Visioneer scanners not working with XP post SP2

I posted this problem with my 8900 continuously giving hardware-lock error
messages a year or more ago and no one had any real idea why the scanner
which Visioneer had just so generously given me (when they couldnt get their
last scanner to stop giving mysterious Windows Error 20 messages) wasnt
working reliably.

Suddenly a few weeks ago, someone at Visioneer accidentally let slip that
the real reason I am getting these hardware lock messages is that something
in their driver conflicts with something in Service Pack 2, they couldnt fix
it and therefore this new scanner (or line of scanners?) was immediately
marked as 'end-of-life'!

Does anyone know if there is a work-around for this real problem please? Is
there any reference to it on any Microsoft support bulletin? Or a reference
to which other scanners it affects?

"news.rcn.com" <fountainpen@amexol.com> wrote in message
news:McOdnac_vr_oMMLVnZ2dnUVZ_h7inZ2d@rcn.net...
>I posted this problem with my 8900 continuously giving hardware-lock error
>messages a year or more ago and no one had any real idea why the scanner
>which Visioneer had just so generously given me (when they couldnt get
>their last scanner to stop giving mysterious Windows Error 20 messages)
>wasnt working reliably.
>
> Suddenly a few weeks ago, someone at Visioneer accidentally let slip that
> the real reason I am getting these hardware lock messages is that
> something in their driver conflicts with something in Service Pack 2, they
> couldnt fix it and therefore this new scanner (or line of scanners?) was
> immediately marked as 'end-of-life'!
>
> Does anyone know if there is a work-around for this real problem please?
> Is there any reference to it on any Microsoft support bulletin? Or a
> reference to which other scanners it affects?
>

Well, I see two things you can do.

1. Remove SP2, go back to SP1
2. Get a new scanner that is supported on Windows XP SP2 and SP3.

There are much better scanners now for less than $100.

Example.
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/co...&modelid=13810

--
CSM1
http://www.carlmcmillan.com
--

It seems to me I heard somewhere that CSM1 wrote in article
<BTO7k.12650$mh5.3055@nlpi067.nbdc.sbc.com>:

>"news.rcn.com" <fountainpen@amexol.com> wrote in message
>news:McOdnac_vr_oMMLVnZ2dnUVZ_h7inZ2d@rcn.net.. .
>>I posted this problem with my 8900 continuously giving hardware-lock error
>>messages a year or more ago and no one had any real idea why the scanner
>>which Visioneer had just so generously given me (when they couldnt get
>>their last scanner to stop giving mysterious Windows Error 20 messages)
>>wasnt working reliably.

>> Suddenly a few weeks ago, someone at Visioneer accidentally let slip that
>> the real reason I am getting these hardware lock messages is that
>> something in their driver conflicts with something in Service Pack 2, they
>> couldnt fix it and therefore this new scanner (or line of scanners?) was
>> immediately marked as 'end-of-life'!

>> Does anyone know if there is a work-around for this real problem please?
>> Is there any reference to it on any Microsoft support bulletin? Or a
>> reference to which other scanners it affects?

>Well, I see two things you can do.

>1. Remove SP2, go back to SP1
>2. Get a new scanner that is supported on Windows XP SP2 and SP3.

FWIW have you tried configuring the compatibility options for an older OS like
WinSE or Win98?

But try SP3 before considering going backwards. ISTM quite a few who have
upgraded are pleasantly surprised. And for me SP2 was definitely superior to
SP1, though I had stopped using my Visioneer before SP2 came out--I've just sent
it off to my son and his family where his kids will be the main users.

"Don Kirkman" <donsno2@charter.net> wrote in message
news:1rpv54pqnodhgbi2g4ifhglrlon6ehbvfq@4ax.com...
> It seems to me I heard somewhere that CSM1 wrote in article
> <BTO7k.12650$mh5.3055@nlpi067.nbdc.sbc.com>:
>
>>"news.rcn.com" <fountainpen@amexol.com> wrote in message
>>news:McOdnac_vr_oMMLVnZ2dnUVZ_h7inZ2d@rcn.net. ..
>>>I posted this problem with my 8900 continuously giving hardware-lock
>>>error
>>>messages a year or more ago and no one had any real idea why the scanner
>>>which Visioneer had just so generously given me (when they couldnt get
>>>their last scanner to stop giving mysterious Windows Error 20 messages)
>>>wasnt working reliably.
>
>>> Suddenly a few weeks ago, someone at Visioneer accidentally let slip
>>> that
>>> the real reason I am getting these hardware lock messages is that
>>> something in their driver conflicts with something in Service Pack 2,
>>> they
>>> couldnt fix it and therefore this new scanner (or line of scanners?) was
>>> immediately marked as 'end-of-life'!
>
>>> Does anyone know if there is a work-around for this real problem please?
>>> Is there any reference to it on any Microsoft support bulletin? Or a
>>> reference to which other scanners it affects?
>
>>Well, I see two things you can do.
>
>>1. Remove SP2, go back to SP1

