Yosemite and Epson Printer Software Update 3.0

[Jim-St]

I know this is not a "new" question, but can anyone tell me what's currently-accepted best practice in dealing with OS X and App Store pushing of software updates for Epson printer drivers?

I'm raising this as tonight I got a Software Update notification from Yosemite for Epson Printer Software Update 3.0, and there is no longer any way of telling the OS to Ignore or Hide the Epson updates

In a previous thread about update 2.19 there were some suggestions that these updates are meant for the "desktop(office) type printers and "all in one" printer/scanner combos", and they may no longer conflict with the drivers for the Pro printers.

Can anyone confirm that this is so? There seems to be no way to get the darned thing to just "go away", so I think it's going to push out notifications at me on a daily basis until I give in to it

What are other folk doing with these things?

Jim

[Jim-St]

Well, after a little more digging, I think maybe I can answer my own question: on the Epson USA site there's a Yosemite FAQ section here which states in terms:

Q: Should I perform Apple's Software Update to get the latest OS X 10.10 printer software for my Epson Professional Imaging printer?

A: No. Do not run the software update; the printer software for your product is only available from the Epson support site.

So the residual question is: how can you stop Apple sending you notifications for this useless stuff???

Jim

[Mark D Segal]

Two different things going on, and based on my recent experience (Mavericks), there are no longer any conflicts:

(1) A slew of Epson printers that are not in the list for the version 3.0 update; this is mainly office machines and other sub-pro models. We can ONLY update that using the OSX Update feature. Epson directs us there in fact.

(2) The Pro printers (Stylus Pro line, etc.), not in that list: for these we need to download the drivers directly from the Epson website. I have done both and I have experienced no mess-up with either kind of printer. I use an Epson WorkForce Pro for the run-of-the-mill office stuff and a 4900 for photographic printing, and neither is affected by the downloads of drivers from the mandated sources. I think this problem is past history. Seems they fixed it - at least my experience.

[Jim-St]

Hi Mark

Thanks for that: I think your interpretation of the Epson FAQ statement would therefore be that there is no point in running the software update if using a Pro printer like your 4900 or my 3800, but at the same time there is no jeopardy in running same, while of course continuing to download driver updates from Epson.com

Am I right?

Jim

[Mark D Segal]

I think you should have a look at the on-line documentation and assess what it means for you given the equipment you have. I can only respond on the basis of my experience with both types of Epson equipment installed; I do not fear running these updates. And the worst that can happen if anything gets messed-up is that you will need to delete all the Epson software from your computer and reload it.

[pluton]

if you scroll down the huge list of printers contained in that Software Update 3, you'll see that none of the "pro" printers are even listed.  It's all the desktop/business printers.
What annoyed me is that the Apple SW Update  kept trying to get me to install update #3 AFTER I already had installed update #3.
Does the SW update interfere with a pro printer, like my 3880?
I can't swear that it doesn't, because I had some weird printer driver issues around that time, and I'm not about to try try to bring those issues back for the purpose of a test.
Yosemite OS at the time.

[digitaldog]

What are other folk doing with these things?

I never let an Apple update handle anything to do with printers. Kiss of death. While it's true that rarely do they update pro printers, it has happened in the pass and only results in having to conduct the full Epson enema to pull all traces of it from the system, then installing the drivers from Epson.

[Mark D Segal]

Andrew, based on previous threads about this I once had the same approach you recommend until I found that for the "All-in-one" type of office machines Epson produces and one of which I own, there is in fact no alternative for updating that software. The Epson site directs you to Apple Update to procure those drivers. So I did it, held my breath and found zero impact on my 4900. One way or another they seem to have sorted out this problem. My experience only.

[Garnick]

For a few years I had a rather large note attached to my display warning against EVER installing the Apple-Epson Printer Update.  At that time the problem seemed to be related to the fact that the desktop printer/scanner update was version 9, and if the pro printer was using a driver lower than v9 there was definitely a big problem.  I believe that conflict has been taken care of since, but not absolutely certain.  A couple of years ago I installed a refurb Mac Pro and upgraded to OS X 10.7.5.  I was also upgrading Silverfast to v8 at that time. Part of the Silverfast install routine involved installing the Apple-Epson Printer Update, which of course I was very reluctant to do.  I communicated with Lasersoft and made them aware of the issue.  Since there was no workaround, I had to take my chances and do the Apple install.  Luckily it all worked out well and the 9900 exhibited no ill effects.  Having said all of that, I will still not install the Apple Printer Update here at work, and I'm not about to do it just to prove a point.  Perhaps too cautious, but the only Epson desktop printer I use at work is a rather old one and there are no more updates for it.  Therefore, there is no necessity to install the Apple Printer Update.  At home I can do that, since I do not have a Pro Printer there.  And by the way Jim, be patient.  If you ignore the Apple Printer Update long enough, it will disappear  

Gary  

[Garnick]

Andrew, based on previous threads about this I once had the same approach you recommend until I found that for the "All-in-one" type of office machines Epson produces and one of which I own, there is in fact no alternative for updating that software. The Epson site directs you to Apple Update to procure those drivers. So I did it, held my breath and found zero impact on my 4900. One way or another they seem to have sorted out this problem. My experience only.

Hi Andrew,

I was going to quote your reply in mine, but had to wrap it up in a bit of a hurry.  I agree, I'm sure the issue has been fixed.  However, until I actually need that Apple update here at work I think I'll just leave it alone.  I'm glad it worked out well for you, as it did for me a couple of years ago.  Just being overly cautious I'm sure.

Gary

[Mark D Segal]

Hi Gary - you probably meant to address that one to me, not to Andrew. Anyhow - yes, I agree, if there is no need to update, no point disturbing the "status quo".

[Jim-St]

 And by the way Jim, be patient.  If you ignore the Apple Printer Update long enough, it will disappear  

Gary  

Thanks for the tip, Gary.

As a matter of fact I told the notification to go away and come back tomorrow when I started this thread. So far it has not returned. In pursuit of the list of printers cited by Mark and pluton, I went into the App Store and looked under the Updates tab: it now says "no Updates Available" and doesn't show the Epson update in the "Updates Installed in the Last 30 Days" list. So hopefully it's just gone away, and won't return...

It would be good to see a clear statement from Epson as to what they see as the reasons for not running the update: toxic or just irrelevant to the Pro printers, but I'm not holding my breath

Jim

[Mark D Segal]

It would be good to see a clear statement from Epson as to what they see as the reasons for not running the update: toxic or just irrelevant to the Pro printers, but I'm not holding my breath

Jim

No, if I were you I wouldn't hold my breath either - because I think the division of labour between the two update routes is pretty clear: Epson drivers for the office machines, or more generally the non-pro printers are channeled through OSX updates, and Epson drivers for the Pro inkjet printers are downloaded directly from the Epson website. As long as between Epson and Apple whatever conflicts that may have existed between these drivers are now resolved, it should all be pretty seamless, as I have found it to be just over the past couple of weeks. But it would be interesting to hear of any contradictory RECENT experience.

[Wayne Fox]

I had to install the driver for the r3000 recently through Apples update process which is probably why I no longer see the Epson 3.0 update (although I did right click on that update and set it to hide).  No ill effects.  So I think things work OK now.

But if  you don’t have one of those printers, I would try hiding the Epson updates in the app store instead of installing them.

[Jim-St]

... I would try hiding the Epson updates in the app store instead of installing them.

I guess that's what I did, but I'm not sure how I did it    In future I'll just try the "come back tomorrow" command again , and hope it doesn't, again 

Jim