Probem installing driver software

[Guest]

i have a flatbed prolink scanner model simplex 8400u "winscan pro 1248u" it
works fine in xp but in vista i am unable to install its drivers. when i plug
it in it recognizes it and tries to install, but it says that an error has
occured and that the specified file cannot be found.

when i try to install it manually through the driver cd, vista does not
recognize that it has been installed. also when i try to install it through
"add old devices" the disk does not get recognized

i need to find a way to install the drivers so that i can actually use the
scanner.

 

[Bob Knowlden]

Maybe not. You may have to contact Prolink.

They currently offer no Vista drivers:

http://www.prolink2u.com/self/support/downloads/models/dl_pro1248u_sk42u.php

It would be nice if every manufacturer produced Vista drivers for their
pre-Vista hardware, but you can't count on it.


Address scrambled. Replace nkbob with bobkn.

 

[Guest]

Abheeth,

You need to make sure that you are using Vista compatible drivers (you
didn't say). Check on the scanner manufacturers website for information
about Vista drivers for your scanner. Some manufacturers are not supplying
Vista drivers for older hardware. If this condition applies, you will have
to buy a new Vista compatible scanner.

Cheers,

 

[huwyngr]

You aren't running a 64 bit version of VISTA are you? If you are then
you have to have signed drivers but if it's the 32 bit version this may
work.

Unplug the scanner and its cable (it's USB?) and uninstall any of the
scanner software you can see in Add Remove Programs; delete any icon
for the scanner that may be in Control Panel / Printers & Scanners aand
reboot.

Without the scanner cable plugged in try reinstalling the XP software
using Run as Administrator and possibly also using Compatibility Mode /
XP with SP2

To do that if the XP software is on a CD hold down the SHIFT KEY while
you put in the CD so that it does not autostart then in Windows
Explorer locate the CD and on it the file that starts the installation
-- often setup.exe or autorun.exe -- right mouse click on it and select
Properties / Compatibility

On that tab set it to XP with SP2 and check the box alongside Run as
Administrator and OK your way out.

If you want to try just Run as Administrator you will see that as an
item on the right mouse click menu.

Do not plug the USB cable into the PC until the software tells you to
or if not until after [Finish}.

This has worked for me and several others although not with your
specific scanner.

Good luck!

 

[Guest]

I'm having the exact same problem trying with two different scanners: Canon
Canoscan Lide 20 and an HP Officejet 4215 All-in-one. I'm tried to install
each(individually) on a Lenovo Thinkpad T60 (2xCPU), 1.6 GB RAM running Vista
business edition 32 bit. Both devices previously ran okay on a nearly
identical laptop running Win XP Pro SP2. To install these on my Vista laptop
I downloaded the appropriate vendor's software that was described as being
for Vista. Trying different approaches for installation kept taking me to the
same place: Vista recognizes the new hardware and tries to install it, but
fails; reattempts to install by pointing to the appropriate *.inf files also
fails -- Vista "sees" the *.inf file, tries to install it, but that drops
back to the previous screen in which it asks where the *.inf file is. The
only error message I receive is fairly generic: Vista cannot find necessary
files, so contact the manufacturer, which I've done and my lack of success
with that leads me here (again). Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Phil

 

[Cal Bear '66]

Did you install the drivers with the scanner and printer NOT connected to the
computer until the driver software told you to connect them?

You should uninstall all drivers and other software for the devices, reboot, and
again install them without plugging in the USB cables until the driver
installation asks for them to be plugged in.

 

[Guest]

Hi Cal Bear,
Thanks, but yes I installed the software first, then plugged in the scanner.
And I did so with Administrator privileges and +/- WinXP compatibility mode,
and uninstalling the software between attempts. The installations appeared to
proceed normally, with Vista recognizing that new hardware was installed and
looking for the drivers (both online and in the folder I downloaded them to),
but then reported that it experienced an error "recognizing" the file(s) and
quitting the install. This even occurs when I told the installer exactly were
the *.inf file it wanted was located. In these instances, it tried to load
the necessary *.inf file then dropped back to the previous entry screen in
which it asked "where's the *.inf file that should be installed?" Further, it
happened with two different makes and models of scanner (with different
drivers & software), both of which ran fine on WinXP, and I used current,
downloaded drivers from the manufacturers' web sites. I'm flummoxed.

 

[Cal Bear '66]

Some people have had luck with issues like this by deleting the INFCACHE.1 file
in at C:\Windows\inf.

If I were you I would rename the file INFCACHE.1.BAK (or move it to your desktop
temporarily), reboot, and see if the problem persists.