Scan Agent

Web browsers cannot talk to scanners on their own. The DocView Scan Agent is a small Windows program that runs on each scanning PC and connects your TWAIN or WIA scanner to the DocView Capture Scan screen.

What the Scan Agent does

• Lists the scanners on your PC and reads what each one can do (feeder, flatbed, duplex, resolutions).
• Opens the scanner you choose and keeps it ready while the Scan screen is open, so a scan starts the moment you press Scan.
• Connects the scanner by itself when it becomes available — as soon as Windows reports it was switched on or plugged in, and otherwise every 20 seconds — just like a desktop capture program. If it cannot be opened, the Scan screen says why (switched off or unplugged, or in use by another program).
• Tells the Scan screen about every change at once (scanner ready or not, each page scanned, scan finished or failed) over a live connection, instead of the browser asking every few seconds.
• Runs the scan and sends the pages straight to your DocView Capture server. Scanner progress windows are hidden unless the batch's scan settings ask for the scanner dialog.
• Opens the scanner driver's own settings dialog when you ask for it.

The agent releases the scanner when you choose another one, when you reset the connection, or 3 minutes after the Scan screen was last open, so other programs can use it again.

Note: Agents older than version 1.3.0 still work, but they open the scanner afresh for every scan, which is slower. The Scan screen offers the update.

The agent only listens on your own PC (it cannot be reached from the network) and only accepts requests from the DocView site it was downloaded from. One agent runs per PC, whoever is signed in to Windows.

Install the Scan Agent from the Scan screen

You do not need administrator rights, codes or settings.

1. Sign in to DocView Capture and open Scan.
2. Choose a Batch Setup and click Create batch.
3. If the agent is missing, the Install the DocView Scan Agent window opens by itself. You can also click Install next to the status badge.
4. Click Download.
5. Open the downloaded file, DocView Scan Agent Setup.exe.
6. Wait a few seconds. The page connects by itself and the status badge turns green.

The setup program:

• installs the agent for your Windows account;
• replaces any agent already running;
• starts it now and every time you sign in to Windows;
• adds it to Apps & features with an uninstaller;
• adds a DocView Scan Agent Start menu shortcut.

Note: The download is made for your DocView site. If you use more than one DocView Capture site, download the agent from the site you want to scan into.

Tip: If Windows says it protected your PC, choose More info, then Run anyway.

If you would rather not install it now, click Not now — import files instead and use Import files.

64-bit or 32-bit?

There is one download for every PC. TWAIN scanner drivers are either 32-bit or 64-bit, and a program can only use drivers of its own kind, so the setup program decides while it installs:

• on 64-bit Windows it installs the 64-bit agent, unless the PC only has 32-bit TWAIN scanner drivers;
• on 32-bit Windows, or when the scanner only has a 32-bit TWAIN driver, it installs the 32-bit agent.

WIA scanners work with either. The status badge shows which one is running, for example Scan agent 1.5.3 (x86). If you install a scanner with a 32-bit-only driver later, run the setup program again.

Only the newest agent version is offered. Older versions left on the server are not shown.

Updates

The Scan Agent and the DocView Capture server share one version number. When they differ, the Scan screen tells you:

• update available: the badge turns amber and the Update the DocView Scan Agent window opens once per browser session. Click the download button, run the file, and the page notices the new version by itself. Not now hides the prompt until your next session.
• update needed: the badge turns red. The agent is too old or too new for this server, so scanning is paused until you update.

The update keeps your scanner choice and settings, and takes a few seconds. While an update is offered, you can also click Update next to the badge (when no scan is running).

Note: After your administrator upgrades DocView Capture, expect the update prompt. This is normal.

Pairing

There is no pairing step. The installer you download carries your site's address and a key, so the agent trusts that site automatically. If the badge says Scan agent is set up for another server – reinstall, the running agent came from a different site (or was started from inside a zip file). Download and run the installer again from this site.

The tray icon

The agent shows an icon in the Windows notification area. Right-click it for:

Install as a Windows service (administrators)

For shared PCs, administrators can install the agent for all users as a Windows service with the script tools/scan-agent/install-scan-agent.ps1:

1. Open PowerShell as administrator in the folder that holds the script and the agent files.
2. Run .\install-scan-agent.ps1 -ServerUrl https://your-docview-address -Service.

The service is called DocView Capture Scan Agent. It installs into Program Files, starts automatically and has no tray icon; its logs are in %ProgramData%\DocViewCapture\ScanAgent\logs. Use uninstall-scan-agent.ps1 -Service to remove it.

Important: Only one agent can run on a PC. Stop the service before an operator installs the per-user agent, and the other way round.

Troubleshooting

When you contact support, send the files from Open log folder. The per-user agent keeps its logs in %LOCALAPPDATA%\DocViewCapture\ScanAgent\logs.

Remove the Scan Agent

Remove DocView Scan Agent in Windows Settings › Apps › Installed apps (or Apps & features). There is no uninstall option in the tray menu, so it cannot be removed by accident.

Related pages

• Scan documents
• System requirements
• Troubleshooting
• Support