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×InformationNeed Windows 11 help?Check documents on compatibility, FAQs, upgrade information and available fixes.
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×InformationNeed Windows 11 help?Check documents on compatibility, FAQs, upgrade information and available fixes.
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- HP Community
- Printers
- Scanning, Faxing, and Copying
- The scanner is being used by a remote user

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08-17-2019 09:58 PM
I use a Mac/10.13.6. New M428 being set up gives the message
The scanner is being used by a remote user
Solved! Go to Solution.
Accepted Solutions
08-23-2019 06:18 PM
Found the problem! Went into my Apple settings and turned off the Firewall and reinstalled Easy Scan. Works great! Thanks for all of the time you spent trying to get me going. I had been considering returning the printer and buying a different brand. All is well now. 🙂
08-20-2019 11:41 AM
@dmad1, Welcome to HP Support Community!
To provide you with an accurate solution, I would like to know the following:
- Is the printer connected via USB or wirelessly?
- Is the printer able to print when instructed from the Mac computer?
- Did this issue start after any updates?
- Are you trying to scan using an application or trying to scan using the printer's front panel menu?
Meanwhile, update the printer firmware. Here is how you do it-
Download available firmware updates from the HP website
With the printer on and connected to the computer, go to HP Customer Support - Software and Driver Downloads, and then identify your printer. Look for and install any available firmware updates.
For more information, go to Updating or Upgrading Printer Firmware.
Also, refer to the document HP Printers - How to Scan (Mac) for help.
Keep me posted for further assistance.
Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!
TEJ1602
I am an HP Employee
08-20-2019 02:13 PM
I am using an iMac 27" with High Sierra 10.13.6. It is a new printer I purchased this week. It is connected wireless. I have downloaded software from HP just to be sure the printer has been sitting on a shelf for some time. I can't scan from the computer or printer screen but can print. If I try to scan, I will get the remote user message. I suspect it is software but not sure how to correct it. I also have a Mac Pro laptop and it will scan and print. It just doesn't seem to like my iMac.
08-20-2019 03:42 PM - edited 08-20-2019 03:42 PM
Are you using the HP Easy Scan Application to scan?
If yes, follow the steps below:
- Update HP Easy Scan: Open HP Easy Scan. On the upper bar, click HP Easy Scan, click Check for Updates, and then install any available updates.
- Run Apple Software Update: Click the Apple menu
, click System Preferences, and then search for and install any available updates.
If none of the above solutions worked, try scanning with another app, such as Apple Image Capture.
Scan with Apple Image Capture
Apple Image Capture comes with macOS and OS X and provides a quick and simple way to scan.
- Place the document or photo print side down on the scanner glass, and then close the scanner lid.
If your printer has an automatic document feeder (ADF), use it to scan multiple page documents at one time.
- Open Finder
, and then click Go in the top menu bar.
- Click Applications, and then double-click Image Capture.
- Click your printer name in the Devices or Shared list.
- Click Show Details at the bottom of the screen.
A preview of the scan displays, and then change any of the following settings:
- Scan Mode: Select the scanning bed or automatic document feeder.
- Kind: Set scan as color, black and white, or optimized for text only documents.
- Resolution: Higher resolution produces better quality images by using more dots (pixels) per inch. Higher resolution increases the file size of the scan. Use a higher resolution for scans with graphics or items that require the best detail. If you are scanning black and white text, higher resolution is not necessary.
- Size: Use a standard paper size or select the Use Custom Size option.
- Scan to: Select the folder you want scans to save to or use the Mail option to attach the scan to an Apple Mail email message.
- Name: Type a name for the saved scan file.
- Format: Select the file type for the scan.
- Image Correction: Click the pop-up menu, and then select Manual to display color change options such as brightness and saturation.
- Click Scan.
Let me know if this helps.
Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!
TEJ1602
I am an HP Employee
08-20-2019 07:27 PM
When I went to Easy Scan, it came up with vs. 1.9.1 and the one I have is 1.9.2.
When I opened Apple Image Capture and clicked on the printer, I get a message saying it is waiting on the scanner. Then says failed to open a session on a device. (-9927)
08-21-2019 03:43 PM - edited 08-21-2019 03:44 PM
Reset the printing system
Resetting the printing system removes all printers and scanners from the printers queue and clears all print jobs and print settings from the system, including printers and scanners that are not from HP. Resetting the printing system can be useful for troubleshooting printing problems, but you need to add all of your printers and scanners back to the list when you are finished.
Click the Apple menu, and then click System Preferences.
Click Printers & Scanners, Print & Scan, or Print & Fax.
Right-click (or Control + click) anywhere inside the Printers window, and then click Reset printing system.
Figure: Clicking Reset printing system
Click Reset or OK.
If prompted, type your username and password, and then click OK.
The printing system resets.
Turn off the printer, wait 5 seconds, and then turn on the printer.
Wait until the printer is idle and silent.
Now add the printer using AirPrint drivers. Here is how you do it-
Click the Apple menu, and then select System Preferences.
Depending on your operating system version, click Print & Fax, Print & Scan, or Printers & Scanners.
Click the Plus sign, and then click Add Printer or Scanner.
Click the Use or Print Using box, and then select AirPrint
Click Add to add the printer to the list.
Now download and install the HP Utility for Mac from here.
Try scanning.
Keep me posted for further assistance.
Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!
TEJ1602
I am an HP Employee
08-22-2019 08:43 PM
I must be still doing something wrong. When I open the Apple Menu and go to Users and Groups, I can unlock it but it will not let me erase myself as an administrator. The + will let me add someone but the - is not active for the administrator name. I added myself again as an administrator but it still gives me the remote user message.
08-23-2019 10:52 AM
Repair a disk using Disk Utility on Mac
-
Print this page so you can refer to it later. (You don’t have access to the Disk Utility User Guide when you restart your computer in the next step.)
In the Disk Utility User Guide window, click the Share button
, then choose Print.
-
Choose Apple menu
> Restart. After your Mac restarts (some Mac computers play a startup sound), press and hold the Command and R keys until the Apple logo appears, then release the keys.
-
Click Disk Utility, then click Continue.
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Choose View > Show All Devices.
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In the sidebar, select the disk you want to repair.
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Click the First Aid button
.
If Disk Utility tells you the disk is about to fail, back up your data and replace the disk. You can’t repair it. Otherwise, continue to the next step.
-
Click Run.
If Disk Utility reports that the disk appears to be OK or has been repaired, you’ve finished. You can click Show Details to see more information about the repairs. Otherwise, you may need to do one of the following.
-
If Disk Utility reports “overlapped extent allocation” errors, two or more files occupy the same space on your disk, and at least one of them is likely to be corrupted. You need to check each file in the list of affected files. Most of the files in the list have aliases in a DamagedFiles folder at the top level of your disk.
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If you can replace a file or recreate it, delete it.
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If it contains information you need, open it and examine its data to make sure it hasn’t been corrupted.
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If Disk Utility can’t repair your disk or it reports “The underlying task reported failure”, try to repair the disk or partition again. If that doesn’t work, back up as much of your data as possible, reformat the disk, reinstall macOS, then restore your backed-up data.
-
Hope this helps!
Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!
TEJ1602
I am an HP Employee