SP3 Registry Corruption - Device Manager and Networking Problems

I found that the Device Manager window was completely empty after the SP3 update. So I went to Microsoft and did some searching. I found this:

After XP SP3 Upgrade - Device Manager Empty / Network Connection Icons Missing
http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNe [...] &SiteID=17

The thread titled Answer *solved* (For me: ) - Device Manager Empty / Network Connection Icons Missing worked for me.

I booted into safe mode and did a search for keys with $%& and manually deleted all of them. Now the Device Manager works. It took me over an hour to do this. I got pretty quick at hitting the delete key and pressing the OK button. There are thousands of them.

It looks like it might be caused by Norton Internet Security.

I had the same problem, but then i just wiped everything out and reinstalled xp pro with sp3 then the rest of software's all is good except every now and then i get a error about norton and i should update norton

I run two systems one that is a cheap amd x2 that runs rosetta only on the side and a q6600 with four users both systems with xp pro sp2 that i upgraded to sp3 the rosetta system and x2 does not have Norton upgraded with no problems but the system with Norton crashed when i upgraded to sp3 after wiping everything out and reinstalling everything but Norton went fine intell i installed Norton systemworks 2008 then i started to get errors again saying to update Norton that i never got when i was running sp2 so maybe Norton just needs to fix problem with sp3. but you would think that Microsoft would have worked with Norton before the update was released??? but i am left handed I had started a thread who has had problems with sp3. P.S team MATTFARM  if anyone wants to join!!!