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What to Look for in a Universal Virtual Scanner Driver

A universal virtual scanner driver replaces multiple drivers on the local side of your scanning operations. Let’s dive into what that looks like and how it can set you apart from the rest in the digital application marketplace.

What is a Universal Virtual Scanner Driver?

A universal virtual scanner driver replaces the need for multiple scanner drivers on local client devices, allowing a single driver to function across multiple scanner types and remote desktop environments.

 

virtual scanning

Remote Scanning Challenges

Document scanning is an essential activity in medical, legal, and financial work. Teams may have hundreds of documents that need to be scanned every week — or every day.

Yet, the following scenario may sound familiar: A typical team can waste hours on tedious manual workarounds like:

  • Manually emailing digital images
  • Uploading files to shared drive folders
  • Sorting and renaming scanned documents into digital repositories

Despite the volume of documentation, easy scanning and storage can feel unattainable. Not only is this time-consuming, but it also introduces security risks, particularly for sensitive documents.

One misstep can result in internal headaches — and external risk.

A universal virtual scanner driver eliminates these inefficiencies by allowing direct scanning into applications or secure remote desktop session hosts—without requiring local driver installations.

How to Connect Your Scanner in Remote Environments

Scanner drivers are typically installed and connected to the local client computer in one of three ways:

Direct USB vs MFP vs Virtual Scanning

Document Icon
1. Direct USB or Network Connection
The scanner connects via USB redirection or network-based scanning, allowing the system to detect it.
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Printer Icon
2. Multifunction Printers (MFPs)
Many large-format documents and high-quality images are scanned using networked MFPs.
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virtual driver
Universal Scanner Driver
Streamlines scanner redirection for virtual desktops like Citrix, Horizon, and RDP without manual configurations.
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So What Do You Gain by Implementing a Virtual Driver?

A virtual scanner driver simplifies the management of multiple hosted applications and devices on a remote desktop for sending files directly to the right database. You won’t have to worry about incompatible drivers, unsupported apps, or complex software upgrades.

Speed & Efficiency

✔ Up to 10x faster black-and-white scanning
✔ Up to 4x faster color scans
✔ Compatible over RDP, Citrix, and VMware VDI, etc
✔ Reduced bandwidth usage for remote access

Sending scans to their intended destination can be challenging, and relying on workarounds like emailing documents to yourself is inefficient—especially if you also need to convert the file format to PDF.

In large enterprises, inefficiencies rise as hundreds of documents are scanned daily, making the USB transfer to a remote database time-consuming.

The virtual driver simplifies this process. Scanned images are compressed, sent directly to a designated remote location, and can be easily converted to different formats.

As long as the driver on the client side is a TWAIN or WIA driver, some universal drivers like Tricerat's allow you to scan remotely up to 10x faster than a normal driver.
Compliance

✔ Encrypting digital images before transmission
✔ Direct integration with document management systems
✔ Preventing unauthorized local storage of documents
✔ Optimizing the scanning process for high-quality images without data loss

Did you know there were 418 HIPPA data breaches in 2024 coming from network devices that affected 34.9 million Americans? Unfortunately, scanning documents to a personal or work email address is an easy way to violate HIPPA regulations.

Using a universal driver, documents are compressed and sent to their designated remote location. Sensitive data is scanned directly into the application database, eliminating concerns about where the document is stored externally.

Security features are effective only when compatible with all scanners—and that's the core of the universal driver.
Full Compatibility

✔ Ensure compatibility across TWAIN or WIA scanners
✔ Eliminate the need for individual driver installations
✔ Optimize scanning performance across different remote desktop platforms
✔ Reduce support tickets related to scanner driver issues

Not all scanner drivers are built for enterprise environments. Many require complex configurations to work with terminal server scanner redirection, USB scanner over RDP, or redirection for VMware Horizon and on-site servers, for example.

If your driver refuses to communicate with drivers on the client side, you may as well have multiple drivers. To maximize the utility of a universal scanner driver, it should be agnostic to specific scanners or manufacturers.

When your driver is compatible with all devices,  your documents will work with your client’s scanning needs.

✔ Up to 10x faster black-and-white scanning
✔ Up to 4x faster color scans
✔ Compatible over RDP, Citrix, and VMware VDI, etc
✔ Reduced bandwidth usage for remote access

Sending scans to their intended destination can be challenging, and relying on workarounds like emailing documents to yourself is inefficient—especially if you also need to convert the file format to PDF.

