Windows XP TCP/IP Protocol Driver Missing

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain (More info?)

Hello, I know that this question has been asked before but
I thought that I would re-post because it has happened to
me again in recent weeks, and in all my years of using
Windows XP Pro this problem has never been answered to my
own personal satisfaction, and the question is:

"If the TCP/IP Protocol Driver is missing from the Device
Manager (Hidden Devices) or has been disabled: how can
one repair it WITHOUT relying on System Restore? (Windows
Repair process does not appear to fix the problem.
Repairing the TCP/IP stack with netsh does not restore the
Protocol Driver either.)"

This issue is practically a self-destruct option for
Windows XP. No TCPIP = no network, ever, again. :-)

Please CC any responses to mdub@execulink.com

Thank you,
Michael J. Dub