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How to fix Epson scanner-printer problems in windows 8

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Below are some common issues related to Epson printers and scanners and some easy troubleshooting steps to help resolve these issues.

Problem 1: Windows 8 is not installing printer driver after connecting printer

If your Windows 8 machine is not detecting and installing the Epson Printer Driver automatically, then you need to install the printer manually following the steps set out below.

  1. Switch on the Epson printer and connect it to the Windows 8 system
  2. Switch on your PC
  3. Go to Desktop
  4. Right-click on the Start button and click Control Panel
  5. Click Hardware & Sound
  6. In the Hardware & Sound window, click Devices and Printers
  7. Click Add a Printer
  8. If your printer model does not appear in the list, select “The printer that I want isn’t listed”
  9. In next window, select Add a local printer or network with manual settings
  10. Click Next and follow the on-screen instructions to install the printer

Problem 2: Don’t have Windows 8 Driver for Printer and unable to install Windows 7 Printer Driver in compatibility mode

It is quite common for Windows compatibility assistant to appear when you try to install Windows 7 Drivers for your printer. You need to follow the steps set out below to install Windows 7 Printer Drivers in compatibility mode.

  1. Right-click on the Driver executable (.exe) file
  2. Select Properties
  3. Go to the Compatibility tab
  4. Under compatibility mode, select Windows 7 from the drop-down list
  5. Click Apply > OK
  6. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the Printer Driver in compatibility mode
  7. Restart your PC

Problem 3:  Windows 8 is using in-box driver. How to update Printer Driver for old Epson printer?

Sometimes the in-box driver in windows prevents you from using all functionality and features of your Epson Printer. To overcome this problem, you can install the Windows 7 Driver until Epson releases the Windows 8 Driver for your printer model

  1. Go to the Epson printer manufacturer website and download Windows 7 Driver for the old Epson printer model you have
  2. When you try to install Windows 7 Drivers, the Program Compatibility Assistant dialog pops up
  3. Click Run the program without getting help
  4. Follow on-screen instructions to install the Printer Drivers

You can periodically check the Epson website for the latest Drivers for Windows 8 and install them. Alternatively, you can use a  reliable driver update tool, which will download the latest Epson printer driver for Windows 8 as soon as the manufacturer releases them. It will also keep these and your other device Drivers up to date so it is one less thing to worry about.

How to keep Windows 10 free from malware?

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Security is an increasingly important issue for all computer users and this is no different for Windows 10. When you start using or upgrade to Windows 10 you should ensure that the basic, built-in security features are enabled.

Here is how you can use Windows Defender to keep Windows 10 protected.

Activate Windows Defender 

  1. Click Start and type “windows defender”. Alternatively, you can press Start + Q to open the search box and type “windows defender“
  2. Select Windows Defender from the top of the search results
  3. Click Tools > Options
  4. Click Administrator
  5. Select “Use this program”
  6. Click Save

Windows Defender is a very useful security tool that protects your system from malware, but you also have a role to play in this protection. Take a look at the system tray to find out whether you need to intervene and perform some action. For example, if you see the icon has a red circle with white cross, it means a malware is detected and the cleanup requires your attention.

Update Windows Defender virus database

Just like any other security software, Windows Defender also relies on updated virus and spyware definitions to offer the best protection to your system. When you open Windows Defender, you will see the version of the virus and the spyware definition database.

The “Definitions last updated” and “Definitions created on” will tell you about the last time the database was updated. To find out if the database is updated to the latest version, see the heading “Virus and Spyware definitions” in bold type. If it shows “Up to date”, it means you need not do anything. Otherwise, you must click on the Update button and let the security application download and install the required updates.

Windows Defender Real-time protection 

Windows Defender is good at offering real-time protection against malware. With real-time protection on, it will alert you immediately when any spyware or malware attempts to install or run on your computer. It also alerts you when any program tries to change the settings of your computer. To turn on real-time protection follow the steps set out below:

  1. Open Windows Defender by clicking on the Start button
  2. Click Tools > Options
  3. Click Real-time protection
  4. Check the box “Use real-time protection”

Windows Defender offers good protection but if you want added protection for your computer, you can download a more comprehensive anti-malware tool.

What to do if Windows 10 upgrade fails?

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Not all upgrades to Windows 10 run as smoothly as they should.  Sometimes the upgrades fail, leaving you no choice but to roll back to a previous version of Windows.  If you have experienced a failed upgrade, here are some things you need to do to ensure you successfully upgrade to Windows 10 the next time.

Disconnect all non-essential devices from your computer

The first thing you need to do is to only keep the bare essentials like the keyboard and the mouse attached to the computer. If you have a printer, scanner, card reader or any other non-essential device connected, just disconnect them before you start the upgrade process.

Whenever you upgrade to Windows 10, the installation setup tries to find compatible Drivers and install any device that is attached to computer. If the device is not compatible, the installation setup gets stuck up, resulting in a failure to complete the upgrade process.

Disable startup programs, anti-virus and non-essential programs

You need to disable startup programs, anti-virus programs and all non-essential programs before starting the Windows 10 upgrade. It would be better if you uninstall any antivirus or anti-spyware utility and install the ones that are compatible with Windows 10. This also applies to non-essential programs. Background programs can cause problems during the upgrade.  To disable startup programs follow the steps set out below

Steps to disable Startup programs in Windows 7

  1. Click Start > Run
  2. Type msconfig
  3. In the System Configuration window, click the Startup tab
  4. Uncheck the boxes for programs that you don’t want to run

Steps to disable Startup programs in Windows 8

  1. Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to open the Task Manager
  2. Go to the Startup tab
  3. You can see which programs are enabled in startup and their Startup impact
  4. If you are not sure about which programs to disable, you can disable the programs which have Startup impact value as None
  5. Right-click on the program in the list and select Disable

Disconnect multiple hard disks

IT experts advise to keep only one hard disk (on which you want to install Windows 10) and remove all other hard disks until you finish the upgrade process.  You need to also remove USB hard drives if any and disable them in the Device Manager. To disable additional hard drives from the Device Manager, do the following:

  1. Click Start
  2. Type Device Manager in the Search box
  3. Click on Device Manager in the list of results
  4. Expand Drives entry in Device Manager
  5. Look for General USB devices
  6. Right-click on the device entry you want to disable and select Disable

Your upgrade to Windows 10 should now run smoothly. If you do still come across issues, or have solutions to upgrade problems, please post below to share with our community.