Can't rename scanner

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rojo Habe
  • Start date Start date
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Rojo Habe

My new printer didn't come with a USB lead so I borrowed the one from my
scanner. I've now replaced the lead and Windows has now decided to
reinstall the scanner, naming it 'Epson Perfection 610 #2'. I've tried
renaming it and deleting the ' #2' but Windows won't let me, telling me a
device with that name already exists. How can I delete the old entry so
that I can rename the new one? It doesn't appear in the Scanners and Cameras
window.
 
Rojo Habe said:
My new printer didn't come with a USB lead so I borrowed the one from my
scanner. I've now replaced the lead and Windows has now decided to
reinstall the scanner, naming it 'Epson Perfection 610 #2'. I've tried
renaming it and deleting the ' #2' but Windows won't let me, telling me a
device with that name already exists. How can I delete the old entry so
that I can rename the new one? It doesn't appear in the Scanners and
Cameras window.
Click to expand...
Uninstall it in Device manager.
 
Rojo Habe said:
My new printer didn't come with a USB lead so I borrowed the one from my
scanner. I've now replaced the lead and Windows has now decided to
reinstall the scanner, naming it 'Epson Perfection 610 #2'. I've tried
renaming it and deleting the ' #2' but Windows won't let me, telling me a
device with that name already exists. How can I delete the old entry so
that I can rename the new one? It doesn't appear in the Scanners and
Cameras window.
Click to expand...

Plug it in the same place that it was before.
 
Rojo Habe said:
My new printer didn't come with a USB lead so I borrowed the one from my
scanner. I've now replaced the lead and Windows has now decided to
reinstall the scanner, naming it 'Epson Perfection 610 #2'. I've tried
renaming it and deleting the ' #2' but Windows won't let me, telling me a
device with that name already exists. How can I delete the old entry so
that I can rename the new one? It doesn't appear in the Scanners and
Cameras window.
Click to expand...
The problem occurred because you used a different USB port the
2nd time. If you had used the same port this wouldn't have happened.
 
You'd think so, wouldn't you? All I did was remove the plug from the
printer and plug it back into the scanner. Ther other end of it hasn't
moved.
 
someone said:
Uninstall it in Device manager.
Click to expand...

That's the problem. It's not listed in the Device Manager.

It also doesn't appear anywhere in the registry either, which is why I've
resorted to asking for help.
 
Rojo Habe said:
You'd think so, wouldn't you? All I did was remove the plug from the
printer and plug it back into the scanner. Ther other end of it hasn't
moved.
Click to expand...
Well I guess that having the printer in that port has messed things up,
but the scanner must be in device manager somewhere if it's working.
It usually is under imaging devices. Also is this really a problem?
 
Pen said:
Well I guess that having the printer in that port has messed things up,
but the scanner must be in device manager somewhere if it's working.
It usually is under imaging devices. Also is this really a problem?
Click to expand...
No, not really a problem. Just a minor irritation. I'm a bit Adrian Monk
about this sort of thing. When I see people's computers displaying 'Local
Area Network #36' it drives me potty!

Anyway, you'll be pleased to hear I've sorted it. I suddenly remembered I
did move it, but that was weeks ago. I needed a spare USB2 port so I moved
the scanner to a USB1 port. Strangely enough, Windows was quite happy with
this at the time and carried on using the original driver. As you say, it's
only since I've had the printer in that port and put the scanner back that
the problem has occurred. Once I remembered I'd moved it, all I had to do
was delete it from each port in turn and then start from scratch.

Many thanks to you all for nudging me in the right direction.
 
No, not really a problem. Just a minor irritation. I'm a bit Adrian Monk
about this sort of thing. When I see people's computers displaying 'Local
Area Network #36' it drives me potty!
Click to expand...
Anyway, you'll be pleased to hear I've sorted it. I suddenly remembered I
did move it, but that was weeks ago. I needed a spare USB2 port so I moved
the scanner to a USB1 port.
Click to expand...

While you've resolved the problem by playing mix-and-match with the
USB connections, the problem was started because by default the Device
Manager display doesn't show devices which were installed in the past
but which aren't currently visible to the system. They're still known
to the system, however, which can be a Good Thing (plug in the device
and it's ready for use) or a Bad Thing (you want to completely remove
it from the system, perhaps to allow a new device to use the same
name without a "#2" suffix).

In both W2K and XP (and probably 2003 Server but I've not checked)
you can tell Device Manager to show everything that's installed. Open
a command window (CMD) and enter the following commands:

set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
start devmgmt.msc

The Device Manager window will open. Note that you MUST invoke the
Device Manager from the command window for the next step to do what
you want.

In the Device Manager window menu bar, click VIEW -> SHOW HIDDEN DEVICES

All devices, including ones not recognized as physically present, will
be displayed. Nonpresent devices are greyed out, but can still be
selected and if desired, uninstalled.

Why Microsoft doesn't bother to make this option more obvious in one
of the mysteries of the ages.

Joe Morris
 
Joe Morris said:
While you've resolved the problem by playing mix-and-match with the
USB connections, the problem was started because by default the Device
Manager display doesn't show devices which were installed in the past
but which aren't currently visible to the system. They're still known
to the system, however, which can be a Good Thing (plug in the device
and it's ready for use) or a Bad Thing (you want to completely remove
it from the system, perhaps to allow a new device to use the same
name without a "#2" suffix).

In both W2K and XP (and probably 2003 Server but I've not checked)
you can tell Device Manager to show everything that's installed. Open
a command window (CMD) and enter the following commands:

set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
start devmgmt.msc

The Device Manager window will open. Note that you MUST invoke the
Device Manager from the command window for the next step to do what
you want.

