Oce Print/plotter Problem

[jmedley]

Hi:
We have purchased an OCE TDS 320 Printer/Plotter. Just as we purchased this machine Windows Vista came out. Oce software would not work with Vista; therefore, we went back to XP and left the Vista machine to collect dust. This past weekend the XP machine went belly-up. No repair possible! Since we already had the Vista machine we decided to go back to it. The scan to plot feature of the Oce machine is the only thing that we can't get working with Vista. Our local distributer for Oce says we need to update Oce software to the tune of $500.00 plus with no guarantee that it will work. Does anyone have any ideas how to make this work or does anyone have experience with these machines? THANKS for any help you can offer! Since this machine is less than two years old and Vista is the latest and greatest, are we wrong to expect this damn thing to work?

[rkmcswain]

1. In your third sentence, you say "Oce software would not work with Vista". Are you talking about the driver for the client PC, or are you talking about some sort of Oce branded software that runs on the printer controller?

2. Your local distributor sounds a little flaky. Either the software is supported on Vista or it's not. Do you not have a local Oce rep with whom you deal directly?

[michael.12445]

Since your XP machine went "belly up," would it be possible to take the XP disk that came with it and install it on the Vista machine?

Michael Evans
Togawa Smith Martin Residential, Inc.

[Harold Pei Jr]

Wait a minute... with a computer, repairs are ALWAYS possible, unless it exploded. If that's the case, I'll say you can't do much.
As Mr. Evans asked, can you swap the hard drive?
Do you know what went wrong with the XP box?

[jmedley]

Thanks for your replies.
I realize that all computers can be repaired. The computer that I crashed is a machine that I put into service when XP first came out. It is pretty show and not worth fixing. I lost the hard drive and would have to start over with all software installation. There was more that 150G bits of programs in it. This would take several days to install and I don't even want to think of all of the problems that would pop up. All of this information was already in the Vista machine.

The Oce controller is on a separate computer with stripped down windows operating system that does not seem to be compatible with Windows Vista. The Oced representative (service man) is only capable of accessing it. I am locked out of any changes to the system. The Oce representative that I am talking to is my local Oce representative. He explained to me today, that everyone who is using these Oce machines have gone back to Windows XP. I have complained to him for at least a year trying to get this to work with all of office computers to no avail. My thinking is that I have spend BIG dollars to get this machine and that it should work on the latest Windows OS. With every other piece of hardware in our office Firmware and other software was provided by the manufacturer to work with Vista. Oce seems to want us to buy it! I guess that is the only way, but I can guarantee you that there will never be another Oce machine around that I have anything to do with!

[rkmcswain]

I'm still confused. Is it the Oce Controller that has crashed or a PC owned by you?

If the latter, what is this application that Oce is supplying that is _not_ Vista compatible?
Are you talking about Repro Desk maybe, or just a printer driver?

Thanks.

[Harold Pei Jr]

So is the XP machine that crashed the OCE controlling comp then?
We use an OCE plotter and scanners here, but we keep the controlling comp clean, and running on some older OS, might even be 98.
I'd just swap out a hard drive, get Windows XP Pro and install it on the now Vista machine, then load all your OCE software on there. It'll cost you about $250, but still cheaper than the $500 for just the software.

[rkmcswain]

I forgot about one possibility. If you own the Oce, the I guess the controller is your responsibility. If you were leasing your Oce machines, they would just come out and fix the controller.

[york]

In our office I was the only one with a Vista machine and wasn't able to plot to our Oce9400. In frustration I went to Oce online and emailed their customer suport. The next day I had a reply and directions to download a new driver to my computer. The new driver wasn't even for the 9400 but it worked almost perfect. I had to fudge around the title blocks a little to make them plot with the proper boarders but I can now plot.

[paddymackey]

Why not install XP on the pc with Vista and work away as you have before?