How To Update Liteon iHAS DVD Writer to iXtreme Burner Max

Please only 360 guide here
Post Reply
User avatar
yamackbuddy4
Possible Ally of Robinhood
Possible Ally of Robinhood
Posts: 83
Joined: Sun Apr 11, 2010 5:52 pm

How To Update Liteon iHAS DVD Writer to iXtreme Burner Max

Post by yamackbuddy4 »

This guide is the property of Ubergeek on behalf of Team Xecuter

FYI This is the kind of setup that works for me and others. Its not "Gospel" and is not set in stone. It is meant as a guide to demonstrate that this can be a flawless process. There are so many variables that can effect the end result and as much as we would love to give you a definitive answer - there isn't one. What we do say is stick to Verbatim MIS (Made In Singapore). Once you have great results go from there and go with the process that works best for YOU.

TAKE THE TIME TO READ EVERYTHING ON THIS PAGE. IT WILL ANSWER 99% OF ALL YOUR QUESTIONS. DO NOT WASTE PEOPLES TIME BY ASKING THE SAME STUFF OVER AND OVER THAT'S ALREADY BEEN ANSWERED.

This guide will show you how to easily update a Liteon iHAS 124-XX B DVD Writer to the iXtreme Burner Max Firmware

This tutorial works with all the compatible iHas-B drives, however we chose the 124 as the base guide as that it was the hack was originally designed on and its the cheapest / easiest to get drive.

Thanks to the guys at http://www.xconsoles.com for providing the Liteon iHAS124-B drive. You can buy them there for only $19.99 !

First of all you need to make sure your drive has the latest stock firmware before flashing iXtreme Burner Max. This is so the EEPROM is fully updated. iXtreme Burner Max does not update the EEPROM. (This is for those of you who ask, "Why do we need to put the latest LiteOn firmware on it if we are just going to replace it?")

For example the Liteon iHAS124-XX B that we got from xconsoles.com had a stock firmware of AL0R which is from July 2011. However there was a firmware update in September 2011 which is the AL0S and that is the fw that iXtreme Burner Max was based on, so you first need to make sure that you get the correct stock firmware that matches the iXtreme Burner Max firmware and flash that first.

LiteON iHAS124-XX B: http://www.firmwarehq.com/download_1905 ... S.EXE.html
LiteON iHAS224-XX B: http://www.firmwarehq.com/download_1892 ... A.EXE.html
LiteON iHAS324-XX B: http://www.firmwarehq.com/download_1909 ... B.EXE.html
LiteON iHAS424-XX B: http://www.firmwarehq.com/download_1890 ... A.EXE.html
LiteON iHAS524-XX B: http://www.firmwarehq.com/download_1910 ... A.EXE.html
LiteON iHAS624-XX B: http://www.firmwarehq.com/download_1889 ... 9.EXE.html

(Note: The XX value varies and is of no consequence. The important value is the firmware version B which is the chipset. Versions A and Y will NOT work).

Requirements:

iHAS DVD Writer
Any SATA Chipset (NON-AHCI Mode) or XECUTER X360USB PRO
iXtreme Burner Max Firmware: (links are mirrors. you only need one):
http://hotfile.com/dl/133317280/47bcdfa ... 1.zip.html
http://www.mediafire.com/?axps191xmj3cd2m
http://www.filesonic.com/file/273689802 ... ack_v1.zip
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=LEBRV0XA
Flash Utility v6.0.1 : http://codeguys.rpc1.org/utilities/Flas ... -6.0.1.rar
EEPROM Utility v6.2.0:http://codeguys.rpc1.org/utilities/EEPR ... -6.2.0.rar
Verbatim MKM-001 (2.4x) or Verbatim MKM-003 (4x) Blank Media (See XGD2 v XGD3 Info at the end of this guide) - Made In Singapore NOT India or Taiwan.Only way to tell where they are made is by looking on the pack or by media Id.

1. First you need to connect the drive to your PC. You can use onboard SATA (make sure that it is on a port that has AHCI disabled as there have been many reports of failures if you use an AHCI enabled port), a SATA PCI card, an external USB to SATA 5.25 enclosure or you can even use an Xecuter X360USB PRO. I'm not going to explain to you how to connect a power and sata cable to a DVD drive. If you can't do that then you should get another hobby

Ensure that the DVD drive shows in device manager and is listed in Windows with a drive letter.
Image

2. Now you need to make sure your drive has the stock firmware version that matches the version of the Burner Max firmware. To check which version your drive is simply run the EEPROM Utility.

