MS-Dos Compatibility Mode Hell

In a dim moment, I enabled DMA on both my hard-disks IDE, (8GB and 1.2GB). On reboot, Windows gave me a blue screen, and then put me into MS-DOS compatibility mode. The result is that I can't see my CD-ROM, and I've taken a performance hit. I've removed the NOIDE entry from the registry (several times...), removed the dual PCI IDE controller, fiddled with config.sys and autoexec.bat, rebooted, rebooted, and got nowhere. My best result seems to be when I'm in safe mode and I remove the IDE controllers, as it restarts and then gives me the blue screen telling me that it's going to stick me into compatibility mode. I'm clutching at straws here, but that suggests that its getting out of compatibility mode, but the underlying problem isn't fixed. Or something. I'm running Win 95B with 96MB on a K6-II 350, and I need help!

I would take a look at your IDE controllers. Are you using the windows default or the drivers from you MB CD. Either way it's time for an update. That's what I would try first, not knowing anything else about the system.

You may try, while in Safemode, to edit the registry. Under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE , rename the ENUM key - this is the key where all of your hardware is installed. By renaming it and rebooting the machine in normal mode, you're system will start a fresh copy of that key. You will have to run the Add New Hardware Wizard, but it may clear out some problems of multiple and incorrect entries for your IDE Controllers.

And if it doesn't work, you can always go back and rename the old ENUM key back to ENUM (deleting the new one first of course).

Fixed it! After much annoyance, I had made no progress, so I tried something which had worked for me before (I didn't say that I had been here when I tried to install Windows Media Player 8 did I...?). I unplugged the CD ROM and my second HDD so that I only had 1 IDE device plugged in. In Safe mode I removed the NOIDE entry, and removed the standard dual IDE controller, then rebooted. Widows re-detected the controlloer, erbooted again and everything was hunky-dory! Once everything was plugged back in we were fine.

Thanks to everyone who posted suggestions.