# Scanner/Windows question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 30, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-windows-question/165227 "2003-03-30T16:25:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-windows-question/165227/1 "2003-03-30T16:25:05Z")
I give up on HP Scanner software. I have tried 3 different OSs, four or five format and reinstalls and I keep getting the same error message sooner or later. I’ve been on the phone with HP tech support for 4 hours at a session, and _they_ can’t resolve the problem. (And I’m not going into what the problem is, 'cause I’m sick of working on it) I’m currently using Win2K. So…what I want to know is this: can anyone point me to non-HP scanning software? I know WIA(sp) support exists in WinME and XP, but it does NOT exist in 2K. I need a program that has it’s own TWAIN32 software…I give up on HP’s (in other words, when I make a call to the scanner, I don’t want to go through “HP Precision Scan” to do it: there _must_ be a public domain (or even an inexpensive commerical one). Any suggestions? Fenris ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-windows-question/165227/2 "2003-03-30T16:41:33Z")
I have an HP Scanjet 4p w/SCSI connection and an HP Scanjet 2300c w/USB connection. I had a lot of problems with the SCSI Scanner, but that was the peculiarities of the SCSI connection. I have not had any problems with the USB Scanner. My question to you are what scanner do you have? What software came with it? What connection type does it have? If USB, the software has to be installed first and then shutdown and startup again to install the scanner. ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-windows-question/165227/3 "2003-03-30T16:58:30Z")
- - - There is a “universal scanner driver” program out there, at one point when a Win98 update disabled my Umax LPT port scanner, I considered it. Problem was, they wanted like $50 for the software, and the scanner only cost $70—so unless you warez it, it’s not much of a victory. - And ironically, the Umax scanner I have has various problems in XP, and people on the net have said to use a particular HP driver instead… ~ ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-windows-question/165227/4 "2003-03-30T17:00:09Z")
Well, I would have to know what the model number of the scanner is… XP Home, that I use, has it’s own scanner/digital camera software. My impression of 2000 is that it has drivers for office based things & thus, XP Home, by the nature of its name, has drivers for home based things. Anyway, what scanner is this? ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-windows-question/165227/5 "2003-03-30T17:27:58Z")
It’s an HP Scanjet 4300. The specific problem is that every time something calls to the “hppsapp.exe” (which is the scanner software/driver…it seems to be both, somehow) I get an error (“This application has performed an error” or non-specific words to that effect.) and it won’t proceed. I know the scanner works, because it’ll work on my laptop and it works for a while…then _something_ happens and I start getting that error all over. **Doug** do you have any idea what the name of the program was? ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-windows-question/165227/6 "2003-03-30T17:31:47Z")
Um…and it’s on a USB port. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-windows-question/165227/7 "2003-03-30T17:40:44Z")
Fenris… Check your USB ports to be sure they are all working correctly. And, as I previously said, with USB ports, the software should be installed before you plug in your printer, then shutdown and startup fresh to install the printer. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-windows-question/165227/8 "2003-03-30T17:58:03Z")
**Rob** : did all that. I even went into the registry and deleted the correct ENUM keys to be sure. Still nuthin. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-windows-question/165227/9 "2003-03-30T19:15:11Z")
Sorry Fenris, but I do not know anymore to tell you to do. I guess if you can find third party software, that might work. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-windows-question/165227/10 "2003-03-30T19:33:57Z")
No prob, **Rob**. I really appreciate the attempt. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-windows-question/165227/11 "2003-03-30T20:00:16Z")
Did you say 4300? Are you sure that’s not a typo and you meant to say 3400? Because I had a 3400, and I kept getting a problem…every time I tried to scan something, it seemed to be constantly probing my floppy drive. I think the program you mentioned had something to so with it. And HP’s tech support was similarly unhelpful in solving my problem. And the scanner worked fine on a friend’s computer as well. End result - I got a different scanner. Best of luck. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-windows-question/165227/12 "2003-03-31T01:24:13Z")
Nope, 4300. I found _one_ web-reference to the problem. And the guy gave up. [Here](http://216.239.53.100/search?q=cache:_m-qKf7TvDcC:bizforums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0xaa9f93e260b0d611abdb0090277a778c,00.html+hppsapp.exe+win2k&hl=en&ie=UTF-8). He’s talking about the 3400, but it’s _exactly_ the same error/problem And yes, before someone asks, I tried exactly what Lionel says later in the thread with the same lack of results. AND I’ve tried the suggestions he makes in the other two threads from that forum that come up when you search Google. If I wasn’t certain that it’d degenerate into a “Windoze SUX” thread, I’d post the long, drawn-out saga of what I’d tried…in the Pit. 'Cause if I wrote it here, **Manny** ’d kill me. 😛 Fenris ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-windows-question/165227/13 "2003-03-31T01:54:13Z")
I am opperating a HP 4200 flatbed ,and so far none of the joy that you are experiencing. One thing that has me going umm, is that you are running win2k and you want to run a standalone twain32. You can try this software , and its a fax software but it does its own scanning , but not sure if it will run on your NTSF file system. [http://www.nicocuppen.com/fmhome.html](http://www.nicocuppen.com/fmhome.html) Declan ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scanner-windows-question/165227/14 "2003-03-31T04:19:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Declan \* > \*\*[http://www.nicocuppen.com/fmhome.html](http://www.nicocuppen.com/fmhome.html) > \*\* Thanks!!