Troubleshoot scanners and digital cameras

The following situations are common for both scanners and digital cameras.

The Insert button is dimmed when I select a scanner.

The Insert button might be unavailable because the scanner or digital camera software does not support automatic scanning. Use the Custom Insert button instead.

When I click the Custom Insert button, nothing happens.

The device window might not be on top. If there is a button for the device software on the Windows taskbar, click it to display the window.

I got an error message when I tried to scan or download a picture.

All of the device software might not be installed   When you plug in and install your device, be sure to follow the  manufacturer's directions and install all of the software that accompanied your scanner or digital camera.

Your device might not support TWAIN or WIA  Make sure that your device is TWAIN- or WIA-compatible and that it came with software supporting TWAIN or WIA, which you installed. If you are not sure if the device supports TWAIN, refer to the device documentation or contact the device manufacturer.

You might need to use Custom Insert   If you installed new software and still can't scan, try to scan another program that supports TWAIN or WIA. If you can scan successfully in another program, try using Custom Insert in the Insert Picture from Scanner or Camera dialog box.

The device software might not support automatic scanning   Use Custom Insert instead of Insert in the Insert Picture from Scanner or Camera dialog box (Insert menu, Picture submenu).

I don't like the way my picture looks.

Do one or more of the following:

Situations specific to scanners

The scan took a very long time.

Select a lower resolution   Selecting a high resolution will result in a longer scan time.

Scan the picture only once   If you are using a multiple-pass device to scan a color picture, and you select Custom Insert in the Insert Picture from Scanner or Camera dialog box, it will take longer to scan because the scanner makes multiple passes over the picture. To scan over the picture only once, use Insert instead.

My computer stopped working when I tried to scan a picture.

Do one or both of the following:

The scanner scanned too much or too little of my picture.

Do one or both of the following:

Situations specific to digital cameras

I get a message that indicated that no digital cameras  were found.

You must install your device its hardware and software before you try to insert a picture from a camera.

When I try to download a picture, nothing happens.

The camera or capture device hardware or software may not be fully compatible with your program. Try one or both of the following: