Canon scanner problem -- help?

Cheryl Jacobs · May 20, 2009

Hello, all -

I realize this is an analog site, but we all rely on scanners to share our images here, so I'm hoping it's OK to post this for some help. If not, please let me know and/or delete.

I have a Canon 8400F that has suddenly, for no apparent reason, decided not to allow me to scan negatives. By that I mean that the neg scan option is no longer listed in the drop down menu -- only platen is listed. No matter how I go about it, it will not allow me to scan a neg. I've tried restarting everything, and I've even uninstalled and reinstalled the software. Any ideas before I drop kick this thing through the window?

- CJ

aparat · May 20, 2009

I am not familiar with this particular software, but typically settings are kept in a separate file. You can try to locate the settings file and delete it while the scanner is off. Then restart the scanner and software and see if the problem persists. Note that this is likely to reset all your settings, but you should be able to reconstruct them easily once the negative option is back in the drop-down menu. I would guess this sounds like a software rather than hardware problem.

Jon Shiu · May 20, 2009

Hi, make sure the cable from the top to the bottom part is plugged in well

Jon

removed account4 · May 20, 2009

hi carol

try unplugging the scanner from the wall, and from your computer.
restart your computer, and after 15 mins plug your scanner back in &C.
look for the preference files for your scanner software and delete them,
and restart your scanner software ...
you can also try to use the free version of vuescan to see if it is your driver
if the reboot didn't work. vuescan works very well ...

john

Cheryl Jacobs · May 20, 2009

jnanian said:
hi carol

try unplugging the scanner from the wall, and from your computer.
restart your computer, and after 15 mins plug your scanner back in &C.
look for the preference files for your scanner software and delete them,
and restart your scanner software ...
you can also try to use the free version of vuescan to see if it is your driver
if the reboot didn't work. vuescan works very well ...

john

Thanks, Jim. I tried vuescan, but it also sees this scanner as platen only. No option to scan a neg at all. I tried unplugging and resetting the scanner -- still nothing. Not very happen, as I really can't afford a new scanner right now.

winger · May 20, 2009

My Epson did this to me recently and I thought for awhile it was the bulb. I fiddled with the cords and replugged it all in and it worked - I think the cord between the base and the top had come just very slightly loose. If yours has a bulb in the lid just for negs, it might have blown, too. Mine isn't user-serviceable; maybe you're more lucky.

Vonder · May 20, 2009

FWIW, I think Canon has gone downhill in QA recently. I have their 8800F scanner and it puts odd, random streaks on film scans -UNLESS I prop the lid up about 1/2 inch. Odd, but it works. I recently bought a Canon SX200 digicam and less than a month later it was off to Canon for repair.

On the other hand, my multiple Canon FD, EOS, and DSLR bodies all work just fine. Maybe their newer stuff is slipping thru the QA cracks.

bdial · May 20, 2009

PC or Mac?
If it's a PC those settings might be in the registry, which is best edited by someone who knows their way around there.
For a Mac, a preferences file should be under the "Library...Preferences" folders. Beware though, I deleted my preferences file for ScanFast, which was a solution their website recommended for a problem I had, and it has never worked correctly since. Though you have little to lose.

You could try uninstalling, then deleting any references in the Registry or preferences, then re-installing. But if that doesn't resolve it, it's probably a hardware fault.

removed account4 · May 20, 2009

Cheryl Jacobs said:
Thanks, Jim. I tried vuescan, but it also sees this scanner as platen only. No option to scan a neg at all. I tried unplugging and resetting the scanner -- still nothing. Not very happen, as I really can't afford a new scanner right now.

hey, when did you change your name from carol to cheryl !

sorry to sound like someone goofy, but
my epson had trouble like this when i made my own
negative holders for 5x7 sheets, and i neglected to cut "a notch"
in the top of the holder, so the lid didn't see the signal to light up.
this also happens when i put the film holders in upside down
since the bottom is then notched and not the top ...

so my goofy question is, have you got your negative holder seated
bottom side down, right side up ? i know from my own "user error"
it is easy to oversee this. it is just as easy as not calling someone
by the right name

sorry for your troubles carol and cheryl,

yours

jim ( and john )

Stan160 · May 21, 2009

I have the same scanner, and encountered the same problem. In my case, it was the small cable that connects the lid to the base. It looked like it was plugged in, but had worked loose just enough to break contact. Pushing the connector fully in and restarting the software fixed it.

Ian

gr82bart · May 21, 2009

winger said:
My Epson did this to me recently and I thought for awhile it was the bulb. I fiddled with the cords and replugged it all in and it worked - I think the cord between the base and the top had come just very slightly loose. If yours has a bulb in the lid just for negs, it might have blown, too. Mine isn't user-serviceable; maybe you're more lucky.

Ditto what Bethe said. Check the cable that goes to the top/lid of the scanner. That happened to me as well. It drove me bonkers for days before I decided to check the cable and push it in/tight again - it came loose but appeared to be in place.

Regards, Art.

Cheryl Jacobs · May 26, 2009

Thanks! Yup, you were right. There was a problem with the cable to the top of the scanner. Reseated it, and all is well, thank God. I'm back in business.

Thanks, again!

- CJ

Canon scanner problem -- help?

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