Can I use a Windows XP scanner driver?

If possible, I would like to be able to use my Canon MF4150 multi-function machine from Windows XP in Parallels. The Mac software for the MF4150 cannot access its scanner functions. I can only use the Canon’s sheet-fed scanner using the Windows XP software driver.

As I understand it, when I run Windows XP in Parallels, Windows applications use drivers installed in Mac OS X to access printers, scanners and other peripherals. Those drivers are the software I'm accessing when I select a USB device from the Devices menu.

Does this mean that I cannot install the Canon Windows XP driver software in Windows and then use it directly from Windows XP in Parallels, to access my device's scanner functions?

I'm using Parallels build 4560, OS X 10.4.10 on an intel imac.

Thanks in advance for all advice.

 

You would *have to* install the Windows software for the scanner to drive it directly from XP. If you connect a USB device directly to the VM then you are not using the device-specific Mac drivers, only the low level generic USB interface software.

I can't tell you whether the USB pass-through in Parallels will work with your scanner, as I don't have one. Some USB devices work and others don't. Maybe someone else has one and can advise.

 

Microtek scanner w/ScanWizard works on XP

I can't speak for the Canon, but I can confirm that my Microtek Scanmaker 6000 works under parallels build 4560 running WinXP on both a MacPro and a MacBookPro.

However... in this case the ScanWizard software for the scanner works fine under both OSX and XP, whereas you indicate that the Canon software has problems with OS X, so that may impact the result, don't know.

 

update?

Hi Ken and others,

Did you ever get your MF4150 working on your mac using Parallels? I am considering buying the same unit and would like to be able to use all the functions. There are mac drivers for everything except the scanner.

If you did get it going, do you use it only from your VM or from both OS X and Windows? Ideally I would like to be able to do everything except scan while in OS X and then use VM to scan until such time, if ever, that a proper mac driver is developed.

I would be using Windows 2000 Professional.

Thanks.