Original file, virtual read and backup: know what you upload.
Check what your flash tool actually provides before the first upload. An original file, a virtual read and a full backup serve different purposes. Identifying them clearly helps keep your order and recovery data organised.
On this page5 topics ⌄
01
Normal read: data currently read from the ECU
A normal read retrieves the data covered by the selected reading method. If the ECU software has already been modified, the read may contain those changes. “Read from the vehicle” does not necessarily mean “unmodified stock software”. Declare known previous tuning and retain the first read without editing it.
02
Virtual read: a matched stock file from the tool provider
A virtual read supplies a matching original software file from the tool provider’s database after ECU identification. It is not a copy of everything currently stored in the ECU. Existing tuning may therefore be absent from the virtual read. Check the tool documentation for the procedure supported by your ECU.
03
Backup: check the recovery coverage
A backup may contain memory areas beyond the usual calibration file. The saved areas and supported recovery method depend on the tool, protocol and reading method. AutoTuner, for example, documents a distinction between an OBD read and a bench/boot backup. Do not assume that every other tool works in the same way.
04
Label the source of your upload
Store original data, identification and order number together. Upload the file intended for editing and state the tool, protocol and read method. Keep backup files unchanged as recovery data. Ask before processing if the format is unclear.
State normal read or virtual read
Save ECU/TCU hardware and software identification
Declare the file format and any previous modifications
Keep recovery files separate from working files
05
Choose the order after confirming the file
Once the source is identified, you can request Stage 1, Stage 2, TCU or individual functions. With slave tools, confirm the master connection as well. Follow the tool provider’s instructions for writing and recovery.
No. A supplied stock file is not automatically a backup of every memory area. Check the documented backup and recovery scope for your tool.
Can a normal read already contain tuning?+
Yes. If the ECU software was modified, a normal read may include those changes. Declare known previous modifications in the order.
On this page3 topics ⌄
01
Keep a clear chain from the first identification
Save the identification alongside the data obtained during the same reading session. Record the tool and the selected read method so a colleague can establish how that file was created. If another read is made after a software update or hardware change, keep it as a separate event rather than overwriting the earlier data under the same name.
This is especially useful when the workshop is investigating a vehicle with an uncertain software history. The first file you obtain may already contain modifications. Describe what is known and what remains uncertain; a filename containing original does not establish that the data is untouched stock software.
Do not substitute a convenient file for recovery data
The file intended for calibration work and the material needed for a supported recovery procedure can have different purposes. Consult the documentation for the actual ECU, tool and protocol and retain the specified recovery data unchanged. A file from a similar vehicle, or a stock file supplied by a different route, should not be assumed to cover the same memory areas or recovery procedure.
If the tool produces multiple exports, describe them when asking which file to upload. Keep their origin clear instead of merging, converting or renaming them until their purpose is no longer apparent. The development enquiry can then be assessed without treating every exported item as the same kind of binary.
DAMOS and MapPack matching also depends on the software data being identified correctly. Supply the original BIN or ORI with the controller identification and state the requested format. A matching ECU family in the catalogue helps locate an enquiry, but it does not establish that every definition for that family fits your file. Keeping the original data and its source clear supports both a finished tuning-file order and a separate request for development definitions.
