BenQ XL2720 firmware upgrader dongle: MSTAR ISP Available on AlIExpress

[Chief Blur Buster]

Note: For users with older BenQ Monitors with older firmwares

For people who don't want to use Linux, and prefer a Windows firmware upgrader, the MSTAR ISP is back in stock:

MSTAR ISP Firmware Upgrader Board on ALI Express

These are needed to firmware-upgrade older BenQ ZOWIE monitors. I have one of these, and I confirm this works great for upgrading BenQ ZOWIE monitors. At the time (2014) I was authorized by BenQ ZOWIE to write instructions for users to install firmwares on their monitors for the XL2720Z.

This is for DIY Firmware Upgrade For BENQ Z-Series, which may be useful if you have an older Version 1 of BenQ Z Series gaming monitor with non-adjustable strobe backlight. The firmware upgrade makes the monitor compatible with the Blur Busters Strobe Utility.

[Falkentyne]

Note: For users with older BenQ Monitors with older firmwares

For people who don't want to use Linux, and prefer a Windows firmware upgrader, the MSTAR ISP is back in stock:

MSTAR ISP Firmware Upgrader Board on ALI Express

These are needed to firmware-upgrade older BenQ ZOWIE monitors. I have one of these, and I confirm this works great for upgrading BenQ ZOWIE monitors. At the time (2014) I was authorized by BenQ ZOWIE to write instructions for users to install firmwares on their monitors for the XL2720Z.

This is for DIY Firmware Upgrade For BENQ Z-Series, which may be useful if you have an older Version 1 of BenQ Z Series gaming monitor with non-adjustable strobe backlight. The firmware upgrade makes the monitor compatible with the Blur Busters Strobe Utility.

That device works great. Could have sworn it set me back $58 when it was on yoycart back in the day So that's a bargain now.

Firmwares are here.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AkQqWXPLNfg-gVFgbSq ... A?e=gKymxC

[ilnickif]

I have question , i just bought this MSTAR ISP

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000156174290.html

- exactly as you've wrote in your instruction: https://blurbusters.com/benq/diy-firmwa ... -z-series/ and message.

My purpose was to update firmware in xl2420z and i have problem i have problem i have windows 10 and for me firmware update procedure is not working - i am connecting device to PC- sucessfuly instaling drivers, but there is no way that i can run Mstar ISP utility correcty . allways i am receiving information - "cant find a device type" are there any problems regarding mentioned update in Windows 10 ?, or what should i do

Please Help
F

[ilnickif]

I have new update. Yesterday company from aliexpress had sent me link to a zip file with more than 200 Mb of different types of drivers, tools etc- 90% in chinese- none of them works, whatever i do i am still receiving info " Cant Find the Divice type" - according to that i have questions:

- can you confirm that device which is proposed by Chief Blur Buster under the link :
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000156174290.html - on the picture there is written "TailKuKe"
is correct one and verified .

You can find that THIS IS NOT THE SAME DEVICE AS ON PICTURE from instruction
https://blurbusters.com/benq/diy-firmwa ... -z-series/, in a new device there is not a switch inside.
so please Confirm that this exactly device is correct one and should work.

in my windows 10 in Device Manager - device is recognised as "USB serial port (COM7) - is it correct ?

please help
thanks in advance
F

[Chief Blur Buster]

Yes, you have to select the correct USB port.

Do you have a screenshot to the problem?
Did you try both HDMI and DVI?

Sometimes the other connection method works better. You can temporarily use 60Hz with HDMI, for the purposes of firmware upgrade. I am trying to figure out if your problems is USB-side or HDMI-side or DVI-side. There are two links to solve, so if your weak link is the video cable, try a different cable connection.

You say you tried both the MSTAR software from the Blur Busters page (MSTAR ISP SOFTWARE v45082.zip), as well as the software that was sent to you by vendor?

[ilnickif]

Yes, you have to select the correct USB port.

Do you have a screenshot to the problem?
Did you try both HDMI and DVI?