No I wouldnt dream of going back to such an old unsupported product with
ancient dlls and gaping security holes &malware invitations, especially just
because of one driver on another unsupported product with SP2!
>>2. Get a new scanner that is supported on Windows XP SP2 and SP3.
>
> FWIW have you tried configuring the compatibility options for an older OS
> like
> WinSE or Win98?
>
> But try SP3 before considering going backwards. ISTM quite a few who have
> upgraded are pleasantly surprised.
I was actually unaware that SP3 even existed as a standalone product, - isnt
it just a rolled up accumulation of all prior patches?

And for me SP2 was definitely superior to
> SP1, though I had stopped using my Visioneer before SP2 came out--I've
> just sent
> it off to my son and his family where his kids will be the main users.

Yes, OK right I get the message but all I want to do is to get a scanner
working properly and I thought that this would be a good idea IF there was a
workaround which visioneer wont tell me about. I have become relatively
used to the paperport software and didnt necessarily want to change.

I also have a CanoScan N1220U which I have connected now and which seems to
be working reasonably well while we are on the subject of getting older
scanners working. I also have a Umax Astra 1220U as well but thought that it
was a considerable step DOWN from the others? BTW I also have a 9450 and
wonder whether this will work in SP2 either

Is this time to dump products not supported by their manufacturer? (and of
course dump the manufacturer thereafter if they behave like this: Was it
their fault that their driver wouldnt work with the offending security patch
within SP2 or COULDN'T they have produced a driver for it?)

It seems to me I heard somewhere that Don Kirkman wrote in article
<1rpv54pqnodhgbi2g4ifhglrlon6ehbvfq@4ax.com>:

Clarification

>It seems to me I heard somewhere that CSM1 wrote in article
><BTO7k.12650$mh5.3055@nlpi067.nbdc.sbc.com>:

>>"news.rcn.com" <fountainpen@amexol.com> wrote in message
>>news:McOdnac_vr_oMMLVnZ2dnUVZ_h7inZ2d@rcn.net. ..
>>working reliably.
>
>>> Suddenly a few weeks ago, someone at Visioneer accidentally let slip that
>>> the real reason I am getting these hardware lock messages is that
>>> something in their driver conflicts with something in Service Pack 2, they
>>> couldnt fix it and therefore this new scanner (or line of scanners?) was
>>> immediately marked as 'end-of-life'!

>>> Does anyone know if there is a work-around for this real problem please?
>>> Is there any reference to it on any Microsoft support bulletin? Or a
>>> reference to which other scanners it affects?

>>Well, I see two things you can do.

>>1. Remove SP2, go back to SP1
>>2. Get a new scanner that is supported on Windows XP SP2 and SP3.

>FWIW have you tried configuring the compatibility options for an older OS like
>WinSE or Win98?

To be clear, I mean the compatibility options in WinXP which let legacy
applications perform as if they were running on an earlier version of Windows.

>But try SP3 before considering going backwards. ISTM quite a few who have
>upgraded are pleasantly surprised. And for me SP2 was definitely superior to
>SP1, though I had stopped using my Visioneer before SP2 came out--I've just sent
>it off to my son and his family where his kids will be the main users.

Actually I have just noticed that what I thought was an older scanner I
have, the 9450 which I have mentioned is actually still listed on the
visioneer BUSINESS page as being a currant scanner. Although I have lost
the document feeder, I wonder whether I shouldnt just start using it instead
of the 8900? (and CanoScan n1220U)

People have suggested that one can buy a better scanner now for under a
hundred bucks. Does anyone know how the scan quality of the 9450 stacks up
against the newest offerings from other manufacturers?

It seems to me I heard somewhere that news.rcn.com wrote in article
<PqWdndjToq-alv3VnZ2dnUVZ_rzinZ2d@rcn.net>:


>"Don Kirkman" <donsno2@charter.net> wrote in message
>news:1rpv54pqnodhgbi2g4ifhglrlon6ehbvfq@4ax.com.. .
>> It seems to me I heard somewhere that CSM1 wrote in article
>> <BTO7k.12650$mh5.3055@nlpi067.nbdc.sbc.com>:

>>>"news.rcn.com" <fountainpen@amexol.com> wrote in message
>>>news:McOdnac_vr_oMMLVnZ2dnUVZ_h7inZ2d@rcn.net.. .
>>>>I posted this problem with my 8900 continuously giving hardware-lock
>>>>error
>>>>messages a year or more ago and no one had any real idea why the scanner
>>>>which Visioneer had just so generously given me (when they couldnt get
>>>>their last scanner to stop giving mysterious Windows Error 20 messages)
>>>>wasnt working reliably.

>>>> Suddenly a few weeks ago, someone at Visioneer accidentally let slip
>>>> that
>>>> the real reason I am getting these hardware lock messages is that
>>>> something in their driver conflicts with something in Service Pack 2,
>>>> they
>>>> couldnt fix it and therefore this new scanner (or line of scanners?) was
>>>> immediately marked as 'end-of-life'!

>>>> Does anyone know if there is a work-around for this real problem please?
>>>> Is there any reference to it on any Microsoft support bulletin? Or a
>>>> reference to which other scanners it affects?

>>>Well, I see two things you can do.

>>>1. Remove SP2, go back to SP1

>No I wouldnt dream of going back to such an old unsupported product with
>ancient dlls and gaping security holes &malware invitations, especially just
>because of one driver on another unsupported product with SP2!

>>>2. Get a new scanner that is supported on Windows XP SP2 and SP3.

>> FWIW have you tried configuring the compatibility options for an older OS
>> like
>> WinSE or Win98?

>> But try SP3 before considering going backwards. ISTM quite a few who have
>> upgraded are pleasantly surprised.
>I was actually unaware that SP3 even existed as a standalone product, - isnt
>it just a rolled up accumulation of all prior patches?

Not quite either one. :-) IIUC SP3 can only be installed over SP2; it doesn't
include everything that had been in SP1 and SP2; more important, it has some
real improvements in stability and system speed, like opening applications and,
I suspect, updated drivers.

So my thought was that there *might* be something in SP3 that would solve your
scanner problem.

>Yes, OK right I get the message but all I want to do is to get a scanner
>working properly and I thought that this would be a good idea IF there was a
>workaround which visioneer wont tell me about. I have become relatively
>used to the paperport software and didnt necessarily want to change.

>I also have a CanoScan N1220U which I have connected now and which seems to
>be working reasonably well while we are on the subject of getting older
>scanners working. I also have a Umax Astra 1220U as well but thought that it
>was a considerable step DOWN from the others? BTW I also have a 9450 and
>wonder whether this will work in SP2 either

>Is this time to dump products not supported by their manufacturer? (and of
>course dump the manufacturer thereafter if they behave like this: Was it
>their fault that their driver wouldnt work with the offending security patch
>within SP2 or COULDN'T they have produced a driver for it?)

You raise some interesting issues; I've already told you most of what I know
about scanners; my current one is built into an Epson all-purpose printer, and
about all I had to do was plug it in and turn it on. AAR, good luck in sorting
it out quickly.

>>FWIW have you tried configuring the compatibility options for an older OS
>>like
>>WinSE or Win98?
>
> To be clear, I mean the compatibility options in WinXP which let legacy
> applications perform as if they were running on an earlier version of
> Windows.

No it is the driver which is obviated by the security plug, whether you are
using XP or XP compatibility mode. (I think the XP driver and the 98 driver
is the same)

My only real option is to keep the Canon for photos and see if the 9450
installs instead of the 8900 so that I can use the PaperPort software: (when
I can find the 24 volt ac adapter for it!)

People report that when a problem occurs in a scanner Visioneer have
updated, they try to get you to buy a new scanner by not providing drivers
for yours. Visioneer also told me once after I had had them on speakerphone
for 45 minutes (waiting) that you cant have two visioneer scanners
operational at the same time. So I suppose I will have to get rid of the
(high quality) 8900 and put the (low quality but still current!) 9450 in its
place and see how bad the photo scans really are when I need them. And then
apparently it isnt the most reliable scanner on the market.

>>But try SP3 before considering going backwards. ISTM quite a few who have
>>upgraded are pleasantly surprised. And for me SP2 was definitely superior
>>to
>>SP1, though I had stopped using my Visioneer before SP2 came out--I've
>>just sent
>>it off to my son and his family where his kids will be the main users.