If your Device Manager is completely blank or empty, then there are two possibilities of why the problem is occurring: either you have a critical Windows service disabled or your permissions in the registry for the Device Manager key are corrupt.
Here’s how you can fix this issue by enabling the appropriate Windows service or changing the permissions in the registry.
Try the steps listed here. http://helpdeskgeek.com/windows-xp-tips/device-manager-empty-or-blank/