Why doesn't my scanner work? Whether you have a dedicated scanner device, or a scanner that's part of a multifunction printer (we geeks call that a MFP), you've probably had your share of frustration with getting the thing to work and work reliably. It's just one of those things that we all dream of, converting the old family photo albums to digital, or maybe just occasionally scanning a letter or medical form to email to somebody. What many people find though, is that scanning isn't always quite as pushbutton easy as printing, and that's a source of frustration for many.

Although scanning problems can be caused by a hardware problem, more often it's the result of a problem with software, configuration or drivers (the program that tells your computer how to communicate with the scanner). Sometimes though, it's just that the program used for scanning is more complicated than it has to be, and with infrequent use, you can't remember what you clicked or set to make it work properly the last time you used it!

What are the symptoms? Sometimes when your scanner doesn't work, you get an error message, sometimes you don't. In some cases, the scanner stops working and remains that way. In other cases, it seems like it scans sometimes, but not all the time. Here are some typical symptoms that our customers report:

• My scanner software says it's searching for devices but never finds one.
• My scanner says it has timed out.
• My photos scan, but the quality is poor.
• My scanner says it's warming up but the light never comes on.
• My scanner goes through all the motions but the file comes out blank.
• I can't find where my scanner is putting scanned files.
• I just upgraded to Windows Vista and don't know how to make my scanner work again.
• My scanner has buttons but they don't do anything when I press them.
• I have a scanner but have just never been able to figure out how to use it.

What can be done about it? Sometimes when a scanner stops working, you can get it to go again by reinstalling. To do this, first disconnect your scanner from your computer, then uninstall the software that came with your scanner. Next, reconnect your scanner and follow the instructions to reinstall the software. If your computer doesn't recognize that the scanner is attached, it may be a cable problem or a failure of the scanner hardware. Another problem that happens is the scanner bulb burns out. In this case, the scanner would appear to do everything normally, but never light up. Unless you have a very high-end scanner, out-of-warranty hardware failure usually means recycling and replacement as the cost of repair is often close to, or greater than, the cost of replacement.

How can Geek Housecalls help? When you call Geek Housecalls for help with scanning problems, we will first try to determine if it's a software problem, or a problem with the scanner hardware. This is important, because with the average price of scanners hovering around $150, it doesn't make a lot of sense to have you pay us that much, or more to tinker with an inexpensive scanner, when the problem could be solved by simply replacing the unit at a comparable cost.

Your geek will arrive prepared to solve your scanning problems. All Geek Housecalls geeks have extensive hands-on experience installing, configuring, and troubleshooting scanners including stand-alone units, specialized photo and slide scanners, sheet scanners, auto-feed scanners, network scanners, all-in-one printer/scanners and multifunction printer/scanners. Our experience is not limited to specific manufacturers and our geeks are equally comfortable working with brand name printers like HP, Canon, Epson, Lexmark, Dell, Brother, Fuji, and xerox, as well as lesser known and specialty brand scanners.

In any case, you can count on Geek Housecalls to get in and solve your scanning problems as well as make suggestions for how to work with your scanner for more reliable operation or to prevent problems in the future, so feel free to look over our shoulder and ask questions! We want to leave you not only with a working scanner, but also with a smile!