How to Scan a Document in Vista (13 Steps)

1. Turn on your computer.
2. Plug your scanner into a power source, but don't turn it on yet.
3. Plug your scanner's USB cable into your computer, then turn on the scanner. Once powered up, Windows Vista automatically detects the scanner, and installs drivers for the device. Don't proceed to step four until a system tray prompt indicates that the scanner is ready to use.
4. Open your scanner's lid, place the document face-down, and close the lid. The correct position of the paper varies by manufacturer, so consult the scanner's manual, or look for diagrams printed on the inside of the lid. If the scanner accepts paper through a feeder rather than on a flatbed, position the paper in the feeder tray.
5. Click the 'Start' button. Unlike older versions of Windows, Vista does not label its 'Start' button. It is represented by a blue orb in the lower left-hand corner of the screen.
6. Click 'All Programs.' A list of programs appears on your screen.
7. Click 'Windows Fax and Scan,' typically located near the top of your programs list. Your scanning software opens in a new window.
8. Click 'Scan' from the bottom left-hand side of the window.
9. Click 'New Scan' on the toolbar at the top.
10. Click 'Profile list,' then 'Documents.' Your scanner's default settings appear on screen. You can change these settings if you prefer, but for most first-time users the default settings work well.
11. Click 'Preview.' This triggers a quick scan of the document, displaying the results on the screen. You can click and drag the edges of the scan field to crop the image, and you can adjust the default color or DPI settings as needed, based on the preview image.
12. Reload the tray if you're using a scanner with a feeder tray. If you are using a flatbed scanner, leave the paper on the tray.
13. Click 'Scan' when you are finished adjusting the preview image. Your document is scanned, and the final product appears on your screen. Unless you deliberately changed any default settings, the scan is a JPG image, and it saves to your Windows 'Documents' folder.