Use old scanner with old imac

You must install the drivers for the N6310 on your 2008 iMac. There is no driver for your MBAir, as the final driver version available is for macOS 10.14 (Mojave).

That will require an internet connection at least temporarily. And your 2008 iMac with 10.6.8 probably won't connect to the internet, so you will need to use your MBAir to download the drivers. Download them, then copy the driver files to a flash drive and use the flash drive to install the drivers on your 2008 iMac.

Here is the link to the HP support page for the N6310. The page does indicate there is a still a version available for 10.6.

Select the driver version for OS X 10.6, then download & install it. There are different versions of the driver for different versions of macOS. -> https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/hp-scanjet-n6310-document-flatbed-scanner/3723469

Be sure to downloand & install *BOTH* the "Full Feature Software and Drivers" *AND* the "ICA Software" for your N6310.

Another option is to check out the app VueScan. Their software works with most any scanner and is well supported. You can download and try it for free (it will have a watermark) to see if it works. There is a fee to purchase it, however.

The oldest version of VueScan available for macOS is version 8.5.41 which was created on Dec 31, 2009. This might work on Snow Leopard, but only in trial mode. The ScanJet N6310 is supported without any HP drivers when using VueScan.

retireD62 wrote:

I fear I have not installed them correctly.

I dragged and dropped the two driver files to my Macintosh hd. They show up as files within it, not in any folder. Is that correct?

That is not correct. The downloaded files are .dmg disk images that contain the driver installer app.

Just copying the .dmg files to Maintosh HD accomplishes nothing.

You have to double-click the .dmg file to open it. Inside will be an installer app that you must run in order to install the drivers. Do this for each of the two .dmg files. Do the Full Installer first; then the ICA installer.

retireD62 wrote:

It works!

I cannot express the delight you have given me in helping me, holding my hand as it were, to get this done. It is very difficult to face one's total ignorance in electronics after a lengthy and successful professional life. I have to laugh at myself as I am enjoying the sound of my scanner.

Thank you again for your generosity of spirit and patience. I am terribly grateful for your help.

Great to hear it's working now! And you are welcome.

Your experience here is exactly what these Communities are for. We are all users just like you and there are lots of good people here who can help with just about any question you may have in the future. Even the most experienced users have questions they need help with. Don't be bashful about asking!

I've never had a scanner work with a Mac using the scan-to-PC function on the printer panel. I've always used image capture on the Mac and it's always worked fine.