Konica-Minolta 5400 II software won't launch

[Film dino]

I've been using this scanning software with OS 10.6.4 without problem until today when I repeatedly get the dreaded message "Unknown error. Confirm all other DIMAGE software is closed".. the software won't launch & the scanner does not initialise. The scanner software launches properly on a old 12inch Powerbook G4

Have tried de-installing & re-installing the KM software; searching the system disk for all other DS5400 Elite2 folders, & plist files, to no avail.

Net sources suggest deleting a file named "MFSLibInit" (zero KB): "Users/your user name/Library/Preferences/Minolta Dimage (or DS Scan Elite)" but this file doesn't exist (at least by this name) on my MacBook Pro

Vusecan trial version won't launch properly either: message says "remove film holder" when the film holder is already out, and Vuescan hangs.

Any suggestions? Getting desperate... looks like I may have to rely on scanning using the old & slow G4

David

 

[nksyoon]

Sorry, can't help, PC user. But my mark I 5400 works fine with Vuescan Pro and Windows 7.

 

[amateriat]

David: Try This:

- Turn off MacBook Pro

- Restart, but press and hold down these four keys before* you hear the first startup chime: Option, Apple (Command), P, R.

- Keep keys held down until you hear a second startup chime, then release.

This exercise clears both the Mac's Parameter RAM (PRAM) and NVRAM, which are essential stored instruction sets for the computer. This might help.

Also: launch Disk Utility (Found in the Utilities folder); run Verify Disk for any fundamental disk/OS problems (if there are any, you'll need to find the System disk that came with your MacBook, boot from that, then run Disk utility from there to fix the problem), then run Repair Permissions, which will find, and repair, and problems found in that area.

I've a feeling that at least one of these maneuvers should clear up the problem. Don't forget to check your cables (FireWire in particular: I think a bad cable fried the FW ports on my PowerBook G4, meaning I'll need to tear the thing apart and replace the whole logic board, which I might be able to do myself, but a tech colleague will do it for me relatively cheap). Thankfully, both my scanners (Minolta 5400 and UMAX PowerLook 2100XL flatbed) are hooked up to my Power Mac G4 tower, whose FW ports work just fine.

(* Before the advent of Intel-based Macs, the procedure for zapping the PRAM on Power PC Macs was to boot the computer, then wait until just after hearing the startup chime before holding the Option-Apple-P-R keys down; the Intel Macs now start up so fast that a "preemptive strike" is necessary for the same maneuver.)


- Barrett

 

[amateriat]

Patrick: Funny you should mention that. A friend and client had his FW ports go out on his PB G4 last week while we were working on other stuff. Those PCM-CIA/CardBus FW adapters are pretty thin on the ground these days, but he found one at a local shop. Brought it home, plugged it in, and...nothing. I came over, did the usual tweaks, and still nothing. Took the card home with me, slid it into my PB, did the same song-and-dance. No dice. Can't seem to find any other iterations of the thing, either

My fellow tech says he can put in a replacement board for $275 total. That's about worth it; any more than that and both of us would start hunting for used MacBook Pros. Otherwise, I'm quite happy with my G4 PowerBook (1.67GHz, the last one they made before going Intel).


- Barrett

 

[srtiwari]

This happens to me all the time. This works for me fine, as I have a Mac-

Please restart PC.
If it cannot be started up after restarting PC, delete two files shown below:
Macintosh OSX:
/Library/Application Support/DS Elite5400 2/MFSLibInit
/Library/Application Support/DS Elite5400 2/MFSButtonCheck

Macintosh OS 9.2.2:
/System/Application Support/DS Elite5400 2/MFSLibInit
/System/Application Support/DS Elite5400 2/MFSButtonCheck

 

[Ronald M]

The door may look closed but still be open. 5400 original has a wire to close the door that goes thru a hole in the side. I had this happen one time.

Follow the procedure to install the software. The scanner has to be connected but not on I think.

Shut off the whole system, not sleep. Turn on computer, when ready turn on scanner, then launch software.

I have had lots of trouble getting software to launch and scanner to initialize and following the exact above sequence is necessary. Do it wrong, and I have trouble the next few times I scan. Keep trying.

 

[Film dino]

Barrett, Subhash & Ronald,
Many thanks for all your suggestions. I've finally managed to locate & delete the elusive zero Kb file MFSLibInit, & haven't had any more problems, touch wood.

David

 

[matthew J Shaw]

Hi David

I had this exact problem with my mark 1 scan elite 5400, and I also deleted all the files requested on the net and still had some issues. I found 2 things that might help:

1)
Sometimes my scanner would start to initialize as the software launched, but then the software would crash and the scanner would stop mid startup. This is awkward as it will do nothing until it completes its startup sequence.
Been blessed with an older mac kicking around, that I used to run the scanner on no problems, I wired it up and restarted the scanner and software, it initialized fully, and I then shut it all down, plugged it back into the G5 pro and it started up first time.

2)
Im currently using osx 10.6 and the scanner software is not fully compatible with this platform, I asked a techy friend of mine and we did some playing about and found that when I ran it on firewire (my preference) I had lots of crashes etc. When we switched to USB (my techy friends suggestion) it worked good as gold, so you may find there is some kind of support issue with the firewire side of it. Have it on USB now with no problems at all...

Hope this helps.

Matt