Epson 4490 transparency head

[rmolson]

Epson 4490
My Epson 4490 died mid scan of film. opening it up I find the following

Transparency array unit lights up and moves approximately one inch on start up(powered on) and returns to docking position and error message comes on saying program can not start. Uninstall and reinstall has no effect. Same condition exists on two different computers, one running XP the other Windows 8.1.Belt intact and motor starts to drive the array and then cycles back to rest position.
Have ordered a new Canoscan 9000. But in the mean time the epson bugs me, any ideas

 

[Doug Fisher]

I would call Epson support and they can walk you through a checklist to help troubleshoot. It might be a waste of time or it might result in a fix.

Doug

 

[rmolson]

scanner repair

On the theory I had nothing to lose, I already had a replacement set up and running. I took the scanning top lid off and opened it up, The belt was fine and everything looked normal. Hooked it up to my lap top and tried to get it to work, no dice, So today I put it back together and just for the heck of it hooked it up and tried it again. Bloody H--- ! it works fine, scanned a negative even. Apparently the recording head came off the track somehow and I put it back on when I reassembled it. Now I have two of them and only use one at a time. I solved the problem of lost small tools long ago by always buying two. That way one was never lost. I wonder if having two scanners means neither will ever break down?