Windows 7 Problems

andrewk08

A word of warning for people upgrading to windows 7

My scanner (a professional one, costing twice the cost of my computer) wouldn't work with Vista and so I held out hearing that Windows 7 would sort it. Well yesterday I installed it and found that it will not work with Windows 7 either.

Further, for all the talk of rolling back all those annoying things and restrictions in Vista, NOP, there're still all there. You cannot access files and settings that you could with XP.

Its back to XP again, but for how long. At some stage I will have to retire my scanner or change operating system.

kippy

andrewk08 wrote: »

A word of warning for people upgrading to windows 7

My scanner (a professional one, costing twice the cost of my computer) wouldn't work with Vista and so I held out hearing that Windows 7 would sort it. Well yesterday I installed it and found that it will not work with Windows 7 either.

Further, for all the talk of rolling back all those annoying things and restrictions in Vista, NOP, there're still all there. You cannot access files and settings that you could with XP.

Its back to XP again, but for how long. At some stage I will have to retire my scanner (maybe go to Apple or Linux?)

What model scanner have you and where did you hear/read it would work with W7?
Why did you upgrade to Vista before checking if it worked?
Does the scanner manufacturer have an updated driver on the site?

Sometimes hardware manufacturers wont write updated drivers for new OS's, sometimes they will.

Ghost Train

Its more the manufacturers fault for not updating their drivers/software
this will always be an issue with newer OS's
for the most part stuff that works with vista works with win 7

if it a software problem you have and not a driver issue, the compatibility setting might help, but not much more microsoft can do if no driver is made

there is an xp virtualisation mode in win 7 professional versions, but would probably only work if the scanner was usb, but might be worth trying it out

have had issues with drivers not being make for one or two pieces of hardware and needing xp to use them

The Insider

andrewk08 wrote: »

Its back to XP again, but for how long. At some stage I will have to retire my scanner or change operating system.

Why bother moving from XP in the first place?

andrewk08

The Scanner was a Minolta. However, a few years ago, Sony bought Minolta, but they were only interested in Cameras. The scanner division was scraped and rights for maintenance were sold to another 3rd party.
To my knowledge, no drivers were ever written for Vista.

I didn't upgrade my PC to Vista, but bought my wife a new computer and realised that it wouldn't work.

A few weeks ago, my motherboard died and I was forced to buy a new PC, with Vista and a free upgrade to 7.

Now, what I have discovered is that I have to buy an old PC and run XP in order to run my scanner (or throw out years of slides...etc)

goodlad

andrewk08 wrote: »

The Scanner was a Minolta. However, a few years ago, Sony bought Minolta, but they were only interested in Cameras. The scanner division was scraped and rights for maintenance were sold to another 3rd party.
To my knowledge, no drivers were ever written for Vista.

I didn't upgrade my PC to Vista, but bought my wife a new computer and realised that it wouldn't work.

A few weeks ago, my motherboard died and I was forced to buy a new PC, with Vista and a free upgrade to 7.

Now, what I have discovered is that I have to buy an old PC and run XP in order to run my scanner (or throw out years of slides...etc)

Why were you FORCED to buy a new pc because a motherboard died?

You dont need to buy a whole new pc just to get XP on the machine.

You can just get a new operating system.

kippy

andrewk08 wrote: »

The Scanner was a Minolta. However, a few years ago, Sony bought Minolta, but they were only interested in Cameras. The scanner division was scraped and rights for maintenance were sold to another 3rd party.
To my knowledge, no drivers were ever written for Vista.

I didn't upgrade my PC to Vista, but bought my wife a new computer and realised that it wouldn't work.

A few weeks ago, my motherboard died and I was forced to buy a new PC, with Vista and a free upgrade to 7.

Now, what I have discovered is that I have to buy an old PC and run XP in order to run my scanner (or throw out years of slides...etc)

Again, I will ask you,
where did you hear/read that the scanner would work with W7?
How old is the scanner?

Thomas_S_Hunterson

When you say you installed it, did you actually install the drivers?

andrewk08

I installed Windows 7 and it will not recognise the scanner.

I do intend to buy a motherboard and get the old PC up and running with XP.
Hopefully not too expensive for a dual core or something. Where's the best place for that, Maplin?

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Download and install the drivers for the scanner!

goodlad

andrewk08 wrote: »

I installed Windows 7 and it will not recognise the scanner.

I do intend to buy a motherboard and get the old PC up and running with XP.
Hopefully not too expensive for a dual core or something. Where's the best place for that, Maplin?

