Thinkpads Forum

lophiomys wrote:nice post,
but what does it tell us about flashing of IBM HDD firmware onto a HDD?

My intent was to solve what appeared to me to be the base problem, which is, I think, the installation and use of a new HDD. It may be that flashing firmware is unneccesary with some installation methods. As I stated in my post, "This worked for me." The HDDs I've swapped out have been Toshiba, Hitachi and even a drive that had an "apple" logo printed on the label.

AND

Thank you for the compliment!

Hi,

anybody had any success flashing an IBM firmware to a
Hitachi HTS722020K9SA00 (non-FDE?)

Anyone succeed in updating the firmware of a 7k200? It looks like firmware is shown in the FW.PRO file (of newer firmware ISOs at Lenovo):

; HGST : HTS7220**K9SA00
;
; HTS722016K9SA00 160.0GB
"HITACHI HTS722016K9SA00","DCDZC70A","DCDZC75A","DCDZC75A.bdr","hfui1801.exe","ZC75A","","HITACHI"
"HITACHI HTS722016K9SA00","DCDZC72A","DCDZC75A","DCDZC75A.bdr","hfui1801.exe","ZC75A","","HITACHI"

I can't seem to get the drive to take the flash with the procedure outlined in the first post. The oddity is that the field coming before the word HITACHI above does not have a checksum shown, like in the first post. I am able to run the command, but I just get a drive not found error.

Any ideas?

bill bolton wrote: There are certainly some commonly available drives, like the Fujitsu MHV2xxx series (which includes 100GB and 120GB drives) that seem to be T43 compatible, and ungradeable by the standard IBM firmware process, without going through any special hoops.

That's true and especially for users with a T42 a known problem. Since my harddisk has shown up growing sector errors i had to look for a new one. Lenovo-Drives are most often priced three or four times higher than the ones with same specs from the manufacturer. So i bought a new Fujitsu MHV2080AH for 60 € and installed it. The drive performed good, but seemed to be a bit loud. So i became interested in flashing the firmware to a current lenovo version.

I've tried the guides which were posted in here, had some problems and found a solution for the fujitsu drives.

Warning: Do ALWAYS a BACKUP first!!! This guide is only for power users.

Step 1. Download the iso image from the following link
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-62282

Step 2. Burn the image file into a CD-R or CD-RW disc

Step 3. Check the FW.PRO file in the disc and look for your drive (i.e. mhv2080ah):

; MHV2080AH 80.0GB
"FUJITSU MHV2080AH","00840096","008400D8","ZC8400D8.BIN","hfuf06.exe","","",""
"FUJITSU MHV2080AH","008400D7","008400D8","ZC8400D8.BIN","hfuf06.exe","","",""

You can see that the phrases include 3 important parts of information for automated flashing work:

00D8: Version control phrase
ZC8400D8.BIN: New firmware file
hfuf06.exe: Flash program for specified harddisk
NO CHECKSUM file !!!

The missing Checksum File is special for many fujitsu types.
Find the phrases whitch matchs your harddisk and write down the 3 parts for following work.

Step 4. Boot with the CD, and leave the update-programm with CTRL+C.
You will get a normal Dos-Prompt.
(Using the F5-Key during boot sequence disabled the installation of the CD-Rom-driver and lead to nowhere.)

Step 5. Type in the command in the following format:

[Flash program] [Version control phrase, first char. ADD an O not a null] -pm /F [New firmware file]

The command then looks like:

HFUF06.EXE o00D8 -pm /F ZC8400D8.BIN

Excute the command and don't get irritated if there is an error message. Just continue to the next step.

Step 6. Type in the command with a little change in the following format:

[Flash program] [Version control phrase, first char. ADD an I not a 1 or a L] -pm /F [New firmware file]

The command then looks like:

HFUF06.EXE i00D8 -pm /F ZC8400D8.BIN

Excute the command and you will see the PASS information.


Ok, until here it sounds easy. But the real problem begins here.
That's why you have to do two more steps!
The drive lost it's data, that's not critical since you did your backup. But in my case the drive was no longer accessable. So i had to find a new way...

First i did a low level format with a tool from maxtor MAXLLF.EXE which can low level format more than just the maxtor drives. You can access it for example under http://www.zenerino.ch/download/downloa ... maxllf.exe or just google for it.

It takes some hours!!! to complete.

Second i did a normal format with a windows xp installation cd to get a complete harddisc error table and an accessable drive. Afterwards i put my Acronis-Backup on it and everything works perfect.

Good Luck!

Hi,

Would this method be possible to flash a Kingspec 64gb ssd drive to fix the error 2010 in a thinkpad x41t?


Thanks

<Would this method be possible to flash a Kingspec 64gb ssd drive to fix the error 2010 in a thinkpad x41t?>

I'm not sure.
Clear is, that a low level format doesn't work with ssd's.
Besides the error 2010 is reported in combination with missing sata commands (IBM introduced warning message 2010 about an outdated HDD firmware). I am not sure if another fw brings the possibly missing commands... maybe you are successful.

Greetings from germany

Hi;
Is there a new link for the drive flash for Hitachi 5k7K100 series drives?
messar's link:http://rapidshare.de/files/13761480/5K7 ... rar.htmlto rapidshare is dead.
Thanks
Randy

I need help with the command needed to flash a HTS541060G9AT00 (Firmware version MB3WA62A) There are three listed in the IBM ISO file but aren't exactly like mine. Is there a way to manipulate the command using one of the other HTS5410XXG9AT00 firm ware?Maybe a way for me to dump the original firmware and flash one of the other listed firmwares? When I ran the auto exe ISO it said that my firmware didn't need to be updated but I still have the 2010 error. I have hope as I have read here that a few have accomplished the task. Any help will be appreciated.

