ScanSnap 64-bit Software Update
Fujitsu (via David Sparks):
ScanSnap Home is the 64 bit application for macOS for the following ScanSnap scanner models.
[…]
The 64 bit application for macOS is not provided for the old scanner models such as ScanSnap S1500, S1500M, and etc. because their support periods have already expired. If you wish to have the 64 bit application for macOS, please consider purchasing ScanSnap products that are currently available on the market.
Unlike before, the new software really doesn’t seem to work with the old scanners, and it will remove the old software when you install it. It seems silly to replace hardware that’s still working perfectly, especially when I have doubts about the new software, so I’ll probably set up my old MacBook Pro that can’t run Mojave to use it with the old software.
Update (2018-12-11): Mark Munz:
64-bit support was WAY overdue. After taking so long, they now expect customers to buy a brand new piece of hardware ($$$$) to get it.
I was planning to use a VM for that. I’m very disappointed, especially because I’ve heard a lot of bad things about the new software that ships with the newer devices.
Update (2019-01-01): Dave Howell:
Hey @scansnap … Is the ix500 compatible with eero mesh networks? I am getting a “ScanSnap could not be connected to the Internet” error. This network supports 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz, so it’s not that. My Mac is on Mojave if that matters. Is it a known problem?
Every time I update @FujitsuAmerica’s ScanSnap Home software, IT USES A LICENSING SLOT! Looks like I can only update 2 more times. Then I’ll replace it with an Epson or any other brand that doesn’t actively crap on their users.
Update (2019-04-28): Bill Bumgarner:
Hey, @FujitsuAmerica. Your latest Scansnap home update appears to have fixed the licensing issues! THANK YOU!
I’m going to live on this across a couple more updates to make sure.
If so, I’ll be happily recommending the IX500 again!!!
Update (2019-05-01): Cabel Sasser:
ScanSnap added a menu extra in the latest update and… what is even happening here
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I use the ix500 scanner on a computer running elcapitan. Except for downloading the software, I have never used the scanner while online. I did notice that the software updated itself a couple of times even though I had not checked auto-updates, and now that computer will not be allowed online. I did install the scanner software on a new 2017 mac, and checked to make sure it worked, but have never used the scanner with that computer (this one). Really, we must be careful about updating anything these days.
Related: I got a new printer a few months ago. The info did everything it could to insist that its software be installed online - with "if you allow" all kinds of data sends to the manufacturer. Anyway, I plugged it in and it "just works" and never had any online installs. Naturally, I delete all the logs and caches after each use, which is seldom. I did have to find the app icon buried in the computer to make the thing work, but then pulled that icon into the dock so I never have to look for it again. It's a Cannon print/flatbed scanner.
Yes, the whole debacle with Fujitsu, their crappy new software and their wasteful EOLing of perfectly working hardware is a disgrace. I loved my ScanSnap when I first got it, but now I doubt I'd buy anything from Fujitsu. I don't know if there are any reasonable alternatives, but I certainly hope there is, because I really can't see giving Fujitsu any money.
Try taking a look at VueScan. They do have drivers for Fujitsu drivers, including the ScanSnap S500 https://www.hamrick.com/vuescan/fujitsu_scansnap_s500.html#technical-information
I used VueScan with my PlusTekOpticFilm Film scanner to scan several hundred of my Dad's old slides (plus a couple of my own color negatives) and was very satisfied with the results. I felt it was better than the software that was packaged with the scanner.
I wrote about it a couple of times on my blog; the first entry is here: https://tedohara.net/2013/09/30/scanning-slides-with-the-plustek-opticfilm-8200/
It is insane to replace a piece of hardware that works as well as any thing newer because the company cannot be bothered updating the software. I just moved my 1500M to my windows computer where it will run until it wears out.
Try taking a look at VueScan.
Ditto that. The first time I used VueScan years ago (when someone passive-aggressively gifted me a scanner that only had Windows drivers -- and VueScan worked), I stopped worrying about how good a scanner's Mac drivers were. If VueScan supports it, you're in business. It's almost worth the price to save you the time trying to learn how to get first-party drivers to work.
I agree with @Ted and @Ruffin. I only buy scanners supported by Vuescan. You sometimes still need a basic driver from the manufacturer so it's not full proof, but the crap software bundled is no longer a concern.
