Troubleshoot scanner issues when scanning using Acrobat

Issue

You're unable to scan a file using Adobe Acrobat and facing one of the following issues. Refer to the corresponding solution to troubleshoot the issue you get while scanning a file.

Issue Solution

File not scanning

Follow the Steps to troubleshoot

Correcting page size when scanning

Some scanners don't report 'supported sizes' to Acrobat when Hide Scanner's Native Interface is selected in Scanner Options inside Acrobat 8. Switch the User Interface option to Show Scanner's Native Interface and select the page size from the scanner application.

Negative image while scanning

If the image comes out negative (for example white paper becomes black), then select Invert Black and White Images in the Scanner Options. Attempt to make the PDF again.

Getting an error when scanning a file.

Select the error you get to find the resolution steps:

Basic troubleshooting steps while scanning

Step 1: Change Data Transfer Method

(Applicable to Windows only)

Change the Data Transfer Method under Scanner Options from Memory to Native Mode.

Memory mode uses the same data transfer method as previous versions of Acrobat and scans directly to the computer's memory. Native mode scans directly to the file and is more compatible with various scanners.

Step 2: Change user interface under scanner options

(Applicable to Windows only)

Change User Interface under Scanner Options from Hide Scanner's Native Interface to Show Scanner's Native Interface. Show Scanner's Native Interface uses the same scanning method as previous versions of Acrobat. It lets the scanner's driver operate the scanner. Hide Scanner's Native Interface attempts to use the Twain driver directly. It can eliminate error messages, especially when scanning multiple pieces of paper. If none of these solutions work, then it's sometimes necessary to use a workaround.

Contact your scanner manufacturer for an updated driver.

Step 3: Verify that the scanner works by scanning in another application

(Applicable to Windows and macOS only)

To verify that the scanner works appropriately, scan the file into another application, such as Microsoft Word, using the same settings that failed with Acrobat.

Note: Photoshop and Photoshop Elements don't always provide good results to test against. Scanner manufacturers develop software specifically for these products to reduce the likelihood of problems.

If the problems recur when scanning another application, contact the scanner manufacturer.

step 4: Scan using Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) instead of TWAIN

(Applicable to Windows only)

Acrobat supports Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) drivers. If your scanner supports both drivers, then select the WIA driver from the Device menu in the Create PDF From Scanner dialog box. Scan the document.

Step 5: Install the latest scanner driver

(Applicable to Windows only)

If a TWAIN file is missing or damaged, Acrobat returns an error message when scanning using the TWAIN interface. Reinstalling the scanner driver replaces the TWAIN file.

Contact the scanner manufacturer to obtain the latest driver. To reinstall the driver, delete all files and folders that begin with Twain (for example, "Twain_32.dll") in the Windows or Winnt folder. Then, restart Windows, and then install the latest scanner driver according to the manufacturer's instructions.

step 6: Restart your computer with startup items disabled

(Applicable to Windows and macOS only)

Some applications can cause system errors or freezes when running concurrently with Adobe Acrobat. Before starting Acrobat, disable other applications, including startup items (items that start automatically with Windows).

To disable startup items in Windows:
To disable startup items in macOS:
  1. Quit all applications.
  2. Choose Start > Run. Type msconfig in the Open box, and then select OK.
  3. In the System Configuration Utility dialog box, select the Startup tab and then select Disable All.
  4. Select OK, and then restart Windows.
  1. Select the Apple logo > System Settings.
  2. Choose General > Login Items. The Opens at Login section lists the applications that will open automatically when you log in.
  3. Select the turn-off button next to the applications list in Allow in the Background section to disable the startup items.

step 7: Rescan the image using a different color mode

(Applicable to Windows and macOS only)

Scanning into Acrobat in some color modes can cause problems when using certain scanners. For instructions on scanning into Acrobat using a different color mode, see the documentation included with the scanner.

Step 8: Specify the image size in the preview panel of the scanner software

(Applicable to Windows and macOS only)

If the scanned image is clipped or has the wrong dimensions, then specify the image size in the preview panel for the scanner software. For instructions on specifying the image size, see the documentation included with the scanner.

step 9: Log in with a new account

(Applicable to Windows and macOS only)

If you've successfully scanned into Acrobat before, your user account could be corrupted, causing problems when you scan. Create a user account with administrative privileges, then log in to your system using the new account.

step 10: Scan the image into another application as a tiff FILE, and then convert the TIFF file to a PDF file.

