Apple promises macOS scanner fix in a future update

Apple will be fixing an issue in macOS preventing some scanners from working, a bug fix that will be arriving in a future operating system update.

Some Mac users have encountered problems when trying to scan, with warnings advising they "do not have permission to open the application" on their device. Apple has given the heads-up that a solution is on the way.

In a support document published on Friday and found by MacRumors, Apple acknowledges that the error sometimes appears on trying to use a connected scanner within Image Capture, Preview, or the Printers & Scanners preferences.

The warning message tells users they don't have permission to open the application, followed by the name of the scanner driver. They are also told to contact an administrator for help, or that the Mac failed to open a connection to the scanner at all.

iPhone and iPad owners have an option to perform document scanning using their devices, then to share those files with the Mac as a workaround.

The page advises that a permanent fix will be on the way in a "future software update," though not when that will arrive. It also offers a series of steps to resolve the issue in the meantime.

Those steps are:

Quit all open applications.
In the Finder, click Go then Go to Folder.
Type in /Library/Image Capture/Devices then enter.
In the next window, double-click the app mentioned in the error message to open it.
Close the window and open the app being used to scan.

13 Comments

OutdoorAppDeveloper 1292 comments · 15 Years

About 3 years ago

Let me get this straight. Apple introduced a bug that broke flat bed scanners even though this technology has been well understood for decades. At the same time Apple is planning to scan everyone's private photos and turn over the information to governments without a warrant using extremely sophisticated image recognition software and we should just trust them to get it right and never have a bug that exposes any private information or worse gets someone arrested even though they were innocent? This level of hubris is off the scale. Time for new management at Apple.

nizzard 58 comments · 14 Years

About 3 years ago

Makes sense that they’re now getting to this. First they had to build a “CSAM” scanner.

GeorgeBMac 11421 comments · 8 Years

About 3 years ago

OutdoorAppDeveloper said:

Let me get this straight. Apple introduced a bug that broke flat bed scanners even though this technology has been well understood for decades.
...

I suspect the "kids" doing this may have never seen a scanner. Mine has not been opened or even connected for many, many years. I can't remember the last time I used it. It was probably back when I used it to scan images for my Fax machine.
Medical offices still use them. But, increasingly they are going the way of Fax Machines.

mr lizard 354 comments · 15 Years

About 3 years ago

OutdoorAppDeveloper said:

Let me get this straight. Apple introduced a bug that broke flat bed scanners even though this technology has been well understood for decades. At the same time Apple is planning to scan everyone's private photos and turn over the information to governments without a warrant using extremely sophisticated image recognition software and we should just trust them to get it right and never have a bug that exposes any private information or worse gets someone arrested even though they were innocent? This level of hubris is off the scale. Time for new management at Apple.

Someone doesn’t understand how hash matching works.

cpsro 3236 comments · 14 Years

About 3 years ago

mr lizard said:

OutdoorAppDeveloper said:

Let me get this straight. Apple introduced a bug that broke flat bed scanners even though this technology has been well understood for decades. At the same time Apple is planning to scan everyone's private photos and turn over the information to governments without a warrant using extremely sophisticated image recognition software and we should just trust them to get it right and never have a bug that exposes any private information or worse gets someone arrested even though they were innocent? This level of hubris is off the scale. Time for new management at Apple.

Someone doesn’t understand how hash matching works.

Someone doesn't understand how easily bugs can arise and how disastrous their presence can be.