How to Troubleshoot the Scanner of an all-in-one printer is a straightforward process of elimination. You begin at the most basic level, striking off those issues that are not the problem and work your way up the ladder of complexity until you have a working scanner.
The computer does not recognize a scanner
- Verify the cables are connected properly to the back of the scanner.
- If the scanner is a parallel port scanner, it likely has two available connections on the back of the scanner. Verify that the cable coming from the computer is connected to the “Computer In” port.
- Make sure the scanner is receiving power. Push the power button, which can be located on the top or on the side.
- Check to see if the scanner appears in My Computer. If it does not appear, it is possible the scanner, scanner software, or scanner driver (TWAIN) was not installed properly. Contact your technology coordinator.
Scanner Initialization failed
- You will need to reset the scanner.
- Close any Scanner software.
- Disconnect the cable that connects the scanner to the computer.
- Turn the power switch on the back of the scanner to OFF.
- Turn the computer off, wait 60 seconds, and then turn the computer on again.
- Turn the power switch on the back of the scanner to ON.
- Reconnect the cable that connects the computer and the scanner.
- The scanner should be working again. If not you may need to contact your technology coordinator.
Scanner has stopped working properly.
- A cable might be loose. Ensure that both the USB cable and power cable are securely connected.
- Unplug the power cable from the power source, wait 60 seconds, and then plug it back in.
- Reboot your computer.
- A software conflict might exist on your computer. You might need to uninstall and then reinstall the scanner software via Control Panel’s Add/Remove Programs. (Click here)
- Reinstall the software. If the problem persists, you may need to contact your technology coordinator.
The scanned documents have smudges.
- Check to see if the glass has smudges on them from repeated and prolonged use. (Click here)
- Check your original document. It is possible this is the way the original appeared.
- Try scanning again and see if the cleaning fixed the issue. If necessary repeat the cleaning process.
The Light Bar Flashes or Blinks on the Scanner.
- When the light bar flashes or blinks, the built-in diagnostics are reporting the hardware is not functioning as expected.
- Turn off the computer that is connected to the scanner
- Disconnect power cord and USB cable from the back of the scanner.
- Unlock the Transport Lock several times, if necessary. Make sure it is opened. (Click here)
- Wait 60 seconds before reconnecting the USB Cable and the power cord to the scanner.
- Turn on the computer and rescan to test.
- If problem persists, contact your technology coordinator.
Update the drivers
Verify the latest drivers are installed for the operating system are used on your computer. For a listing of computer scanner manufacturers and links to driver downloads, see our scanner drivers page.
Happy Troubleshooting the Scanner 🙂