Epson Printer Software update 2.19

[Len R]

I see Epson released a software update for mac on November 15.  Has anyone installed the update? 
What has changed, and is it bug free?  My 3880 is printing beautifully from LR5, and I'm reluctant to change anything.

Thanks,

Len

[Mark D Segal]

I see Epson released a software update for mac on November 15.  Has anyone installed the update? 
What has changed, and is it bug free?  My 3880 is printing beautifully from LR5, and I'm reluctant to change anything.

Thanks,

Len

There is a difference of driver numbering between the Apple Update and what is on the Epson website. To be absolutely certain you are downloading the bespoke drivers for whatever Epson printers you own, I would recommend doing it directly from the Epson website unless that site re-directs you to Apple. Then do it from there.

[Garnick]

I see Epson released a software update for mac on November 15.  Has anyone installed the update? 
What has changed, and is it bug free?  My 3880 is printing beautifully from LR5, and I'm reluctant to change anything.

Thanks,

Len

Hi Len,
If this is the Apple Epson Update from the App Store you should NOT install it at all, NOT EVER.  This has been a known issue for several years and I don't believe it has been fixed, although I may be wrong about that.  This update is for desktop printers and scanners only, not Pro models and wide format printers.  The update can play havoc with your 3880 and cause a BAD DAY in a hurry.  I would NEVER install this update and it's very important that you do not install every update from the App Store as a package.  Make sure you always separate them and avoid this one.  If this update on the App Store has indeed been fixed I apologize for being so insistent, but it's my belief that it hasn't.

Gary    

[Len R]

Thanks Mark, I agree, I would only download from Epson.  
Just wondering what the update does and if it has any problems.

Len

[Len R]

Glad I asked!  Yes, this update came through the app store.

I will stay away...

Thanks.

[Garnick]

There is a difference of driver numbering between the Apple Update and what is on the Epson website. To be absolutely certain you are downloading the bespoke drivers for whatever Epson printers you own, I would recommend doing it directly from the Epson website unless that site re-directs you to Apple. Then do it from there.

Hi Mark,

Sorry, I was writing my reply while you were sending yours and I agree with your assessment as well, although even if Epson were to re-direct to Apple I would still be very leery of that update and would not install it.

Cheers,
Gary

[Mark D Segal]

Hi Mark,

Sorry, I was writing my reply while you were sending yours and I agree with your assessment as well, although even if Epson were to re-direct to Apple I would still be very leery of that update and would not install it.

Cheers,
Gary

Gary, my take is that if Epson re-directs to Apple, the two companies have worked this out, and it is probably fine. The drivers for the office equipment are not the same as the drivers for the professional inkjet series, so in principle they should not conflict unless they share some elements in common, or if what one does has a collateral impact somewhere in the OS on the other - I have no idea; but given the age and publicity of this matter, it would surprise me if the two companies had not yet fixed whatever may have been causing issues in the past. In the final analysis, Andrew Rodney has provided advice on how to strip-out and reload all your Epson software/drivers, so if worst comes to worst, all is recoverable, just a time-consuming nuisance.

[Manoli]

In the final analysis, Andrew Rodney has provided advice on how to strip-out and reload all your Epson software/drivers, so if worst comes to worst, all is recoverable, just a time-consuming nuisance.

I've done a quick check on the Epson EU site and I see a new driver (9.33) released on 23-10-2014. Likewise on the US driver page.  I don't see any reference to a 2.19 release.

Epson also have an uninstall utility v1.2.7, epson16640.dmg, dated 10-23-2013 - although this is updated on the EU site to v1.2.8, dated 30-Sep-2014:  link

[Garnick]

Gary, my take is that if Epson re-directs to Apple, the two companies have worked this out, and it is probably fine. The drivers for the office equipment are not the same as the drivers for the professional inkjet series, so in principle they should not conflict unless they share some elements in common, or if what one does has a collateral impact somewhere in the OS on the other - I have no idea; but given the age and publicity of this matter, it would surprise me if the two companies had not yet fixed whatever may have been causing issues in the past. In the final analysis, Andrew Rodney has provided advice on how to strip-out and reload all your Epson software/drivers, so if worst comes to worst, all is recoverable, just a time-consuming nuisance.

