Epson status monitor

[elladave]

I have just brought new pc(Acer E120) with Vista preinstalled. Having then
insatalled all the software for my Epson C60 printer I get the message
"parameter incorrect" when I try to print anything. When i try to access the
Status Monitor the message is "bidirectional communication needed"
I can print nozzel check patterns and clean nozzels till the cows come home,
so I'm guessing the USB port and lead are fine (have changed both anyway)
Have updated Vista (service pack 1 + anything else they seem to think I need)
Have updated drivers from Epson site.
Does anyone have any answers for this. I have been trying to solve this for
nearly a week. And belive me i have looked everywhere on the web for an
answer....HELP!

 

[James]

Elladave,

I hate to "rain on your parade", but you may be as "good as it's going to
get".

Last year, in the spring, I bought a brand new "custom computer" from a
local computer shop, with all the bells and whistles, including Windows
Vista Home Premium.

Changing over from my old computer (bought in 2001) that had Windows XP with
all the updates, was fairly easy. I had removed the old hard drive and
installed it in a USB enclosure -- just copied, for the most part, all the
files I needed over to the new computer's hard drive.

But, when I hooked up my Epson Stylus CX6400, bought brand new in October,
2004, I had lost most of the features that had appeared on the Properties
pop up window (Print Preview, Double Sided Printing, Selection of Print
Quality, Head to Toe Printing) just to name a few.

Phone calls and e-mails to Epson and Microsoft were futile -- each blamed
the other, and finally a rude lady at Epson told me that Epson would NOT be
writing new programs for my "old" all in one printer, and that my best bet
was to buy a new all in one printer.

I'm still using my CX6400 -- it just takes a little longer to get the end
result I desire (Time I've got -- was 67 yesterday -- the 4th of July).

P.S. For the "Know it All" people -- I HAVE downloaded the latest drivers
from Epson and reinstalled them several times -- same thing. Don't waste my
time and yours with all your worthless suggestions.
-----
I have just brought new pc(Acer E120) with Vista preinstalled. Having then
insatalled all the software for my Epson C60 printer I get the message
"parameter incorrect" when I try to print anything. When i try to access the
Status Monitor the message is "bidirectional communication needed"
I can print nozzel check patterns and clean nozzels till the cows come home,
so I'm guessing the USB port and lead are fine (have changed both anyway)
Have updated Vista (service pack 1 + anything else they seem to think I
need)
Have updated drivers from Epson site.
Does anyone have any answers for this. I have been trying to solve this for
nearly a week. And belive me i have looked everywhere on the web for an
answer....HELP!

 

[Tom Ferguson]

All I can say is that I have just installed the Epson files for the Epson
Stylus CX6400 on my computer. Since I don't actually have such a printer to
install, I opted to select "file" as the printer port. When I look at the
printing options under Properties and other applicable places, I see a
fairly extensive set of options including Print Preview, Reverse Order,
Quality Options, Page options including Rotate 180, Mirror Image,
Reduce/Enlargement, Borderless option, Ink level indicates, &c. (I did not
see duplex/double side printing). There are few printer drivers and
associated software for which I have seen a more comprehensive set of
options. Just my view, of course. You obviously have your own.

Does the XP 64 package have more options? Don't know. However, the latest
versions for Vista and XP do have the same driver version number. I
installed the package for Vista 64. Perhaps the Vista 32 package is
different. 64 and 32 bit packages usually have similar features in my
experience but then I have not checked them all.

Waste of time? Perhaps but I was just filling in time waiting for a download
to complete so I could turn off the computer and go to bed. Know-it-all?
Perhaps when I was 16. But who wasn't then.

 

[Larry S]

I know you may not want to read this, but try deleting the printer,
uninstalling the Epson printer and all its drivers (being sure there are no
residual registry entries) and the status monitor, and reinstall as a new
printer using the latest drivers and monitor software. I had similar
communications problems with a different model Epson printer, and removing
then reinstalling the latest drivers and monitor worked for me. Installing
the new drivers and software 'on top' of the existing versions did not
work - a complete clear out was needed first.

 

[elladave]

Thanks James, I can understand your frustration, but I'm looking for answers
not just for someone to let off steam.

 

[elladave]

Ok Larry this seems like the most straightforward reply I've had so far.
Can you tell me how to;-
*remove residual registry entries
*insatall latest drivers and monitor without using the software disc
supplied with the printer
many thanks D.

 

[Cari \(MS-MVP\)]

The correct way to uninstall and reinstall....
http://www.coribright.com/windows/Article_One.htm

Get the latest drivers from Epson's website.

 

[elladave]

AT LAST!
I finally got a reply from EPson. It seems the only way to use this printer
with VISTA is to do without the Status Monitor i.e dont use the sofware CD
supplied with the printer! see below:-

The installation CD provided with the printer will not contain the drivers
for Vista. I would recommend uninstalling the currently installed drivers
using the following process:



Click Start and then Control Panel -Programs & Features. Highlight the EPSON
Printer Software and uninstall it. Say yes to any questions when prompted and
the driver will be removed. The printer should now be uninstalled.



Please be advised that EPSON have not produced any updated drivers for your
printer for Windows Vista. There are however, alternative drivers included as
part of your operating system. To install these drivers please follow the
instructions below:



1. From the Desktop select Start > Control Panel.

2. In the Control Panel select Printers.

3. In the Printers window click on Add Printer this will bring up the Add
Printer wizard.

4. Select "Add Local Printer".

5. Select the correct Port for your Printer and click the "Next" button
until you arrive at the screen entitled "Install the Printer Driver".

