CanoScan LiDE 600f - failing to open driver

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CanoScan LiDE 600f - failing to open driver

Can't get new scanner to work, either by buttons or CanoScan Toolbox. I keep getting the same message, "Failed to open driver." I can scan a single page as a TIFF image through Image Capture, so I know the scanner is working.

I'm running Tiger 10.4.8 on a PowerBook G4. I cannot find the scanner in the Printer Utility drop-down menu - might this part of the problem? I previously had an HP multi-function installed, but have searched and removed these files and drivers. I tried reinstalling the CanoScan driver from the CD, and installing the driver directly from the Canon website. I have confirmed the scanner is a Mac supported model, and I'd rather not return it!

Any ideas out there? I'm perplexed! Thanks!

PowerBook G4, Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Posted on Nov 19, 2006 7:14 PM

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Answer 1

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PAHU

Level 6

16,705 points

Nov 20, 2006 1:43 AM in response to danzures

Hi there,

Given that the scanner works with Image Capture, we know that the TWAIN data source plugin is present, so it sounds like you may have an issue with the CanoScan Toolbox application. But first of all you have to ensure that the Scan-1 button is set to work with an imaging application so that it will open when the Scan button is pressed. Open the CanoScan Toolbox application and click on the Scan-1 button. In the section 'Link scanned image to' press set and browse to an imaging application, such as Preview, and then press Choose. Now, back at the Scan window, click Apply to save the settings. WHile here you can also set where the image will be scanned to and the format it will be in.

With this set, press the Scan button to test. Your application should open with the scanned image.

If it doesn't, then we need to look for the presence of some files. Note that since this is just a scanner, it doesn't appear in the Printer Setup Utility, so that is not the problem.

Open the Canoscan Toolbox and have a look at the Installer Log file. It should show 5 or more files that have been added to the CanoScan Toolbox folder, some of which are hidden from your Finder view.

Then using Spotlight, search for canoscan. You should have a folder for the scanner located in /Library/Preferences and your home folder Library/Preferences. There should also be a folder in Users/Shared.

You can delete all these files and restart the Mac. Then run the CanoScan installer again and set the scanner and application.

Regards,

Paul

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Answer 2

danzures Author

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Nov 20, 2006 9:02 AM in response to PAHU

Thanks Paul! Problem not solved yet, but my understanding of mac setup has improved! I've copied parts of your text below, with my response following a dash, maybe you could help me again?:

"With this set, press the Scan button to test. Your application should open with the scanned image. If it doesn't, then we need to look for the presence of some files. Note that since this is just a scanner, it doesn't appear in the Printer Setup Utility, so that is not the problem." - Thank you for clarifying it isn't suppposed to appear in the Printer Setup Utility. Guidance from Canon support suggested it should and I've been going crazy trying to add it!

"0pen the Canoscan Toolbox and have a look at the Installer Log file. It should show 5 or more files" - Yes, there were many files listed in the Installer Log file.

"Then using Spotlight, search for canoscan. You should have a folder for the scanner located in /Library/Preferences and your home folder Library/Preferences. There should also be a folder in Users/Shared. You can delete all these files and restart the Mac." - There were no CanoScan folders/files in either LIbrary/Preferences or Users/Shared. Your suggestion said to remove these files, restart, and reload the application. Before doing this, could you confirm that there SHOULD be the CanoScan application files in these areas? Can I just copy them there, since they obviously don't load there automatically from the application disc?

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Answer 3

PAHU

Level 6

16,705 points

Nov 20, 2006 12:38 PM in response to danzures

Re the folders you don't have, this is what is present on my MacBook for my CanoScan 3200F so I cannot be 100% sure as to where the 600F driver loads files. But I would have thought that there would be a similar folder as it contains a number of important files, including the Button Manager application which is what is meant to appear when you press a button on the scanner.

At this stage sit tight and I will download the driver and Toolbox today and see where it loads everything.

In the meantime, can you confirm which application you have chosen for the scan to open with.

Paul

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Answer 4

danzures Author

Level 1

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Nov 20, 2006 6:12 PM in response to PAHU

Thanks for sticking with me...for the moment, I've followed the manual directions and set the scanner to open with PhotoStudio. If there's another application that's better/easier to work with, I'm all ears!

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Answer 5

PAHU

Level 6

16,705 points

Nov 21, 2006 2:41 AM in response to danzures

Okay. Downloaded the driver and ran the installer. There is certainly a lot more files that are added compared to my 3200F. I also didn't know that PhotoStudio and OmniPage were installed, which I didn't select as I did a custom install.