(Applicable to Windows and macOS only)

To convert a TIFF file to PDF, do one of the following:

  • Drag the TIFF file onto the Acrobat icon.
  • In Acrobat, go to  > Create > PDF from file. Then, select the TIFF file and then select Open.
  • In the scanner software, print the TIFF file to the Adobe PDF Printer.

Correcting page size when scanning

(Applicable to Windows only)

Some scanners don't report 'supported sizes' to Acrobat when Hide Scanner's Native Interface is selected in Scanner Options in Acrobat. Switch the User Interface option to Show Scanner's Native Interface and select the page size from the scanner application.

Negative image while scanning

(Applicable to Windows and macOS only)

If the image comes out negative (for example, white paper becomes black), then select Invert Black and White Images in the Scanner Options. Attempt to make the PDF again.

Error: Scanner not recognized

To fix the problem, try the steps below in the order. After each step, check whether the problem is resolved; if not, follow the next step. 

  1. (Applicable to Windows and macOS only)

    Check if the device is connected physically:

    • Check for the cables (USB, LAN, and more) used to connect the scanner. Disconnect and reconnect the cables to make sure the connections are proper.
    • Ensure the scanner is switched on and doesn't show any error message on its display (if any). In case of any error or if the scanner is stuck at some operation, restart the scanner.
  2. (Applicable to Windows and macOS only)

    Windows can have both TWAIN and WIA drivers installed. Similarly, Mac can have both TWAIN and ICA drivers. Try to scan with any other scanner driver alternative (ICA, WIA, or TWAIN) if one doesn’t work.

    On Windows: Select any of TWAIN and WIA drivers on the scanner selection screen in Acrobat.

    Scanner drivers on Windows

    On macOS: Select the ICA drivers on the scanner selection screen in Acrobat.

    Scanner drivers on Mac

  3. (Applicable to Windows and macOS only)

    Verify if the scanner is working with other applications:

    1. There are some built-in and third-party applications available for Windows and Mac with which you can try to use the scanner:
      • For Windows, there is a software called TWACKER, a free TWAIN scanner driver test utility. It's available for free. You can download and install it to see if your scanner is working.
      • For macOS, a pre-installed Image Capture Application utility can be used to check whether the scanner is working.
    2. Alternatively, If you have any other application installed that uses scan functionality, then you may use the same to test that the scanner is working as expected with that application.

    If the scanner doesn’t work with any application, then this confirms the fact that that scanner isn't functioning correctly, and you may contact the scanner manufacturer for the issue.

  4. Re-launch Acrobat.

  5. (Applicable to Windows and macOS only)

    Restart the system with start-up items disabled:

    Some applications can cause system errors or freezes when running concurrently with Adobe Acrobat. Before starting Acrobat, disable other applications, including startup items (items that start automatically with Windows).

    To disable startup items in Windows:
    To disable startup items in macOS:
    1. Quit all applications.
    2. Choose Start > Run. Type msconfig in the Open box, and then select OK.
    3. In the System Configuration Utility dialog box, select the Startup tab and then select Disable All.
    4. Select OK, and then restart Windows.
    1. Select the Apple logo > System Settings.
    2. Choose General > Login Items. The Opens at Login section lists the applications that will open automatically when you log in.
    3. Select the turn-off button next to the applications list in Allow in the Background section to disable the startup items.
  6. (Applicable to Windows only)

    Install the latest scanner drivers and then restart the system:

    1. If a TWAIN file is missing or damaged, Acrobat returns an error message when scanning using the TWAIN interface.  Reinstalling the scanner driver replaces the TWAIN file.
    2. To reinstall the driver, delete all files and folders that begin with Twain (for example, "Twain_32.dll") in the Windows or Winnt folder. 
    3. Restart Windows and install the latest scanner driver using the manufacturer's instructions.

Error: Scanner driver not found or invalid

To fix the problem, try the steps below in the order. After each step, check whether the problem is resolved; if not, follow the next step.

