I recently bought the Canon 300 LiDE scanner for $50 USD from Amazon. I removed the scanner from the packaging and plugged it into my computer. Windows 10 recognized the scanner. Vuescan recognized the scanner. When I tried to scan something, nothing happened. A lot of negative reviews on Amazon state that the scanner just doesn’t work at all. I did some troubleshooting and found a simple solution.

When someone gets new hardware for their computer, it’s easy to discard the instructions, warranty and CD-ROM disc that comes in a plastic bag with the rest of the packaging. Just unpack the hardware, plug everything in, and it should work. Not the Canon 300 LiDE scanner. An extra step is required to make it work, one that is easily overlooked.

According to Step 2 of the instructions, there is a slide switch on the bottom of the scanner. Sliding the switch from the locked position to the unlock position will release the scanning head. With the scanning head unlocked, the scanner now works. When moving or storing the scanner, you should always lock the scanning head in place to prevent it from being damaged.

Canon should have a warning sticker on the scanner itself to alert users about the slide switch. No doubt that the many negative reviews on Amazon are from users who never read the instructions, didn’t realize there was a lock switch, and assumed that it was a defective product. Next time don’t be so quick to discard the instructions with the rest of the packaging.

The Canon 300 LiDE scanner does an excellent job in scanning pictures. I recently re-scanned and uploaded to Pinterest all my autographed pictures from over ten years of attending comic cons. I’ll be attending Wizard World Bay Area 2019 this month and will probably add another autograph or three to my collection. Follow my autographs board on Pinterest if you want to see the new autographs.