XP with Umax 1220U scanner.

[#1]

Hi Folks!
I have tried to use my scanner which was fully OK on Win98SE. After reinstalling in XP  it is recognized by the system and will work with Pesto Page Manager (poorly) but YistaScan 3.1 always gives an error message "Link fails". I have Googled until my head spins (?) but cannot find a work-round or update that works. Many of the correspondents to Forums seem to have suffered something similar but no advice has been forthcoming. Many were upset by Umax starting to charge for updates but they still did not seem to deal with this problem. I know that this old kit but it is a pity to junk it for the sake of a small hiccup. I particularly like the Copy function and the ability to switch off the lamp when not in use. Both of these are available in VistaScan.if it would now work.
Have any of you got ideas?
C.

[#2]

Try running the program in "Compatability Mode" for Window 98 / Windows ME. Might work. 

[#3]

Tried that but it still lead to the "Scanner link failed" error. I seem to remember that specific USB drivers had to installed into Win98SE to get things working (a long time ago!). Can these  be found and if so where do I put them into XP if that would help. It does look as though the inner interstices of XP are not as accessible as Win 95-98SE, unless I am missing something. The rest of VistaScan 3.1 are quite happy as installed but the program just does not "see" the scanner, despite the scanner being visible to XP and some other programs as well. Surely USB has not changed that much since then apart from getting quicker.
C. 

[#4]

Can't be of much further use on this one.  
Just a thought - have you tried Umax Technical Support at http://www.umax.com/support/index.jsp. You probably have but just in case.  
Also just found this link http://download.cnet.com/UMAX-Astra-1220U/3000-2014_4-71583.html

[#5]

Yes to the first, they indicate that it just will not work with XP. cnet looked very promising but when I tried to download exactly what I wanted it told me that it was available from M$ but they say they cannot find it!! As side-issue it was suggested that I should use IE8 to download  (XP remember) which stoutly refused to instal ( I use Firefox by choice). I suppose that as VistaScan is over 10 years old there might be an insuperable problem but cnet do not suggest that there is.

[#6]

As is common for hardware that predates the operating system, Windows XP includes some basic drivers for that scanner.
If you use the Wayback Machine to look at the British / German Umax website there used to be a download of VistaScan 3.55U and/or some patch, but unfortunately archive.org doesn't have copies of those files, and umax.co.uk / umax.de are now domain squatter rubbish. But you could try searching the internet for the filenames.
The only thing that looked useful on the umax.com support pages was this page which has a link to [ftp=ftp://techville.com/htmls/Flipping%20the%20USB%20Driver%20in%20XP%20%282%29.htm]instructions[/ftp] on how to manually change the driver in device manager to the (unsigned) umax one instead of the one that comes with Windows.

[#7]

Hi ejs,
Wayback not helpful as you say, umax.com only lists scanners much later than mine without suggesting a suitable one to use. I guess that M$ will only have a bare bones one but even they do not seem to be of help. I have tried the internet via Google, as my first post indicates, but will persist. It is strange that cnet indicate that there is no problem yet following their trail one ends up in dead-ends. It is all very sad when "progress" seems to make perfectly good kit obsolete as a matter of course. I suppose that Bill G has been doing that for ever!!
I only wish that I had the skill to delve into the software and do a bit of corrective engineering. The program itself has everything in place except the ability to "see" the scanner which suggests that there is some misalignment in an address or something like that. The built-in XP program sort of works but not really useable.
I might even resort to installing Win98SE into a spare HD just to get what I want (yes the disk s legal, but the number of updates missing will not help).
   

[#8]

CNET just has a pointless link to the microsoft update website.
The wayback machine tells you the filenames you're looking for, VS355uV.zip and 2xxxupdater.exe. A google search for VS355uV.zip finds a copy of it here: http://informatique.med.univ-tours.fr/public/pilotes/pilotes_scanner/Umax_2200_Usb/. After installing it you might need to use [ftp=ftp://techville.com/htmls/Flipping%20the%20USB%20Driver%20in%20XP%20%282%29.htm]device manager[/ftp] to force the umax driver to be used.