Does VueScan know how to create those super-small (CCITT 4) monochrome PDF files like the ScanSnap software can?
Update (2019-07-25): The developer says it can, but when I tried it the PDFs it created were 50% larger than ScanSnap’s.
I use ExactScan, which still supports these older scanners, as well as Fujitsu scanners which have never been supported on the Mac (I have an fi- 6140) as well as hundreds of scanners from other manufacturers.
It supports all of the high-end features of these scanners, like duplexing, media detection, blank page detection, automatic OCR, and imprinting. You can also build out custom workflows and configurations (email, copy, PDF, etc.) It’s very well supported and one of the best pieces of software I’ve ever purchased. It breathed new life into this 9-year old, $1400 scanner.
I've just installed ScanSnap Home, the new 64bit Fujitsu ScanSnap-Software, for a ScanSnap iX500 used with a new MacBook Air running Mojave.
The current version doesn't do OCR (like the old ScanSnap Manager in High Sierra with an old S 1300i), so after the scan I have to send the (not searchable) PDF to the ABBY FineReader and only this will do the job.
In the end I have two PDFs of the same document, one searchable and one not, and two error-messages from ABBY FineReader telling me to increase the DPI (even when choosing the max).
The current version of VueScan doesn't see the iX500.
Not sure why the comment was made re not being able to create searchable PDF. From my experience the new ScanSnap software has all of the previous version 's features plus some additional ones such as automatic file naming (based on Content) - https://cl.ly/e5ccd1ff8a06
The new interface design is a bit more complicated and not necessity an improvement.
The new version will do OCR but it does not save the OCR text data in the PDF itself! Instead the text data is saved only within the ScanSnap Home software, so in order to search your PDFs you need to do the search within ScanSnap Home. If you open the scanned PDF in any other program you will not be able to search or copy/paste any of the text.
This is a very unfortunate regression.
+1 to VueScan, at least if you are using a Mac. It is a much more capable program anyway, and works with darn near any scanner ever made. The developer is constantly releasing free upgrades to accommodate new devices and integrate user suggestions. No doubt there are decent Windows programs, too.
Fujitsu makes great scanners, but the idea that I can only use *MY OWN* scanner on five machines is infuriating. They should fire whatever moron in their marketing department came up with this nasty idea.
Hi all,
I am still using my original Scansnap S300M running under OS 10.11, with scansnap manager version 6.3 L70. It works just fine!
The challenge I am having is I would like to be able to highlight dates etc in printed documents and have them recognized as keywords when I scan so that I can apply hazel magic to auto renaming with a date convention applied (shout out to Brookes Duncan), before importing to eaglefiler (shout out to Michael Tsai). Whatever I have going on with the scan snap software I cannot get it to read highlights and convert to keywords. Anyone out there have a suggestion for me?
I've just installed ScanSnap Home (Version 1.3.0 (6) with ScanSnap Online Update 3.0.20) on a fresh installation of macOS Mojave 10.14.6 for Fujitsu's ScanSnap S1300i on an external drive with my late 2012 iMac.
As I stated in my comment above (December 2018) OCR is possible only in two steps:
1. The normal scan generates a non-searchable PDF.
2. After this I have to explicitly choose from the context-menu to make the PDF searchable.
Using the same hardware with macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 (on the internal drive of the iMac) with the ScanSnap Manager (Version 6.3.70 - that's still Intel:32) generates searchables PDF directly while/after scanning.
[…] of how to install them. I recently set up an old Mac to use with my ScanSnap, whose software will no longer run on macOS 10.15. When installing from the recovery partition, I got an error that the software […]
So glad I found this site - the vuescan works! I'm buying right now. Amazing. Why can't fujitsu just at least point everyone to this page with a disclaimer that they are not responsible.....
Not sure when exactly it happened, but somebody at Fujitsu must of had a change of heart. The latest version of ScanSnap Manager (7.0.20.1001) has restored support for the S1500 and S1300 under Catalina. I've only done a couple of quick test scans with my S1500M, but so far it seems to be identical to the old version of ScanSnap Manager. It even carried over all of my old settings. Sure beats having to fire up a VM just for a scanner.
