EPSON

Scanning Software Problems

Note:
Periodically, it’s a good idea to check Epson’s support website for free updates to your Epson Perfection V500 Photo software (U.S. downloads or Canadian downloads). With Windows, you can also select or Start > All Programs or Programs > EPSON Scan > Perfection V500 Photo Scanner Driver Update.
Some Epson Scan settings may be unavailable or grayed out based on the currently selected settings or the currently installed optional accessories.

You Cannot Start Epson Scan

Make sure the scanner is turned on.
Turn off your computer and scanner, then check the USB cable connection between them to make sure it is secure.
The scanner may not work properly when your computer is in standby mode (Windows) or sleep mode (Mac OS X). Restart Epson Scan and try scanning again.
The scanner may not work properly if you upgrade your operating system but do not reinstall Epson Scan. See Uninstalling Your Scanning Software for instructions on uninstalling Epson Scan. Reinstall Epson Scan by following the instructions in your Start Here sheet.
Make sure that Epson Scan is selected in your scanning program. See Starting a Scan With Another Scanning Program for documents and photos or Starting a Scan With Another Scanning Program for film and slides.
In the Windows Device Manager, make sure your scanner’s name appears under Imaging devices without a question (?) or an exclamation (!) mark, or a red X. If the scanner appears with one of these marks or as an Unknown device, uninstall Epson Scan as described in Uninstalling Epson Scan. Then reinstall it by following the instructions in your Start Here sheet.

The Scanner Software Does Not Work Properly

Make sure your computer has enough memory and meets the other system requirements for the software you are using. See your software and computer documentation for details.
With Windows, check whether your scanner appears more than once in the Scanners and Cameras utility. Do one of the following:

Windows Vista:
Click > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Scanners and Cameras, or click > Control Panel and double-click the Scanners and Cameras icon. Then delete your scanner’s icon and uninstall and reinstall Epson Scan. See Uninstalling Your Scanning Software for instructions on uninstalling Epson Scan. Reinstall Epson Scan by following the instructions in your Start Here sheet.

Windows XP:
Click Start > Control Panel > Printers and Other Hardware > Scanners and Cameras, or click Start > Control Panel and double-click the Scanners and Cameras icon. Then delete your scanner’s icon and uninstall and reinstall Epson Scan. See Uninstalling Your Scanning Software for instructions on uninstalling Epson Scan. Reinstall Epson Scan by following the instructions in your Start Here sheet.

Windows 2000:
Click Start > Settings > Control Panel, double-click the Scanners and Cameras icon, and delete your scanner from the list of installed devices. Then uninstall and reinstall Epson Scan. See Uninstalling Your Scanning Software for instructions on uninstalling Epson Scan. Reinstall Epson Scan by following the instructions in your Start Here sheet.
The scanner may not work properly if Epson Scan is open and your computer goes into standby mode (Windows) or sleep mode (Mac OS X). Restart Epson Scan and try scanning again.
The scanner may not work properly if you upgrade your operating system but do not reinstall Epson Scan. See Uninstalling Your Scanning Software for instructions on uninstalling Epson Scan. Reinstall Epson Scan by following the instructions in your Start Here sheet.

You Cannot Scan in Full Auto Mode

Epson Scan may not be able to detect certain types of images, or may crop or group the images unexpectedly. This may happen if you scan the following items:
Images with a dark background
Images with a very bright background
Color negative film with extremely light or dark base color (background)
Note:
In Full Auto Mode, you can scan only 35mm color negative film strips or color positive slides. To scan other types of film, use Home or Professional Mode.
Panorama and regular size images being scanned at the same time
Try one or more of the following solutions.
For documents or photos:
Make sure the documents or photos are placed on the scanner’s document table correctly. See Placing Documents or Photos for instructions.
Try scanning in Home or Professional Mode instead. To change the scan mode, see Changing the Scan Mode.
For film or slides:
Make sure the film or slides are placed in the film holder correctly and the film holder is properly positioned on the document table. See Placing Film or Slides for instructions.
Make sure the white stickers on the back of the film holder and the areas around them are not scratched, dusty, or covered in any way. If the areas are obscured, the scanner may have trouble recognizing your film or slides. If the problem persists, try scanning in Home or Professional Mode. To change the scan mode, see Changing the Scan Mode.
Make sure the document mat is removed when you scan film or slides. See Removing the Document Mat.
Try scanning in Home or Professional Mode instead. To change the scan mode, see Changing the Scan Mode.

