EPSON STYLUS 900 DRIVER FOR WIN XP INK LEVEL MONITOR

[GARY811]

DOES ANYONE KNOW OF A DRIVER TO MONITOR INK LEVEL THAT WILL WORK WITH WINDOWS XP PRO FOR THE EPSON STYLUS 900 PRINTER USING A USB PORT? EPSON ONLY REFERS TO USING THE DRIVER FOR WIN 2000. WIN XP WILL NOT LOAD IT. I USE THE 900 AS MY WORKHORSE PRINTER AND IT WORKS VERY WELL, BUT AFTER UPGRADING FROM WIN 98 I MISS THE LEVEL MONITOR. THIS IS TOO GOOD OF A PRINTER TO DISGUARD AND I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT EPSON HAS NOT SUPPORTED IT. I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE HAS FOUND A DRIVER FOR ANY OTHER MODEL THAT WOULD RUN ON THE 900. THE XP DRIVER RUNS THE PRINTER FINE BUT THE LEVEL MONITOR IS A SEPERATE DRIVER.

 

[cyberboy]

Gary,

Did you try the status monitor driver 2 for NT? It might work. There is one available on their site. I'm not 100% certain, but the reason that the ink monitor doesn't work may be more a question of the printer having a USB connection. If the 900 has an optional parallel connection, try it - it could work. I say this because I have a similar problem when printing through a router, which uses a printer port other than lpt1, even though it's a parallel port connection. The status monitor tries to communicate with the printer and if it doesn't find lpt1, it fails. I agree with you, the monitor is a neat utility and Epson should get their act together...
Cyberboy
Every computer is like a snowflake. There are no two alike.

 

[GARY811]

THANKS CYBERBOY FOR THE SUGGESTION. I DOWNLOADED THE NT DRIVER AND I GET THE OLD "THIS PROGRAM IS NOT COMPATABLE WITH WINDOWS XP" MESSAGE. THE DRIVERS FOR OTHER WINDOWS WILL NOT LOAD INTO XP EITHER. I CAN NOT GET PAST THAT MESSAGE WHEN I TRY TO INSTALL THE DRIVERS. I AM AFRAID THAT ANY NON WIN XP DRIVER WILL SUFFER THE SAME RESULTS. I WAS HOPING THAT SOMEONE KNEW OF A XP DRIVER FOR A DIFFERENT MODEL PRINTER THAT MIGHT WORK. I GUESS I COULD DOWNLOAD A FEW AND TRY BUT I AM FEARFULL THAT I MIGHT RUN INTO SOME CONFLICT PROBLEM WHICH I REALLY DON'T NEED. I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT EPSON DOESN'T EVEN HAVE E-MAIL TECH SUPPORT. ONLY A TOLL PHONE NUMBER THAT NO DOUPT YOU WILL BE ON HOLD FOR WHO KNOWS HOW LONG.

 

[sidech]

Email web link for US Support:

http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?

BV_SessionID=@@@@1571792684.1044493335@@@@&BV_EngineID=iadcg
geifmjebfdmcfjgckidnf.0&infoType=Email&oid=14362&prodoid=993
0

thought the status monitor2 for win2k might work...

 

[cyberboy]

Gary,
I did find an e-mail Support page for the Epson 900, which does have FAQs, Troubleshooting Tips for PCs and MACs, as well. I'd copy the link, but the one from sidech didn't work for me, as they're dynamic pages that change.
Anyway, click on the Canada/US map on the home page, then Troubleshooting and FAQs in the left-hand menu bar, then click on Printers (image)Ink Jets,etc.,scroll down to the Epson Stylus Color 900, and there you go...
Good luck and please post back when they reply to you so that we can all learn something.
Thanks
Cyberboy
Computers are like snowflakes. No two are alike.