6. This screen will be split into two parts. On the left hand side you will
need to pick the Manufacturer, in this case EPSON. On the right hand side
select the model of your printer, when you have selected the options click
the "Next" button to continue.

7. Keep clicking "Next" leaving all the settings at default until you reach
the final screen where you will need to select "Finish".



This driver is not compatible with the EPSON Status Monitor and does not
show a progress monitor while printing. To view the ink levels for the
printer you will need do the following.


1: Open Start Menu and select Control Panel.

2: In the Control Panel open Printers.

3: Right click on the printer icon and select Printer Preferences.

4: In the Printer Preferences Main tab click on the option to “Get Ink
Levelsâ€


This will then show the ink levels.

 

[James]

Elladave,

So it all boils down to what I said in my first response to your problem:
"...finally a rude lady at Epson told me that Epson would NOT be writing new
programs for my "old" all in one printer...".

Even so, I still like my Epson CX6400 because of the individual ink tanks --
I got tired of throwing away a perfectly good color cartridge for a couple
HP printers -- well "perfectly good" except ONE COLOR had ran out...

Good luck, and thanks for the followup advice.

P.S. to Tom: I'm surely not a "Know it All" as you may have been at age 16
and suggest I may have been -- I turned 67 on the 4th of this month -- but I
have learned a couple of things, and one is not to get down in the mud with
the pigs -- you'll just wind up muddy... That's supposed to be a "funny" --
laugh...
-----
AT LAST!
I finally got a reply from EPson. It seems the only way to use this printer
with VISTA is to do without the Status Monitor i.e dont use the sofware CD
supplied with the printer! see below:-

The installation CD provided with the printer will not contain the drivers
for Vista. I would recommend uninstalling the currently installed drivers
using the following process:



Click Start and then Control Panel -Programs & Features. Highlight the EPSON
Printer Software and uninstall it. Say yes to any questions when prompted
and
the driver will be removed. The printer should now be uninstalled.



Please be advised that EPSON have not produced any updated drivers for your
printer for Windows Vista. There are however, alternative drivers included
as
part of your operating system. To install these drivers please follow the
instructions below:



1. From the Desktop select Start > Control Panel.

2. In the Control Panel select Printers.

3. In the Printers window click on Add Printer this will bring up the Add
Printer wizard.

4. Select "Add Local Printer".

5. Select the correct Port for your Printer and click the "Next" button
until you arrive at the screen entitled "Install the Printer Driver".

6. This screen will be split into two parts. On the left hand side you will
need to pick the Manufacturer, in this case EPSON. On the right hand side
select the model of your printer, when you have selected the options click
the "Next" button to continue.

7. Keep clicking "Next" leaving all the settings at default until you reach
the final screen where you will need to select "Finish".



This driver is not compatible with the EPSON Status Monitor and does not
show a progress monitor while printing. To view the ink levels for the
printer you will need do the following.


1: Open Start Menu and select Control Panel.

2: In the Control Panel open Printers.

3: Right click on the printer icon and select Printer Preferences.

4: In the Printer Preferences Main tab click on the option to “Get Ink
Levelsâ€


This will then show the ink levels.

 

[Cari \(MS-MVP\)]

There are plenty of newer printers with multiple cartridges for different
colors. Even plenty of Epsons if you like that particular manufacturer.
Plenty of Canons too.

 

[James]

Cari,

Maybe I'm missing something here -- but as I said (typed) in my first
response/reply, "I'm still using my CX6400."

This CX6400 is still operating like brand new and I can still get cartridges
on base (I'm a retired U.S. Navy Master Chief Petty Officer [E-9]), and I
see no reason to buy a "newer" printer. My 8 1/2 year old Chevrolet S-10
Extreme with a little over 25,000 miles is a similar situation -- no need to
get rid of a perfectly good item when it's working okay.

I did go to the local Best Buy electronics store and talked with a clerk
about buying a brand new Epson All in One printer, but when I mentioned the
problems I was having with missing items on my CX6400 Status Monitor in
Windows Vista, he wouldn't guarantee ANY of his new All in One printers
would give me all the Status Monitor options I had with Windows XP, and
politely excused himself. Hmmmm......

As I tried to explain in my first post to Elladave, I've learned to "work
around" the missing options in my Status Monitor. For example, my wife
volunteers help for two of our granddaughters high school band and receives
a weekly e-mail from the senior volunteer. The first page is the e-mail
addresses for all the people who have children in the band. With Windows XP
I had the option of NOT printing that first page -- saves paper and ink, but
with the Status Monitor in Vista I don't have the option of "de-selecting" a
page. My "work around" is to highlight the text in the e-mail I want to
print for my wife and then copy and paste it into one of my word processors
and print from there. Again, quoting from my first post, "...it just takes
a little longer to get the end result I desire...".

 

[Tom Ferguson]

For some reason, the "original" of this does not show in the thread but I
happened by it in your reply to Cari.

Among barn-yard and animal wisdom, that one ranks among my favourites along
with, "It's hard to soar like an eagle when you're surrounded by turkeys."

I've passed 65 so I'm entitles to add, "old age is quite a price to pay for
wisdom".
-author unknown.

Its a wonderful, warm, sunny day here. Hope you are doing at least as as
well. All the best.
Tom

 

[Larry S]

Been away for a few days and only just read your questions and other
responses answered most of them Only thing I would add is to 'tidy' the
registry before installing the latest (downloaded) drivers by running
registry cleaners such as RegClean (XP Power Toys), BeClean, CCleaner, and
EasyCleaner - all available on-line.

Larry S