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What are steps to sharing a scanner?
#6387 12/05/09 07:38 AM
Joined: Aug 2009
JoBoy Offline OP
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I hope this topic belongs here. I have a scanner that is attached via USB 2.0 to our new iMac. The new iMac is connected to my Mac Pro via GB Ethernet routed through two switches on our LAN. The switches are working normally. I want to access the scanner from my Mac Pro. Both computers are running OSX 10.6.2. I opened System Preferences on the iMac and tried to set up scanner sharing by clicking the Sharing icon and, when that didn't work, I tried it using the Print & Fax icon. Each time, I restarted after carefully following the help instructions. The iMac and the scanner are turned on, but the scanner doesn't show up in the sidebar of my Mac Pro's Finder's windows. I can't get it to work. What am I failing to do? Upon clicking the scanner sharing button, a statement appears on that screen saying "Computers on your local network can access your computer at: XXXX-YYYY-Mac-Pro.local" (XXXX & YYYY are substituted for identifying info). I don't know how to use that address to access that computer or whether I even need to do it. This seems like a simple thing, but no joy. An assist would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.


Mac Pro dual Quad-Core Intel Xeons Early 2008; 16GB RAM; MacOS X 10.11.6, iOS 9.3.5
Re: What are steps to sharing a scanner?
JoBoy #6395 12/05/09 05:20 PM
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Originally Posted By: JoBoy
I opened System Preferences on the iMac and tried to set up scanner sharing by clicking the Sharing icon and, when that didn't work, I tried it using the Print & Fax icon.
Upon clicking the scanner sharing button, a statement appears on that screen saying "Computers on your local network can access your computer at: XXXX-YYYY-Mac-Pro.local"

I'm not familiar with scanner sharing per se nor with Snow Leopard, and the following questions are intended primarily to find out what's going on in some more detail:

- exactly what didn't work? I don't mean scanner sharing, as we already know that. What was your expectation and what did (or did not) happen? Please include the text of any dialog boxes and other relevant information.

- The second quote suggests you are doing this (= clicking the scanner sharing button) on the Mac Pro. AFAIK activating (scanner) sharing is relevant only on the Mac with the resource to be shared (i.e., the iMac).

- Do you have the requisite scanner software installed on the Mac(s) you want to use it on (not just on the iMac it's hooked up to)?


alternaut moderator
Re: What are steps to sharing a scanner?
alternaut #6398 12/05/09 10:11 PM
Joined: Aug 2009
JoBoy Offline OP
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Thanks for your thoughtful reply. I decided to give it one more try keeping in mind what you suggested. I was able to get it to work only after doing the following:
1. De-select scanner sharing on the Mac Pro. The scanner is attached to the iMac via USB2.0.
2. Drastically shorten the computer name for each computer. The original names were so long that they aroused my suspicion that they were too long.
3. Use the Image Capture application from Apple (There is a scanning feature in Adobe Acrobat Pro that works very well when the scanner is connected directly to my Mac Pro, but it apparently doesn't work on the Mac Pro when the scanner is attached to the iMac and shared with the Mac Pro. This gave me some misleading connection failures until I decided to use Image Capture.).
4. Discontinued trying to use the Epson Scan software that came with the scanner. Apparently, Epson has changed its approach and no longer provides scanning software. Instead, they provide a TWAIN compatible driver that enables TWAIN compatible software to run the scanner. I downloaded the new driver to both the Mac Pro and the iMac and installed it on both.

After doing all of the above, things just work! Thanks for getting back to basics. Best regards. smile



Mac Pro dual Quad-Core Intel Xeons Early 2008; 16GB RAM; MacOS X 10.11.6, iOS 9.3.5
Re: What are steps to sharing a scanner?
JoBoy #6399 12/05/09 10:43 PM
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Great to hear that things now work, and thanks for letting us know what you did to get there! laugh


alternaut moderator
Re: What are steps to sharing a scanner?
JoBoy #6404 12/06/09 01:22 AM
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It'll be nice when everyone gets their act together and starts using TWAIN for their scanners.


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