XP ignores my scanner

fridgitator · 3rd October 2008

Homebuilt machine, AMD Sempron processor, Abit VA-20 mobo. Just installed service pack 3 today. HP Scanjet 5300 C scanner.

XP has never liked my scanner. Occasionally, it loses the driver, and I have to reinstall it. When I do, it has always behaved just fine for months at a time. The last time around, I reinstalled the driver from the HP site. The scanner showed up in hardware as working properly, but none of my software will recognize it. I have tried reinstalling scanner drivers numerous times, reinstalling mobo drivers, PaperPort, removing all traces I can find of HP software and letting Windows choose it's own driver. When I do that, as soon as I reboot it tells me it needs certain files. I tried repairing my windows install, but the disc wont run because I had SP2 installed. I tried uninstalling that, but Windows won't let me. I installed SP3 today; no change. I'm stumped. The scanner works just fine with either of 2 laptops running XP with SP2 using Windows' own driver.

**mattman** · 3rd October 2008

Did you have another scanner on the computer before this one, even a different model HP? Check through the list of programs in Add or Remove Programs for any that may be causing a conflict.

Try booting into Safe Mode and uninstalling the HP program (software) and drivers there. Disconnect the scanner and then reinstall when you reboot into normal mode. Double check any instructions for installation.

Look at any printer software that is installed, it may have "added" it's own scanner software that is causing the conflict.

Matt

fridgitator · 4th October 2008

I haven't had anything else on lately, but I'll look for remnants from one I had a couple years ago. Thanks. I hadn't thought about the printer angle.