scanner not responding

[Ron Tobias]

OS Windows XP Home Edition and using HP Scanjet 5200C.
Scanner will occasionally work but most times will
say "not responding". Have contacted HP and have latest
driver/installation disks for this scanner to work with
XP. Have tried everything HP has suggested but thought
it might be a Windows problem somewhere.

 

[R. C. White]

Hi, Ron.

Vendors always say it's Microsoft's fault. But the basic rule is:
Microsoft writes Windows. Device manufacturers write the drivers that let
their hardware work with Windows. So, the ball is clearly in HP's court.

How does your scanner interface with your computer? SCSI? USB? Parallel
Port? Different drivers are needed for each interface.

In working with my own HP OfficeJet and a friend's 3300C scanner, I learned
that sometimes we have to do a thorough job of scouring the Register to
remove all traces of prior HP drivers before we can get the new drivers to
install properly. These instructions are on the HP website, but they are
complex and they are not emphasized. We eventually got everything working,
but HP was not much help. In spite of the pretty colors on their website,
we could not call it "user-friendly". :>(

My suggestion is to go back to www.hp.com and navigate carefully through it
until you find the secret pathway to the proper drivers for your specific
device and WinXP.

And let us know what you find. Other users often ask the same question and
we'd like to know what to tell them.

RC