PRINTER DRIVER LIST MISSING FROM MACBOOK PRO

BazzaBoots wrote:

I have been printing on a Canon Pixma MG3650S via Wifi using my Macbook Pro for a couple of years.

It recently stopped printing and after checking all the obvious things, I uninstalled and reinstalled the printer and then the Macbook couldn't find the printer at all. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling a couple of times and then contacted Canon.

I spoke to a few people there and then spent an hour on the phone with a technical guy. After again, trying all the obvious things (resetting the printing system, checking the Macbook and printer are connected to the same router, trying to connect via USB, confirming that everything is configured correctly and seeing that the Canon Utility folder is still visible in the Applications),

he concluded that there was nothing wrong with the printer but that my Macbook has somehow lost the Printer Driver List and I can't load the printer driver because it's not seeing the printer list.

He also said that Airprint is not working. He suggested I contact Apple as I may need to restore the OS (I'm currently using Catalina 10.15.7). He said there is no point in buying a new printer as my Macbook won't currently find any of them. Any ideas anyone please and if you agree I need to restore the OS, how do I go about this safely? Thank you for any help in advance.

I see no Canon Pixma MG3650S supported in— About AirPrint - Apple Support

Seems out of date to me...

what I see https://www.canon.com.cy/printers/inkjet/pixma/pixma_mg3650/

Macintosh Compatible

Mac OS X v10.7.5 to Mac OS X v10.10

If Canon can not point you to an updated driver then I suspect it is time to upgrade(?)

—If you can't find an updated driver for your printer give the open-source, free Gutenprint 5.3.3 driver a try.

http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/MacOSX.php (not past macOS Catalina in Fall 2019 )

Hi,

A Canon MG3650 (without the S suffix) is listed in the July 11, 2023 (en-us) About AirPrint - Apple Support. The S model appears to be some kind of variant of the MG3650. The MG3650S specifications at https://www.canon-europe.com/printers/pixma-mg3650s/specifications/ also mention AirPrint.

One should perhaps not rule out that this is an early and limited AirPrint/firmware version, but it ought to be possible to use the MG3650S without additional drivers with macOS 10.15 Catalina (provided that the printer and the MacBook are connected to the same network (Wi-Fi router).

Add a printer on Mac – Apple Support (UK)

https://www.canon.co.uk/support/consumer_products/apple_airprint_guide/

Just as a test, can you print from an iPhone or iPad (without using a special iOS app)? If so, the printer works with AirPrint.

Use AirPrint to print from your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

AirPrint makes use of Bonjour/mDNS for device discovery. Unless you have done so already, it may be worth testing a full power-cycle sequence (in the order described, including the waiting times):

Power off the Wi-Fi router, the printer, the MacBook Pro, and all iPhones, iPads and other computers/devices. Wait two to three minutes. Power on the router. Wait two to three minutes. Power on the printer. Wait a minute or two. Power on the MacBook Pro. Finally, power on all iPhones, iPads and other computers/devices.

When AirPrint cannot be used, drivers would be needed for the Mac.

https://www.canon-europe.com/support/consumer/products/printers/pixma/mg-series/pixma-mg3650s.html?type=downloads

If you have a green led next to the printer avatar in the Printer's listing, then right-click on that printer entry and choose Reset printing system… a new dialog should appear with symbols on its toolbar. This is what you should select on that toolbar, and how my (wired) laser printer is discoverd by Bonjour on the same network:

I then click that Samsung entry to activate the Use: field and it automatically selects Auto Select and in a moment it changes to Samsung ML-2950 Series (which is the AirPrint configuration). Yours might say AirPrint. This is on Ventura, but the principle is the same for Catalina. Then click Add on that Add Printer panel and you are done.

My experience with Canon printers goes back to the '80s. But with the newest version of macOS, I've found Canon to be lacking in providing appropriate drivers for Macs. Just my experience, but my wife and I have decided no more Canon printers ... Canon is just not on the ball here.

Since your base printer model is supported by Apple's AirPrint, the device must be powered, networked (WiFi or wired Ethernet) and no USB cable must be connected, or Bonjour will not discover it. When the Add panel shows the discovered device, click on its entry and that will enable the Use: selector where you should be able to choose either of Default, or AirPrint, whichever is offered. Then click Add, and right-click on the Printers entry to select Set Default Printer.

But you could switch to Windows, where Canon support thrives… not. 🙃

I also just lost everything over night. NO printers on the list at all. No way to reinstall, because there is NO data to locate.