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Hi all. I'm running virtual box 4.1.2_Debian with Win XP guest, SP3. The host machine has an LG GH22 NS50 DVD-rw drive, on which I'd like to update the firmware. It currently has version TN01, and I never upgraded it to TN02 and now there's a TN03 update available.

In the XP guest I have the drive selected under devices, and I also selected the pass through option under the storage settings before my most recent start of the machine and when I try to perform the update, the updater gives me a message that it can't find target drive. The drive does show up under 'my computer' as DVD-RAM drive (D:). Is there a way for me to get the firmware updater to see it so it'll update the firmware?

(I also tried using Wine, on the Debian host machine and the updater does at least see the drive and has the current and upgrade to versions showing, but when I hit update it says 'the updating was failed'.)

The kind of low level access that you are going to need to flash the drive more than likely will not work unless it is a direct connect to metal. In other words only on Windows and it has to be the OS. From checking the model it only supports Windows.

Darn. That's what I suspected may be the case, but I was hoping there was a way... Thanks for the reply!

Check the website, they usually have an update to be applied without the requirements of a specific OS. I hate it when companies force users to use a certain OS just to update the firmware on the device (Apple for instance, can't update your iDevice if you have Linux).

Their listing of choices are either WinXP, Vista or 7. That's it... the drive is sort of serviceable as it is, and I have an Asus external dvd-rw that I use for the occasional dvd burning; and I'll know to have a list of vendors when I go shopping for a replacement.

It's a long shot, but try Hiren's Boot CD. It has a sort of Windows environment that may do what you need. Else try BartPE or something. Or, that's also possible, sue them and demand an OS-independent update system .