'Scanner not found'

[Robin McInnes]

Hi,

I have an Acer Scanwit 2720S film/slide scanner, which is connected to
my PC via a SCSI 2 card. I know this is an outdated method of connecting
stuff, but as far as I know it is the only way to connect the Scanwit.

Last winter I was using the scanner regularly to scan my old slides, and
it worked fine. I've not used it since the spring, and I'm now trying to
use it to do some more slides.

The trouble is that whenever I try to acquire images from the scanner,
(via the 'Acquire TWAIN image' button on Paint Shop Pro), the Mirafoto
scanner driver software insists that it cannot find my scanner. It just
throws up an error message saying 'Scanner is not found!' But it is
definitely powered up and securely connected. Unfortunately I can't
think how to check up on a SCSI connected device; it doesn't seem to
appear in my device manager.

I rather think that perhaps the long period between when I last used it
may be relevant, but it's never been disconnected or anything in that time.

The only change in my PC since I last used the scanner is that I now
have a broadband Internet connection, via a USB port, but I can't work
out how that could possibly affect the scanner situation.

Anyone think what might be going wrong please?

I'm running WinXP SP2.

Cheers,
Robin

Altrincham, Cheshire, UK

-Si non confectus, non reficiat-

 

[cut this out]

It's a long shot but my mains adapter for the scanner failed, but not
completely, it gave out a lower voltage. This caused the pc to not find
the TWAIN device. My scanner requires a 12v input so now I run it off a
car battery! I found the 'cheap' multi voltage adapters are not
regulated sufficiently to give out an accurate voltage under load.

Leo

 

[Robin McInnes]

It's a long shot but my mains adapter for the scanner failed, but not
completely, it gave out a lower voltage. This caused the pc to not
find the TWAIN device. My scanner requires a 12v input so now I run it
off a car battery! I found the 'cheap' multi voltage adapters are not
regulated sufficiently to give out an accurate voltage under load.

Leo

Thanks Leo, but the Scanwit doesn't have a mains adapter.

I'm led to believe that my problem lies with the SCSI PCI card, and that
physically removing it and then replacing it will probably sort it. I
haven't done it yet though.

Cheers,
Robin

Altrincham, Cheshire, UK

-Si non confectus, non reficiat-

 

[firemansam]

I'm guessing, but it's probably not your hardware. You're usin
Windows XP with SP2; automatic updates? anti-virus software? A lo
will have changed since you last used your scanner in the Spring
I say this because I've got the same problem. My PC recently starte
telling me that it couldn't access my scanner (Canon 5000F on USB2)
Re-installed all the software to no effect. Tried the scanner on
second PC, the result was the same. It was only when a differen
brand of scanner software reported that it 'cannot access the scanne
because it's already in use by another programme', that I tried usin
the scanner on a third PC. With a recently-installed version of X
Professional, no SP2, no anti-virus software, it worked first time
The problem's not my hardware
Which is nice to know, because I was on the point of binning a £12
scanner
I don't know if it could be my anti-virus software ( I'm using McAfe
VirusScan 10) trying to sweep the USB connection as though my scanne
was an external drive, or whether there's a Windows service pollin
the USB port, preventing access by the Twain driver. The reason
suspect the anti-virus software is because I've had this symptom o
both a desktop (Windows 2000 SP4) and a laptop (XP Pro SP2), both o
which have anti-virus software which is maintained up-to-date b
automatic update. Very little other software has changed in the las
few weeks, as far as I know
Sorry to ramble, but maybe this will help; certainly don't assume it'
got to be a hardware problem

All the best

 

[Chrisssssss.........]

Hi Firemansam,

I'm having a similar problem with my Umax scanner.
Assuming as you say, that it's not the scanner, then what is the solution?
Any ideas?

Thanks Chrisssss.........

 

[Surfer!]

Hi Firemansam,

I'm having a similar problem with my Umax scanner.
Assuming as you say, that it's not the scanner, then what is the solution?
Any ideas?

I'd say the starting point is to download the correct, up-to-date
software from the makers site.

The next thing is to find and uninstall any hidden/ghost devices.

You need to add an environment variable to do this - I'll assume you
know how. The variable is:

devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices

and the value should be 1.

Then, if you open Device Manager, there is an option 'Show hidden
devices' in the View menu - select it, and then open the 'Imaging
devices'. Hidden devices will be greyed out - right-click and uninstall
them. You might want to reboot having done that - make sure the scanner
is not connected.

Then install the new driver and finally plug in the device. If it still
doesn't work you could try a different cable, or indeed you could
reinstall Windows as a last desperate measure - but that really is
desperation!