15 Problems That Your Plague Your PC
And How to Solve Them


--by Karen Kenworthy, Contributing Editor, Fred Langa, Senior 
Consulting Editor, John Woram, Consulting Editor, Serdar 
Yegulalp, Technology Editor


** Problem No 3: My SCSI scanner won't scan. **

Solution:
Your host adapter configuration may be at fault. Turn the PC 
and scanner power off and all other external devices on. 
Physically remove the scanner from the external chain of SCSI 
devices and make sure the last remaining device is properly 
terminated. If the scanner is the only external SCSI device, 
connect a terminating plug to the external SCSI connector.

Now reboot and make a note of the displayed SCSI ID numbers for 
whatever devices are still installed, and make sure all such 
devices-internal and external-are listed. Turn off the PC again 
and reconnect the scanner at the end of the external SCSI 
chain. Make sure the scanner is properly terminated, and if 
some other device in the chain was terminated previously, 
remove that termination. Be sure the scanner's SCSI ID number 
doesn't conflict with any number already in use, and don't use 
SCSI ID 7 (this is reserved for the internal SCSI host adapter).

Turn the scanner on, reboot and watch for a message to press 
Ctrl+A (or some other combination) to launch the host adapter 
configuration utility. Look for a SCSI Device Configuration 
option, select it and find the column that begins with the SCSI 
ID number assigned to the scanner. Change the Maximum Sync 
Transfer Rate to the lowest available number. While you're at 
it, change any options labeled Yes or Enabled to No or 
Disabled. Save all changes, exit the utility, press any key to 
reboot and again watch the opening messages, which should now 
include the correct SCSI ID number for the scanner.

If Windows detects the scanner, it may prompt you for a 
vendor-supplied driver. If so, follow the vendor's directions 
for installing the software, reboot when prompted to do so, and 
when Windows restarts, go to Device Manager. The scanner should 
now appear in the list of devices under the Computer icon. 
Highlight it, click Properties and make sure no problems are 
listed. Exit Control Panel and run whatever diagnostic 
utilities came with the scanner.


 1998 Windows Magazine, April 1999, Page 112.