Asus DVD-E616 DVD-ROM - Reset Region Counter

Dvd-rom drives generally allow you to change the region code 5 times in order to let you watch dvds of different region codes. In Windows XP, this can be done by firing up "Device Manager", expand the dvd-rom drive, right-click it & then select "Properties", & finally go to the "DVD Region" tab. As you change the region, the counter gets decremented.

I have read about ways to update a dvd-rom drive such that it becomes region free - meaning you don't have to worry abt being tied to a particular region after the no of allowed changes has been exhausted. This normally involves flashing the drive's bios. To me, this is pretty much the same as updating a motherboard's bios. It is safe as long as you have the right flash tool and bios file & know what you are doing. The problem is always when something goes wrong during the flashing process i.e. update hangs halfway, you used the wrong bios file, etc - you'll end up with a dead motherboard or dvd drive.




I got to know this trick posted here from a friend, which is specifically for Asus dvd-rom drive model DVD-E616. No bios flashing is required, thus, ideal for people who still have this old but working drive & are not comfortable with bios flashing.

BTW, this drive is originally in beige but turned yellowish after a while. I recently spray-painted it to black.

Follow the procedures below to reset the region counter back to 5.

1. Start with the PC powered off.


2. There are 2 buttons on the DVD-ROM drive. Press both of them.


3. Power on the PC and wait for the POST screen, with the buttons remain pressed.


4. When the POST procedure is detecting your hard disks, release the buttons.

Note: If you don't release the buttons, the POST procedure will hang. When this happens, just power-off again & retry. Make sure u release the buttons earlier than the previous time it hung.

I've tried this a couple of times. Seemed easy enough to follow.