How to get a Canon MF4150 to scan

Question

How to get a Canon MF4150 to scan

I've recently moved from a PC to Mac. Canon provides print and fax drivers for Macs for my laser multi-function Canon MF4150. But not a driver for scanning, and they say they don't have any plans to produce one (in spite of the fact that they still are selling this model and don't say anything about Mac functionality being limited).

Is it really true that it is impossible for me to use the scanner on this machine? (It has a feeder and on the PC one could easily scan in multiple pages and save as a single pdf file.) Are there other drivers or workarounds that might enable me to be able to use the scanner? Canon hasn't responded to my last query about this.

Many thanks to anyone who understands this better than I do.

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Dec 19, 2008 8:22 AM

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Answer 1

Dec 19, 2008 9:35 AM in response to Pied des Cevennes

Here is what it says on the Cannon Website in the Support & Services tab, FAQ’s, “Does my product support Mac OS 10.5 (Leopard)?”

“The following imageCLASS Multi-Function units are supported in Mac Leopard (10.5) for printing and print to fax only. +Scanning is not supported on Mac.+

imageCLASS MF4150“

So apparently it is true that it is impossible to use the scanner on this machine. Sorry.

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Answer 2

a brody

Level 10

82,941 points

Dec 19, 2008 10:04 AM in response to Pied des Cevennes

You may find third party scanner drivers help with that scanner. I've listed a few such solutions on my FAQ*:

http://www.macmaps.com/macosxnative.html#SCANNER

Also if you run a Windows virtualization program, you may find that scanner drivers work in such a program on the Mac*:

http://www.macmaps.com/macosxnative.html#WINTEL

Both may offer solutions not provided by the manufacturer.

- * Links to my pages may give me compensation.

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Answer 3

Dec 20, 2008 3:28 AM in response to a brody

Many thanks for these ideas. I thought that there must be some workaround. Alas, perhaps this may apply to other scanners, but it seems (still) not for mine (Canon MF4150), I've tried all the links and this multifunction is not mentioned. Are these machines really so specialised that practically each one needs its own unique driver? Is it really true that no other driver, i.e. identified for a different machine, might nevertheless work with this one? This technology is way beyond my own comprehension.

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Answer 4

a brody

Level 10

82,941 points

Dec 20, 2008 8:05 PM in response to Pied des Cevennes

Well if Canon can tell you if they used the same drivers for another machine, you might be in luck.

Some machines do have sister machines that use the same drivers.

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