topic Re: what cable needed for CanoScan Lide 300 to Mac Airlock 2 in Scanners

what cable needed for CanoScan Lide 300 to MacBook Air 2

Bette1 — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 18:23:25 GMT

The cable provided with my CanoScan 300 does not work with my MacBook Air 2. Please advise what cable is needed. Thank you!

Bette1

Re: what cable needed for CanoScan Lide 300 to Mac Airlock 2

kvbarkley — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 15:50:40 GMT

Probably a USB-A to USB-C adapter:

Re: what cable needed for CanoScan Lide 300 to Mac Airlock 2

JayC1 — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 18:21:07 GMT

Hi Bette1! Thanks for contributing to the Canon Community! I see you are wondering what kind of cable will work with your MacBook Air 2.

You will need a USB cable (not an adapter) that fits the USB port on your computer. I assume that your computer has an oval-shaped USB-C port. If that is true, you will need a USB 2.0 cable that has an oval-shaped USB-C connector on one end (for your computer) and a trapezoidal-shaped USB-Mini B connector on the other.

USB-Mini B can be called "Mini USB" by a some companies. If they provide a picture, please make sure that the fitting on one end is a miniature trapezoidal shape. A trapezoid is like a rectangle, but the sides are slanted in. You can refer to the end of the cable that fits the scanner. That is the shape that I am referring to.

USB2.0 cables come with a variety of connectors. The cable provided with the printer has connectors that will work with Windows based computers (USB-A to USB-Mini B), since most PC's have rectangular shaped USB-A ports. Mac computers have switched to oval-shaped ports (called USB-C or thunderbolt).

Please make sure to get a cable that has the proper fitting for both sides (the computer and the scanner). Also, please make sure that the cable is no longer than 6 feet (maximum length). Cables longer than 6 feet can cause communication issues with the scanner.

Please do not get a USB Adapter. Although a USB Adapter can bridge the connection between the cable and your computer, it can also cause communication problems. It is best to get a single cable that has the proper connectors on both ends.

These cables are made by different manufacturers. We cannot recommend any one cable over another. If you do a search for "USB-C to USB-Mini B cable", you should see a few examples of the cable that you need (assuming that your Mac computer has oval-shaped connectors).

I hope this helps. Thanks again.

Re: what cable needed for CanoScan Lide 300 to Mac Airlock 2

kvbarkley — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 18:44:29 GMT

JayC1:

Hate to break it to you, but any USB-C to USB-A or B will have an adapter. It might be built into the cable, but it is there, or it is a cheap forgery that won't work, like the "fire-wire to USB" cables.

I like the Apple adapter since I don't have to buy 2 cables to connect to legacy USB devices, only the USB-C to USB-A.

Re: what cable needed for CanoScan Lide 300 to Mac Airlock 2

CatOut — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 21:10:03 GMT

I did not know you could use another cable other than the Canon supplied cable to connect the scanner to your Mac. I am having the same issue with the CanoScan LiDE 400 cable going into my new iMac that has only USB-C ports. I am using the Apple USB-A to USB-C adapter but having connection problems.

Re: what cable needed for CanoScan Lide 300 to MacBook Air 2

kvbarkley — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 21:19:59 GMT

Have you tried a new USB cable from the adapter to the scanner?

You might also trying a dock or hub, though that is a more expensive option.

Re: what cable needed for CanoScan Lide 300 to MacBook Air 2

CatOut — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 21:37:50 GMT

I just bought the LiDE 400 scanner so the supplied USB cable is new. I have it plugged in to the Apple USB-A to USB-C adapter. I was hoping that this may be the issue. But I'm using Mac OS Tahoe 26.3 and I've read that other people are having compatibility issues with this new OS and your 300 / 400 scanners.