To fix an Epson scanner that isn't working, check its power and connection, select the correct scanner in your scanning app, then repair the software or network settings if scanning still fails. Start with your USB or Wi-Fi connection before reinstalling software. The Windows steps use Windows 11 menus, and model-specific instructions apply only to the named scanners.
The short version
- Check the connection: Secure the cables and connect a USB scanner directly to your computer.
- Select your scanner: Confirm that Epson Scan 2 or ScanSmart is using the intended device.
- Repair network access: Check the network connection and the permissions needed by your Epson app.
- Repair the software: Install the package for your exact model and operating system, then reset or reinstall it if necessary.
| Fix | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Check power and USB | Scanner stays off or is undetected |
| Check feeding and hardware errors | Paper jams or error lights prevent scanning |
| Select or register the scanner | App cannot find the intended device |
| Reconnect Wi-Fi | Network scanning stopped working |
| Restore app permissions | Network access is blocked |
| Install the correct software | Driver is missing or scanning stopped after an OS upgrade |
| Check Windows scanning controls | WIA scanning or printer mode causes trouble |
| Reset or reinstall Epson software | Epson Scan 2 still will not start |
| Try another scanning app | Epson software remains unusable |
Check power and the USB connection
Turn on the scanner and secure both ends of its cables. For Epson Scan 2 products, wake the computer and reopen Epson Scan 2 if the problem began after sleep. Connect a USB scanner directly to the computer.
For an Epson ES-50 or ES-55R, connect the supplied USB cable directly and allow several seconds for startup. On an ES-60W or ES-65WR, also check the battery charge and operating temperature. For battery operation on those two models, turn on the Wi-Fi switch or connect USB.
If Windows cannot detect a USB-connected Epson scanner or all-in-one, open Device Manager and inspect Imaging Devices and Other Devices. Disconnect other USB imaging devices, move the scanner to another USB port, then select Scan for Hardware Changes. Repeat with a known-working cable, then try another computer if the scanner remains undetected.
Check paper jams and hardware errors
On an ES-C380W, read the LCD error and press the help button for illustrated instructions. Tap a dark touchscreen to wake it. For a computer-not-found error, check that ScanSmart is installed, confirm power and the connection, check firewall settings and matching Group settings, then search again.
To clear an ES-C380W paper jam, turn off the scanner and remove originals from the tray. In the vertical path position, open the vertical path cover, then pull down the cover open lever and open the scanner cover; in the straight path position, pull the lever to open the scanner cover. Gently remove the trapped paper. Close the scanner cover with both hands, then close the vertical path cover if you opened it, and reload correctly. Do not change the scanner's position during a scan.
For repeated feeding trouble on that model, fan and reload the sheets, reduce the stack size, and clean the rollers and sensors. Use the vertical path for standard multipage stacks and the straight path for appropriate special originals, one at a time. Check Scanner Maintenance > Roller Replacement or Epson Scan 2 Utility > Counter, and replace worn rollers.
On a Perfection V800 Photo or V850 Pro, check that both the scanner-body and transparency-unit transportation locks are unlocked, then restart the scanner. For film scanning, also check the cover cable at the OPTION port and remove the document mat. Contact Epson if the red error light continues flashing.
Select the correct scanner in your app
In Epson ScanSmart, open Settings > Scanner Settings > Change and select your scanner. Alternatively, click Change in the main window, select the device, then click OK. When attempting Wi-Fi scanning, disconnect any USB connection between the scanner and another computer.
For a network scanner in Epson Scan 2, open Scanner > Settings. On Windows, click Enable Editing, then Yes; on Mac, click the padlock and enter your Mac administrator credentials. Click Add and select your device under Model.
If discovery fails, select Enter Address, enter the scanner's IP address, then click Add and OK. This registration procedure applies to network connections. In a TWAIN scanning application, choose the Epson device under Scanner or Source.
Reconnect a scanner that stopped working over Wi-Fi
For an interrupted network scan, quit Epson Scan 2 or ScanSmart, wait several seconds, then reopen it. Restart the scanner if scanning still fails or the app reports that another user is using the device. Keep the scanner and computer on the same network and subnet, and move closer to the access point.
On an ES-C380W, reconnect after a router or Wi-Fi password change by opening the network icon and selecting Wi-Fi (Recommended). Choose Start Setup or Change Settings, then Wi-Fi Setup Wizard. Select your network name, or choose Enter Manually, enter the Password, select OK, then select Start Setup.
If the ES-C380W still cannot connect, turn the devices off for about ten seconds, then restart the router, computer or mobile device, and scanner in that order. Check that they use the same network name, enable DHCP on the router, and check the scanner's IP address. If MAC address filtering is enabled, permit the scanner's MAC address; also reduce wireless interference and check that the router uses compatible wireless channels.
If your computer has both Ethernet and Wi-Fi active and communication fails, disable the interface that is not connected to the scanner's network. Retry scanning through the remaining connection.
Restore network permissions for the Epson app
On macOS 15 Sequoia, open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network. Turn on access for the affected Epson application or ICA component. Epson recommends this when your device is no longer detected after upgrading to macOS 15.
If permission changes do not help, uninstalling the affected application removes that application. Uninstall it, restart the Mac, and reinstall it from your product's support page. Click Allow when the local-network permission prompt appears.
