Scanner not working with iMac

[MVWP]

I'm wondering if anyone can help. I cannot get my HP Deskjet 2542 to scan using my 2012 Imac. I was able to do a workaround a few months ago when I had to scan a lot of documents to buy our new house. But now, it's utterly impossible.

I've reinstalled drivers a few times and done all the "solutions" I could find, but it still won't scan. I finally upgraded from Mavericks (it wasn't working with Mavericks, so this was my last resort) to Yosemite today, in hopes it would work, but still, the same problem. What can I do? This printer/scanner is only about 6 months old, and goodness knows where the receipt even is.

 

[maflynn]

Does it work in image capture?

 

[MVWP]

Nope. Not in image capture or Preview, or in Preferences>Printers & Scanners. It just searches for a bit, then says there's an error. I've tried both wifi and USB. Printing works fine.

 

[MVWP]

It spends about 3-5+ minutes "searching" for the scanner each time, then says it's scanning an overview. Does that for another 5+ minutes, then eventually says "the overview scan failed to complete."

 

[maflynn]

You don't have another mac or computer you can hook the scanner up do you?

 

[eduardrw]

Have you tried to connect the USB via a powered hub?
Helped with my Epson Scanner.

 

[Fishrrman]

Just wondering ... have you tried VueScan with it?

 

[glenthompson]

We got a HP printer/scanner free with my wife's imac. Don't remember the exact model. Could never get it to work wirelessly but it works fine via USB to a windows machine. Never worked reliably with OS X. HP's drivers for OS X are pretty lame.

Makes me glad that I bought a ScanSnap for my routine scanning needs.