Vista - Cannot install Epson Perfection 1660 scanner on Vista

I have downloaded Epson's Vista driver for my Epson 1660 scanner and carefully followed the instructions to install it. When I plug my scanner in, the Vista wizard offers to look for drivers but responds as follows:

"Windows found driver software for your device but encountered an error while
attempting to install it:

Epson Perfection1660

The system cannot find the file specified"

An earlier thread suggested copying usbscansys to WINDOWS\inf; I managed to do
this, but it made no difference.

I've also examined the setupapi.dev.log file in the same folder, which includes the
lines:

!!! ndv: Driver Package import failed for new device...installing NULL driver.
!!! ndv: Error 2: The system cannot find the file specified.

but unfortunately no clue as to what this file might be.

All this is particularly frustrating as some days ago when I first installed it
everything worked perfectly - so I know it's possible!

Any help much appreciated ...

Hey MC

You can try getting the driver from epson in zip format and unzip to a folder then install by going to dev manager and click on upgrade driver>have disk>point to folder

Ken

Thanks for your response.

I tried to do this, but Vista responds:

"Windows was unable to install your EPSON Scanner

Windows could not find driver software for your device"

The instructions from Epson are to run setup.exe in the unzipped folder
which, I guess, is a program to install the driver which must be hidden
inside one of the .cab files.

Mike

setup cant be in a cab file. what options do you have in terms of the various formats the driver comes in? If no setup is there an inf file?

Ken

Ken,

First apologies for not responding for so long - my ISP has just downloaded a
dozen messages that it thoughtfully delayed for a week for no apparent reason, and notification of your reply was amongst them.

The Vista driver supplied by Epson from:

Epson Perfection 1660 Photo, Drivers & Downloads - Technical Support - Epson America, Inc.

This is what they say:

[-]TWAIN 5 Driver v5.71A
Windows Vista 32-bit Edition
epson12242.exe - 6.9MB - posted on 03/23/07


This self-extracting file contains the Epson TWAIN 5 Driver v5.71A for Windows Vista 32-bit Edition. This file extracts to your hard drive and is placed in C:\EPSON\epson12242_twain5_driver_571a.

1. Installation instructions:
2. Double-click the downloaded file.
3. Click "Continue" in the "User Account Control" dialog box.
4. Click "Install this driver software anyway" in the "Windows Security" dialog box.
5. Click "Locate and install driver software (recommended)" in the "Found New Hardware" dialog box.

Notes: A TWAIN compliant Windows Vista 32-bit supported scanning application is required.
The buttons on the scanner and the HELP functionality in this driver are not supported in Windows Vista.

As far as I can tell, running the downloaded file does indeed uzip it to C:\EPSON\epson12242_twain5_driver_571a and then (I'm guessing now) runs the file setup.exe inside that folder. This is a list of all the files in the unzipped folder:

Setup.dll, data1.cab, data1.hdr, data2.cab, ISSetup.dll, layout.bin, setup.exe, setup.ini, setup.inx

Since my earlier post, I have managed to get the scanner working by restoring an earlier version of Vista - I have been taking regular backups as I build my new system, and thought this worth a try. So I guess there isn't anything obviously wrong with Epson's supplied Vista driver.

I'm still interested to know what the problem was, though, as I feel it's only a matter of time before it happens again :-)

Mike