Fujitsu warns ScanSnap owners not to use scanners with Sierra until major bug fixed [Updated]

Update 2: Fujitsu now has a fix for the main issue for five scanners, available as an app update. A fix for the remaining four scanners is scheduled for October 17. It does not yet know when a fix will be available for editing PDFs of existing affected scans, but says that it is committed to providing this. Full details can be found on the company’s blog.

Update 1: Fujitsu has updated its advice after narrowing down the issue to some much more specific circumstances. The issue appears to be a bug in Sierra, which the company expects to be fixed in an update in mid-October.

1. Do not use [ScanSnap Organizer], [ScanSnap Merge Pages], or [CardMinder]
2. Do not use Excellent mode when scanning A3 (11.7 in. x 16.5 in.) documents
   No image data will be lost nor any blank pages produced when content that has been scanned in the A4 (8.3 in. x 11.7 in.), Letter (8.5 in. x 11 in.), Legal (8.5 in. x 14 in.), or smaller sizes is saved.
3. Do not select the following functions in either Quick Menu or Application
   • [Scan to Print]
   • [Scan to Evernote (Document)]
   • [Scan to Evernote (Note)]
   • [Scan to Google Drive]
   • [Photographs]

Fujitsu has taken the rather extreme step of warning owners of its entire ScanSnap scanner range to cease using the device if they are on macOS Sierra until a major bug is fixed. The bug can result in scanned pages being turned into blank pages, and even existing scanned pages can be deleted in some circumstances.

The warning message – which appears in the app – lists no fewer than seven serious problems which can occur when using any scanner in the ScanSnap range, including the Evernote Edition.

Some pages of the PDF files that have been generated with ScanSnap applications may become blank pages when they are edited or converted to searchable PDF files on macOS Sierra.

Also, B&W pages are saved as color pages on the OS, and accordingly the size of the files becomes larger.

Some pages of the PDF files that are created with ScanSnap applications on macOS Sierra may be saved as blank pages.

Also, the size of B&W pages becomes larger than it should be because they are saved as color pages on the OS.

When images are exported to an application through Quick Menu on macOS Sierra, the images may be displayed as blank pages on the preview screen of the application.

Some pages may be deleted when Merge Pages of ScanSnap Organizer is carried out on macOS Sierra.

When duplex scanning is carried out on macOS Sierra, data on the back side of the scanned cards are not imported to CardMinder.

I use one of the ScanSnap scanners myself as part of my paperless life. How such major issues were able to make it through the Sierra beta without someone at Fujitsu noticing the problem over the summer is hard to comprehend.

But for now, I’ll be accumulating a small supply of paper. I hope the company resolves it soon …