How to Fix Scanner Not Working in Windows 10

1. Turn the scanner off, wait 30 seconds, and turn it on.
2. Unplug the USB cable and use a different cable and a different port. Plug into the PC directly, not into a hub or a docking station.
3. For a flatbed scanner, release the transport lock if it has one, and check the power adapter.
4. Close any other scan program. Only one app can use the scanner at a time.
5. Restart the PC with the scanner connected.
6. Press the Copy button on the scanner itself. If it cannot copy, the problem is the hardware, not Windows.

1. Press Windows + R, type services.msc and press Enter.
2. Find Windows Image Acquisition (WIA), right-click it and choose Properties.
3. Set Startup type to Automatic and click Start (or Restart if it already runs).
4. Do the same for Shell Hardware Detection.
5. If you get error 1068, open the service’s Dependencies tab and start Remote Procedure Call (RPC) and DCOM Server Process Launcher first.

Set-Service -Name stisvc -StartupType Automatic
Restart-Service -Name stisvc
Set-Service -Name ShellHWDetection -StartupType Automatic
Start-Service -Name ShellHWDetection

stisvc is the short name of the WIA service. HP’s support team gives the same check: status should be Running and startup type Automatic.

1. Windows 10: Settings → Update & Security → Troubleshoot → Additional troubleshooters.
2. Windows 11: Settings → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters.
3. Run Printer and, if listed, Hardware and Devices. Choose Apply this fix when it offers one.
4. Restart and test the scanner.

1. Open Settings → Devices → Printers & scanners, select your device and click Remove device.
2. Press Windows + X, open Device Manager and expand Imaging devices (also check Scanners, Cameras and Universal Serial Bus devices).
3. Right-click the scanner, choose Uninstall device, and tick Delete the driver software for this device if shown.
4. Unplug the scanner, restart the PC, then reconnect it. Windows should find it and install a WIA driver.
5. If it does not, click Add a printer or scanner in Settings.

1. Note the exact model name printed on the scanner or printer.
2. Open the maker’s official support site, search the model, and choose Windows 10 (64-bit).
3. Download the full driver or app: HP Smart or HP Print and Scan Doctor, Epson Scan 2, Canon IJ Scan Utility or ScanGear, Brother iPrint&Scan, or the maker’s TWAIN or ISIS driver for a document scanner.
4. Run the installer as administrator and connect the scanner only when it asks.
5. Restart and test.

1. Open Windows Fax and Scan from Start and click New Scan, or install the free Windows Scan app from the Microsoft Store.
2. Pick your scanner under Scanner and click Scan.
3. If this works, the scanner is fine. Reset or reinstall the other app and, in its settings, choose the same scanner and the right source (WIA or TWAIN).
4. If this fails too, the problem is the driver, service or connection. Return to Fixes 2 to 5.

For Office, OneDrive or QuickBooks, also check that the save folder exists and that you have permission to write to it.

1. Make sure the PC and scanner are on the same network (same router and same Wi-Fi band or LAN).
2. Settings → Network & Internet → click your connection and set the profile to Private. Turn on Make this PC discoverable.
3. Control Panel → Network and Sharing Center → Advanced sharing settings → Turn on network discovery.
4. In services.msc, set these to Automatic and start them: Function Discovery Resource Publication, SSDP Discovery, Network Location Awareness.
5. Allow the scan app and network discovery through Windows Defender Firewall for the Private network.
6. On the scanner’s own panel or web page, confirm WSD and multicast discovery are on, and note its IP address.
7. If WSD stays unreliable, add the scanner by its IP address using the maker’s software, or switch to Scan to folder or Scan to email.

ping 192.168.1.50

Replace the sample address with your scanner’s IP. No reply means a network problem, not a Windows scanner problem.

1. First run Windows Update and install everything pending, then restart. A newer driver or patch may already fix it.
2. If it began right after one update: Settings → Update & Security → Windows Update → View update history → Uninstall updates, and remove the newest update.
3. Or use System Restore (search “Create a restore point” → System Restore) to return to a date when the scanner worked.
4. Then follow Fix 5 and install the maker’s latest driver, which is the lasting fix.

1. Click in Notepad and scan a barcode. Most USB barcode scanners act like a keyboard, so the numbers should appear as typed text. If they do, the scanner works and the problem is your app.
2. If nothing appears, check for a beep and light on the scanner. No power means a bad cable or port, so try another port.
3. Scan the USB HID keyboard setup barcode from the scanner manual to reset it to keyboard mode. Scanners set to COM or serial mode need their own driver.
4. In Device Manager, check Human Interface Devices and Keyboards for a warning mark, and uninstall and replug if there is one.
5. Click into the right field in your app before scanning. If characters are missing or no Enter is sent, change the suffix setting from the manual.
6. For a Bluetooth scanner, remove it from Settings → Bluetooth & devices and pair it again after putting it in pairing mode.

1. Open Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Run the repair commands below one at a time and wait for each to finish.
3. Restart the PC and test.
4. Still failing? Do a clean boot (msconfig → Services → hide Microsoft services → Disable all, then restart) to check whether security or other software blocks the scanner.
5. Try the scanner from a new Windows user account to rule out a damaged profile.
6. Run a full scan in Windows Security to rule out malware.

sfc /scannow
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

If the scanner fails on a second PC as well, the scanner hardware or its USB port is faulty and needs repair or replacement.

1. Install HP Smart from the Microsoft Store or HP’s support site, sign in and add your printer.
2. Download and run HP Print and Scan Doctor, choose your device and select the scanning fix.
3. Confirm WIA is Running and Automatic (Fix 2). HP’s own guidance lists this as the first check.
4. For Wi-Fi models, enable scan to computer in HP Smart or the printer’s web page, and allow it through the firewall.
5. If old HP Solution Center software crashes, remove it and use HP Smart.

1. Install Epson Scan 2 and, for the scan button on the device, Epson Event Manager.
2. Open Epson Scan 2 Utility and check that your scanner is selected. For a network model, add it by IP address.
3. Open Epson Scan 2 directly to test before using any other app.
4. If it fails, uninstall Epson software, restart, and reinstall the latest package for your exact model.

1. Install the full driver package with IJ Scan Utility and ScanGear MP (PIXMA), or MF Scan Utility or MF Toolbox (imageCLASS).
2. For Wi-Fi models, use Canon’s network scanner selector tool to choose the scanner, and turn on WSD and multicast discovery on the device.
3. Canon community reports show that old models sometimes need a newer driver after moving to Windows 10, so check the support page for your exact model.
4. Test in Windows Fax and Scan (Fix 6) to see whether Windows can reach the scanner.

1. Install the Full Driver and Software Package for your model, then open iPrint&Scan.
2. In the Brother software’s device or scan settings, choose the scanner and, for network models, enter the IP address.
3. Print the printer’s network configuration page to read the IP address, and ping it (Fix 7).
4. If the scan key on the machine does nothing, check its scan-to-PC setting in the Brother software.

1. Many document scanners use the maker’s own TWAIN or ISIS driver. Install it first, then connect the scanner.
2. Use a USB port on the PC itself, not a hub, and the original power adapter.
3. Test in the maker’s own scan utility. Then pick the same driver type (TWAIN or WIA) in your scan app.
4. If the scanner appears with a warning in Device Manager, uninstall it and the driver, restart and reinstall (Fix 4).

1. Open the maker’s support site and search by model or Service Tag.
2. Download the Windows 10 64-bit driver and scan software, not a generic driver.
3. Install it, restart, and follow Fix 2 if the scanner is still not found.