 Hi Mark,

The original issue with the Apple Epson Update was the driver version of the Pro printers vs office printers/scanners.  That happened about 3 years ago and I have never installed the update from the Apple Software Update dialog(now the App Store of course).  Initially this issue killed  many of the large format printers and caused a lot of lost time with some other members of this and another forum, so I was lucky enough to have that information before I upgraded to the Mac Pro/Intel.  Apparently if the large format printer driver wasn't version 9 the Apple Epson Update(v9) would interfere in various ways and basically render the Pro printer useless.  As a matter of fact I noticed a couple of posts earlier this year referring to this update, so in my case it will never be installed from the App Store on my 9900.  I'd rather not take the gamble and possibly prove my previous caution to have been correct.  Yes, there definitely is a routine to work around this problem, but it's not a matter of a few minutes downtime.  There's a lot of other work after the driver has been reinstalled -- printing presets, custom paper sizes etc that will have been lost.  In my opinion a high price to pay for an experiment.  Hopefully Apple and Epson have indeed learned how to play well together, but I won't testing that theory anytime soon, meaning NEVER.  I think perhaps your faith in the two companies communicating is stronger than mine Mark.

Gary

[Mark D Segal]

Gary, it's not a matter of faith. By accident I did perform one of these updates (because I forgot to click on the update icon to get the details before installing), I flew into a near panic, asked various contacts how to undo it, got the advice I needed, but after I took myself off the ceiling I turned on the 4900, checked all my presets, etc., made a print and ALL WAS FINE. Now, that was some months ago, and is a sample of one with a 4900 printer. So my sample of one experience says they did fix it. Is it generally and totally fixed?? (Should be)

[Garnick]

I've done a quick check on the Epson EU site and I see a new driver (9.33) released on 23-10-2014. Likewise on the US driver page.  I don't see any reference to a 2.19 release.

Epson also have an uninstall utility v1.2.7, epson16640.dmg, dated 10-23-2013 - although this is updated on the EU site to v1.2.8, dated 30-Sep-2014:  link

I think the confusion here is possibly due to the fact that the Apple Epson Update mentioned(2.19) is probably aimed strictly at desktop(office) type printers and "all in one" printer/scanner combos as it was initially.  Almost two years ago when I was upgrading Silverfast it required the installation of the Apple Epson Update, since it uses the Apple Image Capture App as well.  I shared many emails with Lasersoft US and we finally came to the conclusion that I should try installing Silverfast without the Apple Update installed.  I did that and everything worked well and has done so ever since.  It's the OS part of the driver that was impacted with the Apple Epson Update and that is what killed the Pro driver initially.  As I mentioned, I hope they have fixed it, but it's not a gamble I'm prepared to take.

Gary  

[Garnick]

Gary, it's not a matter of faith. By accident I did perform one of these updates (because I forgot to click on the update icon to get the details before installing), I flew into a near panic, asked various contacts how to undo it, got the advice I needed, but after I took myself off the ceiling I turned on the 4900, checked all my presets, etc., made a print and ALL WAS FINE. Now, that was some months ago, and is a sample of one with a 4900 printer. So my sample of one experience says they did fix it. Is it generally and totally fixed?? (Should be)

Hi Mark,

Well that's certainly a good sign that it may very well have been fixed.  I hope that is indeed the case.  However, being the über cautious person that I am, I won't be trying it myself.  Oh me of little faith, still  .  Will I ever learn?  Well, hopefully not the hard way at least.

Cheers Mark,
Gary

[Mark D Segal]

I hear you - I am also quite risk-averse - as I say, I learned by accident. :-)

[pluton]

I installed that update the other day since I have a junk( and I mean JUNK) Epson desktop "printer";  The 3880 still prints OK so far.  God save us from a resurgence of Gutenprint.