  1. (Applicable to Windows only)

    Install the latest scanner drivers, and then restart the system:

    1. If a TWAIN file is missing or damaged, Acrobat returns an error message when scanning using the TWAIN interface.  Reinstalling the scanner driver replaces the TWAIN file.
    2. To reinstall the driver, delete all files and folders that begin with Twain (for example, "Twain_32.dll") in the Windows or Winnt folder. Then, restart Windows and install the latest scanner driver per the manufacturer's instructions or steps mentioned here.
  2. (Applicable to Windows and macOS)

    Check if the device is connected physically:

    1. Check for cables such as USB, LAN, and more used to connect the scanner. Disconnect and reconnect the cables to make sure the connections are proper.
    2. Ensure the scanner is switched on and doesn't show any error message on its display (if any). In case of any error or if the scanner is stuck at some operation, restart the scanner.
  3. (Applicable to Windows and macOS only)

    Windows can have both TWAIN and WIA drivers installed. Similarly, macOS has ICA drivers. Try to scan with any other scanner driver alternative (ICA, WIA, or TWAIN) if one doesn’t work.

    On Windows: Select any of the TWAIN and WIA drivers on the scanner selection screen in Acrobat.

    Scanner drivers on Windows

    On macOS: Select the ICA drivers on the scanner selection screen in Acrobat.

    Scanner drivers on Mac

  4. (Applicable to Windows and macOS) 

    Verify if the scanner works with any other application:

    1. There are some built-in and third-party applications available for Windows and Mac with which you can try to use the scanner:
      1. For Windows, there is a software called TWACKER, a free TWAIN scanner driver test utility. It's available for free. Just download and install it to see if your scanner is working.
      2. For macOS, a pre-installed Image Capture Application utility can be used to check whether the scanner is working.
    2. Alternatively, If you have any other application installed with scan functionality, you may use the same to test that the scanner is working as expected.

    If the scanner doesn’t work with any application, then this confirms the fact that that scanner isn't functioning properly, and you may contact the scanner manufacturer for the issue.

  5. Re-launch Acrobat.

  6. (Applicable to Windows and macOS only)
    Restart the system with start-up items disabled:

    Some applications can cause system errors or freezes when running concurrently with Adobe Acrobat. Before starting Acrobat, disable other applications, including startup items (items that start automatically with Windows).

    To disable startup items in Windows:
    To disable startup items in macOS:
    1. Quit all applications.
    2. Choose Start > Run. Type msconfig in the Open box, and then select OK.
    3. In the System Configuration Utility dialog box, select the Startup tab and then select Disable All.
    4. Select OK, and then restart Windows.
    1. Select the Apple logo > System Settings.
    2. Choose General > Login Items. The Opens at Login section lists the applications that will open automatically when you log in.
    3. Select the turn-off button next to the applications list in Allow in the Background section to disable the startup items.

Error: Could not connect to the scanner

To fix the problem, try the steps below in the order. After each step, check whether the problem is resolved; if not, follow the next step.

  1. (Applicable to Windows and macOS only)

    Check if the device is connected physically:

    1. Check for the cables e.g., USB cable, LAN cable etc., used to connect the scanner. Disconnect and reconnect the cables to make sure the connections are proper.
    2. Ensure the scanner is switched on and does not show any error message on its display (if any). In case of any error or if the scanner is stuck at some operation, restart the scanner.
  2. (Applicable to Windows and macOS only)

    Windows can have both TWAIN and WIA drivers installed. Similarly, Mac has ICA drivers. Try to scan with any other scanner driver alternative (ICA, WIA, or TWAIN) if one doesn’t work.

    On Windows: Select any of the TWAIN and WIA drivers on the scanner selection screen in Acrobat.

    Scanner drivers on Windows

    On macOS: Select the ICA drivers on the scanner selection screen in Acrobat.

    Scanner drivers on Mac

  3. (Applicable to Windows and macOS only)

    Verify if the scanner works with any other application:

    1. There are some built-in and third-party applications available for Windows and Mac with which you can try to use the scanner:
      1. For Windows, there is a software called TWACKER, a free TWAIN scanner driver test utility. It's available for free. Just download and install it to see if your scanner is working.
      2. For macOS, there is a pre-installed Image Capture Application utility that can be used to check whether the scanner is working.
    2. Alternatively, If you have any other application installed that uses scan functionality, then you may use the same to test that the scanner is working as expected with that application.

