# Help! Acer Empowering Technology eLock problem...



## aquathest (Dec 31, 2007)

Hi, I've been trying to fix my problem with my computer for 3 days now and nothing is working for me. I have an Acer Power F5, running XP Professional, about 18 months old (fi anyone needs any more specs let me know and I'll try find them for you). The problem may or may not be related to The Sims 2 which installs SecuROM on your computer, and alot of users have reported problems with this screwing up CD/DVD ROM drives. There are instructions on EA's site for uninstalling SecuROM but if you do, then you are unable to play the game. 

So here's my problem: 4 days ago everything was fine. My CD/DVD ROM drive has been a bit dodgy since a few months after i got it, basically reads really slow and is touchy on burning. 3 days ago I get this message saying 'Warning! Acer eLock activated. Optical drive locked'. It now won't let me use any CD/DVDs in the drive. It also restarts every time I shut down, untill I stopped that happening by disabling the automatic restart, now I get the BSOD every time I shut down, sayign something abuot BIOS, but I don't actually know what BIOS is. I have been through all the steps over the last three days, trying to contact Acer Support to no avail, downloaded latest Empowering Technology and eLock versions (I never knew this eLock thing existed, and I certainly didn't lock my CD drive!). But these two things won't work. eLock just goes into the taskbar and when you click on it it disappears altogether. Empowering Technology says (on startup and when you try launch the application from the start menu) 'Exception Message: Not Found' and then I get a second message saying 'Sorry! This is not an Acer system!'. Um, yes it is. My very old (original) Empowering Technology is still on here and still works. But I don't want to reinstall Windows as Acer computers don't come with a Windows CD and I'm not confident of reinstalling it off the eRecovery DVD I Made about 18 months ago when i got the computer, and if the drive is locked it won't read my eRecovery DVD anyway. I also can't backup my files as my CD drive won't work as it's been locked somehow. 

I'm in a massive pickle, I just want my cd/dvd drive to work again. I know a bit but am more on the basic sice of tech knowledge. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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## aquathest (Dec 31, 2007)

OK I have finally stumbled across a version of eLock that my computer likes and managed to get the cd drive unlocked. But I'm still having problems with shutdown, in that my computer always gets the BSOD every time. The message is :
DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE 
Tech info: ***STOP: 0x0000009F (0x00000500, 0x00000002, 0x82F07638, 0x83159940), 
and the last two 0x thingees change every time I shut down. 

Earlier today I got a message on Windows when i restarted about the system has recovered from a serious failure or something along those lines. I have looked at multiple support sites (by Googling my problem) and they tell me to basically do a clean reboot, which I understand to mean a loss of all my data and start all over again. All well and good, but stupid Acer doesn't give you a Windows disc when you buy the computer, only this eRecovery rubbish. So anyone's opinion would be greatly appreciated. I have updated all drivers and uninstalled all the unnecesary Acer stuff I installed when I was trying to fix the cd drive problem.


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## speedster123 (Oct 18, 2006)

http://global.acer.com/support/index.htm

i am trying to determine if there is a patch or bios update available.


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## aquathest (Dec 31, 2007)

So you think this fault is caused by a dodgy Acer driver/download for the Empowering Technology software?


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## speedster123 (Oct 18, 2006)

possibly, check the acer forums.


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## aquathest (Dec 31, 2007)

Do you have a link for Acer forums please? I can't find them on the acer site.


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## speedster123 (Oct 18, 2006)

damn, i am finding their notebook forums, but striking out so far with their pc's...i reached out for help on this.


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