Ricoh fi-8170 – Troubleshooting Notes (DriverFiles)
People landed here assuming the Ricoh fi-8170 driver was missing or broken because scanning software failed or Windows could not find the device. This page exists because several of those attempts did not behave as expected: the scanner appeared in some places but not others, fixes involved unrelated settings, or the problem traced back to OS updates or physical behavior rather than the driver itself.
Problem: PaperStream Capture reports no scanner connected
What users observed: PaperStream Capture consistently showed an error stating that no scanner was connected. At the same time, the fi-8170 was visible in Windows printer and scanner settings. Pressing the physical scan button launched the software, but the same error remained.
What was tried: Drivers and capture software were installed successfully, USB connection was confirmed, and the device responded to button presses. Despite this, the software did not acknowledge the scanner.
What this turned out to be: The installed driver matched the model but was not the one the software would actually bind to.
Where this sometimes ended: Manually switching the device to a closely related Fujitsu fi-series driver allowed the software to recognize the scanner after a reboot.
Problem: Scans produce a thin line or surface marking on items
What users observed: A consistent thin line appeared on the same side of every scanned item. This happened even when items were sleeved, suggesting contact inside the scanner rather than a software artifact.
What was tried: Cleaning attempts with compressed air and extensive changes to scan settings did not change the behavior.
What this turned out to be: A feed mechanism behavior rather than a driver or image-processing issue.
Where this sometimes ended: Enabling a low-speed feed mode altered how items passed through the scanner and stopped the marking behavior.
Problem: Scanner not detected over network connection
What users observed: The fi-8170 could not be found when attempting to connect it to a computer over the network. The device itself powered on normally, but discovery failed.
What was tried: Network cabling and ports were examined, and connection methods were changed.
What this turned out to be: A physical or link-level network connection issue rather than a driver failure.
Where this sometimes ended: Switching network ports paired with changing duplex settings allowed the scanner to appear.
Problem: Scanner not found after upgrading to Windows 11 24H2
What users observed: After updating to Windows 11 version 24H2, the system reported that no scanner could be found, even though the device had previously worked.
What was tried: Driver reinstall attempts did not restore detection while the affected updates were present.
What this turned out to be: A Windows update regression affecting scanner detection.
Where this sometimes ended: Installing a later cumulative update resolved the detection issue without changing the scanner driver.
Other devices showing similar behavior:
- Scans your system for missing or outdated drivers
- Downloads and installs the correct versions
- Creates a restore point before making changes