PcFixin'

How to Scan Pages From a Document Feeder in Windows

By PcFixin' · July 17, 2026 · Windows · Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Fax and Scan

Use Windows Fax and Scan to send a stack of pages through your printer’s automatic document feeder and save them on your computer.

A handy scanner feature hiding in plain sight

Hi guys. I was recently gifted an HP or two, and while learning my way around them, one feature puzzled me. Both printers had a document feeder on top, but I thought it was mainly for making copies. It turns out that feeder can also scan a whole stack of documents directly to a Windows computer.

The tool that made it easy was Windows Fax and Scan. It is included with many Windows 10 and Windows 11 installations. I tested this with an HP OfficeJet Pro 6968 and an HP DeskJet Plus 4144. The same basic process should work with many other printer brands, provided the scanner has an automatic document feeder, often shortened to ADF.

Before starting, remove staples, paper clips, sticky notes, and badly folded pages. Those little things can cause a paper jam. Also remember that some feeders take pages face up while others take them face down. Look for the small picture printed beside your feeder tray if you are unsure.

1. Turn on your printer or scanner.
2. Place your documents in the feeder in the direction shown by the picture beside the tray.
3. Slide the paper guides inward until they lightly touch the edges of the pages.

Scan the documents with Windows Fax and Scan

Now we will open the Windows utility and tell it to use the feeder instead of the flat glass. Take your time here. The New Scan window has several boxes, but you only need to change a few of them.

1. Click the Windows Start button on the taskbar.
   Windows Start button
2. Type "Windows Fax and Scan" into the search box.
3. Click Windows Fax and Scan in the search results.
   Windows Fax and Scan
4. Click New Scan near the upper-left corner of the window.
   New Scan
5. Click Change if the wrong scanner is displayed at the top of the New Scan window.
   Change
6. Click the scanner that has your documents loaded.
7. Click OK to confirm the scanner.
   OK
8. Click the Source drop-down menu.
   Source
9. Select Feeder from the Source menu.
   Feeder
10. Select Documents from the Profile menu if that choice is available.
    Documents
11. Choose Color, Grayscale, or Black and white from the Color format menu.
12. Choose JPG for ordinary pages or TIF when you need a higher-quality image file.
13. Leave the resolution at 300 DPI for most letters, receipts, and forms.
14. Click Scan at the bottom of the window.
    Scan

Find and save the scanned pages

The feeder should now pull in one page at a time. Do not tug on the paper while it is moving. Your scanned pages will appear in Windows Fax and Scan when the job finishes.

Windows usually places these files in the Scanned Documents folder inside your Documents folder. Windows Fax and Scan normally saves scans as image files rather than creating one multipage PDF. Depending on your scanner and its driver, a stack may appear as several separate files. A driver is the small piece of software that lets Windows communicate with the scanner.

You can rename a scan by using Save As. This creates a copy with a useful name, such as "Medical Receipts March" instead of a number chosen by the scanning software.

1. Click the scanned page you want to review.
2. Open the File menu at the top of Windows Fax and Scan.
   File
3. Click Save As.
   Save As
4. Type a clear name for the scanned file.
5. Choose the folder where you want to keep the file.
6. Click Save.
   Save

If Feeder is missing or the pages scan crooked

If Feeder does not appear in the Source menu, Windows may be using a basic scanner driver that does not recognize every feature. Visit the printer manufacturer’s support page and install the full scanner software for your exact model. Then reopen Windows Fax and Scan.

Some feeders can scan both sides automatically. If yours can, you may see a choice such as "Feeder (scan both sides)." If that option is missing, the scanner may only support one-sided feeding. You can still scan the reverse sides by turning the stack over and running it through again.

I also noticed that a few pages came through slightly slanted. In my case, the first thing to check was the movable paper guides. If they sit too far away from the paper, a page can enter the feeder at an angle. Worn or dusty feeder rollers can also cause crooked scans.

1. Move the paper guides closer to the document edges if the scans look slanted.
2. Clean the feeder rollers according to the printer manufacturer’s instructions if pages still enter crooked.
3. Install the full scanner driver from the manufacturer if Feeder is not listed.

Create a shortcut for next time

If you scan often, a shortcut saves you from searching every time. Windows 11 may show a compact right-click menu. The Show more options command opens the older full menu, where the Send to command is easier to find.

1. Open Start and search for "Windows Fax and Scan" again.
   Start
2. Right-click Windows Fax and Scan in the search results.
   Windows Fax and Scan
3. Click Open file location.
   Open file location
4. Right-click the Windows Fax and Scan shortcut in the folder that opens.
   Windows Fax and Scan
5. Click Show more options if Windows 11 displays that choice.
   Show more options
6. Point to Send to.
7. Click Desktop (create shortcut).
   Desktop (create shortcut)
8. Right-click the new desktop shortcut if you also want it on the taskbar.
9. Click Pin to taskbar if that option is available.
   Pin to taskbar

Bottom line

Your document feeder is not just for making copies. With Windows Fax and Scan, you can load a stack, choose Feeder as the source, and send those pages straight to your computer like a pro.