1: Model Number
2: Chipset Version
3: Firmware Version

As you can see this shows we have an iHAS124 Model, and a B version chipset with firmware version AL0R. Now the Burner Max version for this drive is AL0S so we will first need to update to that before we do anything else.
Image


3. Download the correct stock firmware for your drive. In this case its the AL0S.EXE for the iHAS124B. The download links are listed at the beginning of this guide. Open the file and there will be a popup throwing out some drive info. Make sure it is the correct iHAS version that matches your drive before continuing. Read the instructions and then click YES.
Image

4. Make sure that the correct drive is selected and that the source and destination firmwares match up to watch you require. In this case we want to upgrade an iHAS124B from AL0R to AL0S. Click Update.
Image
Image
Image


5. Once completed you will be asked to reboot your PC. You MUST DO THIS before you continue so click NOW. (Make sure that you save any other work that you had open before rebooting).
Image

6. Now you are back in Windows you are ready to flash the drives firmware. Open up the Flash Utility and make sure the correct iHas drive version is showing along with your new updated stock firmware. Now dump the flash to make sure everything is working correctly. Click Read Flash.
Image
Image


7. Save the dumped firmware. You can use this as your stock backup.
Image

8. OK now lets flash the Burner Max firmware. Click the Write Flash button.
Image


9. Read the instructions carefully. If everything looks good to you click YES.
Image


10. Select the correct Burner Max firmware for your driver version and click OPEN.
Image

11. As the pop up says, last chance. Make sure everything looks good then click YES. We recommend you do not touch the mouse or keyboard while the drive is flashing.
Image

12. Flashing.....
Image


13. Success !!! Click EXIT and you are done. Now reboot your PC and you will be ready to rock 8.7 GB burns
Image

Extra Info Regarding XGD2 v XGD3
14. There are only two types of disc that this hack officially recognizes. The Verbatim MKM001 (2.4x) and the Verbatim MKM003 (4x). You can easily see which media code your Verbatim disc is by inserting a blank disc into the burner and starting up the latest version of IMGBURN.

Image

15. In order to get MKM003 discs to burn at 4x you must set the OPC option in IMGBURN. Goto the menu and click Tools > Settings and hit the Write tab. Make sure box is checked next to "Perform OPC Before Write" Then click OK. Note: This option should be used for Verbatim MKM003 discs only. If you use any other disc then you should disable this option by unticking the box.

Image

In order for XGD3 games to be burned properly, the new firmware utilizes every possible spare area on the disc which causes the burn to be very close to edge of the disc. This area is where the dye (the material where the data resides) is the most inconsistent. The stock firmware in DVD burners has been coded to stop burning well short of the edge of the dye. Here's an image to illustrate this.
Image

A rip of an XGD2 game is 7,838,695,424 Bytes (7.8 GB); A rip of an XGD3 game is 8,738,846,720 Bytes (8.7 GB).

The difference is about 191 MB that gets cut off at the end if you do not use the Burner Max firmware. Keeping this chunk of data intact on the backup is what the iXtreme Burner Max was created for. If you compare the 2 backups, notice how much area the additional 709 MB requires (difference between XDG2 and XGD3 images).

Cheaper, lower-grade discs have greater areas of inconsistent dye at the outer tracks than higher-grade discs, such as Verbatim do. This isn't an opinion; it's not debatable; it's a fact so live with it. This is why c4eva has reported that only Verbatim discs have been burning consistently error-free. The statement, "But, my cheaper discs have always worked fine," is irrelevant as you will be burning them with a capacity they were never designed for. Don't be a cheap ass and use 6x-8x Verbatims (These will be MKM003's though you will be burning at 4x)

For those of you who wonder why bother with a Burner Max drive for XGD3 games when they have been working fine so far: let's hold a contest to see who can guess the exact number of new security checks that fit inside the 191 MB getting truncated by not using one. The winner gets a freshly-banned console as well as discs that no longer boot; the runner-up gets a profile that's suspended until 12/31/9999 and a pile of coasters.


EEPROM Utility Tweaks
There are also a number of options you can tweak using the EEPROM Utility. Some users have reported better results with these options enabled, some better when disabled so its simply a matter of preference for your own setup.

The options we recommend you try out are Smart Burn, Force Hyper Tuning & Online Hyper Tuning. You will find that Smart Burn is enabled by default.
Image

Once you have burned your disc you really need to test the quality. Due to the very low margin of error you now have to follow these guidelines and use a tool called KPROBE2 to test the true quality of your discs. A simply verify by IMGBURN is no longer sufficient. Use these guides to help you through the process. Good luck and happy burning !

Thanks
C4EVA. Genius. Legend.
Team Jungle & Team Xecuter
Codeguys.rpc1.org
Firmwarehq.com
Defosho - OPC for 4x burning with Verbatim MKM003
Charincol for the extra XGD2 v XGD3 Info recap and images
Image
User avatar
yamackbuddy4
Possible Ally of Robinhood
Possible Ally of Robinhood
Posts: 83
Joined: Sun Apr 11, 2010 5:52 pm

Re: How To Update Liteon iHAS DVD Writer to iXtreme Burner M

Post by yamackbuddy4 »

Just a quick note..... Ihas124 b can be bought at newegg for 17 bucks and some change with free shipping. I just got a couple in the mail today. Free 2day shipping.
Image
Post Reply

Return to “Xbox360 guides go here”