Scanner Not Working
Scanning a large number of documents can be a chore, even when the hardware and software play along. However, when incompatibilities and issues start cropping up, the task becomes even more daunting.
If you are having issues with your scanner and it would not work as expected, this article will give you three quick tips you can try in order to get the scanner back in working order.
-
Table of Contents
Check your cable connections
First and foremost, before you start wondering about driver issues and hardware failure, check all cables. This includes both the power cable of your scanner, as well as the data / signal cable connecting the scanner to your computer.
Loose cable connections have caused more scanner and printer issues than anything else. Make sure the cables are plugged in well and your scanner is receiving power. If this does not take care of the issue, move down the list of suggestions.
-
Reinstall the scanner drivers
Open your device manager by right clicking on your Start menu button and selecting "Device Manager" in the menu. In the device manager window, find your scanner and right click it, then select "Uninstall device".
This will cause Windows to install the default driver next time you reboot your PC. If this still doesn't help the issue, find the driver provided by the scanner's manufacturer and install it.
-
Run the Windows 10 system file checker
Scanner problems can sometimes be caused by system file corruption and issues. Run the Windows 10 system file checker utility to take care of any possible issues in that area.
Open the command prompt by first opening your start menu, typing in "cmd" and clicking the Command Prompt app icon. Once you can see the text terminal window, type in the following command and hit enter:
sfc /scannnow
This will cause Windows to scan all important system files and restore any damaged, missing or otherwise problematic files.
Those solutions will take care of many common scanner issues you might encounter.
