Windows 7 Can't Find My Epson 4990

Dave Jenkins

Dave Jenkins

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I've been using an Epson 4990 to scan 120 and 4x5 originals for several years with good results. Recently I bought a Dell PC with Windows 7 installed. I checked with Microsoft Compatibility and found that my scanner should work with Windows 7, so I downloaded and installed the latest drivers. But even though the computer shows that the Epson files are installed, it tells me that it is unable to start Epson Scan.

Has anyone else encountered this? What did you do to resolve the problem?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.
 
I can't help with any Win7 specific issues but:

1. I presume you are turning on the scanner and waiting 10-20sec for Windows to recognize the newly connected device before launching EpsonScan.
2. I presume you've checked that the USB cable is connected properly at both ends.

(in my "old age" I've noticed a degradation in my "squishyware" and #1 often raises its ugly head these days)

3. Try a different USB port
4. Try rebooting the OS with the scanner already turned on

These are just guesses based on "standard Windows troubleshooting".
 
In Windows if you click Start> Devices and Printers (or Start> Control Panel {Icon View}> Devices and Printers) do you see the scanner there? If not then the computer itself doesn't see the scanner itself. If it does then it's software/driver issues.
 
Did you also download EpsonScan for Windows 7 if available? My Epson 1680 originally shipped with Windows 2000. I found everything I needed for Windows XP at the Epson site.
Shooting in the dark.

Wayne
 
@ Dave Jenkins

I don't know whether this applies to your 4990 model of Epson, but when I had a 3490 Photo some years ago, that needed to have what is called a firmware 'blob' loaded.
In Windows XP this was handled automatically by the installation CD (but in Linux and similar operating systems at the time you had to copy the file from CD to your hard drive and edit a configuration file to tell the system where to find it).
Do you have the original installation CD, and if so did you install from it first in the Windows 7 machine, before ugrading with the downloaded upgrade files? (and if not, did the downloaded files include a firmware file? If needed, it should be available from the Epson site.)
For my 3490 Photo the file was called esfw52.bin which may or may not also apply to the 4990.
 
Guys, thanks for all your help. I've tried just about everything suggested, including installing and re-installing the software multiple times, and nothing works. The computer says the software is installed and the scanner is connected, but when I try to open it, I get a message that Epson Scan cannot be started. The same thing happens in Silverfast SE, which I also updated.

Vuescan does work, but I don't much like the program.
 
Is there another scanner connected to the computer. Windows has problems when there is more than one imaging device installed. Actually, the installation isn't the issue. Having two imaging devices POWERED UP at the same time causes problems. I have 2 scanners (Plustek 7400 and Canon 8800F) but I make sure they're are never powered up at the same time.
 
OK, so you have a software issue and not a hardware issue (Device Manager sees it and Vuescan works it).

I'm assuming that you're new to the hurdles of Windows 7.
1) Turn off UAC. Go back to Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\User Accounts and click Change User Account Control Settings. When UAC control comes up slide the slider all the way down to Never Notify. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Turn-User-Account-Control-on-or-off
2) Find the base program that you're trying to launch (probably in C:\Program Files (x86)\Epson) and right click it. Click properties. Choose the Compatibility tab and set the program to Windows XP compatibility. While you're at it you can have it "run as admin". A last resort may be to also disable Visual Themes and Desktop Composition, but you shouldn't need to do that.

Try the program.

If you still can't get it, and you still have some patience left, you can run the installer again as admin with XP compatibility mode. If you do, turn off all security software such as your firewall and antivirus programs just for the time it takes to install the program again. After install turn the security programs back on again. Security programs have been known to hang an install just enough for the installer to skip a step.

Vuescan works with the scanner, so you should be able to get this going. If you leave Vuescan installed (or active) does that get the program going or is it still stuck?

To get my HP scanner working I needed to contact HP and they had me install a newer version of the program designed for a newer scanner. It can be a headache, hopefully it'll be worth it.
 
There's also downloading Windows Virtual PC which is a virutal copy of XP (Windows XP that runs in a window in Windows 7, but Windows XP only software does run on it even when it won't run on Windows 7) http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/
You'll need either Windows 7 Ultimate or Professional. I really don't think you'll need to go this far though, you should be able to get it going with what you have.
 
I tried the instructions given above by cabbiinc and got as far as the Properties tab in the Epson files in Program Files. Unfortunately, there is no Compatibility tab -- Just General, Sharing, Security, Previous Versions (empty), and Customize.

I really don't prefer to get VueScan, but I suppose they have instructions that will help me get comfortable with it. Thanks for everyone's help, and if anyone has any further suggestions please post them.
 
Dave Jenkins said:
I tried the instructions given above by cabbiinc and got as far as the Properties tab in the Epson files in Program Files. Unfortunately, there is no Compatibility tab -- Just General, Sharing, Security, Previous Versions (empty), and Customize.
Click to expand...
This looks like you've got the properties of a file folder and not an actual .exe file itself. You need to find the actual file that opens the program itself, right click that, then follow the instructions. Assuming that you're going off of a shortcut off the desktop or the strart menu, right click the shortcut and click Open File Location (or if that's not available click properties first, then find Find File Location button in the Properties window). You should get a folder with a file highlighted, that's the actual file that you need to make compatible. If that doesn't find a file then you'll need to reinstall.

Did you get UAC turned off?
 
Find yourself a college kid or a high school kid who is into computers to help you.

He'll probably figure it out in 10 minutes. You might have some conflicting drivers, some compatibility problem with 32 bit or 64 bit programs, or something very simple.

What seems complicated or impossible to you will be obvious in 2 minutes to someone who is well versed in the OS.
 
The easiest way to fix this is to physically position the scanner right next to the computer, with the two devices touching, if possible. That way, Windows should be able to see the scanner just fine. 🙄

Sorry, I couldn't resist. I solved all my Windows problems by ditching Microsoft. 😀

Hope you get this sorted!
 
cabbiinc said:
This looks like you've got the properties of a file folder and not an actual .exe file itself. You need to find the actual file that opens the program itself, right click that, then follow the instructions. Assuming that you're going off of a shortcut off the desktop or the strart menu, right click the shortcut and click Open File Location (or if that's not available click properties first, then find Find File Location button in the Properties window). You should get a folder with a file highlighted, that's the actual file that you need to make compatible. If that doesn't find a file then you'll need to reinstall.

Did you get UAC turned off?
Click to expand...

Yes, turned off UAC and followed the instructions above. They led me to the escndv.exe file, which no matter how I approach it, gives me the same message: Epson Scan cannot be started.
 
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