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

You shouldn't need to stop and restart a service to get it working, but if it works ....

You can start and stop services from an Elevated Command Prompt (i.e., "Run as administrator") using the NET STOP and NET START commands.  See the example here:  https://www.coretechnologies.com/blog/windows-services/essential-tools-for-windows-services-net-command/

The catch is that in order to run the command with administrator rights you have to create a batch file (*.bat) with the command, then create a shortcut to the batch file, then go into the properties of the shortcut and check the box to "Run as administrator."

Even then, however, when you double-click the shortcut you'll get the UAC prompt and the user will have to input the password for an administrator account.

If you don't want the UAC account to appear, there are ways around that as well. 

Here's one:  http://superuser.com/questions/788924/is-it-possible-to-automatically-run-a-batch-file-as-administrator

Before you do all of the above, make sure that the NET STOP command works for your Epson service.  If it doesn't try the SC command (see http://stackoverflow.com/questions/133883/stop-and-start-a-service-via-batch-or-cmd-file)

My version of this problem (and thanks to all the previous posters for their efforts)

I just have to restart the computer.  Not log off log on actually restart.  Then it's ok for a while (hours, days) and then "cannot communicate with scanner" and repeat repeat

I think I've tried all relevant suggestions above.   

Using services.msc then stopping and then starting the Epson Scanner Service does the trick - is there any way of creating a desktop shortcut to do this so as to permit the less savvy in the house to do this.

Thanks

win7 pro  epson xp-402   usb connection

Well... lets see here.. Epson has not updated their drivers since how many years ? If you go to their website what is the last date that they updated the drivers for this device?

The reason I refused to buy any more Epson products is because of this same reason. This is not a Windows issue.

Cracked it, many many thanks for the help. 

I suspect the NET STOP line is superfluous but cant't be bothered to prove it.

Just to lay it out really simply for others

If when you try to use your epson scanner (all-in-one printer) and it beeps and says Cannot Communicate with the Scanner

So this is what you do

Open Notepad and type as follow (or copy and paste the four lines below)

rem to solve the cannot communicate with epson scanner problem

rem EpsonScanCommunicate.bat

net stop EpsonScanSvc

net start EpsonScanSvc

Then save the file somewhere (I used My Documents, but whatever) using the name

EpsonScanCommunicate.bat  (file saveas Save as Type All Files IMPORTANT)

Then On desktop right click New Shortcut Libraries Documents and then start typing epsonscan.. and it will autofill, click Next and choose a name such as Epson Scanner Restart

and there you go.

Change names as you like, but avoid spaces in the filename

The posts immediately above deal with admin rights which might matter to you

Now when the problem arises click on this shortcut and try again, and, I hope it works as well for you as it is for me

Does that Epson software feature the ABBYY Fine Reader add-in, if so uninstall it