device manager has disappeared

[Ignoramus]

Windows xp os

This morning I discover.....

1. I have no sound\
2. My printer has vanished
3. I can't get online because my AOL software wants to load some more files and wants me to reboot in order to start, | do this and I keep getting the same message but no internet
4. MY DEVICE MANAGER list has disappeared. Nothing is listed.
5. I have no system restore point to go back to.
6. Obviously any device that has sound doesn't want to work.
7. The modem works and I installed an older version of AOL and I can only access AOL but not any pages on the web.

Oddly enough all my documents are intact.

Sunday I downloaded AVG anti virus and it worked fine, no glitches and told me I had no virus. I also downloaded Spybot, and used the immunize feature. No problems.

I have uninstallled them both and have gotten no relief..

All my documents and work are intact. No problems there.


Any suggestions??????

[ArcticFox]

Well not right at the moment, but if I was you the first thing I'd do is drag all your files onto another drive or somewhere that they can reside if things go further south.

Try running Scandisk also (unless you are me and you comp is missing it.. )

[dystopialives]

I've had things randomly disappear like this too, I run windows xp MCE, MCE just...pff gone, reinstalled the os (no reformatting) and they've been back since...i guess if you have an installl cd and not one of those annoying ghost discs try reinstalling the os over itself.

Also happened in a 2k machine...looked like the hdd just got...corrupted...somehow, scan disk, defrag, reinstall, no problem since. Gotta love technology.

[John Prophet]

yeah, I think id boot to the cd and choose the second "R" to do a repair install...(not repair console, which is the first "R")

[Ignoramus]

Thanks guys, still a little lost though.

I tried to boot from the CD. Here are the choices they give me.\

Safe MOde
Safe Mode with Networking
Safe Mode wiht command prompt

Enable boot logging\
enable VGA mode
last known good configuration (your most recent settings that worked)
Directory services restore mode (windows domain controllers only)
debugging mode

start windows normally
reboot
return to os choices menu.


Now which ever one I chose takes me to a window that says

PLEASE SELECT THE OS TO START:

MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP HOME EDITION

And that's it. If you chose it of course you come back to the start up of XP with the accounts on it.

What's up with that?

Thanks

[no1_vern]

Do a repair AFTER you back up all your critical info. Back it up now, then do the repair/reinstall.

Just in case. It doesnt hurt to have 2 or even 3 copies of your critical info backed up somewhere else, and It can save you HOURS of work reconstructing the info.

[Ignoramus]

Yes I've backed up everything. I'm just not having much luck with the reinstall.