Big Kudos to Blapp, I was able to get rid of the 2010 error on a T43 with a 7K100 from an ancient T42p lol.

Hi!

I have trouble flashing my HTS721010G9AT00 from MCZOA51A to MCZIA51A. When i try i get a message that the firmware level is MCZJA51 or something like that. Is it impossible to flash this drive.

Thx in advance

Blapp wrote:I have uploaded the bootable CD image to rapid share.

http://rapidshare.com/files/8425286/5k7k100.iso.html

Boot from CD
Press F5 when it displays "Starting PC-DOS"
At the prompt (A:\) type:

hfui15.exe OA51A MCZIA51A.bdr /F mpcA51Ab.tbl

Press return
Press u when given the option on new screen
Press any button when after a while red error message is displayed
When returned to the prompt type:

hfui15.exe IA51A MCZIA51A.bdr /F mpcA51Ab.tbl

Press return
Press u when given the option on new screen
Press any key when big PASS message displayed.
Alt-Ctrl-Del

I just upgraded the firmware on my third-party Hitachi HTS721010G9AT00 (MCZOA51A) and loaded Windows 7 on my T43p. After trying several approaches, this is the only one that would modify the firmware to the OEM version. No more 2010 error. I was then able to upgrade to the latest IBM/Lenovo version. Good work!

Hi,

(Hitachi Travelstar 5K100 hard disk drive.)

I need help with the command needed to flash a new HTS541010G9AT00 (Firmware version MBZOA60A) - my T43.

I have downloaded: http://rapidshare.com/files/8425286/5k7k100.iso.html

I am just checking that the file that I have downloaded is OK as is? - or does it need modifying.

I have "error 2010" after installing the new drive & using the recovery set to reset to factory defaults.

Thanks

Jane

I have a Lenovo T32 laptop. I bought a replacement Toshiba MK4026GAX to replace the original fried drive but the drive came with the original PA102G firmware. I used IBM’s FWHD56.iso firmware upate to try to update the firmware to version PA108E but the firmware isn’t upgraded automatically.

There is a manual process but I do not know the command. Can you provide me the manual command for the Toshiba drive.

The manual firmware flash command for a Hitachi 7K100 drive is:

hfui15.exe oa51a MCZIA5CA.BDR /f MPCA5CAB.TBL

I need the comparable command for my new Toshiba MK4026GAX drive. Thanks!

heyjo1 wrote:I have a Lenovo T32 laptop.

That's a new model to all of us here!

I just got a T61, and I want to upgrade to a Hitachi 7K500 -500gb, can someone point me in the good direction ?
Thanks !

For a T61, you just put the drive in.

Dear Guru's,

Help! I have a T30 2366 and I wish to use a WD3200BEVE (This is the 320GB version) HDD which I want to set up as a dual boot with DOS on 'C' and normally XP on 'E'. I have carried this out many times on the 80Gb Hitachi however this is the first time on the 320Gb WD.
The drive is not recognised after loading an operating system. If the clean, new HDD is installed it can load the operating system but then at reboot it can not be found.
I have tried:
Single partition
Multiple partitions
Limiting partitions to 80gb
Various formats.
Unfortunatly I no longer have an 80Gb HDD to take a clone from so must build form scratch.

Your help would be appreciated.

blackpearl wrote:Dear Guru's,

Help! I have a T30 2366 and I wish to use a WD3200BEVE (This is the 320GB version) HDD which I want to set up as a dual boot with DOS on 'C' and normally XP on 'E'. I have carried this out many times on the 80Gb Hitachi however this is the first time on the 320Gb WD.
The drive is not recognised after loading an operating system. If the clean, new HDD is installed it can load the operating system but then at reboot it can not be found.
I have tried:
Single partition
Multiple partitions
Limiting partitions to 80gb
Various formats.
Unfortunatly I no longer have an 80Gb HDD to take a clone from so must build form scratch.

Your help would be appreciated.

Blackpearl, yours is not a drive firmware problem, but rather a cloning / multi-boot issue.

The firmware issue seems to be confined to the t4x series, mainly T42 & T43, but i am not a T4x series expert, i don't even own any!

You don't have the 80GB to clone from any more - do you have a bootable HDD?

I'm not one to install from scratch, but you could use the T30 recovery CD sets to make a huge C partition with XP-P, then acronis disk director (NOT backup and recovery) to re-size that partition - move it out to the right and place a smaller DOS FAT 32 partition at the beginning, you should then be able to load DOS on the FAT32. Afters you will have to adjust the XP-P boot files, and possibly install a boot manager on a third partition to boot either as C:), unless you want to use M$s stupid muitl-boot (which normally requires you to load the older OS first).

I have now cloned the WDC 320GBs four times (twice on each of two HDDs because of an unexplained error. so cloning is easy. I needed Win98 boot floppies each time to clar out the XP partition table hack.

Senior members, please correct me if I am wrong, but this whole firmware upgrade / flash issue seems to revolve around T43 and certain T42 models, is that correct?

I have put Hitachi, Fujitsu, Seagate and WDC drives in T30s and T2xs, and saw the note above on T60 series just needing to install the drive and install or clone away.

cadillacmike68 wrote:issue seems to revolve around T43 and certain T42 models, is that correct?

No, it's the T43 and R52 models.