Canon Scanner Troubleshooting

June 4, 2016 6:52 PM

I have purchased a new scanner to scan our photos and photo slides, but my computer doesn't recognize that it's hooked up. Help?

I have a CanoScan 9000F Mark II, and the computer runs Windows 8.1.

I installed the scanner and the software that comes with the scanner, some software that may not be essential to scanning. I try to "import" from the scanner in Picasa 3, and ScanGear software (which either came with the software or may have come with the computer) starts, and gives me an error message:

"Cannot communicate with scanner because:
-Scanner is turned off.
-USB cable is disconnected.

Please check and try again.
Scanner driver will be closed.

Code 5,156,61"

The scanner is clearly connected (windows can "see" the scanner), and I have swapped out the USB cable, but it gives the same error. I have installed the scanner on my Windows 10 laptop, without the other software, and I can scan via Picasa 3 and Adobe (not on the Win 8 laptop).

How do I get rid of the error message on the computer? I can't find the ScanSoft software in CCleaner, so I can't seem to install the scanner with the bare driver, but if someone knows what I need to do to fix that, I appreciate it.

Thanks in advance!

posted by China Grover to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

This error seems to happen when you have two instances of the same scanner installed. Try going to Control Panel and in Devices and Printers changed the default printer to the "first" instance of possibly two of the same printer installations.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 7:59 PM on June 4, 2016

ScanGear software (which either came with the software or may have come with the computer)

If you're in any doubt about that at all, look for everything Canon under Control Panel > Programs and Features, and uninstall it. Then restart Windows. Then install the driver from your new scanner's support disc.

Canon installers default to giving you loads of crap you don't need, so it's worth exercising that support disc's Custom option and installing only what you do: scanner driver + ScanGear.
posted by flabdablet at 8:29 AM on June 5, 2016

If possible, return it and get your money back. I have to keep a Vista computer around for my Canon scanner because Canon doesn't update their driver software. You may think, hey that isn't my problem now, but it will be in a year or two :)
posted by hh1000 at 9:18 AM on June 5, 2016

Response by poster: Well, I ended up upgrading the computer to Windows 10, and that resolved the issue.

Thanks for all your help, and I'll close this up.
posted by China Grover at 7:53 AM on August 8, 2016