Hi all Symptom Device manager is empty, network connections is empty. I found the various knowledge base articles relating to these two problems and tried ALL the suggested remedies all to no avail. I have tried the windows protected file checker procedure, it replaced a few dll's but the problem persists. I've used msconfig to verify that the service is set to start up.Something seems very wrong In the services pane of the MMC any service I double click (apart from the plug and play service) gives me "the specified device instance handle does not correspond to a current device" In the plug and play service properties "start" and "stop" are greyed out and I'm told that the service is running even when it is disabled. The only recent change to my PC's set up is the addition of a broadband router between it and the modem and the set up of a LAN with just one other PC (everything went smoothly and I could still see my network connections), I can still use the LAN as well as the internet - in fact every thing else seems ok. I did have to disable the WIA service a couple of days ago as My Computer was taking an age to display the drives and this was the microsoft remedy. I dont know why this problem arose either. Im running XP pro SP1 with all the latest crit updated on a beefy enough machine. I've been running on the original install for over a year with no major problems.....what's going on? sorry about the length of teh post, please help I'm going off my nut. ps my system log is also telling me I'm getting a ring buffer overrun (ouch) from the mouse anyone know what thats all about? I posted this before but it seems to have been removed.

Okay then Ben, Here's my answer again: I think the Mouse is having a hardware failure and the Plug'n Play Service is trying to detect it all the time(START/STOP greyed out 'coz it's working hard) Get a new mouse to check (10$ for a new one?) HTH - Happy NewYear!! svg

... if the pnp service is busy, then DeviceManager & NetworkConnections can't use it. That's why they remain empty (the Mouse actions come first in the Windows' event queue). Also, instead of the Mouse having a hardware failure, it could also be that it has a bad connection to your computer. Unplug the mouse, restart the computer without it. If the same problems exists, then it's a driver problem with either the mouse-driver or XP itself. TRY THIS FIRST BEFORE BUYING A NEW MOUSE. svg

Thanks for the help svg. Ive tried the mouse suggestions all to no avail. What else might cause the PnP service to become forever busy? Or is my computers mind going? Could this problem be caused by a virus/trojan? (I run Norton all updated etc) Thanks again.

Any device that the PNP service is detecting and which is not reporting correctly through its hardware or software. So, quite difficult for me to track down. Virus/trojan? I don't know. You can always post your question on other forums as well, just to get other people's perspective on this.

Thanks once again for the help. I'm in the process of trying different hardware (keyboard,nic etc) so far none have helped.As faras other forums are concerned this is the only one that anyone has answered me on. My fear is that I reinstall windows with all the effort that involves only to find the problem persists (reinstalls IMHO should be the last resort of the desperate man)