What is TWAIN and How did it make the image scanning easy?
TWAIN is a standard for scanning devices. It was first released in 1992 for the computers running on Windows and Macintosh operating systems. The release of TWAIN has made the process of image scanning hassle-free. Before TWAIN, users have to select a special application to receive the image from the scanner, then save the image to the disk. After that, they were able to open that image in the software of their choice to work with. With TWAIN, there is no need to save the scanned image on the disk. TWAIN establishes a communication link between the image processing software and the devices such as scanners, digital cameras, etc. This lets users open the scanned image directly in the software which they use for image processing, provided they have installed a TWAIN driver on their system.
How to install TWAIN driver on Windows 10
Every brand develops its own TWAIN drivers that support the scanners of that brand. You can download the drivers from the official website of the brand, the scanner of which you are using. Here, we will describe the process to install TWAIN driver on Windows 10 for the five most popular brands:
1] HP TWAIN Scan
HP TWAIN Scan is a TWAIN-compliant software developed by HP enterprise for its MFP (Multifunction Printer). It is a free software that allows users to scan their documents and files from their computer connected to a network. The installation package of HP TWAIN Scan includes:
HP Scan TWAIN driver.HP Device Selection tool.HP scan software.
Before you begin, make sure that you have updated the firmware of your printer to the latest version. You can find more information about updating the printer firmware from HP.com. After updating the firmware, you have to configure the network and security settings via EWS (Embedded Web Server).
When you are done, follow the below-listed instructions: HP TWAIN Scan is now installed on your computer.
2] Canon ScanGear Tool
Canon ScanGear tool is a TWAIN-compliant driver for the Canon scanner. Different versions of this tool support different Windows 10 architecture. You can visit Canon’s official website for more information. Follow the below-listed steps to install the Canon ScanGear tool on your computer:
3] Epson Scan and Epson Scan 2
Epson Scan and Epson Scan 2 are TWAIN-compliant drivers. The former one supports 32-bit Windows architecture and the latter one supports both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows architectures. You can download the web installer of these drivers from Epson’s official website or order software CD. Do note that you cannot use both Epson Scan and Epson Scan 2 on the same computer. For example, if you have installed Epson Scan on your system and you want to install Epson Scan 2, you have to uninstall the Epson Scan before installing the Epson Scan 2. Follow the below-listed instructions: If you have downloaded the Epson Scan or Epson Scan 2 driver software from Epson’s official website, first, extract it if it is downloaded in the zip format. Then, click on the installation file to run it and follow the on-screen instructions.
4] Brother MFL-Pro Suite
Brother MFL-Pro Suite software comes with a TWAIN-compliant scanner driver. You can download either MFL-Pro USB or MFL-Pro Wireless scanner driver depending on your scanning device. We will explain here the installation instructions for both USB and wireless Brother scanner drivers.
Brother MFL-Pro Suite USB installation instructions
Brother MFL-Pro Suite Wireless installation instructions
Download the software from Brother’s official website or run software CD. Run the installation file. You will see the installation wizard. Accept the license agreement and click Next. Select the wireless network (Wi-Fi) and click Next. Connect your Brother machine to the Wi-Fi network and select your machine from the list. When done, click Next. You should connect your computer and Brother machine to the same Wi-Fi network, otherwise, you will not see your machine in the list.
If despite connecting both computer and Brother device to the same network, you will not see Brother machine in the list, restart your router and wait for a minute. After that click Refresh. Read: How to connect a Wireless Printer to Windows 10 PC. The remaining steps are the same as steps 6 to 9 of the Brother MFL-Pro Suite USB installation process described above.
5] Xerox WorkCenter Pro TWAIN Scan Driver
Visit Xerox’s official website and download the WorkCenter Pro TWAIN Scan driver. The file will be downloaded in a zip format. Extract it. This will create a new folder of the same name as the zip file. This folder contains the WorkCenter Pro TWAIN Scan driver file. Launch the Run dialog box. Type Control Panel and click OK. Type View scanners and cameras in the search box and click on the respective link.
A new window will open. Click on the Add Device button. Click Yes if the UAC window prompts. This will open the Scanner and Camera Installation Wizard.
Now, click Next and then click on the Have Disk button.
Now, click on the Browse button and select the TWAIN driver file. Click Open and then OK. Now, you will see the Xerox WorkCenter Pro TWAIN Scan driver in the installation wizard window. Click Next. In the Name field, you can enter a new name or go with the default name. After that, click Next. Now, Windows will display the Hardware Update Wizard. Click Next. If you get a warning message “The software you are installing has not passed Windows Logon testing,” select Continue Anyway. Enter the printer’s Host Name or IP address in the required field and click Confirm. Click Next and then Finish. The driver is now installed on your computer.
There is no TWAIN-compliant device installed
After installing the TWAIN driver on your system, you can start scanning your documents and files. But, some users have reported that they were unable to scan their documents and files even after installing and configuring the TWAIN driver due to the following error message: If you are also experiencing the same error on your system, the following troubleshooting steps may help you:
1] Run Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter
Windows troubleshooter is a built-in tool that scans for errors and fixes them if possible. You can run Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter on your system and see if it helps. This tool is hidden in Windows 10. Hence, you will not find it in the Settings app.
2] Disable your security software temporarily
Sometimes antivirus software blocks some programs from running. This may also be the cause of the error “no TWAIN-compliant device installed.” You can try disabling the Windows Defender or your antivirus software temporarily and check if it helps. Do not forget to enable the security software again.
3] Uninstall and reinstall the printer or scanner
Please follow the instructions listed below: Hope this helps. Related posts:
Why is my printer offline?Scanner is not working on Windows 10.
