Dennis,
After the guy who wrote vspMgr looked over this forum topic we exchanged a few emails. He suggested that I check for missing system files, etc. After doing some diagnostic work, I discovered that a driver for the hardware wifi adapter in this machine (I use a wired LAN connection) had never been installed. Once I installed that seemingly unrelated software, everything started working fine. The virtual ports showed up in both vspMgr and in Device Manager and they did not interfere with LOGic. I can now access all the formerly questionable setup areas. What Peter's experience and mine seem to indicate is that there is something very nebulous about the way certain WIN device drivers interact. But, as of now, all seems well. I'll let you know if the old behavior reappears.
BTW, I'm familiar withe com0com. According to most ham forums, com0com is the way to go for 32-bit environments but that vspMgr is better in the 64-bit world. These virtual port managers are an absolute necessity for using Flex radios for digital modes, as they allow real hardware to interface with the "virtual hardware" of an SDR.
Thanks again for your help!
73,
Carl
N8VZ