OS X: How to Fix Hang in Image Capture Utility

Beginning with OS X El Capitan (“El Crapitan”), Image Capture often hangs waiting for the scanner on my Epson Workforce printer to respond. Same scanner as for ~2.5 years, new OS X bugs.

The message is typically “Waiting for printer to respond...” or some such thing. The wait is forever (a “hang”), unless the machine is rebooted (logging out might work), or this shortcut fix is used.

How to force-kill the 'Image Capture Extension' process

A force-kill of the hidden process Image Capture Extension makes things work again*.

1. Quit Image Capture (this is the app you’re trying to use to scan something).
2. Open Utilities => Activity Monitor, then make sure that View => All Processes is checked.
3. Enter “image” into the search box as shown below (not strictly needed but it filters out most process names).
4. Select Image Capture Extension, then click the X near upper left to force-kill it.
5. Relaunch Image Capture.

Scanning should now work again.

* This nonsense is part of kudzu-like Apple Core Rot. The next OS X release should be name OS X Roquefort, for the mold that runs through the entire software stack. But unlike stinky cheese, OS X doesn’t taste good.

Activity Monitor: finding Image Capture Extension in order to force-kill it