Canon MF461dw / MF463dw / MF465dw: Scan to E-Mail Does Not Work — The E-Mail Is Not Sent

Last Updated on 14.04.2026 by DriverNew

Applies to models: Canon MF461dw, MF463dw, MF465dw.

If the multifunction printer scans the document but does not send it by e-mail, this does not necessarily mean the device is faulty. In most cases, the cause is related to SMTP settings, destination data, authentication, attachment size, or settings that were entered incorrectly during setup.

How the problem usually appears

• the multifunction printer scans the document, but the e-mail is not sent;
• an error code or send error message appears on the control panel;
• scanning to a computer works, but sending by e-mail does not;
• the problem appeared right after the initial setup or after the mail password was changed.

Why this happens

To send scans by e-mail, the multifunction printer must not only scan the document, but also connect correctly to the e-mail server. If the SMTP server, user name, password, sender address, or recipient address is incorrect, the e-mail will not be sent. The attachment size can also matter: if the file is too large, sending may fail as well.

Where to start

1. Check whether the machine has network access.
2. Restart the multifunction printer.
3. If sending used to work before, think about whether the mail password or mail server settings were changed.
4. Then try sending a small test document by e-mail again.

For the first test, it is better to use one or two simple pages instead of a large multi-page PDF.

Step 1. Make sure the e-mail sending function is actually configured

For this Canon product line, the basic e-mail sending settings cannot be fully configured from the control panel alone. Canon explicitly states that the e-mail server settings must be configured from a computer.

1. Open a web browser on the computer.
2. Enter the IP address of the multifunction printer in the address bar.
3. Open Remote UI.
4. Or use Send Function Setting Tool if you already used it for machine setup.
5. Check whether the e-mail sending settings were actually filled in.

Step 2. Check [SMTP Server]

This is one of the most common causes. If the SMTP server is entered incorrectly, the e-mail will not be sent even if the scan itself is created successfully.

1. Open the e-mail sending settings through Send Function Setting Tool or Remote UI.
2. Find [SMTP Server].
3. Make sure the correct e-mail server is entered.
4. If your mail system uses a specific server name from the provider or corporate mail system, verify it very carefully.

Even one mistake in the SMTP server name can prevent scans from being sent by e-mail.

Step 3. Check [SMTP Authentication]

If the mail server requires a user name and password, this setting must be configured correctly.

1. In the same settings area, find [SMTP Authentication].
2. If the server requires authentication, make sure [Set] is selected.
3. Enter the user name and password again.
4. Save the changes.
5. Try sending the test document again.

If the password was changed recently, the old credentials stored on the machine will no longer work even if everything worked before.

Step 4. Check the recipient address

If the e-mail address is entered incorrectly, the message will not be sent either.

1. On the printer control panel, open e-mail sending.
2. Check the recipient address if you enter it manually.
3. If the address comes from the Address Book, open it through Remote UI and make sure it is recorded correctly.
4. For testing, try sending the scan to another address that you know works.

This is especially important if the control panel shows an error related specifically to the destination address.

Step 5. Check the sender address and device name

To send scans by e-mail, the machine must have a correct sender address configured. Canon also allows you to register the unit name, which is displayed as the sender name.

1. Open <Menu> → <Function Settings> → <Send> → <Scan and Send Settings>.
2. Check [Register Unit Name].
3. Make sure the sender address is configured correctly in the basic e-mail sending settings.
4. If the sender address is missing or incorrect, correct it through the send settings on the computer.

If the sender name is not registered, that usually does not block sending, but an incorrect sender address can cause sending problems.

Step 6. Check whether the file you are sending is too large

Even if the e-mail settings themselves are correct, sending may fail because the attachment is too large.

1. For testing, scan one or two pages instead of a large document.
2. If you were scanning in color, try lowering [Resolution] and choosing a simpler [Color Mode].
3. If you are sending many pages, try splitting the document into several e-mails.

If a small document is sent normally but a large one is not, then the issue is usually not SMTP itself, but the size of the file being sent.

Step 7. Check [Subject/Message] and the attachment format only after the basic checks

[Subject/Message] is usually not the main cause of the error, but after checking SMTP it is useful to review it as well. At the same time, check the file format you are sending.

1. On the e-mail send screen, check [Subject/Message].
2. Make sure the subject is entered correctly.
3. Check the attachment format and, for testing, use a standard PDF without additional extra options.

This is not the main step, but it helps rule out extra complicating factors.

Step 8. If you use corporate or cloud mail, recheck the authentication method

For corporate mail, Microsoft 365, or other cloud services, a normal login and password may not be enough. In that case, the settings must be checked not only against the machine settings, but also against the requirements of the mail system itself.

If a normal password was used before, but the mail system later changed its sign-in rules, sending from the multifunction printer may stop working even though nothing was changed on the machine itself.

Step 9. If an error code appears, check it in the job log

For this product line, send errors are often accompanied by a three-digit code with the # symbol. That code helps identify the cause faster.

1. On the printer control panel, open the job log or status screen.
2. Check whether an error code with # is displayed.
3. If there is a code, check whether it points to the recipient address, the mail server, or the size of the transmitted data.

For example, the error may be caused by an incorrect e-mail address or by too much data being sent.

Step 10. If sending stopped working after a password change, enter all credentials again

This is a very common real-world scenario. The user changes the mail password, but the multifunction printer continues using the old one, so scan to e-mail stops working.

1. Open the e-mail sending settings on the computer.
2. Enter the user name and the new password again.
3. Save the changes.
4. Restart the multifunction printer.
5. Send the test document again.

How to quickly tell where the problem is

• If a small document is sent but a large one is not — the problem is usually the attachment size.
• If no document can be sent at all from the start — first check [SMTP Server], [SMTP Authentication], and the sender address.
• If the error appeared after the password was changed — you almost certainly need to enter the SMTP credentials again.
• If the error points to the destination address — first check the recipient address itself or its Address Book entry.

When to contact support

• you already checked [SMTP Server];
• you rechecked [SMTP Authentication];
• you checked the sender address and the recipient address;
• you tried sending a small test document;
• the error still repeats.

If sending by e-mail still does not work after that, it makes sense to contact Canon support or the mail system administrator if you use corporate mail.

Brief conclusion

For the Canon MF461dw, MF463dw, and MF465dw, problems sending scans by e-mail are most often caused not by device failure, but by mail server settings and send parameters. First, check [SMTP Server], [SMTP Authentication], the recipient address, the sender address, and the attachment size. If a small document is sent normally but a large one is not, the issue is usually the file size. If no e-mails are sent at all, start with the SMTP settings and credentials.