How To Get Your Canon LiDE500F Scanner To Work With Mac OS X 10.7 Lion

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And now something completely different: I just bought myself a new MacBook with the great new OS X 10.7 installed. Personally I like the new “Lion”. It feels faster and snappier than 10.6. No problems with old software, just a piece of hardware didn’t wanted to work: My trusty old Canon LiDE500F scanner. Canon was never good in keeping the drivers up to date. But now the new Mac just said “no” because PowerPC applications are not supported anymore. What? Canon states on their website that they don’t support Lion with the 500F. Too bad! The 500F is not the best scanner in the world, but for me it’s perfect because it fits in my backpack together with my MacBook! And for that it has an amazing image quality.

So I tried a few things like installing supported drivers (sometimes that works) and of course browsing through the web. I even was about to order a new scanner. But it really bugs me to throw away a good piece of hardware just because it’s not supported anymore by the manufacturer. I was thinking about Vuescan. But it’s $80 and works just with the Canon driver installed (That note actually saved me from spending eighty bucks).  I found this guys post about the same problem. He didn’t explained HOW he managed to install his scanner but it shows that it’s possible to do so!

So now the big trick (maybe it isn’t, but for me it’s magic!): You don’t need the driver! Just install the Canon Toolbox for the 500F that is made for Universal. I found a version on the asian support site: http://support-sg.canon-asia.com/contents/SG/EN/0900321901.html

Again: Forget about the driver! Just the toolbox. After installing and rebooting (hello Windows?) the scanner will appear as TWAIN and in Apple’s Image Capture Software.

So end of the box talk, back to the pens. I just spend so much time on this I thought it might be useful for somebody out there too.

Update:
I want to point out a solution that came as a comment from Vinz in Germany (thank you for that!):

Without the new software, the scanner showed no reaction at all. At first I thought it was screwed.
Here is what worked for me.

Hardware: CanonScan LiDE 500F
System: Mac OS X Lion 10.7.2
Date: 2011-11-19

1) From Canon website Support for this scanner I downloaded:
* CanonScan Toolbox 4.934 for OSX (cstbosx4934ej4.dmg)
* ScanGear CS 11.251 for OSX (lide500fosx11251de.dmg)

2) Deleted old ToolBox from Folder Program Files + Reboot

3) Installed first the ToolBox. Maybe a reboot, I have suppressed it.

4) After this, I installed the Driver ScanGear. Reboot is forced.

Now the scanner workes again!
Vinz

See the original comment below.


28 Comments on “How To Get Your Canon LiDE500F Scanner To Work With Mac OS X 10.7 Lion”

  1. Vinz says:

    On my system (Mac OS X Lion 10.7.2) just installing the ToolBox (different versions) was the wrong and very time consuming way. No reactions at the scanner.

    But this 3 year old thread helped me out:
    http://www.macwelt.de/forum/showthread.php?t=688418

    Now it works!

    • T. Mayer says:

      Thanks for posting. I feel like over all the years scanners are the hardware with the weakest driver support. I think all my Scanners of the past are gone because of the Interface died (SCSI) or the manufacturer (Heidelberg, Agfa) or the support sucks (Epson). I really miss the quality on those on the new ones.

      • Vinz says:

        Without the new software, the scanner showed no reaction at all. At first I thought it was screwed.
        Here is what worked for me.

        Hardware: CanonScan LiDE 500F
        System: Mac OS X Lion 10.7.2
        Date: 2011-11-19

        1) From Canon website Support for this scanner I downloaded:
        * CanonScan Toolbox 4.934 for OSX (cstbosx4934ej4.dmg)
        * ScanGear CS 11.251 for OSX (lide500fosx11251de.dmg)

        2) Deleted old ToolBox from Folder Program Files + Reboot

        3) Installed first the ToolBox. Maybe a reboot, I have suppressed it.

        4) After this, I installed the Driver ScanGear. Reboot is forced.

        Now the scanner workes again!🙂
        Vinz

  2. Andi says:

    THX a lot for your help!!!

    I followed your link on the asian support page. Afterwards i installed:

    http://de.software.canon-europe.com/download.asp

    Know it Canon Scanner Lide 500F works again on Mac OSX 10.7.2 (lion)!

    Andi

  3. Works perfectly! Thank you so much. I really appreciate your help.

  4. Melanie Rauch says:

    Hey there!

    I followed the instructions from Vinz and it works!!! I’m so happy! I was just about to buy a new one, but couldn’t find one as thin as the 500F.
    Tanks a lot, Vinz!
    Greetings from Switzerland,
    Melanie

    • Vinz says:

      Hoi Melanie,

      Gruess aus Bern😉

      You’re welcome.
      Vinz

      @T. Mayer:
      Melanie and I are both from the same country (Switzerland), so maybe our solution is regional? Do EN versions work with the Toolbox only – without ScanGear driver? DE-CH versions don’t.

