Don't know if this is relevant, but I found it on a help forum:

 

I am in UK - I have the same Epson Stylus Photo 810 printer and, after
getting into problems last week using the XP installation disk on my new
Vista laptop, I found that the the Epson website says don't use your XP
installation disk on Vista. So I contacted Epson support and I reproduce
their clear and v helpful response below.

.....Please be advised that unfortunately we have not produced any updated
drivers for your printer for Windows Vista. There are however, alternative
drivers included as part of your operating system. To install these drivers
please follow the instructions below:

1. From the Desktop select Start > Control Panel.

2. In the Control Panel select Printers.

3. In the Printers window click on Add Printer this will bring up the Add
Printer wizard.

4. Select "Add Local Printer".

5. Select the correct Port for your Printer and click the "Next" button
until you arrive at the screen entitled "Install the Printer Driver".

6. This screen will be split into two parts. On the left hand side you will
need to pick the Manufacturer, in this case EPSON. On the right hand side
select the model of your printer, when you have selected the options click
the "Next" button to continue.

7. Keep clicking "Next" leaving all the settings at default until you reach
the final screen where you will need to select "Finish"......

The printer now works happily - and I note that the properties screen for
the printer says that it has the Epson Stylus Photo (M) driver installed. I
can also drive it over my home wireless network when it is connected to my
desktop (and this is my normal mode of operating).

cheers pete

but thats the one i tried-i still couldnt get it to work

ta for looking though

i think id better be off to bed before i kick the printer in

goodnight

Aw pirate, I had a similar experience when we got our new computer last year; I had a lovely lexmark printer/scanner that I loved, and it still worked spot on, but it was fairly old.. I even had new cartridges in it at the time. I tried everything to get it compatible with the new computer but in vain We did manage to get a good sale deal on a lovely kodak printer, which is wireless and all that jazz, but I still prefer the software for the old lexmark! I gave it to a friend who had no printer and she loves it, so at least it didn't get scrapped! I wish you luck in your mission, but bear in mind you may have to be prepared to get a new one

9hours later-ive managed to get it running on my laptop with windows xp

b*stard thing

 

Well done Pirate. Ten out of ten for determination, perseverance and downright stubborness.

This is what I hate about Microsoft. Why should anyone have to change the hardwear because they change the softwear?

 

I had a similar criticism years ago when I went from Windows98 to XP with a Packard Bell scanner.  However, I believe it was Packard Bell's responsibility to provide software driver updates that run on versions of Microsoft operating systems not the responsibility of Microsoft.  Suffice to say, Packard Bell didn't have any drivers on their website for my model of scanner even though the scanner was only three years old.  It had to be binned in the end. 

The customer should not be held to ransom because a company "Improve" something (change the version) All hardwear that runs on the previous version should still work.

No-one should have to bin a 3 year old scanner. It is just wrong.

Yes, it is wrong.  So it's up to the manufacturers of the scanner to modify their drivers to work on a new version of the operating system. 

 

However, I would imagine that Packard Bell weren't really interested in supporting their old products as they'd already made the sale.  I would think they were more interested in selling a new scanner than prolonging the life of their existing products for no commercial benefit to themselves.

 

Inevitably when a new operating system is released, it's released to do different things with different hardware specs and some functionality falls by the wayside.  I think the word MS use is deprecated.  Microsoft can't ensure that all third party hardware or software remains supported indefinitely, especially when such support may bloat their own software (which is bloated enough in the first place) and unintentionally nobble functionality and security.

 

Put it this way, you wouldn't want to be downloading software patches in 2011 from MS to enable around a dozen people in the country to use their Alba cheapo 128mb MP3 player that sold for £20 six years ago.

I don't think it's in dispute that versions of Windows are usually improved.   I think it's fair to say that Windows 3.1, Windows NT, Windows95, Windows98, XP and Windows 7 were significant improvements on their predecessors.