Lost Device Manager in XP

Compaq desktop running Windows XP, external HD 1T, using Google Chrome for surfing. Got rid of some toolbars that were causing problems I guess but noticed that my speakers stopped working. Tried to get into Device Manager and all I get is a white box now. Printer will not print either. Have looked around the web for fixes and the only thing I've found is a fix from MS. Downloaded it and still no device manager. Also I was asked to get rid of an Adobe program but cannot get rid of that either. Any ideas much appreciated. Thank you

Do a System Restore to before you deleted the toolbars, see if that fixes it. How did you remove the toolsbars? Did you delete them from Add or Remove Programs?

Hi

Check to see if this service is set to automatic and running.

• click start > run
• copy and paste the following into the run box and click ok
  services.msc
  
• scroll down the list to Plug and play
• right click it and click properties
• make sure the start type is set to automatic
• if it's not use the dropdown menu to change it to automatic
• click the start button
• click apply, click ok

Any joy?

I started plugnplay as advised. Now services.exe is using 99% of memory. Am still trying to kill pnp but haven't been able to. Using my ipod to send this.

Do a System Restore to before you deleted the toolbars, see if that fixes it.

How did you remove the toolsbars? Did you delete them from Add or Remove Programs?

Part of cleaning my system of malware was to clean all restore points except the clean one after getting rid of toolbars. The toolbars deleted from add/remove programs. I could not get my computer to do anything after allowing Plug N' Play to start.

Finally today I managed to get Plug N' Play to stop running after setting it back to disabled and crashing my computer then rebooting.

Without PNP running my services.exe usage went from 99% to 0%. I tried to find out what was running besides Plug N Play. I stopped Apple Mobile Service although I don't believe that had any difference.

What I did note was two items trying to start.
Remote Access Connection Manager was starting
Windows Image Acquisition was starting.

Looking as Services.msc now I noticed that both of those programs are started and not starting.

Should I disable both of them and try starting Plug N' Play again? If that works add one at a time back into service until everything hangs?

Thanks guys.

I did disable both of the above programs, services? Anyway, when I started Plug N play again I froze up. So is there a way to look at what's running when I start plug n play without starting it? Thank you, Bob

For information
here's the link to cabinover's recent virus and Spyware Removal topic:
http://forums.whatthetech.com/index.php?sh…22635&st=15

Thank you Sir.