MacBook M5 Pro Suddenly Stopped Recognizing Canon scanner - but printer works fine. Is this an OS update glitch?

madisonNYC wrote:

In Image Capture, the name of my scanner is listed on the left. So, it does "see" the scanner. But then it says "Waiting for scanner." After about a minute, it comes up with a bunch of error messages

Also, when the Canon rep first tried to use Image Capture, it worked and scanned it. But every time I've tried to use it since then, it won't.

It sounds like it actually did work under Tahoe, but now it doesn't. Note that the most recent Tahoe updates have been mostly security-related updates, so there might be a clue there. Is your network fairly conventional, using typical defaults for security and networking for the router and clients on the network? Printing and scanning should either both work or both not work, but scanning is a little different in that the scanner device is sending something to and saving it on your Mac, while printing goes the other direction. Do you have any third party security-related tools installed (other than the Apple ones built into the macOS, which are best used alone and unaugmented since third party security tools tend to conflict)? This could include VPN, anti-virus, monitoring tools (like Little Snitch and others), firewalls, special network/router setups ... VPN would be of special interest here because it can intrude even on local network functions. My employer's VPN (which they provided and mandated to connect to the employer network from remote) used to allow split tunneling but then that was modified (not enough security with the original setup) and after that, when the VPN was in use, I could not print or scan using local network printers and scanners until I turned off the VPN.

Have a look through the many Privacy and Security Settings on your Mac. The Mac I am using right now is a 2019 Intel MacBook Pro and yours is a much newer Mac so you have a more comprehensive suite of security settings than I do. But look through those settings carefully, making sure than the Canon-related items have access to files/folders and permissions to access and write to things, including "find items on the network." There is one setting pertaining to allowing devices to be used and it might consider the printer to be a separate device from the scanner, I don't know. The 922 is a very old device.

I am still mystified by the odd collections of symptoms you experienced (first it worked, then it didn't). I have been using an Epson XP-820 printer/scanner dating from 2015 and a Canon MG8120 printer/scanner dating from 2010. Both are still working, but I am disposing of the Canon one because its "ink pad is full" and the parts to replace it are no longer available anywhere. So it still works but I am disposing of it before it causes a mess. We also have a new Epson ET-3950 printer/scanner which is superb in all respects, several times faster than the old ones, crisp black/white and color, and the first such device I have ever used which appears to use only tiny amounts of ink (and you refill it with inexpensive bottles, no more cartridges), even after printing several hundred pages of tax forms earlier this year.

If getting something new and nice like an EPSON ET-3950 is not for you, investigate this option

https://www.hamrick.com/vuescan/canon_mx922.html

Vuescan creates and offers drivers for older scanners and yours is one it supports. If yours is a networking issue that won't help, but if you only need an appropriate driver, Vuescan does have one for your device.

Based on the symptoms, there is a reasonable possibility that this is a macOS/Tahoe compatibility issue with the MX922's scanner function, rather than a problem with the printer itself. 

However, there is not enough evidence to say that the latest Tahoe update definitely caused it.

Your MX922 still prints from the new M5 Pro Mac, and it still scans successfully from your older Mac running Sequoia. That makes a hardware failure of the scanner less likely. 

The fact that Image Capture on Tahoe cannot see the scanner is also significant.

Apple's current documentation says that a scanner or multifunction printer should appear in Image Capture >>  Devices or Shared. Apple also recommends deleting and re-adding a scanner when it previously worked but is no longer available. 

Since you have already done that, and Apple has also reinstalled Tahoe, you have gone beyond several of Apple's standard troubleshooting steps. (Apple Support)

Apple's scanner setup documentation also specifically says that macOS needs the latest scanner software available and directs users to check with the scanner manufacturer for updates. (Apple Support)

At this point, I would make one simple comparison. On the Sequoia Mac, open Image Capture and see how the MX922 appears under Devices. 

Then check the same location on the Tahoe Mac. 

If the MX922 appears as a scanner on Sequoia but is completely absent on Tahoe, that would provide useful evidence that the two macOS versions are handling the scanner differently.

You can also try Preview >> File >> Import from Scanner on the Tahoe Mac. 

Apple documents Preview as another way to scan. If Preview also cannot see the MX922, that would suggest the problem is not specific to Image Capture. (Apple Support)

There are also Canon Community reports from MX922 owners describing scanning problems after newer macOS updates while printing continued to work. Those reports don't prove that your current Tahoe update is responsible, but they make the compatibility explanation worth investigating.

https://www.usa.canon.com/support/p/pixma-mx922?utm_source=chatgpt.com

The most reasonable conclusion at this stage is therefore:

The MX922 scanner itself is demonstrably working on your Sequoia Mac, while Tahoe cannot detect it. There is a history of MX922 scanning problems associated with newer macOS versions, so a Tahoe/Canon scanner-compatibility issue is a plausible explanation, but it has not been confirmed as the cause of your particular problem.

Apple's relevant troubleshooting pages are:

Solve scanning problems on Mac

Set up a scanner to use with Mac

Image Capture User Guide

Preview User Guide for Mac

I

madisonNYC wrote:

I looked through my "privacy & security" settings, and the boxes next to the Canon app for accessing the local network are all checked.

I don't have any third party security tools other than the Mac ones, and I don't use a VPN.

I did find this post (which was in response to issues with a different older scanner)

Sequoia 15.1 Update disables scanner conn… - Apple Community

and in that post this user describes what they did to enable scanning with the 922:

dag064

User level: Level 1

8 points

Dec 8, 2024 6:31 PM in response to cstogner@huntersville

The following method worked for my Canon MX922 printer/scanner.

On your Mac navigate to Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network > Canon IJscanner5.

The name of your app may be different than mine.

Slide the switch to the right to allow the app to access the Local Network.

Hope this helps you.

Also, have a look at this link: https://support.usa.canon.com/kb/s/article/ART140340 which explains how to uninstall and reinstall the drivers for the 922.

And finally, you might consider using a USB cable to connect to the scanner. Not ideal, but something about the wireless networking is no longer working.

I downloaded Vuescan as you suggested, and it would work.(It was slow -- but worked). But it charges $40/year.!! So I don't want to subscribe to it. It would almost be cheaper to just purchase a whole new scanner/printer that would last for years. ... If you know of a free Vuescan or Vuescan alternative app, please let me know.

There are many alternatives to Vuescan. But I just don't know how well they might work. I entered the following into my browser "Are there alternatives to Vuescan for macOS" and there were AI responses and links provided listing at least half a dozen other apps. Some are free, but some are not free. You could explore those options as well.

Based on everything you ha’ve described, I think we can narrow the issue down somewhat, although I don't think we can yet say with certainty whether Apple or Canon is responsible.

Your Mac is detecting the scanner because it appears in Image Capture, but the scan itself never gets past “Waiting for scanner.” Printing from the same multifunction device continues to work, which indicates that the Mac can communicate with the device for printing, although scanning can involve different software and communication components.

The fact that Image Capture successfully scanned from this Mac when the Canon representative tested it is particularly relevant. It shows that scanning was working previously. The fact that Preview now produces essentially the same “Waiting for scanner” result also suggests that this is not necessarily an Image Capture application problem alone.

The timing is also worth noting. You had used the new Mac for several months without problems, and the scanning problem subsequently appeared in connection with a macOS update. 

That does not prove the update caused the problem, but it certainly makes the timing relevant.

Apple's current documentation confirms that Image Capture and Preview are supported methods for scanning with a scanner or multifunction printer on a Mac.

 Apple's troubleshooting guidance also specifically addresses situations where a scan does not finish. (Apple Support)

You can see Apple's official instructions here: Scan images or documents using a scanner and your Mac and Solve scanning problems on Mac. Apple's Image Capture guide is also here: Image Capture User Guide.

Given what you ha’ve already tried, I do not think repeatedly checking the basic connections or reinstalling Tahoe is likely to tell us much more. 

The next useful step is to identify your exact Canon model and the precise version of macOS Tahoe you are  running.

At this point, I would describe the situation simply as: the Mac detects the scanner, but scanning is no longer completing, despite having worked previously and despite printing from the same device continuing to work. 

That is what the evidence establishes without going beyond it.

madisonNYC wrote:

I looked through my "privacy & security" settings, and the boxes next to the Canon app for accessing the local network are all checked.

I don't have any third party security tools other than the Mac ones, and I don't use a VPN.

I downloaded Vuescan as you suggested, and it would work.(It was slow -- but worked). But it charges $40/year.!! So I don't want to subscribe to it. It would almost be cheaper to just purchase a whole new scanner/printer that would last for years. ... If you know of a free Vuescan or Vuescan alternative app, please let me know.

If it worked again with Vuescan, then that points towards the scanner drivers (from Canon) being outmoded in the sense that they are not compatible with macOS (the latest version or the version you are using). Since Canon has dropped support for this device, they won't be updating those drivers anymore.

I am hoping someone reading here might suggest something to use instead of Vuescan. Vuescan used to be free, but apparently no longer.

Have you tried completely reinstalling the 922 scanner drivers? I have had to do that with my older printer/scanners a few times after OS updates, along the way to 26.6.2.

Next step would be to completely remove the 922 from Printers/Scanners Settings panel and reinstall. But I don't want to risk your printer because it is still working.

steve626 wrote:

madisonNYC wrote:

I Do you have any third party security-related tools installed (other than the Apple ones built into the macOS, which are best used alone and unaugmented since third party security tools tend to conflict)? This could include VPN, anti-virus, monitoring tools (like Little Snitch and others), firewalls, special network/router setups ... VPN would be of special interest here because it can intrude even on local network functions.

Good points my friend 👍 visa vie VPNs and Third Party Security software

Just to compare

Using a M4 Desktop, M5 Laptop and M2 Desktop Tahoe 26.6.2 with an old Epson ET 2750 Printer Scanner circa 2017

Both the Scanner and Printer function via AirPrint without any type of hiccups

Never ever needed installed an ICS file from Epson from the get go

Owl-53 wrote:

Just to compare

Using a M4 Desktop, M5 Laptop and M2 Desktop Tahoe 26.6.2 with an old Epson ET 2750 Printer Scanner circa 2017

Both the Scanner and Printer function via AirPrint without any type of hiccups

Never ever needed installed an ICS file from Epson from the get go

All great and valid points. I seem to take the opposite approach, when the device is new, I install all the bells and whistles, as I like the extra features.

BUT ... as time goes by, and the manufacturer stops updating those things to stay current with the latest macOS, those bells and whistles one by one stop working. In the end, I return to the basic printing and scanning functions without all the doodads because the manufacturer stops updating them and they no longer work. So little things like scanning from a button on the device screen stops working, although scanning from Image Capture still does work.

Right now I am enjoying the ET-3950 because all its "extras" are working and supported. We don't buy new stuff very often (our cars are 16 and 23 years old, still running well) so for me it's fun. I plan to get a new M5 or M6 MacBook Pro soon, looking forward to that. 2019 MacBook Pro still working great but now on Tahoe and can't be upgraded beyond Tahoe.