About to throw my scanner out the window

[Doctor Q]

I'm fed up with the new scanner I bought. It works once in a while but usually produces an error messages instead. I can't tell if it's a hardware or software problem. The scanner software has acted up (refusing to initialize) all but 3 times out of dozens of attempts to use it. I can't tell why it worked those 3 times and it hasn't worked for a week despite all of my experiments.

Here are the facts...

Platform: MacBook Pro, Snow Leopard

Scanner: Epson Perfection V300

Error: Almost all of the time (100% of the time lately) I get this when I launch the scanner software supplied with the scanner:

​

Their Troubleshooting Assistant is of no use.

What I've tried:

• Full power down and restart.
• Unplugging the scanner's power and plugging it back in.
• Booting with the scanner on/off or connected/disconnected. Trying different orders to powering-on and connecting.
• Trashing preference files.
• Using a different USB cable.
• Using a different USB port.
• Uninstalling and reinstalling the scanner software.
• Updating the scanner software with the latest versions at epson.com.
• Trying the scanner on another MBP with Mac OS X 10.5.
• Contacting Epson customer service (I never heard back).
• Googling for solutions by people having the same problem.

Any suggestions before I fill it with Mentos and Diet Coke and blast it off into space?

 

[Blue Velvet]

How reliable is it using Image Capture? And:

Trying the scanner on another MBP with Mac OS X 10.5.

How did that work out? IdenticaL problems? Also, are you trying to run the scanner software using Photoshop CS5 in 64 bit mode, by any chance?

Also also, have you tried using a demo of VueScan to see if that works? Just to narrow it down to software problems?

 

[lbro]

Is it still within the return period? I wouldn't recommend getting an epson again, I haven't had very good experiences with them.

 

[Username02]

I have a really old Epson Perfection and have always had issues with their software, many times just like the screen shot you posted.

Since upgrading to Snow Leopard I have abandoned the Epson software and now just use Image Capture. It works well for my uses, but you might try it out to make sure it has all the features you need.

(I also set up the scanner to be shared through Image Capture so now everyone on my Network can utilize it as well ~ nice little bonus.)

 

[MisterMe]

...

Since upgrading to Snow Leopard I have abandoned the Epson software and now just use Image Capture. It works well for my uses, but you might try it out to make sure it has all the features you need.

...

My experience is that this problem is not unique to Epson, per se. I own a Canon scanner. It TWAIN GUI sucks big time. It looks like it was designed by someone who thought that Windows 3.1 was the ultimate in GUI design. The TWAIN GUI for my Olympus E20N is similarly aesthetically challenged. It would not be so bad if those GUI monstrosities actually worked well. They don't. They are slow and unstable. On the other hand, Image Capture ... simple, elegant, fast. What more is there to say? Image Capture.

 

[Tyler76]

I combine Image Capture with Cameras, a preference pane by Flexibits. This ingenious plugin allows you to specify what happens when you plug in specific hardware. So for example, when I plug in my camera, Aperture opens. But when I plug in my iPhone, iTunes and Image Capture open, rather than iTunes and Aperture, as would be the case without Cameras.

 

[MisterMe]

I combine Image Capture with Cameras, a preference pane by Flexibits. This ingenious plugin allows you to specify what happens when you plug in specific hardware. ...

The Finder does this on its own. The "ingenious plugin" is not necessary.

 

[ActionableMango]

Return it and try a different brand. I have a Lexmark all-in-one and the scanner part works great using Lexmark's software, which will then send the output to whatever image software you are using or save it as a file on the disk.

I'm not too happy with the Lexmark ink (it runs and smears), but the scanner part works well.

 

[Doctor Q]

Thanks for the help, everyone.

How reliable is it using Image Capture?

Image Capture works, and I never knew I could skip the Epson software and use Image Capture instead! That gets me past the immediate problem. The only loss (other than the time I've spent on it) is that I can't use the fancier features of the software that they advertised, such as their presets.

How did that work out? IdenticaL problems?

I had the same problems under Mac OS X 10.5. It worked once, then not, then worked, then never worked again.

Also, are you trying to run the scanner software using Photoshop CS5 in 64 bit mode, by any chance?

No.

Also also, have you tried using a demo of VueScan to see if that works? Just to narrow it down to software problems?

No, but I guess I don't need to now.

Is it still within the return period? I wouldn't recommend getting an epson again, I haven't had very good experiences with them.

I think we're past the return date, although that's because we were waiting for Epson to reply to our Customer Service message!

I have a really old Epson Perfection and have always had issues with their software, many times just like the screen shot you posted.

Since upgrading to Snow Leopard I have abandoned the Epson software and now just use Image Capture. It works well for my uses, but you might try it out to make sure it has all the features you need.

