Solved it myself-one got in

**FORGET IT! I think i was being stupid. When i switched to safe mode i accidentlly clicked on "diagnostic startup" first... which would explain the sound drivers but why the device manager? will restart **

**Edit 2 : Yep, post before think syndrome! The worst virus thats ever hit my system is me! But still is it a good time to try SP2? **

When I open the device manager, i get a blank screen inside. I.e. i get MMC loading up, but the pane is blank. I get the buttons to refresh, install, update and disable a diver, but nothing in the pane. Not even a computer icon.

Hmm... time for a sfc /scannow? Or maybe its a good time to upgrade to SP2

 

SP2 is sorta in beta stage. It's a release candidate. Which is sort of out of beta but essentially still beta.

Although I hear RC2 of SP2 is due out very soon so if you want to try it out you may want to wait for the next release candidate.

 

Well, I thought that it was being released for compatibility testing to network admins... and since i am an admin of a small network (a whole 4 PCs, wow! lol).

Might try it at the weekend when i dont need my PC quite as much!

Yeah i find that somtimes i panic, type out my problem and while reading it back for errors inadvertantly figure the answer out. In this case, when i read over "safe mode" it all came back