scanner question

[Guest]

OK, I just spent 6 hours on the phone with HP. They were nice, but couldn't
solve the problem. But first, a general question:

Can you install more than one scanner on a computer running XPHome2? In
particiular, can you install one that runs via the network, and another that
runs USB?

I currently have an HP 3390 multifunction device connected to an ethernet
network with the software installed on two computers. On one of them
everything works fine. On the other all the printing works but not the
scanner (or the scan-to-fax). The HP scanning software starts up but I get
an error message saying that the scanning device cannot be initialized --
make sure it's connected & plugged in, or the software may be installed
wrong. Actually this has been an intermittent problem -- it didn't work at
first, I re-installed and deleted a couple of old printers, it worked for a
while, then it stopped again.

Working with HP we have un-installed, scrubbed, reinstalled, run fix-scan,
checked the contents of the twain_32 folder -- about a dozen times. Some of
the things we screwed around with were serscan.sys and wiatwain.ds. Still
doesn't work.

HP suggested there may be a conflict with a scanner that was installed
earlier. I did have two other HP scanners installed previously. If their
software can't deal with that they have a real problem!

I asked them if you could have two scanners installed on the same computer
and they said "no". Why do I find this hard to believe? Anyway, what I'd
like to do is use the network scanner with my laptop when I'm at home and use
a USB scanner when I have the laptop at other locations. Possible?

Any help appreciated.

 

[Guest]

Are both scanners in multifunction devices (printer,scanner,fax)? Are they
both HPs? I went through this and finally had to replace one of the hp
devices with a canon multifunction, and that solved the problem. The problem
was with a conflict in the HP software trying to talk to two different
multifunction devices. The system willing talks to two scanners, just not to
two HP scanners.

 

[Guest]

Thanks, that helps. The second scanned I'd like to install is not an HP.
Now I still need to solve my original problem. I tried restoring the
registry to a point where the scanner worked I have completely screwed up my
system. Next time I'm buying a Mac. . . .
DavidH

 

[Bob I]

Good luck, but perhaps you shouldn't have bought a HP maltifunction device?

http://www.macintouch.com/readerreports/multifunctionperipherals/topic2727.html