Troubleshoot scanner issues when scanning using Acrobat Part 1
Issue
You're unable to scan a file using Adobe Acrobat and facing one of the following issues. Refer to the corresponding solution to troubleshoot the issue you get while scanning a file.
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
File not scanning | Follow the Steps to troubleshoot |
Correcting page size when scanning | Some scanners don't report 'supported sizes' to Acrobat when Hide Scanner's Native Interface is selected in Scanner Options inside Acrobat 8. Switch the User Interface option to Show Scanner's Native Interface and select the page size from the scanner application. |
Negative image while scanning | If the image comes out negative (for example white paper becomes black), then select Invert Black and White Images in the Scanner Options. Attempt to make the PDF again. |
Getting an error when scanning a file. | Select the error you get to find the resolution steps: |
Basic troubleshooting steps while scanning
Step 1: Change Data Transfer Method
Change the Data Transfer Method under Scanner Options from Memory to Native Mode.
Memory mode uses the same data transfer method as previous versions of Acrobat and scans directly to the computer's memory. Native mode scans directly to the file and is more compatible with various scanners.
Step 2: Change user interface under scanner options
Change User Interface under Scanner Options from Hide Scanner's Native Interface to Show Scanner's Native Interface. Show Scanner's Native Interface uses the same scanning method as previous versions of Acrobat. It lets the scanner's driver operate the scanner. Hide Scanner's Native Interface attempts to use the Twain driver directly. It can eliminate error messages, especially when scanning multiple pieces of paper. If none of these solutions work, then it's sometimes necessary to use a workaround.
Contact your scanner manufacturer for an updated driver.
Step 3: Verify that the scanner works by scanning in another application
To verify that the scanner works appropriately, scan the file into another application, such as Microsoft Word, using the same settings that failed with Acrobat.
Note: Photoshop and Photoshop Elements don't always provide good results to test against. Scanner manufacturers develop software specifically for these products to reduce the likelihood of problems.
If the problems recur when scanning another application, contact the scanner manufacturer.
step 4: Scan using Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) instead of TWAIN
Acrobat supports Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) drivers. If your scanner supports both drivers, then select the WIA driver from the Device menu in the Create PDF From Scanner dialog box. Scan the document.
Step 5: Install the latest scanner driver
If a TWAIN file is missing or damaged, Acrobat returns an error message when scanning using the TWAIN interface. Reinstalling the scanner driver replaces the TWAIN file.
Contact the scanner manufacturer to obtain the latest driver. To reinstall the driver, delete all files and folders that begin with Twain (for example, "Twain_32.dll") in the Windows or Winnt folder. Then, restart Windows, and then install the latest scanner driver according to the manufacturer's instructions.
step 6: Restart your computer with startup items disabled
Some applications can cause system errors or freezes when running concurrently with Adobe Acrobat. Before starting Acrobat, disable other applications, including startup items (items that start automatically with Windows).
| To disable startup items in Windows: | To disable startup items in macOS: |
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step 7: Rescan the image using a different color mode
Scanning into Acrobat in some color modes can cause problems when using certain scanners. For instructions on scanning into Acrobat using a different color mode, see the documentation included with the scanner.
Step 8: Specify the image size in the preview panel of the scanner software
If the scanned image is clipped or has the wrong dimensions, then specify the image size in the preview panel for the scanner software. For instructions on specifying the image size, see the documentation included with the scanner.
step 9: Log in with a new account
If you've successfully scanned into Acrobat before, your user account could be corrupted, causing problems when you scan. Create a user account with administrative privileges, then log in to your system using the new account.
step 10: Scan the image into another application as a tiff FILE, and then convert the TIFF file to a PDF file.
To convert a TIFF file to PDF, do one of the following:
- Drag the TIFF file onto the Acrobat icon.
- In Acrobat, go to
> Create > PDF from file. Then, select the TIFF file and then select Open. - In the scanner software, print the TIFF file to the Adobe PDF Printer.
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