Scanner Software issues

[Geoff Chandler]

I have an Epson Perfection 1660
it is fine for what I need at the moment and doesn't do a bad job
of most things. I bought it, many years back now, to scan to file as many of
my old photos, slides and negatives as I could manage.
There have been 2 problems - neither I believe are actually the Scanners fault
They are to do with the Software!

The orig Epson software/program would fail every few months and basically
un installing and re-installing woas the only working solution - until....
Now it won't re-install - it just gets stuck forever part way in.
A couple of years back I had some dialogue with an Epson hlpdesk engineer -
but was unable to make any progress

SO

I found Vuescan on an internet search
It was FREE (it was back then!)
It has been fine - if a little more involved in use and consequently a bit slower.
A couple of times it has lost contents of it's drop down boxes - the fix, I found,
was to shut down the PC - disconnect all of the leads from the Scanner then start the pc up and plug everything back in.
Now my latest problem is the Mode drop down box for type only has Flatbed or Transparency - no Negative film available.
Had a few more issues trying to rectify this - but
I wondered
Has anyone else had similar problems with their scanner and
Have you managed to find a poermanent solution??
I am thinking I should download the latest version of Viewscan
but I am twitchy as I weill be replacing the PC in a few months
and will I be able to re-download without having to pay again

I don't like all these fangled things and get tripped up regularly
so I am becoming like a grumpy old man who can't cope with modern
things LOL

[JLV]

Mine has only those two options. Negatives are a transparency.

[Geoff Chandler]

Mine had several options - probabbly related to the Photo Scanner I
am using.
However - it suddenly seems to have lost my negatives option - which is really
no use to me.
I tried, again, to re-install Epson -which I dearly wished I hadn't! - cos now the PC is messed up big time and I have an IT person trying to put it all back straight for me.
I shall try to find a suitable program, then remove the old one before installing the new - but I think I will use either Viewscan - or if I can fund and up to date Epson driver I will use that - I miis some of the orig facilities
I had!

[JLV]

I did a test by scanning some negatives. Under Mode, select Transparency. Under media, select either B&W or Color negative. It works for me.

[Geoff Chandler]

JLV
That's what I had been doing - but the B&W or Color negative option
had dissapeared
I say HAD
Long story - cut short - I tried again to install the Epson Twain which got stuck and wouldn't install - then I tried to un install and seized up the PC
So an IT Guy had to sort it in the end!!
Then I tried to profile the scanner in Vuescan, and got a huge list of scanners not including mine BUT - the other options returned - but now it's stuck on tiff and no jpg option
Also I won't see my scanner !!!
Still working on it!

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Good luck Geoff. I feel you pain and have also suffered similar.

Can't you just wait for the new machine before you get back into your old film? Do the fix once.

[Geoff Chandler]

DPR - does new machine mean PC or Scanner??
I am thinking of a new PC sometime when I can get the
money together, but I didn't have plans to replace the scanner yet.

Hopefully, when I find some time, I be able to will download a new driver...

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

I meant computer since you had allready mentioned replacing that. I just thought why throw time at loading software etc on a machine you're about to make obsolete.

Provided the scanner isn't a cheapo $100 item then I wouldn't have frivolously suggested replacing it.

[Geoff Chandler]

Yeah thanks - appreciate what you are saying..
Well the Scanner is sort of one up from cheap - it was around £150=
when we got it. It is fine for what I want.
I do have a plan with the computer - but it will be step by step - so it
stays for a little longer while I work out the money...(shouldn't be long though!!)
1st I will get an external Hard drive and copy all important stuff across onto it.
2nd I will buy the new PC and install everything back onto it - then also copy important files.
3 Then I will decide what to back up on the ext HD and what to leave only on the PC.
Not sure if getting a Ext HD will mean I no longer need to make hard backups on CD/DVD or not - I don't know how reliable ext HD's are - but
I will have some spare IDE Hard drives and I could pop them onto the system via a USB adaptor - so I could save Photos, for example, onto a lard Hard drive as additional backup. ..2 copies ~ plus PC copies should surely be
reasonable secure!!

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

I also put everything on to external HD before messing with my machine then copied back. I like multiple HD copies (1 always offline and DVD's)

Happy saving