The folder CanoScan Toolbox 5.0 is created in Applications > Canon Utilities. A log file is also created showing all the files that are added. Thankfully they are all located within this folder (some are hidden so all you see is the Toolbox application and the readme files) so deleting the Canon Utilities folder will be all that is required. I suggest this is the first thing you do.

Next, there is a .dat file located in ~/Library/Preferences/Canon/ScanGear/CanoScanLiDE 600F. There is nothing else here so it is safe to delete the Canon folder. You should also see CanoScan Toolbox 5.0 in the same Preferences folder. Delete this folder also.

The last thing to delete is the data source file. Open Library/Image Capture/TWAIN Data Sources and delete the 600F.ds file.

Restart your Mac and run the installer again. You could choose custom and deselect PhotoStudio and OmniPage, since we didn't delete those applications. Once the installation is complete and you have done the restart the installer forces you to do, open Disk Utility (located in Applications > Utilities) and select Repair Disk Permissions. This should repair any changes the installer has made. Once this is complete close Disk Utility.

Hopefully this should be all you have to do. Without the 600F I cannot check this too much further. If I select Scan in the Toolbox, I get the same failed to open driver error as you are. But I also got an error about the scanner not being present when I first tried to open Toolbox. So, I won't make too many assumptions just yet...

Good luck and let me know how you go.

Regards,

Paul

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Answer 6

danzures Author

Level 1

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Nov 21, 2006 5:28 PM in response to PAHU

K. I've deleted all the files you suggested to remove earlier, plus about ten more in various Users, Libraries, and odd locations (these popped up when I did a spotlight search for canon and canoscan). I emptied the trash, shut down, restarted, and ran the Repair Disk Permissions. Still, same message "Failed to open a driver."

I'm intrigued by this problem (well beyond frustration) - are you ready to make some assumptions now? I'm completely mystified...

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Answer 7

PAHU

Level 6

16,705 points

Nov 21, 2006 7:40 PM in response to danzures

Bugger. I didn't want to make any assumptions...

Rather than use the buttons or the Toolbox, can you try to scan from PhotoStudio or Preview.

In PhotoStudio, click on the Scanner icon (or click File > Acquire). It should open the ScanGear preview window. Here you can preview the document and then scan it.

In Preview, click on File > Import Image. This should also open a window that lets you set parameters before a final scan.

If both of these work, then the problem must be with the Toolbox application, although I don't know what exactly. Did you ever have a different scanner or multifunction device with scanner connected to this PowerBook? My assumption is that there could be files remaining from its scanning application that are interfering with the Toolbox.

Regards,

Paul

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Answer 8

danzures Author

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Nov 24, 2006 5:28 PM in response to PAHU

Canon finally found an obscure reference to the problem...it IS a driver problem, and it WAS caused by a previous multifunction device which replaces the Canon driver with an older Canon driver. You were on the right track Paul. Just wanted to say thanks for helping me, I learned alot.

If anyone else is having this problem, here's Canon's reply that fixed the problem:

"Symptoms:

-TWAIN scanner or other TWAIN sources are not listed as selectable
scanning sources in Toolbox or other scanning applications (PhotoStudio,
Photoshop Elements, etc.).
-ERROR: Failed to open a driver

Possible Cause:
"TWAIN Source Manager.Shlb" has been replaced with an older version by
another application or driver.

Solution:
Download the Mac OS X Data Source Manager (DSM) from www.twain.org.

The exact download link is:
http://www.twain.org/mac/TWAINfor_Mac_OS_XSDK.dmg.bin

1. Once the file is downloaded and the disk image is mounted,
double-click it to open it.

2. Open the Carbon TWAIN SDK folder and then the TWAIN folder.

3. Copy the file "TWAIN Source Manager.Shlb" to the following location.
[Library/CFMSupport>

It has been noticed that some HP scanner/all-in-one drivers have
replaced this file with an older version. When this happens, you no
longer have the ability to access the Canon TWAIN drivers from any
application. It was not necessary to remove or replace the version in
this location. Simply follow the steps as noted above."

~D

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Answer 9

Nov 24, 2006 8:37 PM in response to danzures

I'm glad this solved it for you, but for future reference for anyone else having a similar problem, a much easier solution is just to go the PE application folder>plug-ins>import/export and throw out the Elements TWAIN driver, which is notoriously buggy.

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