Visioneer Scanners (Driver) vs (updates)??

[klxdrt]

Visioneer Scanners (Driver) vs XP (updates)??

Has anyone had any driver (scanner not found) problems with their scanners, Visioneer or other, since the Windows last update last week?

Thanks,

HW

[NooNoo]

Not personally no... If you suspect an update, you can uninstall it in add/remove programs - don't forget to check the box to show updates.

[klxdrt]

Thanks,

But this goes much deeper, like a 9 page registry fix. "Apparently?" a recent 'XP update' caused a conflict with the Visioneer driver that must be corrected or you can't install another scanner any brand.

Driver installs, BUT doesn't load.

HW

[CCT]

It helps us to research problems if you provide links to whatever site you got the information from.

Thanks.

You can also follow Noo's advice THEN delete anything left in your Registry with the key word 'Visioneer'.

Or not.

[klxdrt]

Dear OCT,

Thanks for your quick response. This all started when I tried to do a simple txt scan in my 3yr old Visioneer 7100 scanner. $39 ha ha and it did a great job.

NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH SCANNER OR ANYTHING ELSE (PC) FOR THAT MATTER. I use my PC 8-12 hr a day for the last 7 yr. And I keep it squeaky clean & XP updated.

1) When trying to scan, got 'scanner not found' Did some troubleshooting, reboot, remove/reinstall, replace driver, etc.
Checked Control Panel: System> 'Hdwe Tab" > device mgr> imaging device> shows 7100 driver installed. (! mark next to driver entry.)
The following error msg copied from pop up:
WINDOWS CANNOT LOAD THE DEVICE DRIVER FOR THIS HARDWARE. THE DRIVER MAY BE CORRUPTED OR MISSING. (CODE 39)

2) After several hours, started looking for a new scanner when an 'expert' friend of mine suggested mine may have croaked.

3) Wanted a Visioneer because the software inc allowed manual adjustments. Purchased Visioneer 9420 for $120.

4) Came home, studied instructions, next morning, removed all old 7100 scanner software inc. driver

5) Installed new 9420 scanner 'by the book' tried to scan 'could not find scanner' msg appeared.

Checked Control Panel: System> 'Hdwe Tab" > device mgr> imaging device> shows 9420 driver installed. (! mark next to driver entry.)
The following error msg copied from pop up:
WINDOWS CANNOT LOAD THE DEVICE DRIVER FOR THIS HARDWARE. THE DRIVER MAY BE CORRUPTED OR MISSING. (CODE 39)
scanner.

6) Removed 9470 scanner software inc. driver

7) Returned 9420, store suggested & gave me a Visioneer 7300 to try. Their tech people had no other suggestions other that to try another scanner.

8) Installed new 7300 scanner 'by the book' tried to scan 'could not find scanner' msg appeared.

Checked Control Panel: System> 'Hdwe Tab" > device mgr> imaging device> shows 7300 driver installed. (! mark next to driver entry.)
The following error msg copied from pop up:
WINDOWS CANNOT LOAD THE DEVICE DRIVER FOR THIS HARDWARE. THE DRIVER MAY BE CORRUPTED OR MISSING. (CODE 39)
scanner.

10) During this trouble shooting, called Visioneer several times to no avail, waited 10-15 min each time no answer.

11) Next day tried calling Visioneer, finally got thru to tech. after 20 minure wait (my nickel) The tech was brusk, aloof and didn't seem to care, (nothing new here).
He said he had a 20 minute fix, and sent me to this link: http://support.visioneer.com/Knowled...0Uninstall.asp

12) The kicker is according to the tech, NO scanner will install until I remover the faulty Visioneer. He intimated it may have been caused by a recent MS XP service patch.

I'm experienced, but not 'stupid' enough to try to follow a 9 page (tiny print) registry fix.

Hope this helps,

HW

[NooNoo]

It's not 9 pages, just feels like it. All those adjustments are quick. You want to see the instructions for removing Norton AV by hand!!!

Take it one step at a time, and back up the registry first.

[klxdrt]

NooNoo,

Thanks for the quick response. I printed it out & it took 9 pages. That's a lot of 'details' for a guy who is no good at details. I contacted a couple of tech shops here and they would not touch it. Too much risk.

Right now, I have too much important (paying) work to do and cant afford a crippled PC.

Plus I want to know more about this problem.

What/who caused it, never had this happen in 25 yr intense PC use. This is just a simple 'consumer' product involving a simple automated install.

Was Visioneer's setup routine flawed. Or was it the fault of the company who appeared on the install process.

Was there a conflict with a recent MS XP patch Tuesday. Since all worked well for years until last Fri.

If there was a conflict, what MS update that caused it? Will it reoccur on the next patch Tuesday when the reg conflict is removed?

If I go thru the process carefully, will the fix allow me to install a 'non" visioner scanner?

