fine - no 2010 error and device manager shows the drive as having f/w mc4ia51a

XP did say 'found a new hard drive' and asked me to reboot, which worried me slightly, but it was fine.

Hope this helps people - in the end it wasn't as scary as I thought!!

f1reverb · #2 Post by **f1reverb** » Sat May 06, 2006 6:29 pm

Rory, I just used your instructions to update my drive in my R52 (identical 7k 80gb to yours) and it worked perfectly. Frankly, the warning didn't bother me at all (I consider it an IBM/Lenovo trojan to scare the fearful into buying an IBM version of the drive), but the [censored] beeps made people within fifty feet of me jump like the Alien popping out of John Hurt's chest does on the initial viewing of Alien. I did not get the "found new hardware" balloon as I have them turned-off. I did go into device manager to check the drive, and upon exiting DM I got a reboot message, so I did and everything was fine. This was done on a fully loaded drive that I put in when I got my R52 in February (I pulled the OEM 40gb drive without ever turning the new R52 on). Thanks for your post, and those around me thank you even more.

Rory · #3 Post by **Rory** » Sun May 07, 2006 10:12 am

That was very brave of you to try on a fully loaded drive!

I cloned mine, and made sure the clone was OK, before I touched the 7K100.

f1reverb · #4 Post by **f1reverb** » Mon May 08, 2006 5:09 am

Rory, I'm always ready for total drive failure, but I hadn't seen a thing about the firmware upgrade damaging the data on the drive, so no harm in trying the upgrade on a loaded drive, and it worked fine like I said. What counts the most is the clear instructions you provided.

jd2020 · #5 Post by **jd2020** » Sun Aug 13, 2006 9:43 pm

Rory: Many many thanks you, Messar and Sonnycool! I installed the new driver on my HTS721080G9AT00 (60GB 7k100) this morning and it works perfectly!

I never thought I'd be rid of the "2010 error screen", but this did it. Thanks for your post and gusto in trying & reporting on the patch.

JD

Aroc · #6 Post by **Aroc** » Mon Aug 14, 2006 10:17 am

I flashed my 100GB 7k100 drives "fully loaded" (I had been sing them for about 2 weeks prior). No problems. Not one hiccup since the flash(es), either. It was easy as pie.

dhave · #7 Post by **dhave** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 3:32 am

Has anybody managed to update the fw in an E7K100?

geluidsgolf · #8 Post by **geluidsgolf** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 5:18 am

There is one thing I don't understand!
How can you do this command (And why did you do it?)

"copy mc4ia51a.bdf mc4oa51a.bdf"

If you boot from a CD??? You can't write on a CD..

Cheers!

E

jd2020 · #9 Post by **jd2020** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 5:57 am

Yeah, I wondered about that too. The CD is bootable and loads everything into a RAM disk in memory. That way you can "copy" the file.

Good luck!
JD

DIGITALgimpus · #10 Post by **DIGITALgimpus** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:07 am

dhave wrote:Has anybody managed to update the fw in an E7K100?

AFAIK there is no firmware for that drive, since it's not for laptops, hence IBM didn't use that drive, and doesn't need to provide firmware for it. Using a 7k100 firmware on it will likely turn it into a brick, so I wouldn't advise trying it, unless your comfortable taking that risk. Typically firmware problems are not fixable.

geluidsgolf · #11 Post by **geluidsgolf** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:28 am

jd2020 wrote:Yeah, I wondered about that too. The CD is bootable and loads everything into a RAM disk in memory. That way you can "copy" the file.

Good luck!
JD

Oke I get it but it still leaves the question why? I can't find why he copys the files? It's not in the other tutorials on this forum.

jeanad · #12 Post by **jeanad** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 10:49 pm

How I can use this tutorial one for the HD60Gb Hitachi Travelstar HTS541060G9AT00 with Bios MB3VA60A? necessary of aid therefore I do not know which the archive .bdf I must rename.

Thank's

Rory · #13 Post by **Rory** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 11:39 am

jeanad wrote:How I can use this tutorial one for the HD60Gb Hitachi Travelstar HTS541060G9AT00 with Bios MB3VA60A? necessary of aid therefore I do not know which the archive .bdf I must rename.

Thank's

Hi - saw your PM. I'm really sorry, this was quite a struggle for me at the time, and I really can't recall the details. I don't really understand these things and I did it by trial and error.