 

[GARY811]

THANKS CYBERBOY,FOR NEW INFO ON EPSON E-MAIL SUPPORT LOCATION. I CONTACTED THEM AND THEY ADVISED ME TO USE THE WIN2000 DRIVERS. DOWNLOADED THEM (AGAIN)AND WHIN I ATTEMPTED INSTALLATION I RECIEVED THE SAME OLD WINDOWS MESSAGE THAT IT WOULDN'T WORK WITH WIN XP. REPLYING TO THAT THEY THEN ADVISED ME THAT DUE TO THE COMPLEX PROBLEM THAT I SHOULD CALL THIER TOLL NUMBER FOR A SUPPORT SPECIALIST. NOW I WONDER WHO I WAS COMMUNICATION WITH ON E-MAIL? I THINK ITS A LOST CAUSE AND WILL HAVE TO LIVE WITHOUT A INK LEVEL MONITOR. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR ASSISTANCE (EPSON EXCLUDED).

 

[cyberboy]

Gary,
Sorry to hear you're getting nowhere with Epson, but I think I have the answer. It appears that Win XP does not support bidirectional USB connectivity. In order for the ink monitor to work, it needs a bidirectional connection. Ipso facto, we're glued, screwed and tattooed..., unless there's some way you can connect via parallel (which the printer supports), where the monitor should work. Or wait until the next Windoze OS, which might support bidirectional USB!

Cyberboy
Computers are like snowflakes. No two are alike.

 

[gekyruk]

Hi Garry, i though i should let you know that EPSON has released a version of Status Monitor which supports Windows XP (Home and Pro) and is suitable for Epson Stylus Color 900. I've waited long for that like you, but finally you can get it here:

http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/...bfdmcfjgckidnf.0&oid=14362&infoType=Downloads

It's called Status Monitor v2.5bE. The link is right after the table of the two NOTES (i clicked those NOTE links and they are useless).

IT WON'T OPERATE UNTIL YOU HAVE RESTARTED. After i rebooted everything works perfect. By the way, i use the Win2000 epson driver for printing...

 

[GARY811]

THANKS GEKYRUK FOR THE INFO. THE LINK YOU PROVIDED JUST COMES UP AS SESSION EXPIRED. AFTER ABOUT 1 1/2 HOURS OF SEARCHING EPSONS SITE I FINALLY FOUND THE DRIVER YOU REFERED TO, DOWNLOADED AND INSTALLED IT, REBOOTED, BUT IT DOES NOT COME UP WHEN I PRINT. RIGHT NOW I AM AT SOMEWHAT OF A LOSS AS TO WHY IT IS NOT WORKING, BUT I WILL KEEP WORKING ON IT.

 

[cyberboy]

Hi Gekyruk,
You didn't mention it specifically, but are you using a USB connection,like Gary, or are you using a parallel connection? I don't think there's any doubt that it works for a parallel connection. The problem with USB under WinXP is that it does not support bidirectional activity, which is what the monitor requires to operate.

Cyberboy
Computers are like snowflakes. No two are alike.

 

[Spitfire76]

I use the Epson Stylus 860 on a parallel connection running WinME,try running those drivers,maybe that'll work,just a thought.

Have you checked your msconfig? Maybe the monitor is not checked to load at startup.

 

[GARY811]

THANKS EVERYONE FOR ALL THE INFO, BUT I STILL AM HAVING NO LUCK. FIRST OF ALL FOR EVERYONE, DRIVERS FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN XP WILL NOT INSTALL. YOU CAN NOT GET PAST A SCREEN INFORMING YOU THAT IT IS NOT COMPATABLE. I HAVE DOWNLOADED THE NEW INK STATUS DRIVER FROM EPSON. IT IS FOR NEARLY ALL VERSIONS OF WINDOWS INCLUDING XP. I HAVE TRIED IT USING BOTH USB AND PARALLEL(SEARATELY OF COURSE)WITH NO LUCK YET. THE STATUS MONITOR 0N MY EPSON 875 PHOTO PRINTER WHICH IS USB ONLY WORKS FINE. I HAVE REINSTALLED THE NEW DRIVER AND TRIED JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING I CAN THINK OF BUT STILL NO STATUS MONITOR COMES UP. IT'S LIKE IT ISN'T THERE. MABE NOW THAT I HAVE THE DRIVER IN MY COMPUTER I WILL GET BACK WITH EPSON'S TECH SUPPORT AND SEE IF THEY CAN BE OF MORE HELP THAT THEY HAVE BEEN SO FAR. WILL POST FOR EVERYONE WHEN I FIND ANYTHING OUT.

