I am having a problem with my hard disk controller. My primary and secondary ide controllers do not work. Therefore, I cannot use my CD Player. It indicates I should try to update the alim5229 PCI Bus Master IDE Controller. I also read that there was a compatibility mode problem and to remove the NOIDE value. Since I have not switched CD Players, I do not see the value in updating the driver. Besides I could not find that ACER driver at the website. I could remove the Master IDE Controller, and try to reload ME, but since my CD Player does not work, I am afraid it may effect my hardrive. I did remove the NODE value, but when I rebooted the computer, it would not allow the changes to occur. Any suggestions would be helpful. I have consider reformatting my hardrive, but I can't use my CD Recorder.

Keith If you deleted the NOIDE entry in the Registry, and you still have yellow exclamation points next to Hard Disk Controllers in Device Manager, and Performance tab shows MS-DOS Compatibility mode....then I reckon it is very probable that you have a boot sector virus. Do a complete virus scan first. If you don't have a virus scanner, then go to http://housecall.antivirus.com/ for a FREE online scanner

Keith. After virus scanning for an MBR (master boot record) virus consider: What IDE channel configurations are you using: eg: Primary Master = boot HDD c: (master) Secondary Master = ? CDROM or 2nd HDD (Slave) Secondary master = ? CDROM (master) Secondary slave = ? (slave) if you only use one HDD (c:) then it must be the primary master. Disconnect the CDROM data and power cables. Boot just the HDD and once in the OS check that the NoIDE value in the registry is either non existant or its value is 00: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -SYSTEM -CURRENTCONTROLSET -SERVICES -VXD -IOS NoIDE value = 00 or delete the key. Reboot without the CDROM again and check if the bus master ide controller and primary and secondary controllers are OK (no yellow marks). Shut down and connect the CDROM to the secondary IDE channel as master - reboot and see what happens. Good Luck

Keith - short follow up on my last post: I meant to describe the motherboard EIDE channels as: Primary master = Boot HDD c: (master) Primary Slave = 2nd HDD (slave) or CDROM (slave) Secondary Master = CDROM? (slave) Secondary slave = ? The point is to connect your CDROM to the Secondary master channel. good luck.