What if going thru the fix process, the instructions do not show what appears on my PC? Where do I go from there?

Several yrs ago, I went thru a 75 step (4hr) edit to a HP Jornado only to find out it didnt work. Then a call to the tech support, confirmed "they" made an error in the orig instruction. And I was not going to get paid my time plus I was penalized for not being able to get on line.

So I do my doing my homework.

This should not happen to a consumer product in 2007. After all, 38 yrs ago we put a man on the moon & returned him safely.

Thanks,

HW

[NooNoo]

38 years ago we gave the the budget and forgave them their mistakes... nowadays we do neither.

These questions need to be addressed to the people at visioneeer who wrote the driver... if you were them, would you admit you had stuck a comma in the wrong place which crippled the installer under certain circumstances?

If it was an MS update, and it happens again, at least you now know what to do.

No idea if the tech at visioneer was talking out of his backside or not... get a non visioneer scanner and try for yourself.

These are computers with software to run on as many hardware types as possible. If you want something with guarantees, spend money on a pc builder who will check compatibility for every piece of software and component. In addition you would have to pay this person to lab test every update or change. You would not be able to do anything without his/her say so.

In large enterprises, they have people doing just that. If on the other hand you don't want to go quite that far, buy a mac!

[klxdrt]

Thanks,

HW

[NooNoo]

I sense you are peeved. Can I point out this is free help by volunteers, if you don't want to pay to have it fixed, you must expect to undergo a fairly steep learning curve - long (boring) manual uninstallations is part of any computer technician's life.

[klxdrt]

NooNoo,

Not peeved at you or the forum. Everyone was helpful & informative, and I & I learned something in the process.

I run a small busn out of my house and at this time I can't afford to take the risk. All is fine except for the scanner, I'll do a work around, don't use the scanner that much anyway. And I now have an excuse (with wife's approval) to get a new PC sans Vista. Then I'll probably try the registry fix, just for fun, ha ha.

My real beef is with today's companies who constantly screw customers one way or another.

My expectations are very minimal: I don't expect any more value, quality, service than I would get from a 14 yr old (125,00+ mi) Honda Civic or a 55 yr old Craftsman screwdriver.

Thanks again,

HW

[NooNoo]

With today's view of everything must be bought on price point, in order to keep that point down the product only has to be just good enough... spending a few more dollars is often the way to less hassle.

[Scoop0901]

NooNoo,
I run a small busn out of my house and at this time I can't afford to take the risk. All is fine except for the scanner, I'll do a work around, don't use the scanner that much anyway. And I now have an excuse (with wife's approval) to get a new PC sans Vista. Then I'll probably try the registry fix, just for fun, ha ha.

[snip]

My expectations are very minimal: I don't expect any more value, quality, service than I would get from a 14 yr old (125,00+ mi) Honda Civic or a 55 yr old Craftsman screwdriver.

The only thing I would suggest is you invest a few hundred dollars into a 250 or 300 gig external HD (two or three would be the better solution -- but that would be around $1,000 USD), as well as a copy of Norton Save and Restore (the new name for Norton Ghost, an old product) for each computer you run.

A good backup, done properly, will save you every time. Had you had that prior to whatever caused the problem, you could have simply rolled back to one backup prior and all would have been right with the world.

I have three backups of each drive on my computer made daily. Each backup us sent to a different external USB hard drive. With Norton Save and Restore, the backups happen automatically, while I work or while the machine is idle, and I save only full backups, not incremental. That way all I ever have to do is slap the CD in the drive, reboot the computer and 30 minutes later, my computer is in the exact same configuration it was at the time of the backup.

In those hard drives, I have one backup of a "clean install" of the system, with just the operating system with applicable patches. I update that version every three or four months by loading it, downloading all OS patches, and saving a new backup. That way, just in case I ever want to roll back to that configuration, it's there.

I also have one copy on each drive of the actual "clean, full install" of my computer, with only the essential programs, such as my choice of office suites, accounting packages, DTP packages, and anything else I need. That, too, is updated every few months, just like the clean OS-only image. To do both takes about 3 or 4 hours, and I do those as planned chores on a Saturday or Sunday.

If your livelihood is based on your computer, then you really need a good backup solution. The old saying, which Visioneer seems to be waving in your face, is that an emergency on your part is not a crisis on theirs. They gave you a workaround. Personally, I would have just rolled back, never contacted them, and upgraded to a new scanner if I figured it was the software. Scanners are about $70 for a good home-version. If you want a business-grade one, sure, it's going to be more, but the $70 one is probably more in-line with what you already have. I was just on the Visioneer site looking for some stuff, but also checking out the prices. If you're not in the U.S., well, the prices will likely be different.

[klxdrt]

Thanks a lot. Had expert edit registry $50

HW

[NooNoo]

Do you have a backup/restore plan kixdrt?