I'm running a Toshiba Satellite laptop with Windows XP Pro 2002....utilizing a Novatel Wireless Satellite Merlin C201 modem card from Centennial which gives me access to Internet via satellite. Problem is....laptop doesn't like the modem card anymore. First I got an error message indicating modem faulty or other hardward problem...but right now I'm running off this modem in my table PC so the modem is OK. After a bit of messing around I got an error message indicating my com ports utilized by the modem might be disabled. So I went into Device Manager and guess what ?? Ports (com & Lpt) is now MISSING from the list. So my com ports are apparently not only disabled....they are missing. Or at least I don't know another way to access them. I first tried the repair option utilizing the software installation disc which came with the modem....and NO CHANGE. Still get message com ports disabled. Next I tried complete uninstall of modem software....and new installation ........NOT GOOD....I now get the blue death screen when ever I insert the modem card. Next I tried the restore to an earlier date....before the modem softward was ever installed.....Still the Ports (com & Lpt) are missing from the Device Manager list. After all this.....I assume that my XP Pro has somehow been corrupted and will require a complete reinstallation to fix the problem....and once again make the com ports available from Device Manager. Please advise me as to whether my analysis may probably be correct...OR...what ever advise or thought you may have? MUCH APPRECIATED....Apart from this problem....the computer seems quite normal. A check of the complete system by Gri Soft AVG Free recently updated revealed NO Virus......Similiar checks by Spyware Blaster, Spybot Search & Destroy and Lava Soft Ad-Aware....revealed NO problems.