In the Device Manager window menu bar, click VIEW -> SHOW HIDDEN DEVICES

All devices, including ones not recognized as physically present, will
be displayed. Nonpresent devices are greyed out, but can still be
selected and if desired, uninstalled.

Why Microsoft doesn't bother to make this option more obvious in one
of the mysteries of the ages.

Joe Morris
Click to expand...

Joe, Thank you! That actually answers the original question, even though I
solved it the other way. I've stored that one for future reference.
 
Joe said:
While you've resolved the problem by playing mix-and-match with the
USB connections, the problem was started because by default the Device
Manager display doesn't show devices which were installed in the past
but which aren't currently visible to the system. They're still known
to the system, however, which can be a Good Thing (plug in the device
and it's ready for use) or a Bad Thing (you want to completely remove
it from the system, perhaps to allow a new device to use the same
name without a "#2" suffix).

In both W2K and XP (and probably 2003 Server but I've not checked)
you can tell Device Manager to show everything that's installed. Open
a command window (CMD) and enter the following commands:

set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
start devmgmt.msc

The Device Manager window will open. Note that you MUST invoke the
Device Manager from the command window for the next step to do what
you want.
Click to expand...

Not true. It works via Control Panel with no need for that.
In the Device Manager window menu bar, click VIEW -> SHOW HIDDEN DEVICES

All devices, including ones not recognized as physically present, will
be displayed. Nonpresent devices are greyed out, but can still be
selected and if desired, uninstalled.

Why Microsoft doesn't bother to make this option more obvious in one
of the mysteries of the ages.
Click to expand...

But it *is* a reasonably obvious option in Device Manager. I just booted my
system into WinXP Home SP2 to double-check and make sure that it the same as in
this Win2K SP4. Control Panel -> System -> Hardware -> Device Manager then
follow your instructions above: click VIEW -> SHOW HIDDEN DEVICES

Bob
 
Not true. It works via Control Panel with no need for that.
Click to expand...
Not on my system it doesn't. It was one of the first things I tried before
coming here. Must be something set different in your registry.
 
Rojo said:
Not on my system it doesn't. It was one of the first things I tried before
coming here. Must be something set different in your registry.
Click to expand...

I suppose that's always possible, but it would have to be in 2 independent
registries. This system is multi-boot with several OS'es and among them are
WinXP & Win2K. They were installed separately (no upgrade involved). In fact,
WinXP is on a separate drive which was the only drive running when it was
installed. The only thing they share is the same hardware.

Bob
 
Robert Heiling said:
Joe Morris wrote: [snip]
In both W2K and XP (and probably 2003 Server but I've not checked)
you can tell Device Manager to show everything that's installed. Open
a command window (CMD) and enter the following commands:

set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
start devmgmt.msc

The Device Manager window will open. Note that you MUST invoke the
Device Manager from the command window for the next step to do what
you want.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Not true. It works via Control Panel with no need for that.
Click to expand...

I disagree. See below...

Unless you've set up your system so that either the system or your
profile establishes the "devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices" variable
and assigns it "1" as the value, VIEW -> SHOW HIDDEN DEVICES will display
an incomplete list of what's in the Registry. Try the following:

1. Open Device Manager from any of the usual GUI suspects and select
VIEW -> SHOW HIDDEN DEVICES

2. Follow the instructions from my earlier posting. You now have
two instances of Device Manager on the desktop.

3. In each instance of Device Manager, click each + sign to
expand the list of devices in each category.

Assuming that you haven't set up your system to always have the
magic environment variable set, and also assuming that your system
has in the past recognized and installed (but not uninstalled) one
or more devices which aren't currently connected to it, the two
Device Manager displays will not be the same.

BTW...the special procedure is documented in KB241257 (W2K) and
KB315539 (XP).

Joe Morris
 
Joe said:
Robert Heiling said:
Joe Morris wrote: [snip]
In both W2K and XP (and probably 2003 Server but I've not checked)
you can tell Device Manager to show everything that's installed. Open
a command window (CMD) and enter the following commands:

set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1
start devmgmt.msc

The Device Manager window will open. Note that you MUST invoke the
Device Manager from the command window for the next step to do what
you want.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Not true. It works via Control Panel with no need for that.
Click to expand...

I disagree. See below...

Unless you've set up your system so that either the system or your
profile establishes the "devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices" variable
and assigns it "1" as the value, VIEW -> SHOW HIDDEN DEVICES will display
an incomplete list of what's in the Registry. Try the following:

1. Open Device Manager from any of the usual GUI suspects and select
VIEW -> SHOW HIDDEN DEVICES

2. Follow the instructions from my earlier posting. You now have
two instances of Device Manager on the desktop.

3. In each instance of Device Manager, click each + sign to
expand the list of devices in each category.

Assuming that you haven't set up your system to always have the
magic environment variable set,
Click to expand...

I have no recollection of applying that patch on either system, much less both
of them (Win2k & WinXP).
and also assuming that your system
has in the past recognized and installed (but not uninstalled) one
or more devices which aren't currently connected to it, the two
Device Manager displays will not be the same.
Click to expand...

There was a point in time, since gone, where there was data corruption on the
USB connection to an external IDE HD. That caused many phantom devices to be
created and which were removed by Add/Remove Hardware (Show hidden devices) in
Win2k. No action was taken in WinXP as it is seldom run.
BTW...the special procedure is documented in KB241257 (W2K) and
KB315539 (XP).
Click to expand...

There's no interest in getting into a war over this on my part and I simply
report things as I see them. You can make use, or not make use, of the
information as you see fit.
HTH
Bob
 
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