How to fix Canon printer drivers not installing in macOS
TL;DR
Right-click on the setup app, select Show Package Contents, drill down 2 directories and then double-click on the app’s Unix exec file. Example screenshot GIFs below.
Canon’s not-so-easy “Easy Wireless Connect”
Setting up a Canon printer that has no mini display or AirPrint capabilities can be tricky. Their “Easy Wireless Connect” instructions page has just 2 steps, does not conclude with a successfully connected printer, and actually feels like an incomplete webpage. To clarify, this is only for setting up a printer that does not have a mini touch screen for connecting the printer to your Wifi.
Thankfully Canon has a Mac app to more easily connect your new printer. It took me a while to find it, but I was relieved once I finally located their Mac printer driver page online. I downloaded the driver for my printer, the Canon PIXMA TS 302. I’ll save you the headache – don’t buy this printer. I got it on sale for $50 on Amazon and it quickly became apparent why it was so cheap. It was a nightmare to set up.
After downloading the driver, I opened the file and clicked Setup. Nothing happened. I unmounted the file and tried again – still nothing. Here’s what I did to get it running.
One way to fix a Mac app that won’t open
I right-clicked on Setup and selected Show Package Contents. Then I navigated into Contents, followed by MacOS, and then double-clicked on the Unix exec file Setup. A Terminal window appeared with a brief message, and then Canon Printer Setup finally opened up.
I’m not sure why it didn’t originally open like it normally should, but if you ever experience a similar issue with a newly downloaded app, try these same steps. Contents → MacOS are standard directory setups in a Mac app, and the Unix exec file will typically be the same name as the app, so it should be straightforward to locate and run.
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