At our local Air Cadet Squadron, where I am an instructor, we have several computers. Most are very new but the main one we use is getting on a bit. It runs XP Home, but is so old that DDR2 ram won't fit. Recently we tried to change our old all in one printer for a separate printer and scanner. The printer worked fine (it was connected via a parallel cable). We couldn't get a USB scanner to work though, no matter what we tried. We tried two different scanners, different USB cables and ports, and even brought in a USB all in one printer/scanner. With the individual scanners the software loaded without a problem, but the computer just wouldn't recognise the scanner. With the all in one we loaded the software, but when we came to plug in the printer/scanner (part way through loading the software, as advised by on screen messages) the programme just stopped . It wouldn't continue to load the rest of the software. Any suggestions? Apart from buying a new computer, which we can't afford. Neither can we swap it for one of the newer units we have. They were bought with a Lottery Grant for an express use and cannot be moved from their locations.

I'm working from memory a bit here because I don't have XP anymore.

Firstly, do you have a program on the computer that you can try scanning a document or photo into? Such a program will have in the File Menu 'Select (Twain) Source' and 'Acquire Image'. If you have a program like this, see if the scanner is listed as a 'Source', select it and then use 'Acquire Image'. This is just to check the scanner really isn't working and all it needs a program to work with.

Perhaps try a different approach if the above hasn't proved to be the case: Do you see the printer/scanner listed in Device Manager with a yellow exclamation mark next to it? If so, right-click on it and find the 'Update Driver' option. Put the scanner/printer installation disk into the drive and close it down when it starts. Click on the 'Update Driver' option in Device Manager and at some point you'll be able to say that you 'Have Disk'. Select that and browse to the installation disk in the CD/DVD drive and press OK. See if that does the trick.

If not, it might be worth trying the above again after doing a System Restore to a time before you tried to install anything new.

TW, when the software was loaded a shortcut came up on the desktop. The scanner I used was my own, an Epson. The CD automatically loaded the TWAIN software. When I plugged in the scanner and clicked on the shortcut to scan I got a message saying 'the device is not ready or in use by another program'. None of the units showed up in the Device Manager. Also, when I plugged the USB cable in, the New Hardware Wizard said it couldn't detect the software, despite it being on the hard drive and the shortcut being on the desktop. Plus, when asked for the location of the software it didn't scan the CD drive to look for it. As for the all in one device, we started to load the software and it gets to a point where it tells you to plug in the USB cable and switch the device on and wait for the loading to continue. It then stays like that forever. Last time we left it for 45 minutes and nothing happened. I'm thinking it is pointing to a serious problem with the USB and it's time we got a new system. I can always try PC World for a charitable donation

In the interests of exploring all avenues, how about doing the mentioned System Restore and trying the all-in-one straight away? I know that failed installations can sometimes cause problems when trying to install a similar product, or even trying again with the same product.

Been there, done that. Nothing seems to work.

I can only think of one more thing to try. Did the computer come with a Recovery Disk? If so, then maybe back up created files and use it. Or, if it came with a full installation disk, perhaps install a free disk imaging program, make a disk image on a USB hard drive (if you have one) and make a start-up CD according to the disk imaging program's instructions.

Then format and reinstall Windows enough to test the printer/scanner installation on a new system. If it works, carry on rebuilding the system. If it doesn't, put the old system back on by using the start-up disk to access the disk image on the USB drive.

A lot of trouble that might do no good of course but you could then be certain that it is a hardware fault as you suspect.

For the latter method, I think you'd need to check that the motherboard has USB Legacy Support and that it is enabled.

The problem is, as with many systems of this age, the original discs have got lost. No one even knows where the Windows disc is. I think we need to bite the bullet and try and get the base unit replaced. I've been it touch with PC World to see if they would make a charitable donation of a base unit. Thanks for the help though. It was good to see we had tried everything we could.

Did you go to the Scanner Mfr site and download the driver rather than using a (what may be) corrupted disc?

There is an organisation called Freegle or Freecycle, depending on your area. It might be worth looking for them. It's to recycle goods which are no longer needed and my local one often has refurbished computers on offer.

mehaul, yes we downloaded the most up to date driers.

rossian, we have a freecycle here, but it's still new and not much gets offered yet.