Sometimes the other connection method works better. You can temporarily use 60Hz with HDMI, for the purposes of firmware upgrade. I am trying to figure out if your problems is USB-side or HDMI-side or DVI-side. There are two links to solve, so if your weak link is the video cable, try a different cable connection.

You say you tried both the MSTAR software from the Blur Busters page (MSTAR ISP SOFTWARE v45082.zip), as well as the software that was sent to you by vendor?

Thanks for fast answer

i was connecting my Mstar device to BenQ monitor ONLY eather via VGA cable or DVI - generaly i had not tried by HDMI - according to your instruction - you 've wrote only about connecting via VGA od DVI. i can try via HDMI

regarding my MSTAR device (the one from ALIEXPRESS link you've sent) i think that connection computer -> MSTAR seems ok ( no problems in device manger and device is registered as "USB serial port (COM7) " - my question is if it is ok.

regarding Mstar software - i tried much more than 2 - one from you - and at least 10 from vendor packeage ( he sent me 200 MB packeage with at least 10 different versions of MSTAR soft- some english most chinese- the packeage was gigantic) .
for some reason when i am connecting BenQ via eather VGA or DVI EVERY Mstar soft recognises USB connection but when i am pressing connect it writes " Cant Find the Divice type"

at this moment i will try to do connect MSTAR to BENQ via HDMI and i will write what was the result
POST UPDATE-> BenQ update via HDMI - not works, the last think i have to try is to rppeate this procedure on old laptop with windows XP or windows 7, also maybe i will buy
https://pl.aliexpress.com/item/40002416 ... 5c0f7dHlAT

it seems almost ecactly like yours
thanks

[Leoaigner]

Hi is there any update on this issue? I am receiving the same error with the Mstar Isp device when I am trying to update my XL2720Z

[Squeakychu]

I'm in kind of a pickle, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

I just got my mstar device today from aliexpress, and I followed the instructions to flash my xl2420z with version 4 (the version provided on google drive). It recognized the device, but when I selected the file 5E.1M001.014 XL2420Z_V004-20141017_1E4E.BIN, and clicked run, it gave me something like below:

Erase Message: Erasing...
Erase OK.
Blank Message: Blanking...
Blank Error at 1E000 (I don't remember exactly what it said, but it was an approximation of this).
Blank Failed

Worried that there was an issue, I tried restarting the flash, but it said something like "write protected", so I exited out of the program, unplugged the cables, and plugged it back in. When I tried again, it doesn't recognize the device now, so I can't even seem to flash the new firmware. Even worse, my monitor won't even turn on now after unplugging/plugging the power cable. I really hope I'm not out $200+ dollars, and there's a way to recover from this. Right now, I only get the following information when clicking run, and I cannot seem to connect/disconnect the device to try again.



Edit 7/28/20: I was just able to upgrade the firmware on my monitor to v4 through the Linux method. I forgot that I had a Lenovo Thinkpad, which has a vga port with support for i2c, so I went with the linux method using a bootable usb version of ubuntu. After a fair bit of reading up and some persistence, I was able upgrade the firmware in ubuntu and get back my screen. I'm super relieved that I don't have to get a new monitor!

If anyone else bricks their monitor using the mstar method like I did (or for some other reason), you can always try to rescue your monitor by using a bootable usb drive to boot into Linux (without modifying the HDD) and use that method to upgrade the firmware as backup if the mstar method failed.

[Margusx]

I get to you guys zowie 2536 firmware too just waitning on aliexpress. I not get point whay benq not release firmware for EOL monitors its user problem if something goes wrong. Benq monitors are impossible allmost to brick. I did flash under linux my 2411z first flash was balck screen second try on other old pc was sucsess and recovered. Linux flashing was nobrainer pick and easy tho. But yea to get 2536 firmware not work in linux i hope i get file with mstar. Dumping file help others or atleast something to play with. And dumping not brick anything.

In my country benq not flash them so get updated is impossibe also send somwehre else is huge shipping cost. Its not worth to send to benq.