driver needed (for XP) for my scanner

[BarryC]

All this time that my computer has been down I never gave a thought to the possibility that my scanner might not work with the new computer. But it doesn't. The scanner is an HP ScanJet 3400c. I like it very much, and used it quite a lot till last February when the computer went down.

A couple weeks ago I tried to find a driver for it online. I installed the scanning software off the disk and then installed a driver I downloaded, but nothing happened.

Can someone please help me here? I would like to find a correct driver to make my scanner work with XP. According to what I've seen online, these drivers do exist. So I must have done something wrong. I'm at a loss to explain why nothing worked for me.

Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks,
Barry

P.S. - HP says they do not have email technical support. That seems pretty lame to me.

[DoctorDoom]

Hp scanjet 3400c scanner 1.1 (http://drivers.softpedia.com/get/SCANNER-Digital-CAMERA-WEBCAM/HP/Hp-scanjet-3400c-scanner-11.shtml)

From HP: Software & Driver downloads - HP Scanjet 3400c Scanner (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareCategory?lc=en&cc=us&docname=bps03735&dlc=en&product=61835&)

According to Microsoft (http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/stillimage/XP_WIAdrvs.mspx), XP has a built-in driver for the 3400c.

Right-click My Computer, Select Properties

Hardware tab > Device Manager > Imaging Devices

See if the HP 3400c is listed there, If it is, double-click the entry and select the Driver tab. See what it says there.

If it's not listed, that's another matter.

[BarryC]

Well this is very odd. There's no "imaging devices" category in the Device manager!

[Gonzo67]

Well this is very odd. There's no "imaging devices" category in the Device manager!

Let me guess...

Scanner is USB.

If this is the case, how many USB devices do you have plugged in? Keeping in mind when most computers are built, you'll see USB plugs on both the front and the back of your system. They are not always all connected. Depends on who built the system. If it's a pre-built system, they likely all are connected.

USB plugs can and do go bad some times. If this is a USB scanner, try plugging it into another USB slot.

If you have other USB devices in use, it may be an issue with too many at one time. Try unplugging a USB device that you do not use continuously, like a camera or other such component, and plug the scanner into that port.

Once you plug it in, windows XP should recognize a new device in use, and take you through the hardware set up wizard for it. Allowing you to select the built in windows XP drivers for the device, also giving you the option to install the drivers from the CD that came with the scanner.

The reason you do not see any "imaging devices" is either because it's not plugged in to a working port, or it just doesn't recognize what it is you plugged in. If you dint see "imaging devices" see if theres an entry called "Other Devices". It might be listed there. if it is, then do what Doc suggested, right click it and manually install it, choosing the appropriate drivers.

[Rhino]

The HP ScanJet 3400c can use USB or a parallel connector.

[DoctorDoom]

Truism: the more complicated things are, the more ways there are for them to screw up.

[Gonzo67]

Truism: the more complicated things are, the more ways there are for them to screw up.


Computer Truism: The more technology is dumbed down to facilitate "ease of use" and "user friendliness", the more insanely difficult it is to get any of it to work properly.

A.K.A. USB Peripherals.

[BarryC]

Here's what I did:
I first put the scanning software disc in and installed the scanning software. At the end it tells you how to hook up the scanner. It tells you "Use the USB cable only. Do not use the parallel cable." I hooked it up, following the instructions. When nothing happened I looked for a driver, then found one and installed it. Nothing happened. Then I un-installed the scanning software and disconnected the scanner, to re-install and re-connect later when I get things figured out.
But I'm not sure if I tried one of the USB ports at the front. I have two cables plugged into them at the moment, one for a camera and one for a USB hard-drive. I can just unplug those cables and see if they work in the back USB ports. I'll see what happens.
Thanks so far...

[BarryC]

Well on a hunch I installed the software on my dad's computer and hooked up the scanner. I clicked the scanning icon and got the same messages I've been getting:
UNABLE TO INITIALIZE SCANNER: SCANNER NOT FOUND!!
So I found the newer version of the software on the HP site with the USB driver for XP included. I installed it all, connected the scanner and clicked the scan icon. Same deal: Scanner not found! GRRRR! This is really making me mad now.
And yes, I used a known working USB port.

[Gonzo67]

USB Cable is no good, or the scanner is dead.

