Canon MF461dw / MF463dw / MF465dw: It Prints, but Does Not Scan — MF Scan Utility Says “Cannot communicate with the scanner”

Last Updated on 14.04.2026 by DriverNew

Applies to models: Canon MF461dw, MF463dw, MF465dw.

If the multifunction printer prints over the network, but when you start scanning through MF Scan Utility you get the error “Cannot communicate with the scanner”, this does not mean the scanner is faulty. In most cases, the problem is related to [Remote Scanner] mode, machine registration in MF Network Scanner Selector, network settings, or the fact that Windows picked the wrong driver.

How the problem usually appears

• the multifunction printer prints without errors;
• the computer and the multifunction printer are on the same network;
• MF Scan Utility is installed;
• when you try to scan, the message “Cannot communicate with the scanner” appears;
• after that, the program stops the scanner driver or simply does not start scanning.

Why this happens

The fact that the multifunction printer can print does not mean scanning is configured correctly. To scan over the network, you need additional conditions: the machine must be switched to [Remote Scanner] mode, it must be registered in MF Network Scanner Selector, and the correct Canon driver must be installed on the computer.

In simple terms: printing and scanning do not use exactly the same communication path. That is why printing can work while scanning does not.

Where to start

Do not reinstall everything right away. It is easier to go step by step.

1. Make sure the multifunction printer is powered on and connected to the same network as the computer.
2. Close MF Scan Utility.
3. Restart the multifunction printer.
4. Restart the computer.
5. After the restart, try scanning again.

If the error remains, continue to the next step.

Step 1. Switch the multifunction printer to [Remote Scanner] mode

This is the most common cause. To scan from a computer, the machine must be in scan standby mode.

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

If scanning starts working after that, the problem was that the machine was not automatically switching to remote scan mode.

How to prevent this from happening again

Some Canon machines have an [Auto Online] setting. If it is enabled, the machine automatically switches to remote scan mode, so you do not need to press [Remote Scanner] manually every time.

If this option is available in your machine menu, enable it.

Step 2. Check whether the machine is registered in MF Network Scanner Selector

For network scanning in Windows, the machine must be registered in MF Network Scanner Selector. Even if printing already works, scanner registration may be missing or may have been reset.

1. Look in the Windows notification area next to the clock.
2. Find the Canon MF Network Scanner Selector icon.
3. Click it.
4. In the list of machines, find your Canon MF461dw, MF463dw, or MF465dw.
5. Select the check box next to the machine.
6. Click [OK].

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

Step 3. Check whether the correct machine is selected in MF Scan Utility

1. Open MF Scan Utility.
2. At the top of the window, find [Product Name] or [Scanner].
3. Make sure your machine is selected there.
4. If several Canon devices are listed, select the correct one manually.

Sometimes the program sees the wrong machine or an old device entry left after a driver reinstall. That can also cause the communication error.

Step 4. Quickly check that the network path to the multifunction printer is really available

This is a simple way to understand whether there is communication with the machine at all.

1. Find the IP address of the multifunction printer on the control panel or in the network settings.
2. Open a browser on the computer.
3. Enter this in the address bar:
   http://IP-address-of-the-machine/
4. If the Remote UI page opens, the network connection to the machine is working.

If the page does not open, the issue is not only in MF Scan Utility. In that case, first check the network connection, the machine IP address, or network restrictions.

Step 5. Make sure IPv4 is being used, not only IPv6

Canon specifically notes an important point for this setup: scanning through the driver and MF Scan Utility is not available in an IPv6-only environment. For network scanning, you need IPv4.

In practice, this means the following:

• the multifunction printer and the computer must work normally in a standard local IPv4 network;
• if you use a non-standard network and it runs only on IPv6, scanning through MF Scan Utility may not work.

If you are not sure, do not change complex network settings on your own. But if your office or home network is unusual, this point must be checked.

Step 6. Check [Use Dedicated Port] on the multifunction printer

For this Canon product line, the dedicated port is also used for scanning through MF Scan Utility. If it is disabled, communication problems are possible.

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

This is a very common cause on new computers. Windows may detect the multifunction printer on the network and install its own generic driver. As a result, printing works but Canon scanning does not.

Signs of this situation:

• printing works immediately, as if “by itself”;
• scanning has never worked from the beginning;
• the system still has an old or incorrect scanner entry;
• in Device Manager, the scanning device uses a Microsoft driver instead of a Canon driver.

What to do

1. Open Windows Settings.
2. Go to Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners.
3. Remove the machine from the device list.
4. Open Device Manager.
5. Find the Canon device related to the scanner or imaging devices.
6. If Canon scanner entries are listed, remove them.
7. Remove the installed Canon drivers and MF Scan Utility.
8. Restart the computer.
9. Download the latest drivers and MF Scan Utility again from the official Canon support page for your model.
10. Install the software again.
11. After installation, check MF Network Scanner Selector again and confirm the selected device in MF Scan Utility.

Important: if Windows asks for permission to change firewall settings or allow network communication during Canon driver installation, do not reject that request unless you have a specific reason.

Step 8. If the problem started after a Windows 11 update

Based on Canon user reports, many similar cases appeared after major Windows 11 updates, especially after version 24H2. In such situations, printing could continue to work while MF Scan Utility stopped connecting to the scanner.

So do these two extra checks:

1. Open Settings → Windows Update and install all available updates.
2. If Canon offers a firmware update for your model, install the current firmware version as well.

If the error remains after that, but scanning works through a standard Windows app, the problem is most likely not in the scanner itself, but in the Windows + Canon driver + MF Scan Utility combination.

Step 9. Check third-party antivirus or network security software

If you use not only Microsoft Defender, but also third-party antivirus or Internet security software, temporarily test scanning without it.

This is especially important if:

• printing works, but scanning does not start;
• Remote UI opens normally;
• the error appears on only one computer while another computer on the same network works correctly.

After the test, turn the antivirus back on. Do not leave the computer permanently unprotected.

How to quickly tell where the problem is

• If Remote UI does not open — first check the network, the IP address, and whether the machine is reachable.
• If Remote UI opens, but MF Scan Utility does not scan — the problem is most often in [Remote Scanner] mode, registration in MF Network Scanner Selector, or the driver.
• If it does not scan on one computer, but scans on another — the problem is almost certainly in Windows or the driver on that specific computer.
• If printing worked immediately after the first connection, but scanning never worked even once — it is very likely that Windows installed its own driver instead of the Canon one.

When it already makes sense to contact support or service

It makes sense to contact Canon support in the following cases:

• you completed all the steps above, including a full reinstall of the Canon drivers and MF Scan Utility;
• the machine is registered in MF Network Scanner Selector;
• [Remote Scanner] is enabled;
• [Use Dedicated Port] is enabled;
• Remote UI opens normally;
• the error repeats on several computers on the same network.

If the multifunction printer is new, this still does not necessarily mean a hardware fault. But if all software-related steps have already been ruled out, contacting support is reasonable.

Brief conclusion

For the Canon MF461dw, MF463dw, and MF465dw, the error “Cannot communicate with the scanner” is most often caused not by a scanner hardware failure, but by one of four reasons: the machine is not switched to [Remote Scanner] mode, the device is not registered in MF Network Scanner Selector, the wrong scanner driver is installed, or a Windows update created a conflict with MF Scan Utility. In practice, the most effective fixes are checking [Remote Scanner] mode, registering the machine in MF Network Scanner Selector, and reinstalling the actual Canon drivers instead of the automatically installed Windows ones.