Can't rename scanner

[Rojo Habe]

My new printer didn't come with a USB lead so I borrowed the one from my
scanner. I've now replaced the lead and Windows has now decided to
reinstall the scanner, naming it 'Epson Perfection 610 #2'. I've tried
renaming it and deleting the ' #2' but Windows won't let me, telling me a
device with that name already exists. How can I delete the old entry so
that I can rename the new one? It doesn't appear in the Scanners and Cameras
window.

 

[someone]

My new printer didn't come with a USB lead so I borrowed the one from my
scanner. I've now replaced the lead and Windows has now decided to
reinstall the scanner, naming it 'Epson Perfection 610 #2'. I've tried
renaming it and deleting the ' #2' but Windows won't let me, telling me a
device with that name already exists. How can I delete the old entry so
that I can rename the new one? It doesn't appear in the Scanners and
Cameras window.

Uninstall it in Device manager.

 

[Noozer]

My new printer didn't come with a USB lead so I borrowed the one from my
scanner. I've now replaced the lead and Windows has now decided to
reinstall the scanner, naming it 'Epson Perfection 610 #2'. I've tried
renaming it and deleting the ' #2' but Windows won't let me, telling me a
device with that name already exists. How can I delete the old entry so
that I can rename the new one? It doesn't appear in the Scanners and
Cameras window.

Plug it in the same place that it was before.

 

[Pen]

My new printer didn't come with a USB lead so I borrowed the one from my
scanner. I've now replaced the lead and Windows has now decided to
reinstall the scanner, naming it 'Epson Perfection 610 #2'. I've tried
renaming it and deleting the ' #2' but Windows won't let me, telling me a
device with that name already exists. How can I delete the old entry so
that I can rename the new one? It doesn't appear in the Scanners and
Cameras window.

The problem occurred because you used a different USB port the
2nd time. If you had used the same port this wouldn't have happened.

 

[Rojo Habe]

You'd think so, wouldn't you? All I did was remove the plug from the
printer and plug it back into the scanner. Ther other end of it hasn't
moved.

 

[Rojo Habe]

Uninstall it in Device manager.

That's the problem. It's not listed in the Device Manager.

It also doesn't appear anywhere in the registry either, which is why I've
resorted to asking for help.

 

[Pen]

You'd think so, wouldn't you? All I did was remove the plug from the
printer and plug it back into the scanner. Ther other end of it hasn't
moved.

Well I guess that having the printer in that port has messed things up,
but the scanner must be in device manager somewhere if it's working.
It usually is under imaging devices. Also is this really a problem?

 

[Rojo Habe]

Well I guess that having the printer in that port has messed things up,
but the scanner must be in device manager somewhere if it's working.
It usually is under imaging devices. Also is this really a problem?

No, not really a problem. Just a minor irritation. I'm a bit Adrian Monk
about this sort of thing. When I see people's computers displaying 'Local
Area Network #36' it drives me potty!

Anyway, you'll be pleased to hear I've sorted it. I suddenly remembered I
did move it, but that was weeks ago. I needed a spare USB2 port so I moved
the scanner to a USB1 port. Strangely enough, Windows was quite happy with
this at the time and carried on using the original driver. As you say, it's
only since I've had the printer in that port and put the scanner back that
the problem has occurred. Once I remembered I'd moved it, all I had to do
was delete it from each port in turn and then start from scratch.

Many thanks to you all for nudging me in the right direction.

 

[Joe Morris]

No, not really a problem. Just a minor irritation. I'm a bit Adrian Monk
about this sort of thing. When I see people's computers displaying 'Local
Area Network #36' it drives me potty!

Anyway, you'll be pleased to hear I've sorted it. I suddenly remembered I
did move it, but that was weeks ago. I needed a spare USB2 port so I moved
the scanner to a USB1 port.

While you've resolved the problem by playing mix-and-match with the
USB connections, the problem was started because by default the Device
Manager display doesn't show devices which were installed in the past
but which aren't currently visible to the system. They're still known
to the system, however, which can be a Good Thing (plug in the device
and it's ready for use) or a Bad Thing (you want to completely remove
it from the system, perhaps to allow a new device to use the same
name without a "#2" suffix).

In both W2K and XP (and probably 2003 Server but I've not checked)
you can tell Device Manager to show everything that's installed. Open
a command window (CMD) and enter the following commands:

set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
start devmgmt.msc

The Device Manager window will open. Note that you MUST invoke the
Device Manager from the command window for the next step to do what
you want.

In the Device Manager window menu bar, click VIEW -> SHOW HIDDEN DEVICES

All devices, including ones not recognized as physically present, will
be displayed. Nonpresent devices are greyed out, but can still be
selected and if desired, uninstalled.

Why Microsoft doesn't bother to make this option more obvious in one
of the mysteries of the ages.

Joe Morris

 

[Rojo Habe]

While you've resolved the problem by playing mix-and-match with the
USB connections, the problem was started because by default the Device
Manager display doesn't show devices which were installed in the past
but which aren't currently visible to the system. They're still known
to the system, however, which can be a Good Thing (plug in the device
and it's ready for use) or a Bad Thing (you want to completely remove
it from the system, perhaps to allow a new device to use the same
name without a "#2" suffix).

In both W2K and XP (and probably 2003 Server but I've not checked)
you can tell Device Manager to show everything that's installed. Open
a command window (CMD) and enter the following commands:

set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
start devmgmt.msc

The Device Manager window will open. Note that you MUST invoke the
Device Manager from the command window for the next step to do what
you want.

