When the Epson Scan application has some internal corruption, then you can encounter “Cannot communicate with the scanner” error. Basically, you will get a message when this issue occurs. The full message that you get is as follows “Cannot communicate with the scanner. Make sure the scanner is on, correctly set up and connected with no errors indicated”

Causes for “Epson Scan Cannot Communicate with Scanner” Error

You will get various causes for the occurrences of this problem. They are as follows.

  • When the Epson Scan application is not executed in Administrative Privileges, you can get this problem.
  • If a service “Shell Hardware Detection” starts to malfunction, then there is a chance for you to face this issue.
  • Whenever the scanner does not associate correctly with the wireless connection due to the Epson Scan program failure, next, you can encounter this very problem.
  • If the drivers of the Epson scanner are not up to date, then this problem can surface also.

How to Rectify “Epson Scan cannot communicate with the Scanner” Issue?

Here, there will be a lot of methods, that will help you to get rid of this error once and for all.

1. Update the Epson Scanner Driver

If the Epson scanner driver gets corrupt somehow or is not up to date, then there is a possibility for you to meet with this issue. Now, the best solution to remove this issue is to perform an update to the scanner driver. To do that, follow the steps below.

  • First, press on the ‘Windows + R’ keys simultaneously, to launch the ‘Run’ dialog box. In that dialog box, enter the text “devmgmt.msc” on the empty space beside the ‘Open:’ label. Then, click on the ‘OK’ button.
  • Now, a new window having the name ‘Device Manager’ will come up. Inside that window, locate and double-click on the ‘Imaging devices’, to open the sub-list of the scanner drivers.
  • Next, from that sub-list find the specific Epson scanner driver and right-click on it. After that, from the popup menu that appears, select the ‘Update driver’ option.
  • At this moment, a window with two links will come up. Out of the two links choose the first one that says ‘Search automatically for updated driver software’. This action will let Windows look for any updates. 
  • If there is any update, then those will be downloaded and installed automatically.
  • Finally, start the machine and see if this error is still there or not.

2. Activate the “Shell Hardware Detection” Service Once Again

If the “Shell Hardware Detection” does not normally as it should, then there is a chance for you to encounter the “epson scan cannot communicate with the scanner”. The correct way to fix this problem is to restart the ‘Shell Hardware Detection’ service. The steps on how can you do it are as follows.

  • First, tap on both the ‘Windows + S’ keys together. This opens the search section of Windows.
  • Within this section, type the name “services” and then from the output page of that search, locate and choose the ‘Services’ option. As soon as you do that, then a new window having the name ‘Services’ will appear.
  • Inside that window, find and then select the ‘Shell Hardware Detection’ service. After that, right-click on the chosen service and then from the popup menu select the ‘Properties’ option.
  • Now, a new ‘Properties’ window for the chosen service will come up. Inside that window, go to the ‘Startup type:’ field and set it as ‘Automatic’., Next, click on the ‘Apply’ and ‘OK’ buttons respectively.
  • Once again, go to ‘Shell Hardware Detection’ service then right-click on it and choose the ‘Restart’ option.
  • At last, disconnect the scanner from the computer, then wait for two minutes and plug the device back into the PC. See if the computer detects the scanner or not.

3. Rectify the Wireless Connection

If the association of the scanner with the wireless connection is not done properly due to the failure of the Epson Scan application, then there is a chance for you to face this issue. The easiest way to resolve this problem is to set the wireless connection correctly. Make sure to connect your HP device with WPS Pin.

  • First, hit the ‘Cortana’ logo to open the default search section. Inside that section, type the text “epson scan settings”. Then, from the results of that search, find and choose the ‘Epson Scan Settings’ option.
  • Now, a new window with the name ‘Epson Scan Settings’ will come up, in it, choose the right device from the drop-down menu.
  • Next, go to the ‘Network Scanner Address’ section. Under that section, choose the ‘Add’ button. 
  • At this time a new ‘Add’ dialog box will come up.
  • Right-click on the ‘Windows’ logo and then click on the ‘Search’ option. This action will launch the search area, in it, enter “command prompt” and then from the results page locate the ‘Command Prompt’ option and right-click on the same.
  • From the popup menu, locate and choose the ‘Run as administrator’ option. As soon as you click on that option, then a new ‘Command Prompt’ window will come up.
  • Inside that window, input the command “ipconfig” and then press the ‘Enter’ key. From the output list of that command, locate the ‘Default Gateway’ option and copy the value inside it.

4. Additional Steps for the previous Method

  • Open the browser and paste the value of the ‘Default Gateway’ onto the address bar, to launch the router settings page. Login into the router configuration page and inspect the devices that are attached to the wireless network.
  • From the list of attached devices on the network, find the IP address of the Epson scanner and copy it.
  • After that, go to method three and follow the fourth step to open the ‘Add’ dialog box. Inside that dialog box, choose the ‘Enter address’ option and then paste the IP address of the Epson scanner. Next, press the ‘OK’ button.
  • Lastly, press the ‘Test’ button on the ‘Epson Scan Settings’ window to check if the connection is successful or not.

5. Execute the ‘Epson Scan’ Application with Administrative Privileges

If none of the above steps is unable to resolve this issue, then as a last resort all you can do is run the ‘Epson Scan’ program with the Administrative Privileges. Follow these steps.

  • First, locate the ‘Epson Scan’ icon and right-click on it. Then, from the popup menu choose the ‘Properties’ option.
  • Now, a new ‘Epson Scan Properties’ dialog box will open up. In it, select the ‘Compatibility’ tab. Under this tab, put a checkmark on ‘Run this program as an administrator’ option.
  • Finally, press the ‘Apply’ and OK’ buttons respectively and restart the scanner.

Frequently Asked Questions: 

Why won’t my Epson scanner scan to my computer?

Ensure that the scanner is activated. Turn your computer and scanner off, then test the connection between your computer and your scanner to ensure that they are safe. When your computer is in standby mode (Windows) or bedtime mode, the scanner may not work properly (Mac OS X). Start Epson Scan again and try to scan again.

How do I connect Epson scanner to Windows 10? 

1. Turn on your printer and make sure your Windows 10 PC is connected.
2. Turn the device on.
3. Select >
4. Choose Devices Printers Scanners Scanner or Printer Add.
5. Make one of them: Select it and select Add Device if your printer is on the window.

Why won’t my scanner recognize my computer?

When a computer does not recognize an otherwise functioning scanner that is connected to it via its USB, serial or parallel port, the problem is usually caused by outdated, corrupted or incompatible device drivers.