Canon CanoScan 4200F Flatbed Scanner

This is the 2nd Canon scanner (following two Canon printers as well) that I've owned. The first scanner was pretty basic and relatively inexpensive, lasting a couple of years. The 4200f had features that the first scanner didn't, primarily that of allowing the user to scan slides, as well as the one-touch buttons that were very useful, and got good enough reviews to give Canon another try. The scanner only performed well for a little over a year. After that, it failed a little at a time - images were funky, I'd get weird error messages, it would freeze... I was diligent in making sure I always acquired the most current drivers and any other software updates from the Canon site. The scanner is now useless. Whether scanning a photo or slide, using the copy feature or creating a PDF file, the image is always chopped up and rearranged as if turned into a bad jigsaw puzzle and put back together incorrectly. I have shut it down and started it back up, uninstalled (including using software to be sure that every stitch of the original software is removed) and reinstalled the original software, acquired fresh files of the more current drivers, all to no avail. There is absolutely no help on the Canon web site. Basically this has turned out to be yet another disposable Canon product. There will be no antiques for our successive generations. Nothing is built to last forever, but I would expect at least a solid two or three years! I will not buy another Canon product.

It works with no problem, then it stopped working.
The software tells me that it cannot talk to the scanner.
It suggests that I unplug and replug the cords, but this does not work, either.
I reboot my PC WinXP-Prof and turn on the scanner, the system works again.
After this time, the system stopped working with the same message telling me unplug and replug. No matter how I reboot the PC, unplug, turn on turn off, etc, it just saying that it cannot talk to the scanner and I have to unplug then replug again.
Please, don't have attempt to buy it, and be aware of Canon Scanner.

I've been using this scanner for a year now. Never a problem. The software is simple and the scans are great. Very pleased.

I have had mine over a year and love it. I really like being able to scan any document right into a pdf file.
Works perfectly with no problems

This device worked fine for a while, then stopped working. When I attached it to another computer, it worked, but it won't work on the original computer. This expereince suggests a software problem, but though I have uninstalled and reinstalled the software several times, the scanner still doesn't work. There is no new software to be updated from Canon and the Canon software drivers install in an unusual fashion. I think that Canon may be a good hardware company but a bad software company. If you want a lot of frustration and heart ache, buy this scanner.