(I also set up the scanner to be shared through Image Capture so now everyone on my Network can utilize it as well ~ nice little bonus.)

I will emulate your good example.

My experience is that this problem is not unique to Epson, per se. I own a Canon scanner. It TWAIN GUI sucks big time. It looks like it was designed by someone who thought that Windows 3.1 was the ultimate in GUI design. The TWAIN GUI for my Olympus E20N is similarly aesthetically challenged. It would not be so bad if those GUI monstrosities actually worked well. They don't. They are slow and unstable. On the other hand, Image Capture ... simple, elegant, fast. What more is there to say? Image Capture.

We tried Epson because the software that came with our last HP scanner was pretty poor. They seem to shovel a bunch of barely ported Windows software onto a CD and claim they support Macs. Maybe they do technically (when it actually works) but certainly not in spirit.

I combine Image Capture with Cameras, a preference pane by Flexibits. This ingenious plugin allows you to specify what happens when you plug in specific hardware. So for example, when I plug in my camera, Aperture opens. But when I plug in my iPhone, iTunes and Image Capture open, rather than iTunes and Aperture, as would be the case without Cameras.

Good to know about.

The Finder does this on its own. The "ingenious plugin" is not necessary.

Even better to know.

Return it and try a different brand. I have a Lexmark all-in-one and the scanner part works great using Lexmark's software, which will then send the output to whatever image software you are using or save it as a file on the disk.

I'm not too happy with the Lexmark ink (it runs and smears), but the scanner part works well.

It looks like scanners are a wasteland of poorly implemented software to go with better and better hardware.

 

[Blue Velvet]

Image Capture works, and I never knew I could skip the Epson software and use Image Capture instead! That gets me past the immediate problem. The only loss (other than the time I've spent on it) is that I can't use the fancier features of the software that they advertised, such as their presets.

Although it might rankle to pay for additional software to get the functionality you need, VueScan might be worth looking at if Epson don't come back to you with anything useful. It has batch processing and the demo is free.

Long shot, but I don't suppose you've tried running the: EPSON Scan Uninstaller v1.00 (epson12887.dmg) and then reinstalling the: Scanner Driver and EPSON Scan Utility v3.51 (epson13222.dmg) files?

There's also a scanner driver for Image Capture (epson13969.dmg) and oddly, the Epson site vaguely recommends doing the scanning from within an app like Preview with Snow Leopard.

I'm sure you've checked those out already, but I'm just throwing stuff out here.

 

[Sossity]

Although it might rankle to pay for additional software to get the functionality you need, VueScan might be worth looking at if Epson don't come back to you with anything useful. It has batch processing and the demo is free.

Long shot, but I don't suppose you've tried running the: EPSON Scan Uninstaller v1.00 (epson12887.dmg) and then reinstalling the: Scanner Driver and EPSON Scan Utility v3.51 (epson13222.dmg) files?

There's also a scanner driver for Image Capture (epson13969.dmg) and oddly, the Epson site vaguely recommends doing the scanning from within an app like Preview with Snow Leopard.

I'm sure you've checked those out already, but I'm just throwing stuff out here.

I tried to install the epson scan software that came with my epson perfection 4490 photo scanner. When it was finished I noticed the nividia was on in the menu bar in gfx card status all the time, where as before installation it was not, it was on intel.

it is nice to know that there are apps in mac os that will work, but do I need to install any epson drivers? & which ones, ones that will run more efficiently on my macbook pro i7 2010. It is currently running snowleopard 10.6.3.

does image capture or preview support adjusting color bit depth, color profiles like sRGB & Adobe RGB, & different file formats, & different resolutions?

I checked out viewscan, & on this very forum I found an archived article about someoens bad experience with it, they said it made their mac crash.

 

[Doctor Q]

Although it might rankle to pay for additional software to get the functionality you need, VueScan might be worth looking at if Epson don't come back to you with anything useful. It has batch processing and the demo is free.

Long shot, but I don't suppose you've tried running the: EPSON Scan Uninstaller v1.00 (epson12887.dmg) and then reinstalling the: Scanner Driver and EPSON Scan Utility v3.51 (epson13222.dmg) files?

There's also a scanner driver for Image Capture (epson13969.dmg) and oddly, the Epson site vaguely recommends doing the scanning from within an app like Preview with Snow Leopard.

I'm sure you've checked those out already, but I'm just throwing stuff out here.

Yes, I ran the uninstaller and then the installer, several times, and installed the EPSON Scan Utility. Scanning still failed most of the time. However, scanning from Preview works just as scanning from Image Capture, both offering the basic scan settings like scan resolution, and I'll settle for that. I can do other cleanup, adjustments, or special effects in Photoshop.

Thanks for the consultation and sanity check.