PSA!!! USB-GDROM firmware contains code that will brick the device after some time forcing fw update

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Anthony817
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PSA!!! USB-GDROM firmware contains code that will brick the device after some time forcing fw update

Post#1 » Thu Jun 06, 2019 1:39 pm

Hey guys, just thought I would let my friends here who do own a USB-GDROM ODE that there has been some new developments made about how shady Mnemo really is. This is pretty screwed up for the owners of that device, and I felt it was my duty as a fellow DC community member to let my brothers and sisters here know.

So it seems he intentionally put in some code that will brick the device after some certain time has passed. If you haven't constantly updated the firmware since you got it, he has admitted it will eventually go kaput.

You can read the full thing here.

https://www.reddit.com/r/dreamcast/comm ... code_that/

https://www.retrorgb.com/usb-gdrom-self ... timer.html
Last edited by Anthony817 on Thu Jun 06, 2019 1:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Xiden
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Re: PSA!!! USB-GDROM firmware contains code that will brick the device after some time forcing fw update

Post#2 » Thu Jun 06, 2019 1:40 pm

He claims he will fix this in the firmware next month... we hope at least

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Anthony817
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Re: PSA!!! USB-GDROM firmware contains code that will brick the device after some time forcing fw update

Post#3 » Thu Jun 06, 2019 1:51 pm

Yeah I hope so for your guys sake! That is one of the most extreme and shadiest anti-clone protections I have heard of or seen. Very anti-consumer. It is almost like the DRM on PC that can affect game performance, but here it just bricks the device in the end. Also it doesn't help that it took him like 3-4 times to get a straight answer from Mnemo the original poster at r/dreamcast sub.
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mistamontiel
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Re: PSA!!! USB-GDROM firmware contains code that will brick the device after some time forcing fw update

Post#4 » Thu Jun 06, 2019 2:05 pm

It happened to UGB

But he resumed stream in coupla mins

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Ragfish
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Re: PSA!!! USB-GDROM firmware contains code that will brick the device after some time forcing fw update

Post#5 » Thu Jun 06, 2019 2:07 pm

Reminds me of those suicide batteries that companies like Capcom used to put in their arcade games. The battery on your circuit board ran out? Have fun with your giant several thousand dollar paperweight.

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Tarnish
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Re: PSA!!! USB-GDROM firmware contains code that will brick the device after some time forcing fw update

Post#6 » Thu Jun 06, 2019 2:39 pm

Anthony817 wrote:Hey guys, just thought I would let my friends here who do own a USB-GDROM ODE that there has been some new developments made about how shady Mnemo really is. This is pretty screwed up for the owners of that device, and I felt it was my duty as a fellow DC community member to let my brothers and sisters here know.

So it seems he intentionally put in some code that will brick the device after some certain time has passed. If you haven't constantly updated the firmware since you got it, he has admitted it will eventually go kaput.

You can read the full thing here.

https://www.reddit.com/r/dreamcast/comm ... code_that/

https://www.retrorgb.com/usb-gdrom-self ... timer.html

I don't know if I would call him 'shady' right off the bat, since the reason he implemented it is actually a valid one as the GDEMU clones showed. But the fact he (I assume) never informed even the buyers that he implemented this in the product he is selling is pretty crappy. Had he done that, at least people could have made the decision whether they trust Mnemo to keep constantly updating the firmware or not and still go on with the purchase or cancel it based on their decision.

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Anthony817
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Re: PSA!!! USB-GDROM firmware contains code that will brick the device after some time forcing fw update

Post#7 » Thu Jun 06, 2019 3:08 pm

Say he gets hit by a bus tomorrow... All of those devices will get bricked after how many power cycles or whenever he set it up to fail.

Lets not forget he can't claim that he is worried about clones, which due to the fact you can't even really clone the damn things without having to cannibalize many parts off of a DC itself.

Like Keropi mentioned over at Assembler, the IC is actually the deterrent which must come from a Dreamcast GDRom board to begin with.

I didn't even think about that part until he brought it up. Remember how Mnemo was super desperate for the parts from working GDROM boards? I think he offered somebody like a USB-GDROM in exchange for 17 or so working boards from stock consoles. So he is just making up excuses at this point. It isn't just about fixing consoles that were already with dead drives with his device, you must kill a working GDROM board to make these.

Planned obsolescence is as anti-consumer as it gets. It is also illegal now in some countries I believe.

Me calling him shady is dealing with the fact that he screwed over Stone Age Gamer as well as they were partnering with him to help supply the molex connectors I believe if I recall correctly, and also selling the devices there. So yeah it is just one more thing adding up that continues to throw up a red flag with dealing with this guy and his business practices.
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Xiden
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Re: PSA!!! USB-GDROM firmware contains code that will brick the device after some time forcing fw update

Post#8 » Thu Jun 06, 2019 3:18 pm

Just a note about Mnemo, keep in mind he barely understands english. There's a strong language barrier issue. I think people assume the guy is a arrogant jerk, but that may be just how Russian culture is lol

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pcwzrd13
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Re: PSA!!! USB-GDROM firmware contains code that will brick the device after some time forcing fw update

Post#9 » Thu Jun 06, 2019 3:32 pm

Xiden wrote:Just a note about Mnemo, keep in mind he barely understands english. There's a strong language barrier issue. I think people assume the guy is a arrogant jerk, but that may be just how Russian culture is lol


That may be part of it but he definitely doesn't give the impression of being a nice guy. Just look at his comparison chart between the USB-GDROM and the GDEMU. Most of the negatives about the GDEMU are either completely false or outdated. He even goes so far as to blatantly insult the GDEMU by saying the design is "bad" and saying "Still no Menu from developer. LOL".
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Tarnish
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Re: PSA!!! USB-GDROM firmware contains code that will brick the device after some time forcing fw update

Post#10 » Thu Jun 06, 2019 3:44 pm

Didn't know you actually had to cannibalize a GDROM board for the USBGDROM. Well, I heard you can add the lid switch to make opening the lid return to the main menu of the USBGDROM (I assume), but that's not required from what I know.

That kinda means you can't really call this a 'drive replacement' if you actually need working components from the drive to make these things. It's more like an upgrade than a replacement then.

Pretty sad there seems to be always a catch with these otherwise brilliant DC mods..either they're super expensive (DreamConn/DreamPort), it's hard to get (GDEMU) or there's hidden planned obsolescence implemented.

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