From: Sh@dow.br   
      
   On Mon, 29 Jan 2024 20:16:17 -0000 (UTC), "Auric__"   
    wrote:   
      
   >Shadow wrote:   
   >   
   >> On Sat, 27 Jan 2024 19:54:52 -0000 (UTC), "Auric__"   
   >>  wrote:   
   >[snip]   
   >>>What I would do is delete %APPDATA%\devmgmt, and *MOVE* those text files   
   >>>out of %APPDATA%\MMC -- put them on your desktop. Then retry devmgmt and   
   >>>see what you get.   
   >>   
   >>      OK. Done. Same error message.   
   >>      Running out of ideas...   
   >>   
   >>      This is the first time I've "lost" my device manager in over 2   
   >> decades.   
   >>      Google is *NEVER* friendly when you really need it. And M$   
   >> treats XP like it was a contagious disease.   
   >   
   >I hate to say it, but in today's world, XP connected to the internet *is* an   
   >infectious disease.   
      
   	I scan it with a Linux-based USB-booted AV (usually   
   Kaspersky). It's never found anything. Or rather, when it does it's   
   something I've deliberately downloaded as a test.   
   >   
   >>      PS I'll try rebooting into safe mode and running it. Maybe a   
   >> driver or service is conflicting somehow. Maybe tomorrow. Have stuff   
   >> to do.   
      
   	I did that, and posted about it yesterday. It didn't change   
   anything.   
   >   
   >That's certainly possible. Or some program running in the background or   
   >something. Just remember: If all else fails, reinstalling Windows generally   
   >fixes anything except hardware failure. It sucks, but before Win7 I generally   
   >reinstalled 2-3 time per year.   
      
   	Well, I've been using "this" since DOS 6.0. I shift the old OS   
   to another partition DOS 6.0 --> DOS 6.2 --> Win 3.1 upgraded to Win   
   3.11 --> 95 --> 98 upgraded to 98SE --> XP. (I didn't like the look of   
   ME)   
   	I've had to clone to larger and larger hard disks. And expand   
   the partitions.   
   	Not a single re-install since the 90's.   
   	Backups (and disk clones) and a firewall helped.   
      
   >   
   >   
   >On an unrelated side note, please do me a favor and add a space after your   
   >sig delimiter. "-- " and not "--". Newsreaders generally can recognize the   
   >form with the space and automatically remove it from replies; Xnews (at   
   >least) doesn't recognize the version without the space.   
      
   	I thought Forte Agent did that automatically when I specified   
   my sig. OK, done.   
   	[]'s   
   --   
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