In the Device Manager window menu bar, click VIEW -> SHOW HIDDEN DEVICES

All devices, including ones not recognized as physically present, will
be displayed. Nonpresent devices are greyed out, but can still be
selected and if desired, uninstalled.

Why Microsoft doesn't bother to make this option more obvious in one
of the mysteries of the ages.

Joe Morris

Joe, Thank you! That actually answers the original question, even though I
solved it the other way. I've stored that one for future reference.

 

[Robert Heiling]

While you've resolved the problem by playing mix-and-match with the
USB connections, the problem was started because by default the Device
Manager display doesn't show devices which were installed in the past
but which aren't currently visible to the system. They're still known
to the system, however, which can be a Good Thing (plug in the device
and it's ready for use) or a Bad Thing (you want to completely remove
it from the system, perhaps to allow a new device to use the same
name without a "#2" suffix).

In both W2K and XP (and probably 2003 Server but I've not checked)
you can tell Device Manager to show everything that's installed. Open
a command window (CMD) and enter the following commands:

set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
start devmgmt.msc

The Device Manager window will open. Note that you MUST invoke the
Device Manager from the command window for the next step to do what
you want.

Not true. It works via Control Panel with no need for that.

In the Device Manager window menu bar, click VIEW -> SHOW HIDDEN DEVICES

All devices, including ones not recognized as physically present, will
be displayed. Nonpresent devices are greyed out, but can still be
selected and if desired, uninstalled.

Why Microsoft doesn't bother to make this option more obvious in one
of the mysteries of the ages.

But it *is* a reasonably obvious option in Device Manager. I just booted my
system into WinXP Home SP2 to double-check and make sure that it the same as in
this Win2K SP4. Control Panel -> System -> Hardware -> Device Manager then
follow your instructions above: click VIEW -> SHOW HIDDEN DEVICES

Bob

 

[Rojo Habe]

Not true. It works via Control Panel with no need for that.

Not on my system it doesn't. It was one of the first things I tried before
coming here. Must be something set different in your registry.

 

[Robert Heiling]

Not on my system it doesn't. It was one of the first things I tried before
coming here. Must be something set different in your registry.

I suppose that's always possible, but it would have to be in 2 independent
registries. This system is multi-boot with several OS'es and among them are
WinXP & Win2K. They were installed separately (no upgrade involved). In fact,
WinXP is on a separate drive which was the only drive running when it was
installed. The only thing they share is the same hardware.

Bob

 

[Joe Morris]

Joe Morris wrote: [snip]

In both W2K and XP (and probably 2003 Server but I've not checked)
you can tell Device Manager to show everything that's installed. Open
a command window (CMD) and enter the following commands:

set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
start devmgmt.msc

The Device Manager window will open. Note that you MUST invoke the
Device Manager from the command window for the next step to do what
you want.

Not true. It works via Control Panel with no need for that.

I disagree. See below...

Unless you've set up your system so that either the system or your
profile establishes the "devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices" variable
and assigns it "1" as the value, VIEW -> SHOW HIDDEN DEVICES will display
an incomplete list of what's in the Registry. Try the following:

1. Open Device Manager from any of the usual GUI suspects and select
VIEW -> SHOW HIDDEN DEVICES

2. Follow the instructions from my earlier posting. You now have
two instances of Device Manager on the desktop.

3. In each instance of Device Manager, click each + sign to
expand the list of devices in each category.

Assuming that you haven't set up your system to always have the
magic environment variable set, and also assuming that your system
has in the past recognized and installed (but not uninstalled) one
or more devices which aren't currently connected to it, the two
Device Manager displays will not be the same.

BTW...the special procedure is documented in KB241257 (W2K) and
KB315539 (XP).

Joe Morris

 

[Robert Heiling]

Joe Morris wrote: [snip]

In both W2K and XP (and probably 2003 Server but I've not checked)
you can tell Device Manager to show everything that's installed. Open
a command window (CMD) and enter the following commands:

set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
start devmgmt.msc

The Device Manager window will open. Note that you MUST invoke the
Device Manager from the command window for the next step to do what
you want.

Not true. It works via Control Panel with no need for that.

I disagree. See below...

Unless you've set up your system so that either the system or your
profile establishes the "devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices" variable
and assigns it "1" as the value, VIEW -> SHOW HIDDEN DEVICES will display
an incomplete list of what's in the Registry. Try the following:

1. Open Device Manager from any of the usual GUI suspects and select
VIEW -> SHOW HIDDEN DEVICES

2. Follow the instructions from my earlier posting. You now have
two instances of Device Manager on the desktop.

3. In each instance of Device Manager, click each + sign to
expand the list of devices in each category.

Assuming that you haven't set up your system to always have the
magic environment variable set,

I have no recollection of applying that patch on either system, much less both
of them (Win2k & WinXP).

and also assuming that your system
has in the past recognized and installed (but not uninstalled) one
or more devices which aren't currently connected to it, the two
Device Manager displays will not be the same.

There was a point in time, since gone, where there was data corruption on the
USB connection to an external IDE HD. That caused many phantom devices to be
created and which were removed by Add/Remove Hardware (Show hidden devices) in
Win2k. No action was taken in WinXP as it is seldom run.

BTW...the special procedure is documented in KB241257 (W2K) and
KB315539 (XP).

There's no interest in getting into a war over this on my part and I simply
report things as I see them. You can make use, or not make use, of the
information as you see fit.
HTH
Bob