Hi Microsoft, I'm hoping someone can help. I have an EPSON Perfection V500 Photo Scanner running on a Toshiba A665 laptop with Windows 7 Home Premium SP1. About a month ago, the scanner stopped working. I have worked in depth with EPSON support line, and they believe it is a Windows problem. SYMPTOM: When starting Epson Scan, the error message is: "Cannot communicate with the scanner. Make sure the scanner is on, correctly set up and connected with no errors indicated." WHAT I HAVE VERIFIED AND DONE TO TRY TO SOLVE: Removal of all Epson drivers and programs using Control Panel: Programs and Features. Detach USB cable, power off scanner Reboot Downloaded current drivers from Epson. epson13936.exe ?dated ?July ?20, ?2010 2:54:21 PM Install drivers. Reboot (required by driver installer). Attach and power up the scanner via direct USB connection. Drivers are loaded. Message says they install correctly. Device Manager shows under Imaging devices the EPSON Perfection V500 as installed and working. No errors or warnings. When starting the Epson Scan program, the same error message appears. Using Windows Paint, the scanner option is not active, meaning the scanner WIA is not recognized. VARIATIONS AND ADDITIONAL ATTEMPTS a. I have uninstalled and reinstalled about 7 times now. I have tried doing so with anti virus off (AVAST!) I have tried doing so in SAFE mode. Still the same error occurs. b. I have stopped and restarted Windows Image Acquisition service 5x (advised by Epson) with no difference. c. I have applied all Windows updates. d. On another Windows 7 computer, I have successfully installed the same EPSON drivers and connected the same scanner and it works without error, and scans great. So it is not the scanner, cable, or drivers supplied by Epson. EPSON support says that it must be a problem with Windows I would appreciate any suggestions on further steps I can take to resolve this issue.

BearPup, I understand completely. There aren't a lot of things left to try. I'm too chicken to start removing Windows services. It appears that might really mess up the rest of the system which runs well. To answer your question, there were no monitor or video drivers installed. I think my next step is to find another scanner and see if it will work with this device. Thanks again for your help. I will post here if I learn anything. Samoht

Samoht, At this point, I'm fresh out of ideas. Nothing is corrupted, the unit works fine on another Windows computer, the software works on other systems, you've done a clean boot and it still happens meaning it likely isn't caused by an app or service... . I hate to say it, but the operative word in the last sentence is "likely". It doesn't say "if the error happens in a clean boot then its definitely not", just "likely" that its not caused by an app or service. My last and only suggestion to you is to go back through your apps and services as though the error didn't happen in a clean boot situation, meaning its probably an app or service in conflict with the scanner / scanner software. I really don't know what else to suggest. Ah, by chance did you get a new monitor or install a new video driver before this happened? Just a wild thought - if the answer is "No", then it doesn't matter; if its "Yes", then I have a wild suggestion to try. Sorry I can't be more helpful. Keep me posted. Regards, BearPup

BearPup, Thanks for shepherding me through this. I've run SFC /SCANNOW (from command line as administrator). There were no integrity problems found. "Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations." Your comments make me wonder if there are potentially any windows services failing? I suppose I can run a disk repair option in case there is something wrong there... Any other thoughts? Samoht

Samoht, Well, no more tricks up my sleeve, but maybe some direction. When a clean boot doesn't fix a problem, the problem is most likely not caused by an application or service interference. If it was caused by such interference, it would stop causing the problem with the application / service not booted up. Since you've gotten it to work previously in Windows it certainly is Windows compatible and rules out a defect. That leaves one option: something that isn't cleared in a clean boot is causing the interference. When you do a clean boot can you run SFC /scannow (System File Checker)? I'd like to verify that none of the Windows system files is corrupt. I recently had that happen, and the only symptom at the time was that certain programs no longer worked as they should. It was only when I ran SFC that the defect was found. I hope this helps; keep me posted. Regards, BearPup

BearPup, Thanks for that great tip about a clean boot! Didn't know you could do that. I have done a clean boot, removing all non-Microsoft services (including AVAST!) from startup. I detached, repowered, and re-attached the EPSON Scanner. The system recognized the scanner and said it was operating correctly. Unfortunately, the error still occurs when I try to use the EPSON Scan and MS Paint. I'm hoping you have another trick up your sleeves :-) Samoht

Help with Epson Scanner that has stopped working; Epson support says it is windows.

Anonymous

Hi Microsoft,

I'm hoping someone can help. I have an EPSON Perfection V500 Photo Scanner running on a Toshiba A665 laptop with Windows 7 Home Premium SP1. About a month ago, the scanner stopped working. I have worked in depth with EPSON support line, and they believe it is a Windows problem.