You Cannot Scan Using the Thumbnail Preview

Epson Scan may not be able to detect certain types of images, or may crop or group the images unexpectedly. This may happen if you scan the following items:
Images with a dark background
Images with a very bright background
Color negative film with extremely light or dark base color (background)
Panorama and regular size images being scanned at the same time
Try one or more of the following solutions.
For documents or photos:
Make sure the documents or photos are placed on the scanner’s document table correctly. See Placing Documents or Photos for instructions.
Use normal preview (if available) and create marquees on the areas you want to scan. See Previewing and Adjusting the Scan Area for instructions.
For film or slides:
Make sure the film or slides are placed in the film holder correctly and the film holder is properly positioned on the document table. See Placing Film or Slides for instructions.
In the Configuration window, adjust the thumbnail cropping area using the Thumbnail Cropping Area slider. See Epson Scan Help for details.
Make sure the document mat is removed when you scan film or slides. See Removing the Document Mat for instructions.
Make sure the Document Type setting (Home Mode) or Document Type and Film Type settings (Professional Mode) are set correctly for your film/slide type. See Selecting Basic Settings for instructions.
Use normal preview (if available) and create marquees on the areas you want to scan. See Previewing and Adjusting the Scan Area for instructions.

Scanning Takes a Long Time

If you are scanning film or slides, or using the scanner’s Digital ICE Technology feature, scanning takes longer than usual.
Computers with USB 2.0 (high speed) ports can transfer data faster than those with USB 1.1 ports. Therefore, the scanning time may be shorter if you use a computer with a USB 2.0 port. If you are using a USB 2.0 port with your scanner, make sure it meets the system requirements. See System Requirements for details.
Try scanning your original at a lower Resolution setting to speed up scanning. See Selecting the Scan Resolution for documents and photos, or Selecting the Scan Resolution for film and slides.

Images Are Rotated Incorrectly

Try one or more of the following solutions.
For documents or photos:
Make sure the documents or photos are placed on the scanner’s document table correctly. See Placing Documents or Photos for instructions.
Try disabling or enabling the Auto Photo Orientation setting. To access this setting, click Customize if you’re scanning in Full Auto Mode or Configuration if you’re scanning in Home or Professional Mode.
Note:
The Auto Photo Orientation feature will not work when you scan newspaper or magazine pages, documents, illustrations, or line art. The feature will also not work when you scan images that are 2 inches (5.1 cm) or smaller on any side.
The Auto Photo Orientation feature may not work correctly for all image types. For example, it works best on outdoor images that include a bright sky at the top. For images of people, it works best when they are facing forward and are not too far away.
If you’re scanning using Thumbnail previews (Home or Professional Mode only), select the image and click the  rotation icon to rotate it. See Previewing and Adjusting the Scan Area for instructions.
For film or slides:
Make sure the film or slides are placed in the film holder correctly and the film holder is properly positioned on the document table. See Placing Film or Slides for instructions.
Try disabling or enabling the Auto Photo Orientation setting. To access this setting, click Customize if you’re scanning in Full Auto Mode or Configuration if you’re scanning in Home or Professional Mode.
Note:
The Auto Photo Orientation feature will not work when you scan newspaper or magazine pages, documents, illustrations, or line art. The feature will also not work when you scan images that are 2 inches (5.1 cm) or smaller on any side.
The Auto Photo Orientation feature may not work correctly for all image types. For example, it works best on outdoor images that include a bright sky at the top. For images of people, it works best when they are facing forward and are not too far away.
If you’re scanning using Thumbnail previews (Home or Professional Mode only), select the image and click the  rotation icon to rotate it. See Previewing and Adjusting the Scan Area for instructions.