Need help with loading Scanner & Printer on XP. THANKS!

I have a 6 month old Dell Dimension 2350 Pentium 4/ 256 MG of RAM and 2 GHz. Recently, I went to use my scanner and it couldn't find the software. I tried to reinstall the software from the CD and it said "Windows could not load the installer for Image. Contact your hardware vendor for assistance." I finally went and purchased a new Epson Perfection 1660 Photo Scanner. Upon trying to load it, I get the exact same message. Tonight, I went to print and it said the software is gone. Once again, I tried to load the drivers with the original CD. It gives me the same message "Windows could not load the installer for Image. Contact your hardware vendor for assistance." I am at my wits end. It also takes forever to pull up the file directory when I am going to open a file in any program or Explorer. Does anyone know what can be causing these problems. Thanks soooo much for any advice you can give me.

Marci

 

Can you go to restore and go back before you installed the scanner? If it is a USB one install the twain drivers first then hook up the scanner. The software can wait. I don't use the software because I have so many things that can acquire a scan already. I say restore because you will probably have to hunt around and get rid of whatever you put on there in the first place.