Can't install Mustek CU Plus 1200 drivers on XP Home

[Linda]

I am having trouble moving my scanner (Mustek CU Plus 1200) to my new computer which runs Windows XP Home (clean install, not an upgrade, but with SP 1 installed). When I try to install the drivers for XP that I downloaded (and re-downloaded several times, so I am sure the drivers aren't corrupt), I get the following error:

Couldn't execute the external program C:\Windows\Twain_32\1200 CU PLUS\Free_exe.exe.

This file is in this location, however, although clicking on it to run it manually produces an error where it says Windows couldn't run the 16-bit program as the file or a part of it is missing. I have tried installing both with and without the scanner plugged in, and it makes no difference, and I have tried everything else suggested on Mustek's sites. Nothing has worked, however.

One possible issue that has been raised is that when I mistakenly tried to first install the older drivers from the CD that came with the scanner, it left some half-installed drivers on the computer that aren't Win XP compatible. But I can't find any traces of these in the registry, at least not under any name related to Mustek CU PLus 1200, or anywhere else on the computer. Personally I am starting to suspect that the failed install damaged some .inf or .sys or other files Windows uses to install scanner drivers in general (since I have tried other Mustek drivers, and all fail with the same error message), but I have no idea how to check for that or how to fix them if that is the case.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I desperately need to be able to use my scanner.

[Disk_Contented]

I would expect that the files you want to remove will be here: C:\Windows\Twain_32\1200 CU PLUS\
Remove any references to your scanner in device manager first. Then look to delete any files (free_exe.exe sounds a strange name for a file. I would have thought it would be free.exe or something. Plus its 16 bit) that are part of the scanner driver. Properties/version will identify obscure ones.
After that, install the new drivers with the usb lead unplugged.

[Linda]

I have already tried deleting this directory, but it is recreated on every install. I have also made sure there's nothing mentioning the scanner in the device manager.

My guess is that the problem is one (or both) of these:

1) There are files leftover from the initial install somewhere else, and they manage to give the installer the wrong instructions.

2) Some Windows files called by the installer were corrupted by the initial install.

Problem is, I don't know how to figure out where these leftover files might be (no clues in the registry) or which the corrupted files might be.

[Disk_Contented]

In my opinion, the driver itself is poor (16 bit drivers are a bit old hat if your on XP. particularly as twain 32 is for 32 bit)
You can check for corrupted windows files by typing "sfc.exe /scannow" from the run dialog.

[Linda]

I don't think the whole driver is 16 bit, only this one program used during the setup phase.

But, yeah, I think it isn't eactly the best driverout there. Problem is, I just bought this scanner and can't possibly afford a new one.

Are there any generic scanner drivers I could use instead?

[Linda]

I tried running the "sfc.exe /scannow", but that didn't seem to do much. At one point it even asked for the XP Pro CD, despite the fact that it is XP Home that is installed.

Any idea how I could find out what files are necessary for this free_exe.exe program to run?

[dscheste]

Hi Linda,
I am experiencing absolutely the same difficulties with this scanner and drivers.

There are no XP drivers at the moment for the driver, the technical support my Mustek is deaf to customers' inquiries.

Next time do not touch anything from this company, anyways as we already were stupid enough to buy this thing I found in the net the following solution:

Download the regular drivers for your scanner but not for XP, - for windows 2000.

After that run regedit.exe and find in the registry LOcal settings - Microsoft- Windows NT- Current Version a line with version - there will be Microsoft Windows XP? - change it into Microsoft Windows 2000
you can also change build from 2600 to 2195? but normally the whole thing works out without build alteration.

So now we have 2000 in the regisrty and run 2000 setup with USB lead unplugged.

After installation is complete change the version to Microsoft Windows XP back and reboot. Plug your USB sucker in and enjou scanning.

They say it works, actually, this is Mustek keeps telling its customers, I rad posts about how it worked after this.

In my case the old sucker is still dead....

So if you got anything and started the bastard - please drop me a line.

Ciao now