Canon MF461dw / MF463dw / MF465dw: Scanning Stopped Working After a Windows 11 Update

Last Updated on 14.04.2026 by DriverNew

Applies to models: Canon MF461dw, MF463dw, MF465dw.

If the multifunction printer keeps printing after a Windows 11 update, especially after version 24H2, but scanning stops working, this does not necessarily mean the machine itself is faulty. In practice, the problem is most often related to the Windows update, remote scan mode, reinstallation of the wrong driver, or scanner network settings that were reset.

How the problem usually appears

• before the Windows 11 update, scanning worked normally;
• after the update, printing still works;
• MF Scan Utility no longer scans;
• the error “Cannot communicate with the scanner” or a similar message appears;
• the problem appeared immediately on one or several Windows 11 computers.

Why this happens

Printing and scanning do not use exactly the same path. So after a Windows update, you can end up in a situation where printing continues to work but scanning does not. For the Canon MF461dw, MF463dw, and MF465dw, this is most often related to one of four causes:

• Windows changed or damaged part of the scanning chain after the update;
• the machine is not in [Remote Scanner] mode;
• the wrong driver remains in the system because Windows installed it automatically;
• the network scanning settings were reset after the update.

Where to start

1. Restart the computer.
2. Restart the multifunction printer.
3. If the multifunction printer is connected over the network, restart the router or make sure the network is stable.
4. Then try scanning again.

If the error remains, continue to the next step.

Step 1. Check whether the problem really started after a Windows 11 update

1. Open Windows Settings.
2. Go to System → About.
3. Check which version of Windows 11 is currently installed.
4. If the problem started after moving to 24H2 or immediately after a major cumulative update, that is an important clue for further troubleshooting.

This step is not meant to replace action. It helps you understand exactly when scanning stopped working.

Step 2. Install all Windows updates

If the problem appeared after an update, the first thing worth doing is installing all later Windows fixes.

1. Open Settings → Windows Update.
2. Click [Check for updates].
3. Install all available cumulative updates.
4. Restart the computer.
5. After the restart, test scanning again.

This is especially important if you have Windows 11 24H2. Even if the update is already installed, it is worth checking whether newer fixes have been released.

Step 3. If you scan over the network, switch the multifunction printer to [Remote Scanner] mode

After a Windows update, the machine may stop switching to scan standby mode automatically.

1. On the multifunction printer control panel, press [Scan] on the [Home] screen.
2. Press [Remote Scanner].
3. Then try scanning again through MF Scan Utility.

If scanning starts working after that, the problem was not a scanner hardware failure, but the fact that the machine was not entering the required mode automatically.

Step 4. Enable <Auto Online>, if this setting is available

Canon provides a setting that lets the machine automatically switch to remote scan mode. If it is disabled, scanning may stop starting the way it used to after a Windows update or after reinstalling the drivers.

1. On the machine control panel, open <Menu>.
2. Go to <Function Settings> → <Common> → <Scan Settings>.
3. Find <Auto Online>.
4. Set it to <On>.
5. Save the changes and test scanning again.

If it is more convenient, this setting can also be changed through Remote UI.

Step 5. Check whether scanning works on another computer

This is one of the fastest and most useful tests.

1. If you have a second computer on the same network, install MF Scan Utility on it.
2. Check whether scanning works there.

If everything works on another computer but not on the problem one, the cause is almost certainly in Windows or the drivers on that specific PC, not in the multifunction printer itself.

Step 6. Remove the device from Windows and reinstall the Canon software

After a Windows update, the system may keep an old device entry or automatically substitute its own driver instead of the Canon one.

1. Open Windows Settings.
2. Go to Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners.
3. Remove your Canon MF461dw, MF463dw, or MF465dw from the device list.
4. Remove MF Scan Utility.
5. Remove the Canon drivers for this multifunction printer.
6. Restart the computer.
7. Download the current driver package and MF Scan Utility again from the official Canon website for your model.
8. Install the software again.
9. After installation, test scanning again.

This step is especially important if the problem appeared immediately after a Windows update or after a clean installation of Windows 11.

Step 7. Check [MF Network Scanner Selector] if the multifunction printer works over the network

Even after the driver is installed correctly, the machine may still not be registered as a network scanner.

1. Look in the Windows notification area next to the clock.
2. Find the Canon MF Network Scanner Selector icon.
3. Open it.
4. Make sure your machine is selected in the list.
5. If not, select it and click [OK].

After that, open MF Scan Utility again and test scanning.

Step 8. Check whether Windows installed its own driver instead of the Canon one

After major Windows updates, this happens more often than it seems. Printing may continue to work while scanning does not.

1. Open Device Manager.
2. Check the sections related to scanners, imaging devices, or printers.
3. If the device looks generic or appears to have been reinstalled automatically by Windows, it is better to remove it and then install the official Canon package again.

If Canon then appears in the system again as the proper vendor device, the chance of normal scanning is much higher.

Step 9. If the multifunction printer is connected by USB, check Windows especially carefully

For USB scanners and multifunction printers, Windows 11 24H2 introduced real cases where the device could stop being recognized correctly for scanning. That is why, for a USB connection, it is especially important to install all the latest Windows updates first, and then recheck the Canon driver.

If the USB device stopped being detected for scanning specifically after a Windows update, do not limit yourself to reinstalling the Canon software only — first make sure Windows itself is fully up to date.

Step 10. Check <Use Dedicated Port> if you scan over the network

Canon uses a dedicated port for MF Scan Utility over the network. If it is disabled, scanning may not work even when printing is still available.

1. On the multifunction printer control panel, open <Menu>.
2. Go to <Preferences> → <Network>.
3. Find <Use Dedicated Port>.
4. Make sure it is set to <On>.
5. If you changed this setting, restart the machine.

Step 11. Use another scanning method as a temporary check

If only one scanning method stopped working after the Windows update, this helps identify the source of the problem faster.

1. If you normally scan through MF Scan Utility, try another computer.
2. If your setup allows it, test another scanning method available in your environment.
3. If the alternative method works, the problem is most likely not in the scanner mechanism, but in the specific combination of Windows and the installed software.

When the problem is most likely really related to Windows 11

• printing still works, but scanning stopped immediately after the update;
• the same problem appeared on several computers with the same Windows version;
• a clean installation of Windows 11 24H2 does not solve the issue;
• after manually enabling [Remote Scanner], the behavior changes, but remains unstable.

In that situation, you should not only reinstall the driver, but also make sure all Windows fixes are installed and the remote scanning settings on the machine are checked.

When to contact support

• you already installed all Windows updates;
• you checked [Remote Scanner];
• you enabled <Auto Online>;
• you reinstalled the official Canon package;
• you checked machine registration in MF Network Scanner Selector;
• the error still repeats.

If scanning still does not recover after that, it makes sense to contact Canon support and specify the Windows 11 version and the date after which the problem appeared.

Brief conclusion

For the Canon MF461dw, MF463dw, and MF465dw, scanning problems after a Windows 11 update are most often caused not by a multifunction printer hardware failure, but by changes in Windows itself, remote scan mode, or an incorrect driver reinstall. First, install all Windows updates, check [Remote Scanner] and <Auto Online>, then reinstall the official Canon package and recheck machine registration in MF Network Scanner Selector. If printing works but scanning does not, the problem is often resolved without service.