PSE 3 quits when getting image from scanner

[Mack Gaither]

As instructed in "Photoshop Elements 3 Solutions by Mikkel Aaland, I am trying to scan and import images from a scanner while automatically naming and selecting the file location. From the Organizer, I'm using File>Get Photos>From Camera or Card Reader, setting the file location and then specifying the scanner (a Nikon LS 4000ED). Nikon Scan 4.0 then opens and I go through the normal process of preview, cropping, etc and then the final scan. At that point PSE 3 freezes and will not allow Nikon Scan to close. PSE 3 says that it is opening and I've given it plenty of time to open the image, but it never finishes. I can bring in scans using File>Get Photos>From Scanner, but that doesn't allow for the auto naming and filing. The scanner is also working fine alone.

Any suggestions?

[Matt K]

Hi Mack,
Not sure if this is your problem but I've seen out of date scanner drivers cause issues similar to this. Do you know if your scanner is updated with the latest drivers?

[Mack Gaither]

Matt,

Yes, I've updated both the firmware and Nikon Scan 4.0.2

Mack

[Jodi Frye]

found this;

An old display driver can cause PSE3 to crash
If you are experiencing crashes or freezes in the Organizer side on Elements 3, update your display drivers. With some older display drivers, a blue-screen crash can be triggered in Elements 3 when dragging three or more tags at once onto an image. Machine freezes have also been reported when importing a large number of image and video files into a second catalog.

[Mack Gaither]

Jodie,

Thanks. I updated my display driver to the lates, but that did not solve the problem.

[Jodi Frye]

Mack, can you post your system specs ? How much ram ?

[Mack Gaither]

From PSE 3 Help>System Info:

Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0.0.199

Current Catalog:
Catalog Name: My Catalog.psa
Catalog Location: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe\Catalogs\
Catalog Size: 1.5MB
Catalog Cache Size: 2.7MB

System:
Operating System Name: XP
Operating System Version: 5.1 Service Pack 2
System Architecture: Intel CPU Family:6 Model:9 Stepping:5 with MMX, SSE Integer, SSE FP
Built-in Memory: 510.9MB
Free Memory: 107.8MB

Mack

[Jodi Frye]

Mack, go to the Start button>right click 'My Computer">properties....what does it say for RAM ?

[Mack Gaither]

Jodie,

512 mb.

I've been scanning at 4000 dpi, 14 bit depth, and setting the scanner to save as a tiff. This produces a 100+/- mb file. I'll try lower settings tonight to see if memory might be the problem. However, remember, everything works fine if I either run the Nikon Scan 4.0 alone or if I use PSE 3 File>Get Photo>From Scanner.

Mack

[Wendy]

Wow that is hugh ... I suspect that scanning at that resolution is causing the problems. You reach a stage with resolution that there isn't any more of the image to get ... and I suspect that the limit with your images would be far lower than that.

Try a test out and see if lowering the resolution makes a difference to both the image and to the freezing.

Hope it works OK :)

Wendy

[Mack Gaither]

Wendy and Jodi,

I don't believe that the problem has anything to do with memory. I scaled back both bit depth and resolution, reducing a 100mb file to 90kb and still had the problem. Looking a little more closely at what is happening, I notice that PSE 3 never finishes the "Loading" that starts as soon as you select the device. Furthermore, even if a scan or preview is NOT performed, I cannot close Nikon Scan or PSE 3. In other words, PSE 3 is locked up as soon as Nikon Scan is opened by PSE 3. Nikon Scan can be run, adjustments made, etc, but cannot be closed, which of course would involve PSE 3 since it is opened within that program.

I'd appreciate it if anyone else with a twain scanner would try to import images through File>Get Photos>From Camera or Card Reader within the Organizer and let me know if they experience the same problem.

Thanks,

Mack

[Mary]

Good Morning Mack

I have an Epson 3200 and I am able to complete the task using File |Get Photos | From camera or card reader then choosing my scanner.

Have you tried the option right below that one on your menu? I have one that says From Scanner. Shortcut Ctrl U

If "From Scanner" doesn't appear on your "Get Photos" menu - maybe the program has not recognized your scanner properly and a reinstall of the scanner software might help.

[Mack Gaither]

Mary,

Yes, I'm able to use the From Scanner option in both the Organizer and the Editor with no problems. Therefore, I believe PSE 3 is recognizing Nikon Scan. However I want to use the From Camera option because it provides renaming and specifies the file location in advance, therefore saving time. I've deleted the PSE 3 preferences files and reinstalled the program over itself without solving the problem. I have also reinstalled Nikon Scan software.

I'm going to call Adobe this afternoon and see if I can get some free support on this issue.

Thanks,

Mack

[davehuss]

Yes, I'm able to use the From Scanner option in both the Organizer and the Editor with no problems. Therefore, I believe PSE 3 is recognizing Nikon Scan. However I want to use the From Camera option because it provides renaming and specifies the file location in advance, therefore saving time.

Mack,
Since the scanner works when using the scanner feature, I assume that the From Camera option is not expecting a TWAIN device since current digital cameras don't use TWAIN (even though the documentation describes both cameras and scanners as using TWAIN). I expect it is launching Nikon Scan but at that point PE3 doesn't see either of the device types that are expected with a digital camera and therefore PE hangs.

Cheers,
Dave Huss
PE3, 50 Cool Ways to Create Pictures

[Mack Gaither]

Dave,

Maybe, but there are two reasons that I think it should work through the "From Camera" method: 1.) Mikkel Aaland in his book, Photoshop Elements 3 Solutions says that this is an acceptable way to import images from a scanner, and 2.) PSE3 also recognizes and imports images from a twain Toshiba scanner built into our network copier. The Toshiba also works under the "From Scanner" method.

[Mack Gaither]

Adobe told me last week that in the Organizer mode of PSE3, the Get Photos>From Camera and Card Readers requires scanners (and of course cameras and card readers) to be WIA compliant. Nikon has told me that their scanners do not support WIA. Problem solved.

Thanks everyone for your input.

Mack