Scan to Network Folder doesn't work on macOS Sonoma.

[kaporor]

Scan to Network Folder doesn't work on macOS Sonoma.​

What I want to do is set up a network folder on my Mac so that I can scan documents from my printer to that folder. My connection is wireless. The printer sees the shared folder, named HPScans, but it can't connect to it. The EWS error is "The test was unsuccessful. Try again."

I understand that in the EWS (setting up the Network folder with my printer's IP), my username is correct, as I got it from: Finder >> Users & Groups. I have admin privileges and I have read and write permissions in the shared folder "HPScans". My password is the same as the one I use to log in to my computer with my username.
Username: Ricardo E. Marrero Guzmán
Password: ************** (my Mac login password)

To write the "path," I obtained my IP address from System Setting... >> Network >> Wi-Fi >> Details. Both my Mac and my printer are connected to the same network, and it's working fine.
\\#.#.#.#\HPScans

"File Sharing" is active in System Settings... >> General >> File Sharing. In "File Sharing Information," the Share Folder HPScans was added, and my username has read and write permissions.

In Finder >> Desktop >> HP Scans (Get Info), the Shared folder is checked. Below it says "You can read and write."

Printer: HP Color LaserJet PRO MFP M283cdw
macOS: 14.3.1 macOS Sonoma
Router: Google Nest
Credentials are correct.

Printer EWS configuration:

 

[MikeDr206]

In the EWS configuration, try changing your user name to “ricardo” (lower case). I think the full name is only for the Mac.

 

[MikeDr206]

If that doesn’t work, for troubleshooting purposes give “Everyone” read & write access in file sharing, and remove the credentials from the EWS configuration to see if the problem is the authentication or simply accessing the folder.

 

[MikeDr206]

Final thought! You may have to do something like this:

macOS example needed for "network path" for scanning document to network directory

Please provide an example of a path in macOS to a network folder. macOS does not use the same format as Windows for paths! I have tried using the IP address in combination with the local folder path and this is not accepted by the printer as a valid path. smb://Johns...

h30434.www3.hp.com

 

[kaporor]

In the EWS configuration, try changing your user name to “ricardo” (lower case). I think the full name is only for the Mac.

Thank you for this recommendation, but doesn't work. Let me try your other recommendations.

 

[kaporor]

If that doesn’t work, for troubleshooting purposes give “Everyone” read & write access in file sharing, and remove the credentials from the EWS configuration to see if the problem is the authentication or simply accessing the folder.

If that doesn’t work, for troubleshooting purposes give “Everyone” read & write access in file sharing, and remove the credentials from the EWS configuration to see if the problem is the authentication or simply accessing the folder.

I give "Everyone" read & write access and remove username and password from EWS and the error message is "The test was unsuccessful. Try again.

 

[MikeDr206]

Final thought! You may have to do something like this:

macOS example needed for "network path" for scanning document to network directory

Please provide an example of a path in macOS to a network folder. macOS does not use the same format as Windows for paths! I have tried using the IP address in combination with the local folder path and this is not accepted by the printer as a valid path. smb://Johns...

h30434.www3.hp.com

Bummer! Did you try the solution in the link above?

Another idea would be to allow full disk access for all users to see if that solves the problem (which may assist in troubleshooting).

A final idea would be to change the folder to "hpscans" in the EWS configuration (tho I don't think that'll work).

I don't actually have an HP printer/scanner, but am thinking of buying one, and have been looking at whether network scanning will be an issue ...

- Mike.

 

[kaporor]

Final thought! You may have to do something like this:

macOS example needed for "network path" for scanning document to network directory

Please provide an example of a path in macOS to a network folder. macOS does not use the same format as Windows for paths! I have tried using the IP address in combination with the local folder path and this is not accepted by the printer as a valid path. smb://Johns...

h30434.www3.hp.com

IF I understood correctly, I should go to the terminal app and execute the following command:

chmod -R +a "group:staff allow list,add_file,search,add_subdirectory,delete_child,readattr,writeattr,readextattr,writeextattr,readsecurity,file_inherit,directory_inherit" /Users/ricardo/Desktop/HPScans

 

[kaporor]

Bummer! Did you try the solution in the link above?

Another idea would be to allow full disk access for all users to see if that solves the problem (which may assist in troubleshooting).

A final idea would be to change the folder to "hpscans" in the EWS configuration (tho I don't think that'll work).

I don't actually have an HP printer/scanner, but am thinking of buying one, and have been looking at whether network scanning will be an issue ...

- Mike.

I executed the command chmod... in the terminal app, gave full access to all users, typed hpscans in lowercase, tested it using the user 'ricardo' and 'Ricardo E. Marrero Guzmán', and it didn't work. Frustrating.

 

[BrianBaughn]

Would it be any help to scan to a local folder and use Automator to create a Folder Action to "Move Finder Items" from the local folder to the folder on the network drive?

It's not a solution to the networking issue but it's the kind of workaround I'd use if I otherwise didn't know if a solution even existed.

 

[kaporor]

Would it be any help to scan to a local folder and use Automator to create a Folder Action to "Move Finder Items" from the local folder to the folder on the network drive?

It's not a solution to the networking issue but it's the kind of workaround I'd use if I otherwise didn't know if a solution even existed.