For network scanning on Windows 11, open Windows Security > Firewall & network protection > Allow an app through firewall > Change settings. Select Allow another app to locate the installed Epson scanning application and allow it through the firewall. Administrator access may be required, and third-party security software uses different controls. If security software blocks the scanner's network address, unblock that address too.
On an iPhone or iPad, open Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network and enable your Epson app. Tap Allow when its network-access prompt appears. This permission matters when Smart Panel or iPrint cannot discover the device.
On Android 12 or later, when Smart Panel reports that precise location is required, open Settings > Apps > Epson Smart Panel > Permissions > Location. Select Allow only while using the app, then turn on Use precise location. Android manufacturers may arrange these settings differently.
Install the software for your exact Epson model
For a standalone scanner, find your exact model on Epson's scanner support site. Open Downloads, select your actual Operating System, and click GO. Install the scanner driver and scanning applications offered for that model and operating system.
Software availability depends on your model, operating system, and processor architecture. If scanning stopped after an operating-system upgrade, use the reinstallation steps below to replace the applicable Epson scanner software.
On supported products such as the ES-C380W, you can also install applicable updates with Epson Software Updater. Connect the scanner and computer, and connect the computer to the internet. On Windows 11, search for EPSON Software Updater; on Mac, open Finder > Go > Applications > Epson Software > EPSON Software Updater.
Keep both devices powered during updating. Install the applicable updates, and use your product's support page for applications missing from the updater.
Check Windows scanning controls
For scanning that uses Windows Image Acquisition, search Start for Services and open it. Double-click Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) and click Start if the service is stopped. Set Startup type to Automatic, then click OK.
Some all-in-ones can print with Windows protected print mode enabled even though their scanners cannot work in that mode. If that incompatibility applies to your device, on Windows 11 open Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. Under Windows protected print mode, select Turn off, select Yes, then reinstall the required Epson software. If policy controls this setting, contact your administrator.
Reset Epson Scan 2 or reinstall it
Resetting Epson Scan 2 initializes its scanning settings. On Windows 11, search Start for Epson Scan 2 Utility; on Mac, open Go > Applications > Epson Software > Epson Scan 2 Utility. Select the correct scanner, then choose Other > Reset.
Uninstalling removes the selected Epson scanning software. To reinstall on Windows 11, close your applications, turn off the scanner, and disconnect its interface cable. Open Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps, open the Epson application's More menu, then select Uninstall. Restart the computer and reinstall the model-specific Epson package.
If multiple Epson Scan versions are installed, removing both uninstalls those scanning applications. Uninstall both, then install the single version appropriate to your product. Epson recommends this for conflicting installations on Windows and Mac.
For V19 II and V39 II software on Mac, Epson's Uninstaller removes all Epson scanner drivers, so wanted drivers must be reinstalled afterward. Use that utility for driver removal, then reinstall the applicable software from your product's support page.
Dragging an application to the Trash removes that application. For an affected app absent from the Uninstaller's list, open Go > Applications > Epson Software and drag it to the Trash. Reinstall the application from your product's support page.
Try Windows Scan or the Mac scanner controls
On Windows 11, install Microsoft's Windows Scan app through Microsoft Store if Epson Scan is unavailable and your scanner is compatible. On Windows 11, open Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners and use Add device if necessary. Open Scan, select your Scanner, and choose the appropriate Source.
Match Flatbed or Feeder to where you loaded the original and the hardware your scanner provides. Set File type, open Show more > Save file to to choose the destination, then select Scan.
On a Mac with a supported Epson scanner, open the Apple menu > System Settings > Printers & Scanners, select your Epson device, and click Open Scanner. For a flatbed scan, deselect Use Document Feeder, choose Scan To and Size, then scan. If the scanner's hardware button fails, try Image Capture or Preview.
If a previously available Mac scan option disappears, removing the scanner or all-in-one removes its entry from Printers & Scanners. Remove the device there, then add it again and retry scanning.
If connection checks and reinstallation still fail, contact Epson through your product's support page. Provide the exact model, operating system, connection type, error message, and the results of trying another cable or computer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you restore scanner button jobs in Epson Event Manager?
On products using Epson Event Manager, including the L5590, search Windows 11 for Event Manager or open Applications > Epson Software > Event Manager on Mac. Select your product under Scanner or Select Scanner, then click Make Job Settings. Choose the job under Edit Job Settings, adjust it, then click OK and Close.
Why does the start button fail during wireless scanning on an ES-300W or ES-300WR?
With Document Capture Pro or Document Capture, connect by USB or launch Epson Scan 2 before pressing the scanner's start button. Also check the physical connection-mode switch. With ScanSmart installed, the button launches ScanSmart instead.
What should you do if scanning is unusually slow?
In ScanSmart, open Settings > Scanner Settings > Scan Settings, lower the resolution, and retry. On scanners with Quiet Mode, open Scan in Epson Scan 2's settings and turn off Quiet Mode. Reduce unnecessary image adjustments if scanning remains slow.
How do you scan with an Epson scanner on a Windows ARM PC?
Check your model's Epson support page for a Windows 11 ARM-compatible driver. If one is unavailable, Epson's fallback for supported scanners requires the computer and scanner to share a network with internet access. Allow the generic scanner driver to install, then open Windows Scan, select the scanner, and click Scan.
What should you do if an ES-C380W displays Recovery Mode?
Connect the scanner to a computer by USB and keep power connected until recovery completes. Rerun the model-specific firmware updater downloaded from Epson. Network updating is unavailable in Recovery Mode.