Scanner Software Installation

Question

I have a new Epson Perfection 3170 scanner. I have installed the scanner to my Dimension 8200, running Windows XP Home, SP1. The scanner works very nicely to acquire images in Paint Shop Pro, which is what I usually use to edit photos. However, the Smart Panel software (provided by Newsoft) that makes the buttons on the scanner work seems to be impossible to install, even after I installed the updated driver and a patch from Microsoft that Newsoft indicated I needed.

When I try to use one of the scanner buttons to scan a picture, all I get is a dialogue box indicating that I can't run more than one copy of the program, and inside the box, it says Windows can't run the 16-bit program. Sometimes the Smart Panel does load on my screen, but when I try to select an option, my computer hangs up. Newsoft says this is a Windows problem. I have tried setting the compatibility for the program to Windows 98, but that doesn't help. I did some other research, and found references to installing the software in the root directory instead of in the "programs" subdirectory. I also have read that XP SP2 may help when it is released. Does anyone know if these are valid suggestions, or if something else might help me get the Smart Panel software to work?

fireberd · Answer

I haven't looked up the particular scanner model, however, some scanners (and even some recent models) are not "Windows Image Acquition" (WIA) compliant and with many of those models the buttons on those non-WIA units will not work. In those cases you have to scan from the scanning software that is supplied with the unit.

It sounds like tha add-on program you have to enable the buttons is not Windows XP compatible. You can try running that program in the compatibility mode (e.g. Win98 compatibility mode) and see if that helps.

Comment, "everyone" will point fingers that it's someone else's problem, whether it is or isn't and the user is left holding the bag trying to figure ouit what is going on.

RogerXPSGen2 · Answer

How did you install the software?  I have an Epson Perfection 3170 and had some problems with the Smart Panel software after I installed Adobe Photoshop CS.  I was able to acquire images in Photoshop with no problem, but the Smart Panel software did not function properly after I installed Photoshop.  What worked for me was the following:  1)  I uninstalled the Smart Panel software; 2) I installed the the updated Twain Driver and EPSON Scan Utility v1.25A  and 3) I reinstalled the Smart Panel software, but opted not to install the Epson Scan Utility (since I had already installed an updated version).  Since then, I've had no trouble with the Smart Panel software.  If you give this a try, I hope it works for you, too.  Here's the link to the updated Twain Driver and Epson Scan Utility v1.25A:  http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1255183619.1084911069@@@@&BV_EngineID=eadckgjkeidlbfdmcfjgckidnk.0&cookies=no&oid=25021&prodoid=35836301&infoType=Downloads&platform=Windows

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Scanner Software Installation

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