Problem with HP 4100 Scanner

[Ziz]

Hey all,

Trying to troubleshoot a problem for my dad. HP 6470 computer, straight from the box aside from a cable modem/network card with the above mentioned 4100 scanner hooked up to it via USB. The first time I set up the scanner a couple months ago, it ran fine. Hasn't run since. He doesn't use it that often, so we don't know exactly when this problem arose. When I first started troubleshooting, I got "The scanner is in use by another program." Uninstalled and re-installed all the software. Now the scanner test utility doesn't even want to admit the scanner is there in the first place! Haven't tried HP tech support yet as we're past 30 days and now they want to charge for support! Lotta good a warranty is!

Any ideas/suggestions?

[LJE2]

Was the NIC for the cable modem added after you installed the scanner? When you go to Device Manager is there a yellow question mark or an exclamation point on the USB controller or one of the devices.

[Ziz]

Cable modem/NIC card was there before the scanner and Device Manager is clean...no exclamations, no X's, nothing.

[LJE2]

Try this if you already haven't, if the scanner appears in the Control Panel (Sometimes they put an Icon in the control Panel, my Canon Scanner did) remove it also if it appears in the Device manager, remove it here also, then unplug the scanner from the USB port and uninstall the software. Then roboot your computer, after Windows has started, plug in your scanner, as soon as you plug in your scanner Windows should find this device (that one of the great things of USB, real Plug N Play, to bad it's not faster), if Windows does not find the new device there is a possible problem with the scanner. Have you tried to install this scanner on another computer?