Here's an email that I've just sent off to Ed Hamrick, the author of VueScan (and a print enhancement program called VuePrint. Buy one and you get the other one free).
His home page is at: http://http://www.hamrick.com/
I'd like to think the email is self explanatory.
As you can see, I'm rather grateful to Ed.
I'll update this FAQ as I find out from other users who else has got Ed to thank for being able to use a valued scanner under Win2K and XP.
Bob C
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A Thanksgiving thank you from the UK.
A little late, I know, but I didn't know I had to send it to you until an hour ago.
I just wanted to drop you a note to say thank you HUGELY for V7.2.9 of VueScan!!!
Nikon appears to have abandoned users of the LS-20 and the only way that I'd been able to use my LS-20 was to have my Windows XP PC set up for dual-boot (between XP and 98SE), and to boot into 98SE.
In truth, I don't do a huge amount of film scanning and, anyway, having to boot into 98SE is no big deal.
It's just that XP is better in almost every way, and having to go into 98SE has now become a bit of a chore.
I'd pretty much abandoned hope a few months ago of using the Nikon under Win2K, never mind XP, but tonight, I remembered that a former columnist for our magazine - Dr Alan Solomon - had recommended the software (in the mag, and to me personally), and that I had a licensed copy.
I downloaded the latest version, followed the instructions on your site about XP and, BINGO, I'm scanning with the Nikon again, even though the scanner is NOT properly recognised within Windows XP's Device Manager!! Amazing.
I don't know how many other people are going to be caught out the way I was but, frankly, I doubt whether very many of them will realise that they can dual-boot a PC, so they will find themselves in the positon of having to buy a new scanner (yes, XP will have advised them there was a problem beforehand, but, hey, people aren't sensible, are they?).
I can see your software saving a lot of people a lot of money - given that an equivalent replacement for an LS-20 is not cheap. Yet, at US$40, VueScan most certainly is!
And, of course, I suspect that users of the LS-20 aren't going to be the only people to find that your software rescues them, at least judging by your scanner compatibility list at: http://www.hamrick.com/vuescan/vuescan.htm#supported
Again, very many thanks.
Regards
Bob
Bob Crabtree
(editor)
Computer Video magazine
Self-help messageboards: www.dvdoctor.net
Web site: http://www.computervideo.net
Hi Bob
Don't know if you saw this thread but you might like to take a look if not.
http://www.dvdoctor.net/cgi-bin/ubb/Forum14/HTML/000107.html
Cheers
John
One point to add, but it's relevant only to SCSI scanners:
I had an email exchange with Ed Hamrick, the author of the software I used, in which he explained to me that if I installed the correct ASPI stuff (which I had done already to get his VueScan software running), my Nikon SCSI software would also work even though the scanner is NOT recognised by XP.
And, he was right!
So, I've got a scanner which Windows XP's Device Manager says it doesn't recognise but which, to all intents and purposes, is still working as it should do! It's magic, I tell you.
Details are in the section here about Windows SCSI scanners: http://www.hamrick.com/vuescan/vuescan.htm
Bob C
I have a Astra 1220S, which I thought was dead, since the scsi card is no longer being seen after I upgraded to XP. Just bought a usb replacement from agfa which works fine.
I was thinking of bining the offending device (cant afford the time to experiment - since I have no machine with anything other than XP), but it sounds like I may now have a fully woking (and boxed!) device for sale now!
Can you describe what problems you were getting under XP? Was it a case that the device was seen - but didnt work - or that there was no working driver, and therefore nothing shown in system devices? (My card wasnt even picked up for PnP).
cheers
Les
[This message has been edited by lesreeves (edited 09 December 2001).]
Unfortunately, I have a Mustek Scanexpress 12000SP SCSI which is not supported by Hamrick and does not work under XP.
Looks like a "bin" for me and I'll buy a new USB scanner - any recommendations?
Thanks, Alan Wells
I was given a Minolta Scan Dual SCSI scanner with software that would not work with Windows XP. Vuescan came up trumps though. Now getting excellent results for an old film scanner. 
John