In large enterprises, inefficiencies rise as hundreds of documents are scanned daily, making the USB transfer to a remote database time-consuming.

The virtual driver simplifies this process. Scanned images are compressed, sent directly to a designated remote location, and can be easily converted to different formats.

As long as the driver on the client side is a TWAIN or WIA driver, some universal drivers like Tricerat's allow you to scan remotely up to 10x faster than a normal driver.

✔ Encrypting digital images before transmission
✔ Direct integration with document management systems
✔ Preventing unauthorized local storage of documents
✔ Optimizing the scanning process for high-quality images without data loss

Did you know there were 418 HIPPA data breaches in 2024 coming from network devices that affected 34.9 million Americans? Unfortunately, scanning documents to a personal or work email address is an easy way to violate HIPPA regulations.

Using a universal driver, documents are compressed and sent to their designated remote location. Sensitive data is scanned directly into the application database, eliminating concerns about where the document is stored externally.

Security features are effective only when compatible with all scanners—and that's the core of the universal driver.

✔ Ensure compatibility across TWAIN or WIA scanners
✔ Eliminate the need for individual driver installations
✔ Optimize scanning performance across different remote desktop platforms
✔ Reduce support tickets related to scanner driver issues

Not all scanner drivers are built for enterprise environments. Many require complex configurations to work with terminal server scanner redirection, USB scanner over RDP, or redirection for VMware Horizon and on-site servers, for example.

If your driver refuses to communicate with drivers on the client side, you may as well have multiple drivers. To maximize the utility of a universal scanner driver, it should be agnostic to specific scanners or manufacturers.

When your driver is compatible with all devices,  your documents will work with your client’s scanning needs.

How to Find the Right Universal Virtual Scanner Driver

When selecting a scanner driver for enterprise document scanning, consider:

✔ Digital scanning quality – Supports high-resolution optical character recognition (OCR)
✔ Scanner compatibility – Works with TWAIN drivers and universal scanner drivers
✔ Security & Compliance – Encrypts digital files and integrates with Google Drive, SharePoint, and scanning apps
✔ Efficiency – Reduces the need for manual file transfers and optimizes drive folder organization

Adding a universal scanner driver to your printing tech stack will reduce the headaches of your IT desk and delight your teams and end users with its ease of use.

With an efficient, secure, scanner-agnostic driver running in the background for all your scanning needs, you can focus your IT efforts on higher ticketed items and ensure your client's documents are placed where they’re meant to be safe. 

Tricerat’s ScrewDrivers® is that solution; we transform enterprise document scanning with light-lift learning and installation and all the features mentioned above: efficiency, security, and compatibility. By handling the print management and scanning needs of top players like Fruit of the Loom and Costco, we bring enterprise expertise to each and every engagement. 

If you’re interested in learning more about how Tricerat’s universal scanner drivers promote speed and efficiency, download our guide, The Guide to Scanning in Remote Sessions.

Scanning with ScrewDrivers

Learn how scanning redirection in ScrewDrivers Essentials can solve various remote scanning challenges, and click below to schedule a demo.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How can I scan through remote desktop without USB redirection?

Network scanning allows for scan to remote desktop functionality without requiring USB scanner remote desktop configurations. Simply connect the scanner to your local network and enable remote access.

Why is my scanner not working in a remote desktop session?

Your scanner driver may not be installed on the remote desktop session host, or scanner redirection RDP may be disabled. Ensure drivers are properly configured and check for third-party scanner redirection feature options.

How do I enable terminal server scanner redirection?

Use terminal server scanning settings to enable scanner redirection manager features. If native support is unavailable, third-party tools provide scanner redirection RDP functionality.

What is the best way to scan from home to work server?

The best approach is to use USB scanner redirection RDP or a scanning solution that supports scan to remote desktop without requiring complex configurations.

Can I use a TWAIN scanner on a remote desktop?

Yes, but you must ensure that TWAIN and WIA drivers are properly configured in your remote desktop services environment. Universal scanner drivers or third-party scanner redirection tools can also help.

What types of documents can be scanned using a universal scanner driver?

Virtually any type of document—from paper documents to large-format legal contracts—can be quickly scanned and stored as digital files in drive folders, cloud storage, or document management systems.

How does a virtual scanner driver improve the scanning process for remote users?

Instead of scanning physical documents and manually uploading them, users can scan directly into applications using TWAIN drivers, eliminating manual file management and streamlining digital document workflows.