Try plugging the scanner in using the parallel cable. Install the software, install the drivers, see if you get a scanner. If not, I'm guessing the scanner itself is defective.

If you feel you need it to be USB, cheapest solution is to go to best buy and buy a new USB cable, see if they have one with a plug that matches the end that plugs into the scanner. If not, you'll have to write HP requesting a new cable for it.

If after that, the scanner still doesn't work, your scanner is bad.

[BarryC]

Well I wonder why HP tells me to "use the USB cable only, do not use the parallel cable"? That's right in their software.

It's all very odd. Everything worked fine a little over a year ago before the computer went down. I'll have to try your suggestions. Thanks.

[Gonzo67]

Well I wonder why HP tells me to "use the USB cable only, do not use the parallel cable"? That's right in their software.


Could be any number of reasons. You are aware that most of the computer manuals, like the technology, is made over-seas. Written language sometimes doesn't translate well. As shown by the game that gave us the gems "Oh no they set us up the bomb!" and "All your base are belong to us."

It could be the instructions you were following were meant for USB installation only, in which case they're telling you to make sure you use the USB cable only IF you are installing it to function as a USB scanner.

If you install it as a Parallel device, you should be sure to use the parallel cable ONLY, and do not use the USB cable.

It is also quite possible that your scanner is not capable of being installed as a parallel device, and the parallel cable provided is for using a parallel device connected TO the scanner. On older scanners, you'll find a parallel port on the scanner because you were able to plug your scanner into the parallel port on your computer, and then plug your printer into the scanner. This way you could have a parallel printer AND scanner operating off the single parallel port on your computer.

I know this next part is not going to 'comfort" you in any way, but it's something to keep in mind as well.

Some "cheaper" brands of scanners are notorious for not liking "system changes". I had a scanner that worked perfectly fine back when Windows 95 was the "high end" operating system. When windows 98 came out, I upgraded. The scanner refused to work. I updated drivers, etc. The only thing that had changed was the OS. I did nothing "physical" to the computer or the scanner. New drivers, many hours of listening to retarded third world techs at the companies out-sourced tech support numbers, nothing did any good.

So admitting defeat, I formatted my HD, reinstalled windows 95, replaced the old drivers, and put my system back to the way it was before the windows 98 upgrade.

The scanner still did not work, and had never worked again after that.

Fortunately, when using "cheaper models" replacing it was not a huge monetary hit. And scanner prices are still lower today than what they were then.

I am not going to recommend you do this, because I don't know how old your scanner is, what "condition" it's in, and not to mention the fact that it is illegal after all. But I am willing to bet if you (hypothetically) bought a new scanner, the exact same brand, and model, and installed it, it would work perfectly well. Giving you an "empty box" to return the old scanner for a "refund".

But like your previous scanner, if you make system changes, and then are forced to 'reinstall" the new scanner, you could, quite possibly, wind up in the same situation you find yourself now.

It's been my experience that scanners are "just funny that way".

[Gonzo67]

Also, as Rhino said...


The HP ScanJet 3400c can use USB or a parallel connector.


My advice, before trying all that other stuff, try connecting it via the parallel cable, and letting windows PnP take over to install it. When prompted whether or not to "search" for the drivers, make sure the CD that came with it is in the drive, and tell it to search the CD for the driver. You may have to select the folders manually during the search, the driver will normally be found in folders named English winXp or win 2000 something like that. If you open a folder and a driver is there, it will show up. If no driver is in the folder you open, it will just show as an empty folder. Try another one.

[Alfred]

:out: Very nice scanner BarryC, From Holland I have the solution for your problem. Spread the word! Windows will let its own driver install instead of the intended HP uncertified driver.

