OT: Epson printer Drivers confusion...

[RJK]

It surely must be time for the more professional hardware vendors, who put a
lot of resources into their hardware and websites, to design things so that
they're LESS ******G COMPLICATED, ....and better, and more SIMPLY explained.

Yesterday I bought an Epson R300 printer and thought I'd look at Epson's
site to see if I have the latest drivers because people are talking on the
web about this printer printing too dark with XP SP2 using something or
other in Windows. I'm not sure if that would affect me because I use Corel
Photopaint 10, (or is it 12?), which makes use of the ICM colour matching
profile / so I have ICM selected in Epsons' "Colour management" settings.
....prints do seem a little too dark !

On offer for the R300 is Printer Driver v5.5bAs
Windows XP, Windows 2000
epson11315.exe - 7.7MB - posted on 01/19/05

My current driver seems to be (in Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs |
"Printer software" ?), ( threatening to uninstall seems to be the only way
to get at the version number ), 5.58E

....ummMM is 5.58E newer than 5.5bAs ...I'm left wondering ? ...which
modules am I looking at the version number of ? ...I'm wondering !

Comments from anyone with the same printer that knows where to dig for
driver version number would be greatly appreciated !

regards, Richard

 

[Shenan Stanley]

It surely must be time for the more professional hardware vendors,
who put a lot of resources into their hardware and websites, to
design things so that they're LESS ******G COMPLICATED, ....and
better, and more SIMPLY explained.
Yesterday I bought an Epson R300 printer and thought I'd look at
Epson's site to see if I have the latest drivers because people are
talking on the web about this printer printing too dark with XP SP2
using something or other in Windows. I'm not sure if that would
affect me because I use Corel Photopaint 10, (or is it 12?), which
makes use of the ICM colour matching profile / so I have ICM selected
in Epsons' "Colour management" settings. ...prints do seem a little
too dark !
On offer for the R300 is Printer Driver v5.5bAs
Windows XP, Windows 2000
epson11315.exe - 7.7MB - posted on 01/19/05

My current driver seems to be (in Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs
| "Printer software" ?), ( threatening to uninstall seems to be the
only way to get at the version number ), 5.58E

...ummMM is 5.58E newer than 5.5bAs ...I'm left wondering ? ...which
modules am I looking at the version number of ? ...I'm wondering !

Comments from anyone with the same printer that knows where to dig for
driver version number would be greatly appreciated !

What's the DATE on the driver on your computer - go by that.
(Should say "Driver Date" on the same page you found "Driver Version".)

As for the version being newer - I guess that depends on Epson's numbering
system..

If they have some strange people working for them and writing drivers, then
5.5bAs could very well be NEWER than 5.58E.. If the characters after the
decimal point are not numbers or are HEX digits.. They may just be some
internal system of counting.. Not following conventions is something many
different companies are guilty of. I'd go by the date - as you know when
the ones you can download were created.

Also - there is a such thing as "Driver Rollback" in Windows XP - so if you
install the new drivers and don't like them and you have your system restore
turned on and insured it is functioning beforehand - then you can try the
new driver and if they are not new and/or do nothing for you, roll-back.

--

=- Shenan -=<
=- MS MVP -=<

--
The information above is intended to assist you; however, it is
suggested you research for yourself before you take any advice - you
are the one ultimately responsible for your actions/problems/solutions.
Whenever possible, the advice will include the method/places used in
compiling the answer. Also, questions may have been asked to clarify
your situation OR to give you an idea of where to look - do not dismiss
them lightly.

 

[RJK]

Thanks Shenan,

Since posting, I uninstalled the "printer software" in Control Panel
Add/Remove programs, which I assume was the printer driver and which came
with the printer - version 5.41. Then I installed the ones on offer on the
Epson website "Printer Driver v5.5bAs" which show as version 5.51 after
installation on the "Version Information" tab, and indeed there is an
improvement - prints are brighter/lighter and more closely resemble the
image on screen.

It would have been helpful if Epson had put the version number, as on the
"Version Information" tab - (after installation), on the website download.

regards, Richard