The scanning light no longer works What do I need to do?

If the device was moved without the light bar being locked prior to moving, it is possible that the light bar was knocked out of alignment and it will not work. It is very important to lock the light bar prior to moving for that very reason. I would suggest you take the device to a qualified specialist to identify the issue.

that's hardware related problem, you need to open the machine and lubricate all moving parts specially in bulb image receiver side.

I assume you are using this with a computer. One thing comes to mind that relates to software. You should be able to do a preview scan of the whole scanner bed, then move the frame to the area you want to scan only, sort of like cropping the picture. If those crop borders are set to less than the whole document, you will get this kind of scan.

Now if that isn't the problem, the scanner likely has a electronic issue unless the scanner has had a nasty fall. If you want to really explore deep and don't mind if it doesn't work afterwards, turn the scanner off and unplug the power. Open it up just enough to access the optical unit and see if it will move the entire length of the scanner without binding where you experience the end of the scan. Go rather slowly and gently so you don't strip the toothed belt if it has one. You will feel a wierd sensation and some resistance as you move it along which has to do with the stepper motor and that's normal. If that works, it's likely it failed on it's own. If it binds where the scan ends, you'll have to investigate whether it's due to a rusty rail (hope not!) or some other obstruction.

Good luck!

Try a different copy of OS or in a Different M/C.

under the scanner sharp tapes a connector to the scan bar. the tape probly came off and is sticking to the bottom, remove tape and it should work

It could be the CCD unit going out. It wouldn't hurt to see if there are some new drivers for it:

Here you go

P 4

Do you mean to say that while previewing the light moves and you are able to seek the preview, but the light not moving while you give a scan command?

If this is true this is something unusual. May be you have some hardware problem.

S. Mohan Chennai

Yes there is

Please do the following to scan slides or negatives in manual mode of the Epson TWAIN:
For scanning transparencies in HOME mode - for EPSON SCAN models, not Epson Twain/Manual mode models.
1) In the program you are working from, begin the scanning process. If working in FULL AUTO MODE as the scan begins click PAUSE or CANCEL, then change "Full Auto Mode" to "Home Mode".
2) You will now see all Epson Scan settings displayed. If the scanner has not previewed automatically, click the large preview button to get a visual of what is on the scanner.
3) Ensure the settings on the Epson Scan are correct for what you wish to scan. For example, the DOCUMENT TYPE for transparencies must be either "Color negative film", "B&W Negative Film" or "Positive film"*.
* FILM here indicates that the item being scanned is transparent to light; this setting is also used for slide scanning. Positive indicates that the image is in true colors (ie the grass is green and sky is blue), whereas negative indicates reversed colors, as produced in some photo finishing processes.)
If the DOCUMENT SOURCE is set for a flatbed related option, ie PHOTO, the scanner is looking for reflective items and will not activate the backlight in the transparency unit. If the DOCUMENT TYPES for "FILM" are greyed out or cannot be selected, close the Epson Scan, reseat the power/communication cable connecting the base of the scanner to the transparency unit, then reopen Epson Scan and try again.
NOTE for PROFESSIONAL MODE users: DOCUMENT TYPE should read TRANSPARENCY for film scans.
4) Ensure the other scanner settings are correct for the type of scan you are doing. For example:
IMAGE TYPE should be color photo for all positive or negative color transparencies, or BLACK AND WHITE PHOTO for monochrome transparencies.
DESTINATION is unimportant, however you should select a RESOLUTION appropriate to what you plan to do with the scans. (There are no hard and fast rules for DPI. As a general guideline, if you are saving scans at original size, a resolution ranging from 400-600 DPI should capture enough information to faithfully record the image. If the slide or negative will be enlarged, you will need to increase this DPI accordingly. We have no means to calculate what your exact needs will be in this situation; you will need to experiment and view the output to gauge the appropriate input DPI from the scanner.)
PREVIEW. If your scanner is doing a THUMBNAIL PREVIEW, the slides will automatically preview and appear in boxes on the left side. Here, you can select or deselect the slides you wish to scan.
If you recieve a message that the scanner could not find the film, or you see in the preview that part of the scan is cut off, click the down arrow next to the large PREVIEW button and click NORMAL, then PREVIEW again. In NORMAL PREVIEW mode, the scanner will capture all information on the flatbed; you will then have to manually marquee or crop the slides you wish to scan. Use the left mouse button (click, hold, drag) to lasso one slide inside a box made of dotted lines, then click scan. Only the selected area will scan. Repeat this process for as many slides or filmstrips are on the bed.
5) Click CLOSE once scanning is complete. The images will now transfer to the application in use.

I have the same problem with my 4990. This began when I moved to a new computer running Vista. I've updated all drivers to the latest version including Epson Scan for Vista but the only thing the 4990 "sees" is reflective documents. Negatives are not recognized at all. I know this is probably a different problem from what you are having but the effect is the same.