HP Scanner does not work with XP - what now?

I've been having a headache with an HP Sanjet 3500c scanner for the
last year. This is an Internet Cafe, and the PCs should be logged in as
User and not the Staff/Admin. What happens is, it will work for a
while, like a week or so, then, when the user tries to use it (either
by running the desktop software or pressing the scanner front buttons)
several windows/errors pop up, and there have been several kinds over
the months, some are the "Windows Is Installing the software" kind of
messages, which then gives some kind of error, so you click OK, or
cancel, but it just starts over. What I've found is that if you go
around in circle long enough, continue clicking/cancelling ,etc,
eventually the windows go a way and the scanning software begins and
works just fine! But how annoying.

If I uninstall/reinstall the software, it will fix it...for a day or 2
or 5. Then it starts over. And sometimes it starts doing it in the
Admin login too. Ahhhgggg.

I've talked to HP tech support for literally hours, live chat, emails,
and on the phone. First of all, their customer service sucks worse than
any I have ever known, but that's a different subject. In the end the
just told me that they can't promise that it works with windows XP. So
they could do nothing for me.

So my questions are 1) Does anyone have a scanner, HP or otherwise,
that actually DOES work with XP, even the User logons? I need a new one
obviously, and I would prefer a different brand since I don't like HP
products or people any more, nothing but a huge hassle.
2)Has anyone had a similar problem and maybe a solution?

I run my HP 4c with VueScan with a problem. I don't know if it will
help you, but the demo is free... you might as well give it a shot.

If my previous reply ever shows up, it should have said that I run my
HP using Vuescan WITHOUT a problem. I think I wrote something to the
contrary, but how would I know?

Damn these Beta newsgroups...

Is Vuescan just a free program that runs the scanner? Does it make the
front buttons work as well? Did you have problems running your HP
scanner in windows XP with HPs own software?

hpo...@operamail.com wrote:
> If my previous reply ever shows up, it should have said that I run my
> HP using Vuescan WITHOUT a problem. I think I wrote something to the
> contrary, but how would I know?
>
> Damn these Beta newsgroups...

Vuescan is a 3rd party scanner driver. It is not free, but the demo is.
I've no idea about the front buttons. I never installed HP's software
under XP, I just used Vuescan.

<gregf@kcls.org> wrote:

> 2)Has anyone had a similar problem and maybe a solution?

A Mac...? :-)

SCNR,
Ralf

--
Ralf R. Radermacher - DL9KCG - Köln/Cologne, Germany
private homepage: http://www.fotoralf.de
manual cameras and photo galleries - updated Jan. 10, 2005
Contarex - Kiev 60 - Horizon 202 - P6 mount lenses

<gregf@kcls.org> wrote in message
news:1105816389.763987.187750@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>
> So my questions are 1) Does anyone have a scanner, HP or otherwise,
> that actually DOES work with XP, even the User logons?
>
My Nikon LS-40 and my Epson Perfection 2400 both work quite well with XP. I
use Nikon Scan, Epson Scan, and Vuescan (depending my mood at the moment).
Jim

gregf@kcls.org wrote:

> I've been having a headache with an HP Sanjet 3500c scanner for the
> last year. This is an Internet Cafe, and the PCs should be logged in as
> User and not the Staff/Admin. What happens is, it will work for a
> while, like a week or so, then, when the user tries to use it (either
> by running the desktop software or pressing the scanner front buttons)
> several windows/errors pop up, and there have been several kinds over
> the months, some are the "Windows Is Installing the software" kind of
> messages, which then gives some kind of error, so you click OK, or
> cancel, but it just starts over. What I've found is that if you go
> around in circle long enough, continue clicking/cancelling ,etc,
> eventually the windows go a way and the scanning software begins and
> works just fine! But how annoying.
>
> If I uninstall/reinstall the software, it will fix it...for a day or 2
> or 5. Then it starts over. And sometimes it starts doing it in the
> Admin login too. Ahhhgggg.
>
> I've talked to HP tech support for literally hours, live chat, emails,
> and on the phone. First of all, their customer service sucks worse than
> any I have ever known, but that's a different subject. In the end the
> just told me that they can't promise that it works with windows XP. So
> they could do nothing for me.
>
> So my questions are 1) Does anyone have a scanner, HP or otherwise,
> that actually DOES work with XP, even the User logons? I need a new one
> obviously, and I would prefer a different brand since I don't like HP
> products or people any more, nothing but a huge hassle.
> 2)Has anyone had a similar problem and maybe a solution?
>
Yes, there are scanners, lots of them, that work with Windows XP. I
have a Canon 4200F that works very well. I believe that Canon support
is in this country.

You said you are an Internet Cafe, where I imagine users do a lot of
strange things every day. Do you reboot your machines each day? Does
rebooting make the problem go away? Is your scanner connected via a USB
port? If so, will simply unplugging the USB cable from the scanner and
then replugging it make the problem go away?

Bernie

We do reboot them everyday, at least once, and I do all the usual virus
scan/adware scans, defrag, diskcheck, cleanup, etc.
It is USB, but reconnecting that does not solve anything. It seems to
be in the software, it sometimes says 'you don't have permission to use
this', other times it's trying to install things, and again says you
have no permission to do so. The only thing that fixes it is to
reinstall the software, but then a week later it's doing it again. I
want to fix it for good, but even HP admits that this is probably not
possible.

Bernie wrote:
> gregf@kcls.org wrote:
>
> > I've been having a headache with an HP Sanjet 3500c scanner for the
> > last year. This is an Internet Cafe, and the PCs should be logged
in as
> > User and not the Staff/Admin. What happens is, it will work for a
> > while, like a week or so, then, when the user tries to use it
(either
> > by running the desktop software or pressing the scanner front
buttons)
> > several windows/errors pop up, and there have been several kinds
over
> > the months, some are the "Windows Is Installing the software" kind
of
> > messages, which then gives some kind of error, so you click OK, or
> > cancel, but it just starts over. What I've found is that if you go
> > around in circle long enough, continue clicking/cancelling ,etc,
> > eventually the windows go a way and the scanning software begins
and
> > works just fine! But how annoying.
> >
> > If I uninstall/reinstall the software, it will fix it...for a day
or 2
> > or 5. Then it starts over. And sometimes it starts doing it in the
> > Admin login too. Ahhhgggg.
> >
> > I've talked to HP tech support for literally hours, live chat,
emails,
> > and on the phone. First of all, their customer service sucks worse
than
> > any I have ever known, but that's a different subject. In the end
the
> > just told me that they can't promise that it works with windows XP.
So
> > they could do nothing for me.
> >
> > So my questions are 1) Does anyone have a scanner, HP or otherwise,
> > that actually DOES work with XP, even the User logons? I need a new
one
> > obviously, and I would prefer a different brand since I don't like
HP
> > products or people any more, nothing but a huge hassle.
> > 2)Has anyone had a similar problem and maybe a solution?
> >
> Yes, there are scanners, lots of them, that work with Windows XP. I
> have a Canon 4200F that works very well. I believe that Canon
support
> is in this country.
>
> You said you are an Internet Cafe, where I imagine users do a lot of
> strange things every day. Do you reboot your machines each day?
Does
> rebooting make the problem go away? Is your scanner connected via a
USB
> port? If so, will simply unplugging the USB cable from the scanner
and
> then replugging it make the problem go away?
>
> Bernie

>
> So my questions are 1) Does anyone have a scanner, HP or otherwise,
> that actually DOES work with XP, even the User logons? I need a new one
> obviously, and I would prefer a different brand since I don't like HP
> products or people any more, nothing but a huge hassle.
> 2)Has anyone had a similar problem and maybe a solution?
>

My solution with my 5100c was to throw it in the trash. That was the best
solution by far. I had once gotten it half-working under W2K but after
sifting through the HP support maze again I decided that life is too short.
I bought a used Epson Perfection 1240 for $35. It was recognized immediately
and it works great. I highly recommend this solution for your health and
sanity. And yes, I will never buy another HP product either.

Sorry I never tried a different logon. Would you like me to try it and see
if it works?

Toby