# No 16-bit expansion slot? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 31, 2003, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-16-bit-expansion-slot/165514 "2003-03-31T19:24:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sperfur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9adbd/32.png) [@sperfur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sperfur)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-16-bit-expansion-slot/165514/1 "2003-03-31T19:24:10Z")
I’ve been given a new Cannon 300 Color Flatbed Scanner (it was a donation to Henry’s campaign). So I’m installing this puppy last night, and I’m smart, I’m computer literate, so I just hook it up and turn it on. Well, it doesn’t work. :mad: So then I read the directions and start poking through the box. I find this host adapter card that needs to go into a 16-bit expansion slot _inside_ the computer. :rolleyes: No problem - remember, I’m smart, I’m computer literate. Right? So I unhook everything, take the case off my computer, only to discover I _don’t have_ a 16-bit expansion slot. ☹ Not one. Not even a used one. I have several vacant slots that look like this: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::|:::::::::: and one that looks like this: :::::::::::::::: The card I need to use looks like it should fit into a slot that looks like this: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::|:::::::::::::::::::: My motherboard is an Intel Desktop Board D845BG. Anyone have any ideas about what to do now? Or am I just an idiot who has the right expansion slot (I’m strongly resisting the urge to say ‘thingy’ and dye my hair blond - no offense to blonds everywhere who are _much_ more computer literate than myself 😃 ), and I overlooked it? ---
**Author:** ![Willy\_ph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ea5d25/32.png) [@Willy\_ph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Willy_ph)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-16-bit-expansion-slot/165514/2 "2003-03-31T19:28:20Z")
The slot you need is an ISA slot. With your pics, it looks like you only have AMR and PCI slots on your motherboard. I’m guessing that it’s a scsi card that you have, so you’ll have to get a new scsi card with an external connector that will fit into a PCI slot. ---
**Author:** ![Willy\_ph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ea5d25/32.png) [@Willy\_ph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Willy_ph)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-16-bit-expansion-slot/165514/3 "2003-03-31T19:29:45Z")
But sometimes it’s cheaper, and easier, to buy a new scanner with a USB connection. ---
**Author:** ![rookie523](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@rookie523](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rookie523)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-16-bit-expansion-slot/165514/4 "2003-03-31T19:34:01Z")
I agree with Willy. Scanners are really cheap now. ---
**Author:** ![sperfur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9adbd/32.png) [@sperfur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sperfur)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-16-bit-expansion-slot/165514/5 "2003-03-31T19:45:51Z")
Yes, its an SCSI card. When I took the cord out of the box it had an adapter attached to it that I assumed was just an adapter for the previous owner’s computer. (Similar to a USB adapter for a mouse.) I doubt that its an external SCSI card, though. I suppose it could be, but I would think it would be labeled as such. (It has no markings on it.) I’ll try to find a place to hook it up on the back of my computer in a few minutes and see if that works. This guy donated the scanner to Henry’s campaign because his computer was older and he couldn’t get it to work. Thank you for your advice. ---
**Author:** ![sperfur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9adbd/32.png) [@sperfur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sperfur)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-16-bit-expansion-slot/165514/6 "2003-03-31T19:54:45Z")
On further inspection of the box, I see that it has software included that is 'Exclusively for Windows ‘95!’ :rolleyes: Wooohooo! Check out my **brand spankin’ new** scanner! I’m so excited to be living in the '90s! What year did you say it was? Oh. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-16-bit-expansion-slot/165514/7 "2003-03-31T20:58:51Z")
Hehehe… Back in 1995, ISA slots did roam free across the land. Be glad your PC didn’t have an ISA slot, or you’d be pulling out your hair and posting questions here every ten minutes trying to work out IRQs, SCSI addressing and SCSI termination. Once you got those licked, you’d be wailing when it was time to get TWAIN configured and to find a driver for your current flavor of Windows. (been there, done it) ---
**Author:** ![sperfur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9adbd/32.png) [@sperfur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sperfur)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-16-bit-expansion-slot/165514/8 "2003-03-31T21:05:44Z")
Soooo, I wonder what I can get for this thing at the pawn shop? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-16-bit-expansion-slot/165514/9 "2003-03-31T21:36:40Z")
I’m betting nothing. 4-year-old PC technology tends to not be pawnshop territory. I’d go with ebay. Let me know if I’m wrong. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-16-bit-expansion-slot/165514/10 "2003-03-31T23:39:49Z")
You could buy a new PCI SCSI card that will work with your scanner here: [http://www.lsilogic.com/buyonline.html](http://www.lsilogic.com/buyonline.html) I suspect that you have an HP ScanJet Scanner. I have an HP ScanJet 4p and this card works well with it and Windows XP. ---
**Author:** ![bcullman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bcullman/32/8207_2.png) [@bcullman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bcullman)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-16-bit-expansion-slot/165514/11 "2003-04-01T01:08:50Z")
honestly, though… you best bet isjust getting a new scanner. they can be had for as little as $50 at best buy, or 32 if your willing to wade through all the listings at pricewatch.