BrianBaughn, thank you for this recommendation. I have never used the Automator tool. I also don't understand how it will be possible to scan a local folder and move its files to a network folder, if that's precisely what I can't do. Perhaps I need a step-by-step guide to do it."

I know that I can scan to a local folder using the app "Image Capture". What I need to understand is why I can't scan from my printer to a network folder. It's a connection problem, and I know it seems like I'm entering the incorrect password, but I've tried the password to access my computer, and it works. I've had doubts about the username and also about the path and permissions, and believe me, I've been trying for a while, and the error remains the same.

I spoke with HP support, and they escalated the issue to level three, but two technicians couldn't resolve the problem. They didn't know how to fix it, so we closed the case.

 

[BrianBaughn]

I took a quick look at the manual for that printer and I see that you can't initiate a scan to folder from the printer itself with macOS…which is unfortunate. Image Capture is, of course, also done from the Mac.

Is it possible to set up the "scan to network folder" with the target on the Mac itself? If that's the case, then the Automator folder action could be used in conjunction to get the scans to the desired network folder.

 

[MikeDr206]

@BrianBaughn, he is indeed trying to set the target of the scan to network folder as the Mac. The problem is that HP printers are very finicky with Macs. The "network folder" in this case is the local folder on the Mac.

@kaporor, I'm bummed it isn't working. If it's any help, I am planning on getting an HP network MFP in the next 2-6 months, and will be able to assist more at that time.

There is also a file sharing issue with Sonoma that affects some people... it affects me, FWIW. This may be the problem.

The problem is that for some people, file sharing gets borked between reboots. So, you have to do this:

(1) Disable file sharing
(2) Reboot
(3) Enable file sharing

See here:

File Sharing Problem

2021 14" MacBook Pro M1 Pro running macOS Sonoma 14.3 EDIT: Firewall is on & FileVault is on. Problem: File Sharing using SMB does not work when it is enabled and booted up from Shut Down or Restarted. The MBP will be listed in Locations in a Finder window Sidebar, but attempts to Connect...

forums.macrumors.com

Other things to try. If you have another Mac (or even better, a Windows PC), see if that machine can see the network share on your Mac you want to set up scan to. That can narrow down whether the problem is the printer or your Mac.

A very unsatisfactory solution would be to get a NAS (Synology, etc.,) or a Windows PC, to use as a scan target for the printer, and then have your Mac access the scans from there.

 

[BrianBaughn]

I see now. The "scan to network folder" feature is the workaround for the scanner firmware not being able to automatically send scans to a Mac in a built-in way. Remind me to put that on my list of requirements for my next printer!

Can the Mac mount a USB thumb drive attached to the HP printer/scanner?

 

[MikeDr206]

I see now. The "scan to network folder" feature is the workaround for the scanner firmware not being able to automatically send scans to a Mac in a built-in way. Remind me to put that on my list of requirements for my next printer!

Can the Mac mount a USB thumb drive attached to the HP printer/scanner?

Note that the printer/scanner is connected via Ethernet or Wi-Fi, not via USB. So it's not a workaround for Macs -- this is how you scan to any destination -- PC, Mac, NAS, etc.

 

[kaporor]

@BrianBaughn, he is indeed trying to set the target of the scan to network folder as the Mac. The problem is that HP printers are very finicky with Macs. The "network folder" in this case is the local folder on the Mac.

@kaporor, I'm bummed it isn't working. If it's any help, I am planning on getting an HP network MFP in the next 2-6 months, and will be able to assist more at that time.

There is also a file sharing issue with Sonoma that affects some people... it affects me, FWIW. This may be the problem.

The problem is that for some people, file sharing gets borked between reboots. So, you have to do this:

(1) Disable file sharing
(2) Reboot
(3) Enable file sharing

See here:

File Sharing Problem

2021 14" MacBook Pro M1 Pro running macOS Sonoma 14.3 EDIT: Firewall is on & FileVault is on. Problem: File Sharing using SMB does not work when it is enabled and booted up from Shut Down or Restarted. The MBP will be listed in Locations in a Finder window Sidebar, but attempts to Connect...

forums.macrumors.com

Other things to try. If you have another Mac (or even better, a Windows PC), see if that machine can see the network share on your Mac you want to set up scan to. That can narrow down whether the problem is the printer or your Mac.

A very unsatisfactory solution would be to get a NAS (Synology, etc.,) or a Windows PC, to use as a scan target for the printer, and then have your Mac access the scans from there.

It worked! This is the solution. Thank you very much to MikeDr206 and everyone for their recommendations.

What I did, based on MikeDr206's recommendation, was the following:

System Settings... >> General >> File Sharing off
Restart...
System Settings... >> General >> File Sharing on

Important: The username was ricardo instead of "Ricardo E. Marrero Guzmán".

 

[MikeDr206]

Good deal! Note you’ll need to do this every time you reboot.

So the issue is not the printer but Sonoma’s file sharing bug.

 

[BrianBaughn]

Note that the printer/scanner is connected via Ethernet or Wi-Fi, not via USB. So it's not a workaround for Macs -- this is how you scan to any destination -- PC, Mac, NAS, etc.

I understand. My Canon printer is connected via Ethernet and the printer and software that came with it allow me to, at the printer, select the Mac. It's still networking but the setup is simplified by the software.