Scan to Folder Stopped Working After a Password Change: What Should Your Office Check?

Quick answer: If scan to folder worked previously but stopped immediately after a computer password change, check whether the copier is still using the old login credentials to access the shared folder. If printing still works, that does not prove scan to folder is configured correctly because printing and folder scanning use different network connections and settings.

A previously working scan-to-folder setup gives your office an important troubleshooting clue: identify exactly what changed. A new password, replacement computer, renamed PC or changed shared folder can break the saved scan destination even when the copier itself continues printing normally.

Why Can Printing Work While Scan to Folder Fails?

Printing and scan to folder are separate functions. When you print, your computer sends a print job to the copier. With scan to folder, the copier must connect back to a computer or server and save a file in a shared network location.

That folder may require a valid network path, username, password and appropriate permissions. If one of those details changes, scanning can fail without affecting normal computer printing.

Key troubleshooting point: "Printing works" confirms that some network communication with the copier is available. It does not confirm that the copier can still authenticate to the computer or shared folder used for scanning.

Step 1: Identify What Changed Before Scan to Folder Stopped Working

Start with the last known working scan. If employees could scan to the Accounts folder yesterday but cannot today, ask what changed between those two points.

Common changes to check include:

The Windows or network account password was changed.
The computer receiving scans was replaced.
The computer name was changed.
The shared folder was renamed.
The shared folder was moved to another location.
The user account used for scanning was changed or removed.
Folder sharing or security permissions were modified.
The computer's network configuration changed.
A server or network storage location was replaced.

Do not begin by changing multiple copier settings at once. First document the recent change and test whether it explains the failure.

Step 2: Check the Password and Account Used by the Copier

If the problem started immediately after a password change, the copier may still have the previous password stored in its scan destination or address-book entry.

The copier may use a username and password to authenticate to the computer or server that hosts the shared folder. When that account password changes, the saved credentials in the copier may also need to be updated.

Example

Yesterday, the copier successfully saved scans to a shared Accounts folder using an authorised account. Today, the password for that account is changed.

Employees can still print because their computers can communicate with the copier. However, the copier may no longer be able to authenticate to the computer hosting the Accounts folder because its stored password is outdated.

Your IT team should first confirm which account the scan destination is supposed to use. The copier technician can then review whether the credentials stored in the machine match the current authorised credentials.

Step 3: Check Whether the Destination Folder Is Still Available

A password problem is not the only possibility. The copier also needs to locate the destination before it can save a scanned file.

Ask your IT team to confirm that the destination computer or server is switched on, connected to the network and still hosting the expected shared folder.

If the Accounts folder was renamed, moved or recreated, the destination saved in the copier may point to a location that no longer exists.

Unavailable Destination or Access-Permission Problem?

This distinction can save considerable troubleshooting time. First determine whether the destination still exists and is reachable, then determine whether the account used by the copier is allowed to access it.

What Changed or Failed	What to Check
Password changed	Confirm whether the copier's stored login credentials need updating.
Shared folder renamed	Confirm that the folder path saved in the copier still matches the current share.
Computer replaced	Confirm the new computer name or address, shared folder, account and permissions.
Destination no longer exists	Confirm that the host computer/server and shared folder are available on the network.
Destination exists but access fails	Check username, password, sharing permissions and security permissions.
One scan destination fails	Focus first on that destination's path, credentials and permissions.
All folder destinations fail	Check for a broader copier, network, authentication or configuration change.

Step 4: Check Whether One Scan Destination or All Destinations Fail

If your copier has several scan-to-folder destinations, test another destination that previously worked. The result helps determine whether the problem is specific to one folder or affects the scan-to-folder function more broadly.

Only the Accounts destination fails: investigate the Accounts folder path, host computer, saved credentials and permissions first.

Every scan-to-folder destination fails: look for a broader change involving the copier's network access, authentication settings, network environment or other shared configuration.

This comparison is especially useful when an office has separate destinations for Accounts, HR, Administration or individual employees.

Step 5: What Should Your Office IT Team Check?

Your IT team should verify the destination environment before the copier's configuration is changed unnecessarily.

Ask IT to confirm:

The destination computer or server is online and reachable.
The computer or server name has not changed unexpectedly.
The shared folder still exists.
The share name and folder location are correct.
The authorised user account is still active.
The current password for that account is valid.
The account has the required access to the destination folder.
Sharing and folder security permissions remain appropriate.
No recent security or network change is blocking the previous connection.

