SOLVED Epson Perfection 4000 Photo Scanner

[Cliff43J]

The last Windows 10 update deleted my Epson Perfection 4000 Photo scanner driver. AAARGH!!! As luck would have it, Epson also stopped supporting this model. I cannot restore the previous version of Windows 10. Is there anyway to get a driver for my Perfection 4000 Photo, or am I doomed to buy another scanner? I really hate to have to buy a new one as the P4000P has performed flawlessly for me. It's like losing an old friend who still has a lot of life left in him... Then to add insult to injury, I am retired and the current Epson scanner that I can afford, the V600, has been on the market for some 10 years and is not near the quality, IMO. How much longer will Epson support it???

 

[Grizzly]

Epson lists only these:

is yours one of them??

 

[Cliff43J]

Thank you. You just confirmed what I stated as my problem. My Epson Perfection 4000 Photo is not among the scanners supported anymore by Epson. :-( What irritates me is that MS' most recent upgrade deleted my driver, forcing me to buy a new scanner. I could not restore the older version - older by only a couple of weeks too. Is there collusion between Epson and MS??? Sure smells like it to me...

 

[BigFeet]

If it's only scan function you're looking for, there's a free ware program called NAPS (Not Another PDF Scanner). It performs rather well as a scanning program, and I don't believe you need the proprietary driver to use it. I use it as a replacement for my Epson XP-310 printer/scanner after the Epson software started acting wonky after a Windows update quite a while ago. Can't hurt to give it a try. https://www.naps2.com

 

[Grizzly]

Have you tried to reinstall the driver in Compatibility mode??
Have you contacted Epson already? They may be able to help you..
BTW: how old is that scanner??
I could not even find a driver in the Windows catalog....

At least I still can use my Canoscan with Win10.

 

[Cliff43J]

OK, but not really - I went into Settings > Apps and found Epson Scan with the update 1/25/19. The Epson icon has a red arrow at the bottom of it pointing at the monitor. Apparently, this is the only icon with the red arrow. Some sort of cryptic message? I tried to point on the icon and drag it onto my screen, but that did not work. Any ideas as to what is happening? Other than Windows 10 has relegated my Epson driver to oblivion?

 

[Cliff43J]

Bigfeet, thanks for the link! I may try this later on today if I cannot get any satisfaction from Epson or MS. Damn! How I dislike forced obsolescence when the hardware was working just fine.

 

[Bighorn]

Time for my soapbox oration. It may seem like "forced obsolescence" but in reality it is largely about the money. When a product has been discontinued and no longer being sold there is no money coming in to pay the programmers to update the software for those devices. The frequent updates by WaaS [Windows as a Service] doesn't help as the device drivers come from the device makers/vendors. Also driving some of the problems is demand for the latest/greatest/fastest/better hardware possible [think Gamers]. I have a nice Epson V30 scanner but don't know how much longer I'll be able to use it. Also take into consideration inkjet printers, getting to be cheaper to buy a new one with ink included than to buy replacement ink cartridges for one that may be only 2 or 3 years older with the bonus of a new device warranty.

 

[Cliff43J]

Bighorn, no soapbox. You hit the nail squarely on its head. It just galls me to think that I've got to lay out over $850 to get a comparable scanner. I just may bite the bullet and settle for an Epson 600, but then that has been around for over 10 years. How much longer is Epson going to support that model??? I see some nice 4490s available, NIB for $135, but then that is about as old a model as the 600, over 10 years old...there are no new flatbed models out there that I can see in the Epson lineup. Who wants to buy something that Epson may obsolete in a few years??? What else is there that is comparable? In researching my problem, it does go back to Epson. They are not updating the Perfection 4000 Photo drivers for MS to include in their updates...AAARGH!!!

 

[Cliff43J]

OMG, I messed up. Got the wrong model number, 4990 actually (getting old and was too tired); however, I contacted Epson, downloaded the updated driver and found that there was a glitch on my computer caused by the last MS Windows 10 upgrade. According to the technician, I was not the only person affected. All is well now. Thanks for the help. FWIW, Epson Help was not the easiest to contact as it took several transfers, and time on the phone, before I got the right person. On the plus side, the technician was wonderful!

 

[Grizzly]

Glad you got the issue resolved. Here one more time the correct download:

Epson Perfection 4990 Photo | Support | Epson US

epson.com

I would bookmark that one, might come in handy...