Level 1

10 points

Problems with "Printers & Scanners" preference pane under Mavericks

Since installing OS X Mavericks I can no longer print to our WiFi enabled Epson WF-7515 network printer, and attempting to access the "Printers & Scanners" preference pane in System Preferences either produces a Preferences Error which reads "Could not load Printers & Scanners preference pane", or gives a corrupt version of the preference pane which then in turn leads to a different Preferences Error reading "There was an error in Printers & Scanners preference pane".

* Restarting in Safe Mode gives same results.

Posted on Oct 30, 2013 3:33 AM

45 replies

Art Machine Author

Level 1

10 points

Nov 5, 2013 4:48 AM in response to Puttyhead

I am in the same boat as you, Puttyhead.

I too have a Roland printer with which I use a PPD. And guess what? I can't print to it.... but - like you - I can print to our other printer, Epson Workgroup machine.

stueey

Level 1

14 points

Nov 5, 2013 4:44 AM in response to Art Machine

My fresh Mavericks install got the printer prefs issue when I tried to install the Roland PPD.

If you use Roland Versaworks then set up hot folders in your job management and just save pdfs into there, I;ve just started doing it and tbh it's better than having to install a ppd and printing direct.

camokid

Level 1

19 points

Nov 5, 2013 4:51 AM in response to Art Machine

I should have said, this occured after attempting to install an Epson PX650.

camokid

Level 1

19 points

Nov 5, 2013 6:57 AM in response to Art Machine

I just came across this.

http://d.hatena.ne.jp/akane_neko/20131025/1382692525

I don't speak/read Japanese, but a Google Translate seems to suggest this may be a fix.

I'll be trying it tonight when I get to my MBP, but if anyone else wants to try in the meantime, please report.

camokid

Level 1

19 points

Nov 5, 2013 6:59 AM in response to camokid

The above references this:

https://discussionsjapan.apple.com/thread/10139013

Art Machine Author

Level 1

10 points

Nov 5, 2013 8:25 AM in response to camokid

Thanks, camokid!

Those instructions did it for me. A lot less hassle than a bare-metal reinstall...!

camokid

Level 1

19 points

Nov 5, 2013 8:29 AM in response to Art Machine

Fantastic!

I wont take the credit though.

Unless someone beats me to it, I'll try it later and add the steps needed here.

Anyone know how we alert Apple to this solution so they might remedy it in an update?

Nov 5, 2013 9:23 AM in response to camokid

Yes, the steps to resolve this would be welcome. Thank you for all of your work on this.

You can send feedback to Apple here:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html

camokid

Level 1

19 points

Nov 5, 2013 1:15 PM in response to Art Machine

Steps to fix this issue:

1. Open Terminal (Applications > Utilities > Terminal)

2. Input in Terminal (without quotes) "defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles true"

3. Input "killall Finder" - at this point Finder will restart and you should be able to see hidden files

4. Navigate to - Macintosh HD > private > etc > cups

5. Delete the files "printers.conf" and "printers.conf.0" - you may be asked for your admin password

6. The preference pane should now work

7. To re-hide hidden files go to Terminal an input "defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles true"

9. Input "killall Finder"

Then you're done.

I've not yet tried to install printer drivers but will report if it works, or not.

Art Machine Author

Level 1

10 points

Nov 6, 2013 1:30 AM in response to camokid

Okay.... I decided to reinstall my printers and here's what happened:

* Epson Workgroup (WiFi printer) - totally OK.

* Roland Versacamm (shared network printer using PPD) - caused the original issue to recur; fixed it by carrying out the above steps again.

camokid

Level 1

19 points

Nov 6, 2013 3:10 AM in response to Art Machine

Do both printers work after that?

Nov 6, 2013 3:48 AM in response to Art Machine

I can confirm that, at least in my case, it's the Roland Versaworks PPD that is causing the problem.

Using TextWrangler, i edited the printers.conf file, removing the Roland printer information:

"<Printer Roland>

UUID urn:uuid:2c3ec6f6-4c2d-35c2-49f7-264083cab33b

Info Roland

DeviceURI smb://aford:Signcrap88@sign-aweinstein:139/rolandvw

State Stopped

StateMessage Unable to connect to printer

StateTime 1383321701

Reason paused

Type 8450124

Accepting Yes

Shared No

JobSheets none none

QuotaPeriod 0

PageLimit 0

KLimit 0

OpPolicy default

ErrorPolicy stop-printer

</Printer>"

Saved the file and the "Printers and Scanners" pref pane opened just fine, showing all the other printer queues that i had installed, but not the Roland.

So it looks like Roland needs to get on a Mavericks update for their PPD.

Art Machine Author

Level 1

10 points

Nov 6, 2013 5:07 AM in response to camokid

camokid wrote:

Do both printers work after that?

No, the Roland steadfastly refuses to work and just having its PPD installed makes the Preferences Pane inaccessible (ie the original issue).

Art Machine Author

Level 1

10 points

Nov 6, 2013 6:49 AM in response to Puttyhead

Puttyhead wrote:

So it looks like Roland needs to get on a Mavericks update for their PPD.

Unfortunately Roland "currently don't have an ETA for a new version" and say that "The Versaworks PPD files haven't required updating since 2008. If they are not working in Mavericks then Apple has made some significant under the hood changes." I find that last line all too believable.

I'd roll back to Mountain Lion right this moment but I'm led to understand that it is actually impossible to do so. Can anyone confirm/deny if this is indeed the case? This has put a severe crimp in our workflow, as we are having to print all our stuff to the Versaworks RIP via the single Mountain Lion machine....

stueey

Level 1

14 points

Nov 6, 2013 6:51 AM in response to Art Machine

Just set up hotfolders from Versaworks, it's really very easy and it means no print driver needed.

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Problems with "Printers & Scanners" preference pane under Mavericks