[filmscanners] Re: SS4000--need help troubleshooting

["Cliff Ober" <cdober@ev1.net>]

Stan,

I too use the SS4k with Win2k; I used to use it under Win98SE. Under W98, I
could fire up the scanner at any time, tell the OS to rescan hardware to
find it, and then proceed to use the scanner with any scanner application.
Since Win2k has been installed, I never know whether I must have the
scanner powered up prior to Win boot. Sometimes a rescan of hardware
devices (without reboot) will detect the film scanner; sometimes it will
not be seen correctly by the OS. To further complicate things, sometimes
the hardware rescan will allow Vuescan and Polaroid Insight to correctly
see the SS4k, while Silverfast will not detect it's there. One way around
this last scenario is to bring up Insight, let it see the scanner, and then
shut it down and try Silverfast. Silverfast will then usually detect the
scanner.

There's something really strange about the way Win2k handles devices that
show up after boot; you just have to let it have it's way. I can't say much
about the different delays you're experiencing, since my entire system is
SCSI based, with three controllers and a number of different drive types
and scanners (Hard drives, CD-R, CD-RW, multiple scanners, Zip Drive). Some
delays are inherent in startup of a system like this, and they may or may
not be similar to what you're seeing. I doubt very much that your opening
(and subsequent repair) of the scanner has anything to do with the current
recognition issues.

On a side note, did your SS4k appear to have a fixed or hinged mirror
assembly? Someone else here had described cleaning out the SS4k and
mentioned a moving mirror. I did a fairly complete tear-down and cleaning
of my unit a while back and found a fixed mirror. The film carrier unit
handles all the movement with no need to move the mirror. I was pretty
confused, and he never did reply back to my inquiry.

Cliff Ober



At 11:51 AM 02/09/2003 Sunday, you wrote:
>I took my SS4000 apart a while back to blow dust off the mirror. In the
>process, I broke loose one of the wires to the upper microswitch on the
>inside of the front door. I was able to solder it back on and the scanner
>seemed to work OK.
>
>I just tried to do some scans today after a several week hiatus. Here are
>the problems. I have a Dell 930 Pentium III with a SIIG SCSI board. The
>scanner is the only external device. I have an internal JAZZ drive that
>works fine. OS is Win2000.
>
>1. With the scanner turned off, the computer starts fine and seems to run
>OK. A SCSI Bus scan shows no device on SCSI ID#4, the ID set on the back of
>the SS4000.
>
>2. If I turn the scanner on before booting, the computer will delay several
>minutes as the SCSI ROM is being loaded right after the Video card ROM
>appears just after bootup. It will continue to load but when the low-res
>"Windows is starting up..." red/white/blue screen starts, the progress bar
>freezes about 2/3 the way through.  If I shut down the ss4000 at that point,
>Windows will continue to load almost immediately.
>
>3. One nice thing about the SS4000 has been that you can turn it on anytime
>the computer is up and running and start scanning without having to reboot.
>When I boot the computer now with the SS4000 off, and then later turn it on,
>the computer experiences periodic freezes for a few second.
>
>4. I tried to reinstall the ss4000 firmware after booting with the scanner
>off and turning it on post-boot. The SS4000 firmware program reports it
>can't find the device.
>
>5. I have an HP 4C SCSI scanner that is running fine. They are not strung
>together; I simply move the SCSI cable between these two devices. I presume
>the SCSI cable is OK because the HP operates normally.
>
>6. I just reopened the SS4000 and all the connectors are seated properly and
>the soldered wire is still holding fast.
>
>Any ideas or suggestions? Time to send the SS4000 in for repair? If the
>repair is really a minimum of $400, perhaps I would be better off purchasing
>a different scanner. This one was made in April 1999.
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>Stan Schwartz

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