 

[cyberboy]

Gary,
Thanks for the update. I am, however, curious about one comment you made - The status monitor on my Epson 875 photo printer which is USB only works fine. Do you have this hooked up to your XP system or are you running it under another OS? As you know an earlier post of mine suggested that XP doesn't support bidirectional connections, thus my curiosity.
Thanks...

Cyberboy
Computers are like snowflakes. No two are alike.

 

[GARY811]

HI CYBERBOY, YES THATS RIGHT, I AM RUNNING EVERYTHING ON WINDOWS XP PRO. THE 875 PRINTER IS ON USB AND THE STATUS MONITOR WORKS FINE. I WONDERED ABOUT YOUR COMMENT ABOUT NO BYDIRECTIONAL ON USB USING XP. THAT WOULD SEEM LIKE A STEP BACKWARDS FOR MICROSOFT. YOUR COMMENT IS THE FIRST I TIME I EVER ENCOUNTERED THAT INFORMATION, BUT THERE IS A LOT MORE I HAVE TO LEARN ABOUT XP AS WELL. I HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO GET WITH EPSONS SUPPORT YET. I'VE HAD BUT VERY LITTLE TIME IN THE EVENINGS LATELY BUT HOPE TO WORK ON THIS ON THE WEEKEND. I AM WONDERING IF HAVING TWO DIFFERENT STATUS MONITORS ON THE SAME SYSTEM FOR TWO DIFFERENT PRINTERS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT. I WOULD THINK THAT WHICH EVER PRINTER I SELECT FOR THE DEFAULT WOULD CALL UP ONLY THE DRIVERS COMPATABLE WITH IT. I WILL THROW THAT AT EPSON TO AND SEE WHAT THEY THINK. WILL POST ANY INFO THAT I GET.

 

[cyberboy]

Gary,
Thanks. I don't recall offhand where I came across that info about the USB being non bidirectional, although I'm sure it was a reliable source, like a computer magazine or something similar. Anyway, will be looking forward to your future posting...

Cyberboy
Computers are like snowflakes. No two are alike.

 

[GARY811]

IT WORKS!!! OR SORT OF. WELL EPSON'S E-MAIL TECH SUPPORT DID IT AGAIN. DUE TO THE TECHNICAL COMPLEXITY OF MY PROBLEM I WAS ADVISED TO CALL THEIR SUPPORT NUMBER. I JUST WONDER WHERE THE E-MAIL TO SUPPORT GOES. SEEMS THEY DO NOT CONSULT WITH ANYONE ELSE OF THEY DO NOT KNOW THE ANSWER. ANYWAY, I DOWNLOADED AND REINSTALLED IT AGAIN AND NOW I AM GETTING THE STATUS MONITOR ON CERTAIN PRINTOUTS. IT DOES NOT WORK WITH MICROSOFT WORD PRINTING AND PRINTING SOME INTERNET SITES DO NOT DISPLAY THE MONITOR THEN SOME OF THEM DO. NOT SURE IF I WILL EVER FIGGURE THIS ONE OUT. OH WELL AT LEAST I CAN GET SOME IDEA OF THE INK LEVEL NOW SO I KNOW WHEN TO OBTAIN REPLACEMENT CARTRIDGES. THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE SUGGESTIONS, ESPECIALLY CYBERBOY'S CONTINUING EFFORTS. GARY

 

[cyberboy]

Hi Gary,
Glad to hear that you have at least some marginal success with your problem (or is that issue in Epson speak!). As you know I do have an ulterior motive for hanging in there, but I certainly do find this forum to be the greatest for people helping other people, and I try to help whenever I can. It's always a pleasure.
Actually, the way I look at it, any ink jet printer will always run out when the stores are closed. My solution, hook it up to a 50 gallon drum of ink and feed it intravenously. That should last....oooh, at least a couple of months (lol):->
Good luck.

Cyberboy
Computers are like snowflakes. No two are alike.