Canon Printer Error Code 4103 — What It Means & How to Fix It

What Does This Error Mean?

Canon error 4103 means the printer could not save your scanned document to its destination. This happens when scanning to a computer folder, USB drive, or cloud service fails mid-transfer. It is usually a permissions issue, a full storage device, or a network hiccup.

Affected Models

Canon PIXMA MG series
Canon PIXMA TR series
Canon PIXMA MX series
Canon MAXIFY MB series
Canon imageRUNNER series

Common Causes

The destination folder on the computer is set to read-only and the printer cannot write files to it
The USB flash drive used as the scan destination is full or has a write-protection switch enabled
The network connection dropped between the printer and the computer during the scan
The Canon IJ Scan Utility or My Image Garden software on the computer is not running
Windows or macOS security settings are blocking the printer from writing to the designated folder

How to Fix It

Check the destination folder permissions on your computer. Right-click the scan folder > Properties > Security and ensure your user account has Write permission.

On Mac, right-click the folder > Get Info > Sharing & Permissions and check that your user has Read & Write access.
If scanning to a USB drive, check that the drive is not full and that the physical write-protect switch on the side of the drive (if it has one) is not enabled.

The write-protect switch is a tiny sliding tab on the left side of many USB drives. Slide it toward the non-lock position.
Make sure the Canon IJ Scan Utility is open and running on your computer before scanning. On Windows, find it in Start > Canon Utilities. On Mac, look in Applications > Canon Utilities.

The scan utility needs to be running to receive the scan from the printer. It acts as the bridge between the printer and your computer.
Try changing the destination to a different folder, such as the Desktop or Documents folder. Scan a test document to confirm the new destination works.

If scanning to the new destination works, the original folder had a permissions or access issue.
Restart both the printer and the computer. Then reopen the Canon IJ Scan Utility before trying the scan again.

A restart clears temporary permission blocks and refreshes the connection between the printer and the scan software.

When to Call a Professional

Error 4103 is a software or permissions issue and does not require printer repair. If the error occurs consistently and you cannot resolve it, contact Canon Support at usa.canon.com/support for assistance with your specific scan setup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I scan to a USB drive directly without a computer?

Yes — many Canon all-in-one printers can scan directly to a USB drive inserted into the printer's USB port. Insert the drive, place your document, and select Scan > Save to USB Drive from the printer's menu. Make sure the USB drive is formatted as FAT32 or exFAT for compatibility.

Why does my scanned file look blurry or have a very large file size?

Both issues relate to the resolution setting when scanning. A higher DPI (dots per inch) setting produces sharper scans but larger files. For documents and text, 300 DPI is usually ideal. For photos you want to print large, use 600 DPI. For email attachments, 150 to 200 DPI keeps files small.

What file formats can Canon printers save scans as?

Most Canon all-in-one printers can save scans as PDF, JPEG, TIFF, and PNG. PDF is best for multi-page documents you want to share or archive. JPEG is ideal for photos. TIFF is best for high-quality archival copies where file size is not a concern.