Installing a HP 4100C ScanJet on Windows XP (so it actually WORKS!)

Just posting this in case someone needs the help one day.

Installing a HP 4100C ScanJet on Windows XP (so it actually WORKS!)

NOTE:

*****
IF YOU ALREADY ATTEMPTED SOME OF THE ADVICE CIRCULATING ONLINE
(LIKE I DID), YOU WILL HAVE TO FIRST UNDO WHAT YOU HAVE ALREADY
DONE BEFORE GOING ON TO INSTALL THE SCANNER.
*****

Some of these first steps are definitely unnecessary. But look folks,
all I know is this... I spent hours trying to get my HP 4100C scanner
working and nearly gave up, went back to Windows 98, or bought a new
scanner. Now it's working perfectly via the HP PrecisionScan
software, instead of that default Microsoft WIA monstrosity. If you
want the same end result, then humour me - do exactly the same steps
and you'll get exactly the same result, ok?

}

1. Click on START, CONTROL PANEL, ADD OR REMOVE PROGRAMS and scroll
down to where it says "HP PRECISIONSCAN LT SOFTWARE". Select it and
click the CHANGE/REMOVE button, then OK, and FINISH to restart the
computer.

2. Click on START, ALL PROGRAMS, ACCESSORIES, and open WINDOWS
EXPLORER. Now click on MY COMPUTER, then select your C: drive. Look
for a SCANJET folder. Delete it if it's there. Also delete any
folders you see in the root directory of C: drive beginning with the
letters "sj". (These were created if you already tried to install the
udpates from the HP site.

3. Shut down (NOT just restart) the computer.

4. Unplug BOTH the USB *and* the power supply cable from the scanner.

5. Restart the computer with the scanner still completely
disconnected.

6. Go to http://www.hp.com and click on SOFTWARE AND DRIVER DOWNLOADS.

7. Select DOWNLOAD DRIVERS AND SOFTWARE and type "4100C" in the FOR
PRODUCT field and hit your ENTER key.

8. Click on your EXACT scanner model number.

9. Click on MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP and download these two UPDATES to
your desktop:

a. "HP PrecisionScan Scanning Software Destinations Update 1.0 (etc.)"
b. "ScanJet 4100C/Cse/Cxi PrecisionScan LT update - USB interface."

10. Click the back button of your browser and click on MICROSOFT
WINDOWS 2000.

11. Also download these two files to your desktop:

c. ScanJet 4100C/Cse/Cxi Precision Scan Pro LT software/driver
d. ScanJet 4100C/Cse/Cxi PrecisionScan LT Update for Undefined Program
Error 2117

12. You should now have four files on your desktop:

a. sj398en.exe
b. sj407en.exe
c. sj653mu.exe
d. sj700en.exe

(Note that if the HP site ever changes so you can't find them, you
could simply search for these file names.)

13. Double-click "sj398en.exe" and without changing anything, click
UNZIP and then OK. The PrecisionScan software will now begin to
install. Click NEXT, YES and NEXT. DO NOT change the default
installation directory. (Just leave it as C:/SCANJET.) Do the two
screen calibrations, then click NEXT to SHUT DOWN (not restart) the
computer.

14. Plug both scanner cables back in and restart the computer.

***DO NOT TRY AND RUN THE SCANNER YET***

15. Double-click "sj407en.exe" and without changing anything, click
UNZIP, and OK three times.

16. Double-click "sj653mu.exe" and without changing anything, click
UNZIP, OK, CONTINUE ANYWAY, OK and YES to restart the computer.

17. Double-click "sj700en.exe" and click OK twice.

Guess what - your scanner is now working - and you're welcome.