Attempting to rename a file to a name that is already in use or creating a directory that already exists.
WinSCP "Error Code 4" is a "General Failure" message typically sent by an SFTP server (most commonly OpenSSH) when it encounters a problem but lacks a more specific protocol code to describe it. While the error often occurs during uploads, it can also disrupt downloads if the server cannot access the source file or if the local destination has issues. Common Causes of WinSCP Error Code 4 winscp download error code 4
The user account may lack the necessary permissions to read the file (for downloads) or write to the directory (for uploads/moves). Attempting to rename a file to a name
The most frequent cause is a full filesystem on the server or the user exceeding their allocated disk quota. Common Causes of WinSCP Error Code 4 The
If the server's disk is full, operations will fail with Error 4. General failure, error code 4 moving files - Forum - WinSCP
Some servers cannot "move" files between different physical disks or partitions using the SFTP protocol; this requires a copy-then-delete operation instead.