Scanning with Infanview

[wilderness]

Apologize if this is off topic.
I've used Ifranview as my initial scan software for more than ten years. Tens of thousands of scans.
A month ago began a project to scan an approximate 30k in A120 negatives. (scanner is Microtek i900).
I'm scanning two side by side negatives at one time to save time (there is virtually no difference in the time required (to scan) for a single A120 as the time required for two A120s (i900).

Scans take in the neighborhood of 12-15 minutes at 2400DPI.
The 130meg+ files cause Ifranview to do weird things (must be a memory limitation as PhotoShop handle the large files fine)

On occasion I get a sort of crash, rather a popup for an end of Sub-folders directory.
If I click on the popup, get a subscreen with hordes of RAW file options and eventually the screen closes and I lose the open (non saved) scan requiring another scan and lost time.
I've tried Ifranview forums, hlp and google for solutions and none fo the keyboard shortcuts allow me to save (not lose) the open scan.

I've finally realized that what I'm doing is accidentally rolling the mouse roller wheel to the next directory, however unable to determine how to close and save my scan?

Might anybody understand all this and possibly have a solution?

[Patrick Gauthier]

Hi wilderness,

Is the solution to your problem simply turning off the option to scroll through images in the directory using the scroll wheel?
If this is the case, you can disable the option to use to the scroll wheel do to this. Check this (https://forums.ubi.com/showthread.php/287024-Strange-IrfanView-Problem-Forums) forum.

Specifically,
"However, one can influence this behaviour: See Edit, Properties/Settings.
Under Browsing/Editing one can switch on or off:
* If the end/begin of the folder is reached, loop current folder (during browsing)
* 'Jump to next image if Page keys or Mouse wheel is used (if vertical scrollbar visible)'"

Maybe you already have checked this forum and I'm off point here. I also use IrfanView for simple edits of work related files and found the wheel scrolling irritating and simply disabled it.

Hope this helps,

Patrick

[wilderness]

Many thanks Patrick.
Don't recall if I tried that. Will give it a go.

One problem is that Ifranview doesn't retain the settings because the scan file sizes are so large. It won't even retain the path setting.

[wilderness]

Patrick,
Just wanted to thank you again.
Will have to wait and see when/if it happens again (been being more careful with the mouse buttons).
This is an intensive project.
Had not scanned any negatives in nearly five years and only used this scanner once or twice in the same period. Previously, scanned only B&W negs and most of these are in color.
Took me an approximate two weeks to settle into a routine and get all the settings correct.
Monthly backup was a bit of a nightmare.

[Patrick Gauthier]

Awesome, hope it works out for you!

[wilderness]

Patrick,
In ten days (and an approx 250 dual-scans) and since changing the setting, this issue has not occurred a single time. Thanks so much.

[Jmarmck]

What is really irritating is accidentally tapping the wheel while edit in Irfanview. I have a mouse that will slip the wheel at the drop of a hat. I trashed that mouse. I have use this software for decades but not for heavy editing. I use it more as a file manager than anything else. Some things it does very well. Some not. Handling large files is not one of its strong suits. I have never tried to scan with it though. I can only imagine the difficulty given how it takes forever to process a folder full of large TIFF files.
Still, I might give it a try. Thanks

[Patrick Gauthier]

great news! Glad to hear it.

[Alan Klein]

Why do you use Irfanview rather than the scan software of the scanner? Irfanview doesn't scan, I don;t believe. It just starts the scan and files the result. The scanner's program is doing the scanning.

As an aside, I scan with an Epson scanner using their Epsonscan software. I edit all results using Lightroom or Photoshop Elements. I generate 200-250mb tiff files for each medium format 6x7 negative. I just tried using my Irfanview to open and switch from 200mb picture file to picture file. There were no delays. I'm wondering if the problem you have with Irfanview is that the computer may have limited processing and memory that is slowing it down?

[wilderness]

Alan,
thanks for your input.

All software's use the scanner driver for the actual scanning (in this instance Microtek ScanImage), however the driver doesn't store the image in the interim. Ifranview is superb for general editing (sizing and other slight corrections ).
Over more than a decade, I've used Ifranview for tens of thousands of scanned images, and while others may prefer other software, I've found it the most effective for my needs.

As to computer, I'm using a HP-Pav-A820 (XP32) which was top of the line in it's day. Max motherboard memory is 4gig, which it has (and was even renewed recently).
This A820 works faster than an early quad-core with XP64 for the same use.
I tested the computers side by side with the same scanners and the same files (scanning) and A820 faster.
I've only assumed that since the older quad was slower than the 820 that a newer quad (or higher CPU) would be just as slow. Thus why spend the $$ simply to test compare.
I've no issues with my general every day (work horse cheapo) scanner, rather this Microtek i900 and these negatives present a different agenda. (12-15 minutes for a scan (not actually the scan itself) and transfer of the data to Ifranview (or what ever other software you might wish), all the while holding that large file scan in memory (not accessing on a hard drive).

FWIW using the Firewire connection (i900) rather than the USB 2.0 was actually slower processing).
A better graphics card might provide better results, however I've never been into expanding graphics cards.