The cause of the scanner error being unusable – Printer unable to scan is a fairly common problem when your all-in-one printer fails to run the scanning function, and you don't have to worry too much when your printer doesn't want to scan and usually just prints, Because usually this happens because there are some minor problems.
Several Ways to Overcome Printer Cannot Scan
You can check the main cause of the printer not being able to scan it easily and you can handle it yourself without the help of others, especially the help of a service technician whose costs are not cheap, please follow the method of dealing with a printer that cannot scan, which you can handle below.
1. Turn Printer Off and On
Sometimes when someone wants to use the scan process, the condition of the printer is already on (ON). When this condition is often encountered, printer users who connect the printer via a wifi network (network) cannot access the printer scanner. Try turning off the printer first and then trying to run a scan to the printer again
2. Check Printer Cable
Before tinkering with software and drivers, the simplest way to solve the printer can't scan, in this case you need to check all the cables that connect the printer to the computer. Is the cable plugged in correctly, or is it loose? Or maybe the printer cable is not plugged into the right usb port?
If the printer cable is not connected properly, it will interfere with the connection between the printer and the computer. Because usually for those who are not used to installing printers, they often like to confuse which one is a monitor cable and which one is a printer cable, remember, the printer cable is smaller and slimmer than the monitor cable.
It should also be remembered that when turning on the computer, the printer must be turned on before the computer is turned on. The boot process will detect and find the computer's connection to the printer if the device is present. However, the detection process is ignored if the printer itself is not turned on.
3. Check Driver Installation and Scan Program According to Printer Type
Another cause that usually causes the printer to not be able to scan is an error in choosing the driver, make sure you install the driver according to the printer series you have and is compatible with your computer or laptop operating system, whether Windows 32 bit or 64 bit.
Please try to uninstall the old driver first until it's clean, then you just have to search on Google for the brand and printer series you have to install the driver according to the type of printer you have.
Likewise with the program, some printer brands have special programs for scanning purposes, for example on Canon printers, to run the scan function properly, the MP Navigator program is needed.
4. Reduce Scan Resolution
The next cause that can cause the printer to not be able to scan is not enough memory, this usually happens on computers with small RAM below 4GB. To fix this the solution is quite easy, when the scan window opens, in the scanning preferences menu or scanning settings, you can reduce the scan resolution or just set the scan resolution to normal.
The high scan resolution makes the file size larger and the computer is sometimes unable to scan documents with very large sizes due to the limited RAM memory on the computer. If you still can't scan, please upgrade the RAM of your computer or laptop so that it is balanced with the printer you have.
5. Clean the scan glass and rollers on the printer
Dirty scanner glass and rollers often make the scanner undetectable by the computer, therefore, you must be diligent in cleaning the scanner glass and rollers with dry tissue slowly. When it has been cleaned, please turn on the printer and try to re-scan the document to be scanned, usually after cleaning it has been detected on the computer screen.
6. Check Firewall Settings
The problem of the printer not being able to scan can also be caused because the printer connection is blocked by a firewall, generally this problem often occurs on WIFI printers, to fix this, please check the firewall settings on your computer or laptop in control panel > security > Allow all incoming connections for the printer.
7. Reset Printer
The last way you can do if the printer cannot scan is to reset to the initial settings, to reset please follow the instructions below:
- Step 1: Turn on the printer.
- Step 2: Press and hold the "Reset" button on the printer (located under the power button)
- Step 3: Wait for 5 to 10 seconds.
- Step 4: Release the “Reset” button
- Step 5: Wait for the printer to turn on and return to settings beginning.
- Step 6: Please try to re-scan, usually when it's reset, the printer can scan as usual.
Those are some of the causes of scanner errors on printers and easy ways to deal with printers that cannot scan that you can handle yourself, please try one by one the tutorials that we have mentioned above.
The method that we shared above includes a general method that can be done on all models and types of multifunction printers that have a scanner device, but this method may also not apply if the printer unit you have is an old type printer which may cause damage to parts/ scanner components due to age of use, good luck and hopefully useful.