Remove all software first and afterwards also folders like ProgramFiles\Hewlet Packard and other places were files were stored in. Maybe in Control Centre - Hardware Devices you may have Optical Devices - HP 3400C, Remove it also with right clicking and doing Undo Installation of the Driver and next unplug the scanner from the computer. Restart. Install the driver for migrating from early Windows version to XP. ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/scanners/software/sj652en.exe and, when done, restart with connecting the scanner when the computer is down. It now seems to be recognized and installed (like you must have seen before). Do not use the scanner on this stage. Now install the update http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?lc=en&lang=en&cc=us&os=228&product=61835&dlc=en&softwareitem=sj651mu Restart again. Go back to Hardware Devices where you now certainly find the scanner under Optical Devices. Click right on it and choose Properties and Install the Driver Again or something alike in English. On the question Must Windows Search For It? Pick 'Not This Time." Next with "Install From a Certain Location." Then choose "Do not Search, I Want to Install the Driver Myself." Now choose the third and last driver from the list. So one of HP, not from Microsoft. You are only asked the question This Driver is Not Digitally Signed, Still Use It? and click Yes or OK. Your problem is finally solved and the program PrecisionScan will also work. Do remove the program update.exe from the folder or when watching system internals - just do not agree for the update possibility changes.

[BarryC]

Thanks Alfred. I need to work on your suggestion. It sounds as though it may actually work. :)
I'm not posting much because I've had a lot of problems with the Comcast Internet in the last several weeks. It's been terrible, although quite good in the last few days.

Barry

[BarryC]

Alfred!!! Today I tried your suggestions, but there were problems.
The first problem is that I cannot remove some of the old stuff I attempted to install when I first asked for help. That's the HP software and driver that I got online. Every time I try to delete it I'm told that it can't be deleted.
Secondly I downloaded this ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/scanners/software/sj652en.exe , and when I clicked "run", it went through all the procedures to open it and then when it was almost done I got the message "cannot create the output file". And I thought that might have something to do with my copy of Winzip being an expired evaluation copy. I figured that maybe the thing was a Zip file. I promptly purchased a license for it and registered it, but that didn't help.
So now I'm back to square one. I'm very frustrated.
I hope we can get this resolved.
P.S.- my dad is no help, even though he's a major computer guru. When I first told him the problem I was having, almost two months ago, he said that I can just come and use his scanner on his computer. Well that's nice, but doesn't solve my problem.
So naturally I got nowhere. So now I need to figure out why this thing won't fully open

[DoctorDoom]

Every time I try to delete it I'm told that it can't be deleted.In most cases, this means that something in the folder is being started at bootup. Windows can'r delete a running file.

1. Windows logo key + R
2. Type in services.msc and Enter
3. Look down the list for anything related to the scanner
4. Double-click it, and in the Startup type dropdown, select Disabled.
5. You can also use the same window to turn it off if it's running by using the Stop button. That's not necessary.
6. Click Apply and then OK.
7. Reboot. The folders should now be deletable.

Be careful what you do in the "Services" window. You can cause yourself grief by disabling some of the entries.

[Rhino]

And you don't really need WinZip if you have Windows XP.

[Gonzo67]

And you don't really need WinZip if you have Windows XP.


Not only that, but the file name is: sj652en.exe

When winZip or any other archiving program create a self extracting file (File name ends with .EXE ) you do not need any compression software or command to open it anyway. Hence the name "SELF extracting". So an unregistered and expired copy of winZip would not be the problem in that case, since the file would never access his copy of the winZip program. It handles the decompression task itself.

[BarryC]

Yes, I realize all that, but I'm just trying to guess at why it kept saying "unable to produce output file" (not the exact words, but close). I suppose it could have been corrupted or something.
Not only that, but the file name is: sj652en.exe

When winZip or any other archiving program create a self extracting file (File name ends with .EXE ) you do not need any compression software or command to open it anyway. Hence the name "SELF extracting". So an unregistered and expired copy of winZip would not be the problem in that case, since the file would never access his copy of the winZip program. It handles the decompression task itself.

[Gonzo67]

I suppose it could have been corrupted or something.


if it fails to create the file, or more correctly, decompress and write the file, that is exactly what is wrong. The self extracting file is corrupted. I would recommend searching for the file and DL it from another source.

[BarryC]

I just tried downloading that exe again and found that the output file that it keeps telling me that it cannot create is the same one that's already there, that the computer won't let me delete!

[BarryC]

Okay. This is getting ridiculous.
In the folder that all the HP stuff is in, there are 3 different updates that I've downloaded in the last few weeks or months.
There is col5319.exe. When I try to run it, it begins to run it, but then I get the message "the update cannot complete".
Then there is sj651mu.exe. When I try to run it, I get the message, "Fatal error: Setup is unable to continue."
Then there is hpupdate.exe. Nothing happens whatsoever when I try to run it.