      • T. Mayer says:

        Hello Vinz (and gruezi to Switzerland!),

        thanks for pointing that out. I wasn’t able to install the ScanGear driver so I just installed the Toolbox. Works perfect. I’m scanning with Photoshop and Image Capture.

  5. Nicola says:

    Thank you T. Mayer for this post and T. Mayer for the European solution for the CanoScan LiDE 500f. Oh the obstacles the Lion has produced!

  6. Matt says:

    Hi there,

    I’ve tried both instructions and the device shows up in Image Capture fine. The only problem is that screen is frozen with a message reading ‘Overview scan..’

    Has anyone had this problem? or is my scanner just broke?

    • T. Mayer says:

      I never had that problem. I just remember one time I had problems with my scanner it was caused by the lock (that’s the switch at the backside that prevents the scan unit from moving while transporting). Maybe it helps to test it with another computer. At least you know if the scanner works or not. Good Luck, Tom

  7. Matt says:

    Thanks🙂 I think it must be the scanner

  8. Marie-Claude BLANC says:

    Thanks a lot for the help !! I followed your instructions ! It works perfectly well with MAC.OS.10.7.3

  9. Klaus says:

    Mmmmh, is it also possible to scan with descreening (there were options like magazin, Newspaper etc.). Or just standard macOS dialog? At the moment my beloved Lide 500F is the only reason not upgradeing to Lion.

    • T. Mayer says:

      Some play it safe. I can’t resist installing a new version. Tinkering around with the problems is always time consuming, but hey: It’s half the fun!
      To answer your question: Yes, works! least on my box I have all the setting and scan options I had before. Tom

  10. Rich says:

    Thank you so much!

  11. JB says:

    Thanks!!!! it was one of things keeping me from Lion (still not fully there), but the scanner works perfectly. Special thanks to Vinz.
    FYI am in NYC USA
    Gear is 2011 MacBook Pro

  12. Boske says:

    You can easily scan with PhotoCapture in OSX 10.7 Just add (+) the scanner in “Print and Scan”

  13. alkeyf says:

    Thanks for the Post. I can continui use my scanner now.
    Ich could not do it sins I install mountain lion.

  14. Michael says:

    Thanks Vinz! It worked with my new Mountain Lion OS. thank you, thank you.

  15. Sandro Paolini says:

    Works also with my Mountain Lion 10.8.4 perfectly! Great

    • Paolo says:

      Hi Sandro, I have a Lion 10.8.4 too, which procedure did you follow? The same than Vinz ? Again I’m looking for the FAU tool to scan 35mm films, anyone knows where to find it? Thanks. Paolo

  16. hidella says:

    Thank you so much for this! It worked out perfectly…I hope there won’t be issues when I upgrade to Mavericks.

  17. Margilansky says:

    Many thanks to the author! My LIDE 500F works with Mavericks!
    Here is my experience:
    1) I installed Mac OS X Mavericks 10.9.0 on my iMac-2007 (Al). LIDE 500F with it does not work😦
    2) I boughted ExactaScan Pro in iTunes at Black Friday with a good discount . LIDE 500F with it does not work😦
    3) I found this post, read, think.
    4) From Canon website Support for this scanner I downloaded and installed a driver:
    * ScanGear CS 11.251 for OSX (lide500fosx11251de.dmg)
    5) LIDE 500F with ExactaScan Pro now works!🙂
    6) From Canon website Support for this scanner I downloaded and installed:
      * CanonScan Toolbox 4.934 for OSX (cstbosx4934ej4.dmg)
    7) LIDE 500F with CanonScan Toolbox works too!🙂 Although the interface – oh … ;(
    8) I decided to try VueScan – downloaded the trial of 64-bit version. LIDE 500F with it does not works😦
    9) I replaced VueScan trial on a 32-bit version. LIDE 500F with VueScan x32 works!🙂
    All right. My scanner is still some work.

  18. ViJUsVinny says:

    Hi everyone and author. I just installed the two the scan gear and toolbox and I can see I am very close to make it work. But the toolbox is not importing from scanner. Vuescan is recognizing the scanner, but I have not purchased. What program do you use for importing image? any advice? Thanks

    • Monkey Crisis On Mars says:

      I just upgraded to Adobe CC and the scanner doesn’t work. Didn’t have time to investigate the problem. I’m using the Image Capture tool that comes with OS X. I don’t use Toolbox.


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