I do recall that sometimes I had to go through the steps twice before they would 'take'.

Rory · #14 Post by **Rory** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 12:46 pm

OK, I had a look at this.

So I am hoping that you wrote the line from fw.pro correctly (I can’t check that) that you PM'd me:
HTS541060G9AT00 60.0GB “HTS541060G9AT00”, “MB3IA5BJ”, “MB3IA60A”, “MB3IA60A.bdr”, “hfui14.exe”, “IA60A”,” /u mpbA60Ab.tbl ".

I don’t know why you have a ‘v’ in your bios code – I thought it was O = OEM and I = IBM, so maybe the V is a problem and the drive you have cannot be upgraded?

Anyway, I have redone my instructions but have put the details for your drive in.

I should stress that I’m guessing a lot of this, so if you try then it is your risk!

What worked for me:
Download the latest ISO file here
and burned it onto a CD.

Then I booted from the CD (checked in the bios but is was set to boot from the CD before the HDD anyway).

The CD autoruns and comes up with a screen that says no new firmware.
Then it displays "Turn off Power" - now press "Ctrl+C" to get a dos prompt.

(I've written this lower case so the o's and i's don't get mixed up for 1's and 0's

At the prompt I typed: copy mb3ia60a.bdf mb3va60a.bdf
(the first time I missed this step and the upgrade didn't work)

Then: (with o for OEM in the version control)
hfui14.exe oa60a mb3ia60a.bdr /f mpba60ab.tbl
it tries to update but says fail - press anykey to continue back at a dos prompt

Then: (with i for IBM in the version control)
hfui14.exe ia60a mb3ia60a.bdr /f mpba60ab.tbl

Now it should say PASS

jeanad · #15 Post by **jeanad** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 11:03 pm

Thank for you help I go to try, I only have a doubt: I must twirl the two commands ?? Because my BIOS version is V no O

Then: (with o for OEM in the version control)
hfui14.exe oa60a mb3ia60a.bdr /f mpba60ab.tbl
it tries to update but says fail - press anykey to continue back at a dos prompt

Then: (with i for IBM in the version control)
hfui14.exe ia60a mb3ia60a.bdr /f mpba60ab.tbl

jeanad · #16 Post by **jeanad** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 11:23 pm

Hi Rory,

i try but in CD BIOS UPGRADE dont have file MB3IA60A.BDF. The first command does not function.

Have MB4IA60A.BDF.

What you find?

Jean

Rory · #17 Post by **Rory** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 6:27 am

jeanad wrote:Thank for you help I go to try, I only have a doubt: I must twirl the two commands ?? Because my BIOS version is V no O

Then: (with o for OEM in the version control)
hfui14.exe oa60a mb3ia60a.bdr /f mpba60ab.tbl
it tries to update but says fail - press anykey to continue back at a dos prompt

Maybe that line should have the V instead of O (I'm really guessing here)?

hfui14.exe va60a mb3ia60a.bdr /f mpba60ab.tbl

jeanad wrote: i try but in CD BIOS UPGRADE dont have file MB3IA60A.BDF. The first command does not function.

Have MB4IA60A.BDF.

Perhaps you need to use "4" versions of the files rather than "3"??

I'm way beyond my capabilities here. My company paid for my drive so if it messed up I would have got another one. If you piad for the drive then you may not want to risk it. Some of them can't be upgraded - the bios is stored in a memory which isn't reprogrammable.

agarza · #18 Post by **agarza** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 1:23 pm

I need urgently your help.
I'm using a E7K100 60GB HDD. This thing never turns off.
Here the details:

http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/3332/htejr0.jpg

I wonder if anyone could help in the procedure of changing the firmware to 7K100. I'm willing to take the risk, but Is just unbearable that this drive can't shut down itself.

Anyone willing to help me in my venture?

Note: No images over 50KB without a warning in the subject line.

agarza · #19 Post by **agarza** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 3:09 pm

I couldn't use the firmware update utility to change my E7K100 firmware. The program is intended to use only in the HTS series, my HDD is HTE.

Any way to trick the updater to think my HDD is a HTS ?

7K100 OEM successful firmware upgrade - easy peasy!!

7K100 OEM successful firmware upgrade - easy peasy!!

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