    If the scanner doesn’t work with any application, then this confirms the fact that that scanner isn't functioning properly, and you may contact the scanner manufacturer for the issue.

  4. Re-launch Acrobat.

  5. (Applicable to Windows and macOS only)

    Restart the system with start-up items disabled:

    Some applications can cause system errors or freezes when running concurrently with Adobe Acrobat. Before starting Acrobat, disable other applications, including startup items (items that start automatically with Windows).

    To disable startup items in Windows:
    To disable startup items in macOS:
    1. Quit all applications.
    2. Choose Start > Run. Type msconfig in the Open box, and then select OK.
    3. In the System Configuration Utility dialog box, select the Startup tab and then select Disable All.
    4. Select OK, and then restart Windows.
    1. Select the Apple logo > System Settings.
    2. Choose General > Login Items. The Opens at Login section lists the applications that will open automatically when you log in.
    3. Select the turn-off button next to the applications list in Allow in the Background section to disable the startup items.
  6. (Applicable to Windows only)

    Install the latest scanner drivers, and then restart the system:

    1. If a TWAIN file is missing or damaged, Acrobat returns an error message when scanning using the TWAIN interface.  Reinstalling the scanner driver replaces the TWAIN file.
    2. To reinstall the driver, delete all files and folders that begin with Twain (for example, "Twain_32.dll") in the Windows or Winnt folder. Then, restart Windows and install the latest scanner driver per the manufacturer's instructions or steps mentioned here.

 

 

Frequently asked questions

  • What is a scanner driver software?

Scanner drivers are software programs that tell computers how to run and communicate with a scanner. Installing scanner drivers is an essential step in setting up a working scanner.

  • What types of scanner drivers are available on Windows and Mac?
    • TWAIN: It's the standard interface between software programs and image-capturing devices such as scanners and digital cameras. Nearly all scanner software contains a TWAIN driver, which typically comes with an advanced GUI, using which users can configure all advanced scanner settings.
    • Native Drivers: A platform-specific (Windows or OS X) driver that performs the basic scanning functionalities. Native drivers are either automatically downloaded on the system, or the user must download and install them manually from the scanner manufacturer’s website.
      • WIA: Windows Image Acquisition is a proprietary Microsoft driver model and application programming interface (API) for Microsoft Windows Me and later Windows operating systems that enables graphics software to communicate with imaging hardware such as scanners.
      • ICA: Image Capture Application (a default Mac scanning utility software) driver that can perform basic scanning operations.

Note: In some cases, the scanners may not have both the TWAIN and Native scanner drivers. In those scenarios, all the scanner operations can be accessed by the available driver.

  • How to find and install the drivers?

ICA driver: The latest ICA Scanner Driver for this product is available only via Apple's Software Update. Here's how to get it:

  1. Do one of the following:
    1. If you're using a USB or Ethernet* connection, connect the printer/scanner to your Mac and make sure it is powered on. 
    2. If you're using a wireless connection and your printer is already connected to your router, make sure it is powered on. 
    3. If you're using a wireless connection and your printer is not connected to your router, you'll need to connect your printer to your router. Use your product's control panel to establish the Wi-Fi connection.  
      (*Not all products have an Ethernet port.)
  2. Select the Apple menu and then select Software Update
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the available updates.

WIA Driver: Users of Windows must first log in as Administrator to install programs.

  1. Attach the supplied USB cable to the computer’s USB port and the camera’s Digital Terminal. Prepare the camera for communication with the computer.
  2. After a moment, the computer will automatically install the TWAIN Driver or WIA Driver or the user may be presented with an installation wizard.
  3. If you are prompted to restart the computer, restart the computer as per the onscreen messages.
  1. Device manufacturers usually provide the device driver software’s in a separate CD/DVD. Insert them in the CD/DVD drive in your system and install the provided drivers. Restart the system. (Optional).
  2. If a CD is not provided, then visit the manufacturer’s website provided in the documents shared with the device at the time of purchase.
  1. If in case, no website information is available then make a search on the web for the Device model name and driver for e.g., <Scanner company> <Model Name> scanner driver. Select any of the links which direct to the manufacturer’s website.
  2. On the website look for keywords like “Downloads”, “Drivers”, “Support” etc. and follow those.
  3. If any space is provided on the site for choosing a device for which the drivers are needed, then type-in or select your device model in the space provided.

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