Can't Scan documents

That is not possible. most likely is your PC not refreshing ? or you need to uninstall and reinstall the software

Press and hold the red Stop/Cancel button for 10 seconds. This will help by blocking ink level detection.

Hi,
Follow these steps to scan using HP software:Step one: Load the item to be scanned

1. Make sure that the product is connected to the computer.
2. Turn on the product.
3. Load the item in the document feeder tray or on the scanner glass

Tip

Load the following items in the document feeder tray :

• Single items
• Items that are not easily damaged
• Multipage, single sided items that you want to scan into one file

Load the following items on the scanner glass :

• Single items
• Items that are easily damaged, such as old documents and photos
• Multipage, double sided items that you want to scan into one file

• Option one: Document feeder tray
  1. Place the item into the document feeder tray. The printed side faces up and the top edge goes into the tray first.
  2. Adjust the width guides to fit the item.
• Option two: Scanner glass
  1. Open the scanner lid.
  2. Place the item with the print side down on the scanner glass. For the correct position, see the engraved guide near the corner of the glass.
  3. Close the scanner lid.

Step two: Scan the item Use one of the following methods to open the HP scan window:

• Double-click the HP scan icon ( ) on the Windows desktop. NOTE:If you have more than one HP product installed, double-click the HP scan icon ( ) for the product you are scanning with.
• Click Start ( ), click All Programs , click the HP folder, click the name of your HP product, and then click HP Scan .

Click the scan option for the item you are scanning. NOTE:Depending on your HP product, you might not have all the following scan options available.

Save as PDF Use this setting to scan text documents that are not editable. Use the Save as Editable Text (OCR) option to scan text that you can edit.

Save as JPEG Use this setting to scan pictures and images.
Hope this information will be helpful.
Let me know.
Regard

Scanning documents to PDF file on your Lexmark X1270 printer requires the Lexmark OCR scan software installed on your computer. If you don't have the installation disc that came with your printer, please contact Lexmark Technical Support Center for assistance.

maybe the printer is out of ink you need to replace it, so you can scan the document it will not scan without changing those ink, thanks

yes, you can test the scanner without inks.
use the hp solution center installed on the computer Double-click the HP Solution Center icon ( ) on your desktop

• For photos or artwork : Click the on-screen Scan Picture "button" in HP Solution Center.
• For a text document with or without graphics : Click the on-screen Scan Document "button" in HP Solution Center.
  For the HP Solution Center "button" that you are using ("Scan Picture" or "Scan Document"), set the option to prompt for settings each time you scan, and then click OK .
  
  • Scan to: Select your scan destination from the drop-down list.
  • File Type: Select the file type from the drop-down list.
  • ...Save Options...: (available only for certain "Scan to" destinations): For example, if you are saving to a file, click this option to select your Save Location .
  • Show preview...: Select this check box if you want to see a preview before the actual scan.
    Click Scan

The best way to scan images to save on yourcomputer is to use the scanner software on the computer. Not the scan functionon the scanner.
You don't say what type of scanner software you have but usually scannersoftware works this way:
1) Place photo on scanner
2) Open scanner software
3) Using the software, Initiate scan
4) Name the Scanned item and save it to your desired location/folder
Note: some applications will automatically save to --My Documents--My Pictures
5) Repeat process for each pic to be scanned

Also, if you are just scanning, it should not matter what the ink situation is.

The best way to scan images to save on yourcomputer is to use the scanner software on the computer. Not the scan functionon the scanner.
You don't say what type of scanner software you have but usually scannersoftware works this way:
1) Place photo on scanner
2) Open scanner software
3) Using the software, Initiate scan
4) Name the Scanned item and save it to your desired location/folder
Note: some applications will automatically save to --My Documents--My Pictures
5) Repeat process for each pic to be scanned

Load the item to scan You can scan from the scanner glass or from the ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) tray, if your product has one. Make sure that the product is connected to the computer. Turn the product on. Load the picture or document: Scanner glass : Place the item with the print side down on the scanner glass, and then position it according to the engraved guides around the glass (usually on the right-front corner or the left-front corner). Close the scanner lid. ADF : Place the item into the document feeder tray. The printed side faces up and the top edge goes into the tray first. Adjust the width guides to fit the item. CAUTION:Do not load photos in the ADF. Use the scanner glass instead to prevent damage to photos. Use HP Scan to start a scan Use HP Scan to scan items and edit them to adjust resolution or color, crop, remove red eye, etc. To scan a picture or document, follow these steps: Open the HP Scan program in the Hewlett-Packard folder. From the Scan Profiles screen, click either Pictures ( ) or Documents ( ) . Click Profile Settings , and then adjust any settings in the Capture , Adjust , and Page Options (for documents) or Enhance (for pictures) tabs as appropriate. If you want to save these settings as a custom scan profile to use in the future, follow these steps: Click the drop-down list to the left of Profile Settings , and then click Duplicate Selected Profile . Type a name for the profile in the text box under the profile icon. The new profile saves under Custom Profiles. Click Scan . Make any desired changes to the scan preview by using the icons available in the toolbar and the Adjust window. NOTE: You can use + and ? buttons in the Bottom bar to add or delete pages in the OUTPUT list. You can reorder pages by dragging them to new positions in the Sidebar. Select a destination from the Toolbar: If you opened HP Scan from other software, and want to send the scan to that software, click Return . If you are ready to save, print, or send the scan to a specific destination, click Save , Print , or Send . NOTE: If you are saving the file, make sure to select the file format that you want.

I don't think the Scanner neeeds a Cartridge to Scan a Document. You should be able to scan your Document even if your Tanks ran out of Ink. Just use the same process of scanning that you used so far and will be successful to scan the Document you're about to.
If you can't do anything regarding this, contact Vendor.