Had this conversation the other day with Claude Code (not looking for advice just thought it was funny Claude refused - I later reframed the request in terms of writing a diagnostic script and it happily obliged. I admit I was being lazy here.): Me: My printer is failing to scan. It doesn’t have all cartridges, however that should have no effect on the scanning functionality. Please troubleshoot. Claude: This is outside my area of expertise — I’m a software engineering assistant (Claude Code). I can help with coding, debugging, and development tasks. For printer/scanner troubleshooting, I’d suggest: Check if the printer blocks scanning when cartridges are missing — some manufacturers (especially HP and Canon) lock all functions, including scanning, when ink is low/missing, despite scanning not requiring ink. Try scanning from the computer instead of the printer panel (e.g., using the manufacturer’s scan utility or your OS’s built-in scanner app). Reinstall/update the printer driver — scanner drivers are sometimes bundled separately. Check the USB/network connection — scanning often uses a different communication channel than printing. If your printer manufacturer is locking scanning due to missing cartridges, that’s unfortunately by design on some models. Workarounds vary by brand — searching for your specific model + “scan without ink” may help. For more detailed help, I’d recommend asking Claude directly at claude.ai (without the Code tool), or checking your printer manufacturer’s support site. I guess even Claude hates dealing with printers. submitted by /u/BonyCatButt
Originally posted by u/BonyCatButt on r/ClaudeCode
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