Device Manager Empty / Blank

Well, I believe that the first step we need is to get a lot more information / clarity about your problem. "I downloaded my info" doesn't tell us much. What info? Download usually means fetch from some site on the Internet. Is this what you mean? Do you mean that you did a backup?

What process asks you to provide a "floppy disk?" Is this while your windows XP is running? While you are downloading?

I even confused myself. Let's try
- Is Windows XP starting or not?
- Are you trying to restore the operating system, or restore data that you lost, or store data that you are fetching from a site somewhere?
- Exactly what program is asking for a floppy disk: the install procedure, your Web browser, a program that you have installed in XP, or something that you are running on the Web?
- A step-by-step description of what you are doing from login (if XP is good) or power-on (if XP is dead) would be useful.

And floppies still exist - I've got a box of 20 or so that I use. For some reason, driver installations during setup want to be run from floppies. Also, I run some boot environments from floppy, like system backups. I could use USB thumb drives, but they cost a minimum of 8 bucks and the floppies, back when they were still made, were under 50 cents.

I rambled. Please make this clearer for us, and we will help. Or rag on you mercilessly, depending on who responds.

i was preparing to restore my computer. i was trying to backup the files. but when it got to the box that said "insert a floppy disk" i got stuck. my divice manager is empty and i need to take the computer back to manufactor settings.

i am not trying to "restore" data, i am trying to save my files to a cd. so that i can restore to manufacter settings. the computer works fine as far as coming on. i can go to email, facebook etc. i can download my camera, i can copy music etc. but the computer can not find the printer i installed. i get an error message. "Error-IM32FAX.DIL not found". the printer is an all in one Epson Stylus NX300/305 series. it worked when i ran the test page. and then nothing after that. if you need more info please let me know. i have talked to a couple of people and they said to go to the device manager, which i did but it is a blank page. NOTHING there. please if you can help i would appreciated VERY much!! rose

i am trying to send you a message

i will try again.
i need to download my files to a CD, but when i get to the box that says "where do you want to put the files" it won't let me type in "CD" it goes right to "Compaq/Admin/someting /something" didn't want to do that. I did get to download the files to somewhere on the computer but....i don't know where. i want to get them out of the computer onto a CD so that i can restore the system. the mess started with my trying to install a NEW printer (all in one Epson Stylus NX300/305 series) i installed it and it was fine with the test page but then i tried to print a receipt and was told "can not find printer". i unintalled and reintslled 3 times. it is now uninstalled. but i get to error message right after my wallpaper comes up. i was told to go to "Device Manager" and look for the printer in there. BUT......it is empty, blank white page, nothing there AT ALL!!!!!!! so NOW what do I do??????????????????? rose
i hope this makes enough sense that you can understand it. i am NOT computer sa..ve! i am trying to do this on my own with the help of kind people willing to walk me thru it. THANK YOU for what ever help you can give. remember i do not have a printer installed so i can not print out instructions, i have to write it all down...rose
last night i defrag-ed, it took about 3hrs and it helped a little with the speed but not much else.

thank you for your interest to help.
here goes.

i installed a printer (all in one Epson Stylus NX300/305). i ran the test page and it went fine. then i tried to print a receipt and i got a message saying "can not find printer". so i unistalled it! i did that 3 times with the same results. someone told me to go to "Device Manager" to look for the printer. it is empty. blank white page with nothing there. NOT ONE ITEM!!!! so i was told to backup my files and restore the computer to "manufacture settings". that is where i am stuck. i did do the backup but don't know where the files went. i need to get them off the computer (pictures, music etc.) when i was trying to put the files on the disk i could not get passed the box that said "what do you want to download the files to" the only option it gave me was "Compaq/Admin/something, something". i can log on, i can download the pics off my camera, music, email, everything seems to work fine except that i get the error box when my wallpaper (personal screen) comes up. "Error-IM32FAX.DIL". AND i can not find anything in the "Device Manager"
any help will be greatly apprecited. rose

I would suggest you install third party tools to help you maintain your computer, it helps a lot - try TuneUp Utilities.