If a new computer has replaced the old one, IT should treat it as more than a simple hardware swap. Even if employees recreated a folder with the same visible name, the network destination, user account or permissions may be different.

Step 6: What Should the Copier Technician Review?

Once IT has confirmed the correct destination and authorised account details, the copier technician can compare those details with the scan destination stored in the multifunction copier.

Depending on the copier model and office configuration, the technician may review:

The saved scan-to-folder destination.
The host or computer name configured in the address book.
The shared folder path.
The username used for authentication.
The stored password or authentication credentials.
Relevant SMB or network scanning settings.
Error codes or communication logs available on the machine.

The exact menus and supported settings vary between copier models. Avoid changing network or authentication settings based on generic instructions if you are not responsible for the office network.

What If the Computer Was Replaced?

A replacement computer is a common reason a previously working scan-to-folder destination stops working. The new PC may have a different computer name, network configuration, user account, password or sharing permissions.

Your IT team should first establish the correct shared destination on the new computer. After that, the copier's saved destination can be reviewed and updated to match the new environment.

Simply creating a folder called "Accounts" on the new PC does not necessarily recreate the same network destination the copier used previously.

What If the Shared Folder Was Renamed?

If a shared folder changes from a name such as "Accounts" to "Accounts 2026", the path saved in the copier may no longer be valid. The same applies if the folder is moved or its network share name changes.

IT should confirm the correct current share and path. The copier technician can then check whether the machine's address-book entry needs to be updated.

A Practical Troubleshooting Sequence

Confirm that scan to folder worked before the recent change.
Identify exactly what changed: password, PC, folder, account or network.
Check whether one scan destination or every destination fails.
Confirm that the destination computer or server is online.
Confirm that the shared folder still exists at the expected location.
Have IT verify the authorised account and folder permissions.
Confirm whether the password for the account used by the copier changed.
Have the copier technician compare the saved destination with the current IT information.
Test scanning again after the relevant setting is corrected.

What Information Should You Give Technical Support?

A clear description of what changed can be more useful than simply reporting "scan to folder is not working." Prepare the following information before contacting your IT team or copier service provider:

Copier brand and model.
The destination name that is failing, such as Accounts.
Whether the destination worked previously.
The approximate time or date when it stopped working.
Whether a password, PC, folder or network setting recently changed.
Whether other scan-to-folder destinations still work.
Whether normal computer printing still works.
Any error code or message displayed by the copier.
A photo of the copier error screen where appropriate.

A Useful Support Description

"Scanning to Accounts worked yesterday. The password on the computer hosting the shared folder was changed this morning. Printing still works. Scanning to Accounts now fails, but another scan destination still works."

This gives IT or the copier technician a much clearer starting point than simply reporting that the scanner has stopped working.

Scan-to-Folder Support From DBM Solution

For offices using multifunction copiers, scan-to-folder problems can involve both the office IT environment and settings stored in the copier. Identifying what changed before the failure helps determine which side should be checked first.

DBM Solution provides office copier solutions, maintenance and technical support for businesses in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and the Klang Valley. If a copier supplied or maintained by DBM Solution stops scanning to a network folder, prepare the machine details, error information and a description of any recent password, computer or folder changes before requesting support.

Visit DBM Solution for information about office copier rental, maintenance and technical support.

Frequently Asked Questions

The copier may still be using the old password to authenticate to the computer or server hosting the shared folder. IT should confirm the current authorised account details, and the copier's saved authentication settings should then be reviewed.

Printing and scan to folder use different communication processes. Your computer may still be able to send print jobs to the copier while the copier cannot authenticate to or access the computer hosting the shared scan folder.

If other scan destinations still work, start by checking the failing destination's computer or server, folder path, username, password and permissions. This can help isolate the problem from a copier-wide scanning failure.

Yes. A replacement computer may have a different computer name, network configuration, user account, password or folder permissions. The shared destination and the corresponding copier settings may need to be checked and updated.

Both may be involved. IT should confirm the shared folder, host, authorised account and permissions. The copier technician can then review the destination path, stored credentials and relevant scanning settings configured in the copier.

In Summary,

If scan to folder worked before a password, computer or shared-folder change, start with that change rather than treating the problem as a general scanner failure. Confirm whether the destination still exists, whether the authorised account can access it and whether the copier still has the correct destination and authentication details.

Also test whether one destination or all destinations are affected. Your IT team should confirm the network share and access permissions, while the copier technician can review the corresponding scan-to-folder settings stored in the machine.