# Brother MFC Scanner Install Fail



## tripleseven (Dec 24, 2009)

Am running a multifunction Brother MFC-885CW LAN and all is working well except for the scanner. All features, including the scanner _were_ working well until some problems arose with my system possibly originating from a faulty webcam. The Brother diagnostics continually reports "Scanner (Driver) Installation condition: Failed". It says "Scanner (Driver) --- Installation is not completed".

The Brother instruction given to fix this is to uninstall the software, reboot, insert the original CD-ROM and "Install MFL-Pro Suite". I have done this several times, including attempting a 'clean' install. No joy. I have also used the latest MFL-Pro Suite updated files and Brother Uninstall files and cleaned my registry after each uninstall.

Note that the scanner does not show up as a device in the Control Panel Scanners and Cameras section.

Incidentally, the MFL Pro Suite installed successfully with all functions working on my laptop. This laptop is part of the same secure Local Area Network.

Am running Windows XP Pro SP3 with all updates. Ports and firewall appear to be configured correctly.

Please advise if you need more info. Suggestions would be appreciated.


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## Marc_W (Jan 4, 2010)

So I have the same problem it seems ...

Background:
Couple of months ago I started getting BSD on my 4gb x64 Vista Home Premium home build. Wasn't convinced it was a memory chip as it was intermittent.

Turned out it was a memory chip as following a complete re-install of Vista x64 Home Premium the problem persisted. Isolated the memory chip (was 4Gb, now 2Gb grrr) and removed.

Until this point, system worked smooth as a dream (if a little clunky after 2 years). As part of my home office set-up I made extensive use of the scan to PDF function of my Brother MFC-7420 purchased 2 years ago when I built the machine.

The problem
However NOW, bizarrely, following the re-install (Home Premium, SP1, SP2, all updates) my Brother MFC-7420 has now stopped scanning from Control Centre 3.0 software.

Context
What still works - can still print to it, can still scan using MS Photo Manager, can still communicate with the Printer using the "Remote Device Management" feature on CC3.0 (i.e. CC3.0 is still talking to the printer). When I press "Scan" on CC3.0, however, I get the same message as previous user i.e.

"Scanning failed. Please try to scan the image again, if the error happens again please restart your computer, an dthen try to scan again. (CC3-205-03031f02)"

In addition the Brother Installation Diagnostics programme indicates:

Printer (Driver) OK on UBS001
Scanner (Driver) Failed ----
PC-Fax Sending (Driver) OK on USB 001
PC-Fax Receiving (Software) OK on COM3:
Remote Setup (Software) OK on COM3:

I have a Research Machines Laptop running XP and a HP Netbook running Windows 7, all of which run OK (scanning, printing) with the software ...

Actions taken to date:
On the basis of this I have taken the following actions, including speaking with Brother technical support:

1) Initial approach 
(Brother recommendation)
"It is usually a problem caused by Firewalls or similar"
OK - 
Firstly, uninstall MFC software using MFC uninstaller.
Secondly, turn off firewall and REMOVE Norton Internet Security 2010 entirely. Delete all Brother subsections from the registry (regedit.exe) as advised by Brother. Turn on "EnableWIA" registry flag (i.e. change from 0 to 1).
Thirdly, reinstall MFC software
Test - failed. Same error message.

2) Other approaches taken so far
I have also, subsequently, attempted to force Vista to pick up the new scanner driver (downloaded from the Brother site) using the Device Manager/Imaging software/Update driver... functionality. Nothing doing (and indeed, the Driver still seems to be dated 2006 - although download is dated 2007 - can't tell if this means its not updated it, or is simply an oversight in some Driver header file).

Additionally, have been through the .INF file (brimall3.inf) to see what changes should be made to the registry, and they all SEEM to have been made (keys updated, files copied, etc.).

Did also uninstall SP2, to see if any of the pre-May fixes were responsible. No effect, so am left wondering whether some update between SP2 and December 'fixed' registry writing in some way, shape or form.

3) Any help greatly appreciated, obviously. In particular, if registry stuff seems along the right lines, I could find out which update is responsible, presumably I can uninstall it, re-install MFC-7420, and then reinstall the update? Alternatively that could be a complete red herring, I admit.

Grrrrrrr!


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## Marc_W (Jan 4, 2010)

I wonder, TripleSeven, if you can identify the time period during which the scanner stopped working? Your post was on 26 December? My re-install was 14 December (and was working up until then) ... You can tell I am suspicious about an Microsoft Update!


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## tripleseven (Dec 24, 2009)

Marc _W
To answer your question, my problem has been with me for about a year and I have been checking other tech sites since then for any suggested fixes with no success. I have all updates from Microsoft. All drivers current. Thanks for your info, however. I will read through it in detail ASAP. Tripleseven.


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## Marc_W (Jan 4, 2010)

Hey - don't know where you're located, but despite the best efforts of Brother Tech Support we couldn't get anywhere for now.

What they did do, and credit to them, is send me PaperPort 11 SE. Which installed very quickly, and worked great, enabling me to scan to PDF etc., 

I've used PaperPort in a previous edition before, and I quite like it, so I consider this a pretty good solution.

Maybe worth giving them a call and seeing if they can do the same?

Best wishes,



Marc.


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## tripleseven (Dec 24, 2009)

Marc,

Thank you for the response. I will consider PaperPort although I mainly use the scanner for photos and document copies. I tried everything you mentioned in your initial post after reading it very carefully, without success. Glad to hear you got the Scan to PDF function back.

Cheers,

tripleseven


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