SYMPTOM:

When starting Epson Scan, the error message is: "Cannot communicate with the scanner. Make sure the scanner is on, correctly set up and connected with no errors indicated."

WHAT I HAVE VERIFIED AND DONE TO TRY TO SOLVE:

Removal of all Epson drivers and programs using Control Panel: Programs and Features.
Detach USB cable, power off scanner
Reboot
Downloaded current drivers from Epson. epson13936.exe ?dated ?July ?20, ?2010 2:54:21 PM
Install drivers.
Reboot (required by driver installer).
Attach and power up the scanner via direct USB connection.
Drivers are loaded. Message says they install correctly.
Device Manager shows under Imaging devices the EPSON Perfection V500 as installed and working. No errors or warnings.
When starting the Epson Scan program, the same error message appears.
Using Windows Paint, the scanner option is not active, meaning the scanner WIA is not recognized.

VARIATIONS AND ADDITIONAL ATTEMPTS

a. I have uninstalled and reinstalled about 7 times now. I have tried doing so with anti virus off (AVAST!) I have tried doing so in SAFE mode. Still the same error occurs.

b. I have stopped and restarted Windows Image Acquisition service 5x (advised by Epson) with no difference.

c. I have applied all Windows updates.

d. On another Windows 7 computer, I have successfully installed the same EPSON drivers and connected the same scanner and it works without error, and scans great. So it is not the scanner, cable, or drivers supplied by Epson.

EPSON support says that it must be a problem with Windows

I would appreciate any suggestions on further steps I can take to resolve this issue.

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

47 answers

Anonymous

2014-01-13T20:22:42+00:00
BearPup,

I understand completely. There aren't a lot of things left to try.

I'm too chicken to start removing Windows services. It appears that might really mess up the rest of the system which runs well.

To answer your question, there were no monitor or video drivers installed.

I think my next step is to find another scanner and see if it will work with this device.

Thanks again for your help. I will post here if I learn anything.
- Samoht
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2014-01-13T03:14:14+00:00

Samoht,

At this point, I'm fresh out of ideas. Nothing is corrupted, the unit works fine on another Windows computer, the software works on other systems, you've done a clean boot and it still happens meaning it likely isn't caused by an app or service... .

I hate to say it, but the operative word in the last sentence is "likely". It doesn't say "if the error happens in a clean boot then its definitely not", just "likely" that its not caused by an app or service. My last and only suggestion to you is to go back through your apps and services as though the error didn't happen in a clean boot situation, meaning its probably an app or service in conflict with the scanner / scanner software.

I really don't know what else to suggest. Ah, by chance did you get a new monitor or install a new video driver before this happened? Just a wild thought - if the answer is "No", then it doesn't matter; if its "Yes", then I have a wild suggestion to try.

Sorry I can't be more helpful. Keep me posted.

Regards,

BearPup
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2014-01-13T02:15:52+00:00
BearPup,

Thanks for shepherding me through this.

I've run SFC /SCANNOW (from command line as administrator). There were no integrity problems found. "Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations."

Your comments make me wonder if there are potentially any windows services failing?

I suppose I can run a disk repair option in case there is something wrong there...

Any other thoughts?
- Samoht
Was this answer helpful?

4 people found this answer helpful.

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2014-01-13T01:00:12+00:00

Samoht,

Well, no more tricks up my sleeve, but maybe some direction. When a clean boot doesn't fix a problem, the problem is most likely not caused by an application or service interference. If it was caused by such interference, it would stop causing the problem with the application / service not booted up.

Since you've gotten it to work previously in Windows it certainly is Windows compatible and rules out a defect. That leaves one option: something that isn't cleared in a clean boot is causing the interference.

When you do a clean boot can you run SFC /scannow (System File Checker)? I'd like to verify that none of the Windows system files is corrupt. I recently had that happen, and the only symptom at the time was that certain programs no longer worked as they should. It was only when I ran SFC that the defect was found.

I hope this helps; keep me posted.

Regards,

BearPup
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2014-01-12T22:37:18+00:00

BearPup,

Thanks for that great tip about a clean boot! Didn't know you could do that.

I have done a clean boot, removing all non-Microsoft services (including AVAST!) from startup. I detached, repowered, and re-attached the EPSON Scanner. The system recognized the scanner and said it was operating correctly.

Unfortunately, the error still occurs when I try to use the EPSON Scan and MS Paint.

I'm hoping you have another trick up your sleeves :-)

Samoht
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments