MP Navigator EX, CanoScan 5600f, and 10.8

Question

MP Navigator EX, CanoScan 5600f, and 10.8

I've been using my CanoScan 5600f and Canon's MP Navigator EX 2.0 with my iMac to scan the old family slide collection. The software is pretty clunky, but it worked OK.

Things got weird after I upgraded to 10.8: I am able to scan using MP Navigator 2.0.6, but running Navigator appears to freeze the animation that's supposed to appear when mousing over items in the dock. Also, when I try to drag and drop items in the Finder or try to drag items out of the dock, the item gets stuck to the cursor such that I can't actually drop what I'm dragging. And MP Navigator behaves somewhat differently: after scanning using the scanner driver, MP Navigator no longer automatically closes the scanner driver window. Instead, I have to manually close the window in order to save or edit the scans.

I'm unable to use Image Capture: when click "show details" (to adjust dpi, select positive transparency, etc.), I get "An error occurred during scanning." I've downloaded the most recent driver I could find (dated 8/4/12). I've also tried to use MP Navigator EX 3.0, but it doesn't support the 5600f. By the by, my iMac is a first-gen aluminum (2007) C2D 2.0Ghz/4gb.

Wasting lots of time trying to figure this one out, and wondering if I have to backtrack to Lion. 😟

Posted on Oct 25, 2012 6:17 AM

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Answer 1

Nov 4, 2012 5:19 PM in response to paddle2thesea

OK, after re-installing 10.8 and some more systematic testing, it looks like the issue with dock animations and click and drag are NOT related to my Canon scanner or the software that came with it. It seems to be an intermittent but oft-repeating bug with 10.8, and I'm not the only person who's got it. On the up side, putting my iMac to sleep and immediately waking makes the problem disappear for a while, but I've had to do that four times today.

Fix, please.

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Answer 2

Nov 19, 2012 4:42 AM in response to paddle2thesea

Found a fix. If you're having trouble with Dock animations, hover features, and drag-and-drop (possibly with an iMac 7,1), check out this thread.

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Answer 3

LousyFool

Level 4

2,662 points

Nov 19, 2012 1:07 PM in response to paddle2thesea

You should also go to the Canon website and get the latest ML-compatible software versions. What you're using is from stone age, and a lot of trouble reported here across the forum is caused by old and/or non-compatible software.

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Answer 4

Nov 19, 2012 3:10 PM in response to LousyFool

Last August is the Stone Age? In any event, I just checked the Canon site--the driver I'm using is the most current one available. As I indicated above, my trouble no longer seems connected to my scanner or scanner software.

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Answer 5

LousyFool

Level 4

2,662 points

Nov 19, 2012 3:22 PM in response to paddle2thesea

My MP Navigator EX is 4.0, and I can't remember since when, it's a looooong time ago I updated it, and 1.5 moons ago I went to 4.0.3 to make it work with Mountain Lion. Just saying...

Once you're at it, consult your Login Items list and be surprised what you find there. But if you insist, it's all irrelevant, of course. Just saying... 😉

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Answer 6

Nov 19, 2012 4:37 PM in response to LousyFool

Neither 3.0 or 4.0 support the Canon 5600F. Thanks for trying.

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Answer 7

LousyFool

Level 4

2,662 points

Nov 19, 2012 4:59 PM in response to paddle2thesea

Leaves the following suggestion (because maybe there's some old stuff left in the system from the days before updating to 10.8.x):

1. Back up.

2. In System Preferences -> Print & Scan, reset the printing system (right-click on a printer, find it in the context menu).

3. Find and delete any Canon scanner apps under Applications.

4. Go and manually find and trash anything related to scanner in the Root/System/User Libraries, (prefs, drivers, anything).

5. Delete anything related from the Login items list in user accounts.

6. Restart Mac.

7. Re-install scanner (via Print & Scan) and software from scratch.

Probably needless to state, but I wouldn't be surprised if after point #6 the funny drag & drop effects had ceased. If not, you may also reset the SMC, and if it doesn't help, trash the Finder and Dock prefs if you haven't yet.

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