Just because windows 7 did not detect and install your scanner does not mean your scanner wont work....

What is the make and model number of the scanner?

The_Conductor

Use it in XP Compatability mode?

andrewk08

Yes, ran install disk before attaching scanner.
I am sure it will not work. I have written USB drivers for a memory product my company do.
The only chance would be the XP emulation mode, but I am not too hopeful. I will try that and re-post, however, I cannot try until Monday. I am also going to install the 32-bit version to give me the best chance.

kippy

andrewk08 wrote: »

Yes, ran install disk before attaching scanner.
I am sure it will not work. I have written USB drivers for a memory product my company do.
The only chance would be the XP emulation mode, but I am not too hopeful. I will try that and re-post, however, I cannot try until Monday. I am also going to install the 32-bit version to give me the best chance.

Again,
Where did you:
"I held out hearing that Windows 7 would sort it."

Ginger

Possible solutions - each seperate

1. Download and install Windows XP Mode RTM here. You will need to have virtuialisation on your chip enabled.

2. Create a new Windows XP virtual hard disk and use the VHD booting option in Windows 7 to use this. You will need a copy of Windows XP to do this.

Problems: Windows 7 driver model is similar if not the same for Windows Vista and that is completely different to XP and previous versions. And Sony havent created any new driver packs for Vista.

Now if you have a Minolta Dual scan/Scan Elite scanner, there is a possibilty to make it work using a hacked inf file. INF files specify the locations of the drivers that you can use for a specific device based on some hardware IDs. See here

After that, possibly telling us the model of scanner would be of some help

andrewk08

Ginger
Thanks for your comprehensive reply. The scanner is a
DiMAGE Scan Elite 5400

I will try Windows XP Mode, but as I said can't unitil Monday.
I did buy XP professional and still have the disk.
VHD booting, I presume that this is virtual hard disk or something. I know nothing about this but will try to find out and give it a go.

I will try this before changing the inf file.
Many Thanks
Andrew

andrewk08

Ginger
Thanks for that comprehensive reply. I will try the various solutions, but that inf file solution seems to be just what I need. I will give that a go first.

As someone on that website you posted said, otherwise I'll have a very expensive door stop!

Thanks
andrew

Ginger

Try the INF and see what happens.. hopefully it will work nicely and get you out of this annoying situation

GHOST MGG2

found this bit of info on a minolta yahoo user webgroup hope it helps.

I've been concerned about running my Minolta 5400 and my Nikon scanners under the newer PC operating systems.
I tried loading the last Minolta drivers under Windows 7 using it's compatibility mode and that didn't work.
I then downloaded from Microsoft it's release candidate of the Windows XP virtual operating system that runs under Windows 7.
The Minolta drivers and scanner utilities loaded and scanned properly. The only extra step is using a pull down menu to attach the USB scanner to the virtual XP machine.
I haven't tried Vuscan or Silverfast yet but will in the next few weeks. Also need to attach my Nikon scanner and see if it's software loads and scans correctly

andrewk08

Thanks, I will get a chance to try this again over the weekend, the INF solution that is.

I really don't like the idea of running an operating system on top of another operating system and would rather get a Win XP box going if that is the case.

In saying that, after reading the INF solution, I am hopful that this will work. I will post and let you know.
Thanks
Andrew

Capt'n Midnight

andrewk08 wrote: »

However, a few years ago, Sony bought Minolta, but they were only interested in Cameras. The scanner division was scraped and rights for maintenance were sold to another 3rd party.

SONY didn't even have XP drivers for some of their new VISTA laptops and disabled Virtuilization on others so they don't have a good record for drivers

Capt'n Midnight

goodlad wrote: »

Why were you FORCED to buy a new pc because a motherboard died?

You dont need to buy a whole new pc just to get XP on the machine.

You can just get a new operating system.

Actually if you have an OEM copy of windows then that copy of windows also dies, unless it's repaired by the manufacturer under warranty.


90% of all windows licenses are OEM and most of the 10% are corporate volume licenses, so most users will be forced to buy a new copy of XP if their motherboard dies.

Capt'n Midnight

If the scanner is a BIG multifuction device then it may well be re-badged so other drivers may work if you can find out what the engine is.

andrewk08

Ginger
Unfortunately, the INF solution didn't work, pity that.
However, the web address you gave me had a link to software, another program that worked with my scanner. Not sure if i will leave it at that and accept that my old software won't work, but for now I have a solution (the software isn't very good) and thanks for that.