UMAX Astra 2200 and VistaScan on Win XP

[R. P.]

I just purchased the VistaScan X CD from Umax and would like to install
it on my Win XP Home Ed partition, but would like to avoid all the
pitfalls I experienced when I updated my former Win ME system with
VistaScan 3.55.

Going over the documentation I could find in the Umax CD, I found a
README.txt file in the CD's /VistaScan/3.55/SCSUSB directory which
instructs the installation as so:

"To start installation:

1. Double click on "Disk1".
2. Double click on "Vssetup.exe"."

Then it continues as so:
"************************VistaScan 2000U/S
Updater************************
(For Windows XP only)

To start installation:

1. Double click on the "WinXP" folder.
2. Double click on "setup.exe".
3. Select "Modify" and click "Next".
4. Click "Next".
5. Click "Finish"."

But there is also a Word document in the WinXP subdirectory under the
SCSIUSB directory that has another installation instruction that uses an
installation wizard:

"Insert the CD into the CD-ROM to start the installation of VistaScan.
If the installation does not begin automatically after 10-15 seconds
double left click the CDROM drive icon where the disk is inserted and
the program should then begin installation.

1. Click on Next.
2. Click on Yes.
3. Select Custom and then click on Next.
4. Remove the Check mark from Magic Match Profile Pack and click Next.
5. Click Next.
6. Click Next.
7. Click on Install.
8. Once the installation is complete, do NOT click on Restart. Instead,
click on EXIT.
9. Open My Computer and right-click on the CD-ROM drive icon.
10. Double-click on the folder called WINXP.
11. Inside the WINXP folder double-click on the Setup icon to start the
update.
12. Left-click the NEXT button to continue the VistaScan update.
13. Once the update is complete, left-click on FINISH.

SCSI Installation -

14. If you have a SCSI interface scanner, next click the Start button,
choose Shut Down, then select Shut Down and click OK.
15. Once the PC is turned off, plug the scanner into the computer and
the power supply directly into a wall outlet.
16. Power on the scanner and wait for it to finish cycling (this is when
the scanner becomes silent. At this point, the power light should be
solid).
17. Power on the PC.

USB Installation -

18. If you have a USB interface scanner, then click the Start button,
choose Shut Down, select Restart and click OK.
19. After your computer has finished restarting, plug the scanner
directly into the wall outlet, and then plug the USB cable into the
scanner."

I also checked Umax's Support Web page that also provides some
installation instructions in its Knowledge Base that is similar to the
Word document I quoted from above. The Web site also has a Win XP update
patch which I'm not sure if it replaces the XP update on the CD or it's
to be applied AFTER applying the XP patch from the CD.

Can anybody shed a light on all this? I'd prefer using the SCSI
interface because it's likely faster than the USB-1 interface (plus it
would be easier to use on the Linux partition,) but ideally I would like
to be able to use either one after the installation, just in case
something goes wrong with one of them.

Thanks for any help,
Rudy

 

[Nash]

I use Win XP Home and I installed a Umax 2200 by following the instructions
below which I found by searching Google.
It worked for me about a year ago.
Hope that helps

Doug Nash

==

From: Alan H. ([email protected])
Subject: UMAX Astra 2200 and XP - here's how.
View: Complete Thread (4 articles)
Original Format
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware
Date: 2002-09-14 10:00:08 PST


I was finally able to get my UMAX Astra 2200 to work with Microsoft
Windows XP Pro. Here's what you need to do:

1) Get the latest version of Vistascan which includes the drivers
(v3.55). You can buy them on CD from the US UMAX website or you can go
to http://www.umax.co.uk/support/default.htm and download them for
free. You need the one called "VistaScan 355u" and (maybe) "Updater
for Windows XP". More about that later.

2) Run the "VistaScan 355u" program which will unzip some files. Write
down the location of the unzipped files.

3) Either open the file after unzipping it or go to the location of
the unzipped files and find the folder "DISK 1". Inside that folder
click on VSSETUP.exe. The installer will run. Restart the computer.

4) Now try to do a test scan. It will still fail because XP is still
using the Windows UMAX driver instead of the one you just downloaded.
We'll solve that next. In the device manager right-click onthe UMAX
2200 under "Imaging Devices" and choose "Update Driver".

5) Choose "Install from a list .... (Advanced)."

6) Choose "Don't search, I will choose the driver to install".

7) The next window will show two identical looking driver names. Both
are "UMAX Astra 2200 (USB)". Notice at the bottom of the window, a
message about driver signing. If your setup is like mine, the first
driver is the Microsoft one and the message will say that it is a
signed driver (meaning it is certified by Microsoft). You need the
OTHER one that gives you the warning "This driver is not digitally
signed". Highlight that one and click "Next".

8) You'll get a big box warning you of the dire consequences of using
this unsigned driver. Click "continue anyway".

9) You'll eventually get a message that XP can't find the file
"PV8630.sys". This file is located in the folder "DISK 6\U12X0" with
the other unzipped files. Tell XP to use that location. Use the search
utility to find it if necessary.

10) Now your UMAX 2200 USB will work. You don't have to reboot. If you
have the VistaAcess icon in your system tray, it will still have the
red circle and line through it indicating it doesn't work, but if you
right click on it, you can still choose scanner test and the test will
work this time. YAY!!!!

About the XP updater that you downloaded from the UMAX site: I don't
think it's necessary to run it, but I'm not sure. The reason is that
during my search for an answer to this problem, I ran both installers
several times and uninstalled them several times. I DID NOT run it
again after doing the above steps. So try it without. Then if it still
doesn't work, run the XP updater.

It worked for me! Good luck!

Alan

 

[R. P.]

I use Win XP Home and I installed a Umax 2200 by following the instructions
below which I found by searching Google.
It worked for me about a year ago.
Hope that helps

Thanks, Doug, but that description really applies to the USB
interface. I'll try it after I exhausted all attempts to make the SCSI
interface work under XP. So far every attempt failed because after the
install XP was hung during the restart even though the scanner was
recognized on the SCSI bus during the bootup.

Rudy

 

[Mike Powers]

Check the device numbers and termination on the SCSI chain.

 

[CSM1]

Thanks, Doug, but that description really applies to the USB
interface. I'll try it after I exhausted all attempts to make the SCSI
interface work under XP. So far every attempt failed because after the
install XP was hung during the restart even though the scanner was
recognized on the SCSI bus during the bootup.

Rudy

Problems Using SCSI Scanner Without an Updated ASPI Layer
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;300674

For SCSI to work in XP install ASPI from Adaptec.
http://www.adaptec.com/

Direct link to dowload. Right Click, Save Target As.
http://download.adaptec.com/software_pc/aspi/aspi_471a2.exe

 

[R. P.]

Check the device numbers and termination on the SCSI chain.

Nothing wrong with my device number and termination; both Linux and even
plain DOS "sees" all the SCSI devices, which are 2 Hs, a DVD player and
this scanner.

JP

 

[R. P.]

Problems Using SCSI Scanner Without an Updated ASPI Layer
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;300674

For SCSI to work in XP install ASPI from Adaptec.
http://www.adaptec.com/

Direct link to dowload. Right Click, Save Target As.
http://download.adaptec.com/software_pc/aspi/aspi_471a2.exe

Well, I've had already the latest Adaptec ASPI driver (4.71.2) so
that's not it.
Even if it still does not work with SCSI, at least I know why Windows
got hung during startup: because the VistaScan installer placed the
VistaAccess module in the Startup folder so it could be then accessible
from the bottom right of the task bar. However, that caused VistaScan
to run at startup with the bad SCSI driver and that's where the system
got hung. Once I removed that VistaAccess from the Startup folder, I
could at least start up Windows and see that the "Imaging Devices" would
show up in the Device Manager list and could see the Umax SCSI driver in
there. Unfortunately the device manager shows as if the SCSI driver
worked properly but as soon as I try to use the scanner, the system
hangs.

I just about ran out of all ideas how to get this scanner work through
its SCSI interface and will probably get it to work through the slower
USB-1 that I'm pretty sure will at least work.

Rudy

 

[R. P.]

I use Win XP Home and I installed a Umax 2200 by following the instructions
below which I found by searching Google.
It worked for me about a year ago.

Well, after trying to install the scanner using its SCSI interface in a
dozen different ways and failing,
I found the likely reason in some Linux related discussion lists where
the same scanner was the subject. Several posts mentioned that this
scanner likes to reset the SCSI bus several times during scanning but
that the other SCSI peripherals should get access to the bus after a
brief interruption. They also mentioned that some SCSI adapters don't
like such interrupts and I think my adapter is probably one of those.
In such cases they recommend the use of a 2nd SCSI card dedicated to the
scanner. Well, I am not about to do that, so I decided to intall
VistaScan 3.55 using the USB interface following the description on the
CD itself, then changing the device driver to the unsigned one, which
worked fine. So I have the scanner working now through USB, though at
the sluggish USB-1 speed. Interestingly though, even the Copy utility
works, despite the UMAX Web site stating that the Copy utility does not
work for this version of VistaScan under XP. So that's a plus, because
that's my favorite VistaScan utility.

Rudy