Why does the ScanSnap S1100 stop responding after my computer wakes from sleep?

Applies to: ScanSnap S1100 Portable Document Scanner
Last updated: 4 February 2026

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Problem

After your computer wakes from sleep or hibernation, the ScanSnap S1100 no longer responds. Pressing the scan button does nothing, ScanSnap Home may show the scanner as disconnected, or scans fail until you unplug and reconnect the USB cable. This often happens on laptops and can feel random or inconsistent.

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Solution

Sleep and hibernation can interrupt USB power and background services that the ScanSnap S1100 relies on. When the computer wakes, the scanner may not reinitialise correctly, especially if USB power saving is enabled or ScanSnap Home services have not restarted cleanly. Adjusting power settings, disabling USB sleep features and restarting the ScanSnap connection usually resolves the issue.

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Step-by-step instructions

Wake the scanner cleanly

1. Fully wake the computer and wait until the desktop is responsive.
2. Open ScanSnap Home manually rather than pressing the scan button first.
3. Check whether the scanner shows as connected.
4. If it does not, unplug the USB cable from the scanner.
5. Wait a few seconds, then reconnect it directly to the computer.

This forces the scanner to reinitialise after sleep.

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Disable USB power saving on Windows

1. Open Device Manager.
2. Expand Universal Serial Bus controllers.
3. Open each USB Root Hub entry.
4. Go to the Power Management tab.
5. Untick the option that allows the computer to turn off the device to save power.
6. Apply the changes and restart the computer.

This prevents Windows from cutting power to the scanner during sleep.

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Adjust sleep and power settings on macOS

1. Open System Settings.
2. Go to Battery or Energy settings.
3. Disable options that put USB accessories to sleep aggressively.
4. Ensure ScanSnap Home is allowed to run in the background.
5. Restart the Mac after making changes.

Aggressive power management can prevent USB devices from waking correctly.

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Restart ScanSnap Home services

1. Fully quit ScanSnap Home.
2. Disconnect the ScanSnap S1100.
3. Restart the computer.
4. Open ScanSnap Home once logged in.
5. Reconnect the scanner and perform a test scan.

This resets background services that handle USB communication.

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Avoid docking stations and hubs after sleep

1. Connect the ScanSnap S1100 directly to the computer.
2. If using a laptop dock, test scanning with the laptop undocked.
3. Avoid reconnecting the scanner while the computer is asleep.

Docking stations often fail to restore USB power correctly after sleep.

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Update ScanSnap Home and the operating system

1. Check for updates to ScanSnap Home and install them.
2. Install pending operating system updates.
3. Restart the computer after updates.

Updates often include fixes for sleep and wake related USB issues.

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Optional methods or tools

• Disable sleep when scanning
  Temporarily disable sleep or hibernation during scanning sessions to avoid interruptions.
• Use shutdown instead of sleep
  On systems that frequently misbehave after sleep, full shutdowns can be more reliable.
• Powered USB hub
  In some cases, a powered hub maintains power through sleep transitions, though results vary.

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Best practices or tips

• Always wake the computer fully before attempting to scan.
• Open ScanSnap Home before pressing the scan button after sleep.
• Keep the scanner connected to the same USB port consistently.
• Avoid aggressive power saving profiles on machines used for scanning.
• Restart occasionally if sleep related issues recur.

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Sleep related issues with the ScanSnap S1100 are common on modern computers that aggressively manage USB power. The scanner itself is rarely at fault. Instead, the operating system may suspend USB power or background services in a way that prevents clean reconnection after waking.

By disabling USB power saving and establishing a consistent wake routine, you can usually eliminate the need to constantly unplug and reconnect the scanner. Once configured properly, the S1100 behaves reliably even on laptops that frequently sleep between scanning sessions.