Why do a firmware update?
Firmware upates play an important role, especially concerning cd/dvd drives. They can increase the reading speed, remove dvd-region-code limitations, add writing techniques. It can therefore be very helpful to do a firmware update.
Where to get firmware updates?
The first place to look for firmware should be FSC, you will probably find it at http://support.fujitsu-siemens.com/com/ ... loads.html. If not, you can always ask them directly via email. An alternative is the list in the post below.
Applying the update: "flashing"
Usually the firmware update is applied onto the drive with the enclosed exe-file. The firmware itself in a seperate file. The procedure varies though.
Risks:
Due to the fact that any software will contact the drives indirectly via the firmware, everything depends on it being installed correctly. Should you install the wrong version or should something go wrong while flashing it, it's possible the drive won't be recognized anymore. Note: There can be different revisions of a drive that each need individual versions of the firmware. Sometimes some updates will "just" cause trouble.
Please forward any additions/suggestions via mail or PM to aspettl
The German equivalence to this Sticky can be found -> here. Die deutsche Version zu diesem "Sticky"-Thread findet ihr -> hier.