Quick Tips for Brother Printer Issues in Win11/10

Brother printer not printing when you’re in urgent need of a document? This could be very annoying. You may wonder why the printer is not working and how to fix it. Read this post and you’ll learn 7 effective fixes to get back in action quickly.

Why is my Brother printer not printing?

There are several reasons that your Brother printer fails to work properly, includingincorrect connectivity ,outdated printer driver andfaulty configurations . Whatever the cause is, you can fix it in a few steps.

Here’re the fixes

You don’t need to try them all. Simply work your way down the list until you find the one that works for you.

Check the connection
Set your Brother printer as the default device
Restart the Print Spooler service
Update your printer driver
Clear the print queue
Check for damaged system files
Print from other programs
Factory reset your Brother printer

The screenshots below are from Windows 10, but the fixes also apply to Windows 11, Windows 7 and Windows 8.

Fix 1 – Check the connection

It’s necessary for you to do some basic checks before heading into the more complicated fixes. First off, make sure the connection status between the printer and computer is in the normal state.

If you’re using a USB printer

If you connect the printer to your computer via a USB cable, simply re-plug it and also try another USB port on your computer in case the one you previously used is broken.

If you’re using a wireless printer

For users with a wireless Brother printer, it’s essential to confirm the printer and computer are on the same Wi-Fi network.

If the Brother printer still doesn’t work, try the next method below.

Fix 2 – Set your Brother printer as the default device

Your computer tends to use the default printer every time you print. Therefore, you should set your Brother printer as the default device to undertake all the print jobs. Here’s how:

On your keyboard, press theWindows logo key andR at the same time to invoke the Run command. Typecontrol in the field and clickOK .
SelectSmall icons from the drop-down menu next toView by . Then, clickDevices and Printers .
Right-click yourBrother printer and clickSet as default printer .

Now do some prints to test if this method helps. If yes, then congrats! If not, there’re more fixes to try.

Fix 3 – Restart the Print Spooler service

Your computer won’t send the print jobs to your Brother printer if the Print Spooler service is not working properly. To get your printer back to running, you can simply restart this service.

On your keyboard, press theWindows logo key andR at the same time to open the Run box. Typeservices.msc and clickOK .
Right-clickPrint Spooler . If it isn’t running,Start this service; if it’s already started, clickRestart .
After the Print Spooler service is restarted, right-clickPrint Spooler again and clickProperties .
Set theStartup type toAutomatic . Then, clickOK .

Now see if your Brother printer returns to normal and acts the way it should. If the same problem occurs, the culprit may be your printer driver, and please check out Fix 4.

Fix 4 – Update your printer driver

A range of printer-related problems is caused by a wrong or out-of-date printer driver. So if you’re troubled by the non-working Brother printer, be sure to update its driver and see if the problem gets resolved. There’re two options for you:manually or**automatically** .

Option 1 – Download and install the driver manually

Brother keeps updating drivers for its printers. You can search for the latest driver on Brother’s support website , find the one corresponding with your specific flavor of Windows version (for example, Windows 32 bit) and download it.

Once you’ve downloaded the correct driver for your system, double-click on the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver.

Option 2 – Automatically update the printer driver

If you don’t have the time, patience or computer skills to update the printer driver manually, you can do it automatically with Driver Easy.

Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct drivers for it. You don’t need to know exactly what system your computer is running, you don’t need to risk downloading and installing the wrong driver, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing.

You can update your drivers automatically with either the 7 days free trial or the Pro version of Driver Easy. It takes just 2 clicks, and you get full support and a 30-day money-back guarantee with the Pro version:

Download and install Driver Easy.
Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.
Click theActivate & Update button next to the flagged device to automatically download and install the correct version of this driver.

Or click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of all the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system (You’ll need the Pro version for this – when you select Update All, you’ll get a prompt to upgrade. If you’re not prepared to purchase the Pro version yet, Driver Easy provides a 7-day trial at no cost, granting access to all Pro features like fast downloads and easy installation. No charges will occur until after your 7-day trial period ends.)

4. After updating, restart your computer to take effect.

The Pro version of Driver Easy comes with full technical support.
If you need assistance, please contact Driver Easy’s support team at [email protected] .

If updating the driver couldn’t solve your issue, please move on to the next fix.

Fix 5 – Clear the print queue

A failed or stuck print queue will also prevent your Brother printer from functioning smoothly. If so, clearing the queued output jobs can resume the printing process right away.

Click theStart button. Then, typeservices in theWindows search box and clickServices .
Right-clickPrint Spooler and clickStop . Then, minimize the Services window.

3. On your keyboard, press theWindows logo key andE at the same time to open the File Explorer.
4. Copy the address_**%windir%\System32\spool\PRINTERS**_ and paste it to the address bar. Then, pressEnter on your keyboard.

5. Delete all the files in that folder.
6. Re-open the Services window. Then, clickPrint Spooler and clickStart .

After you finish the steps above, restart your PC for the changes to take effect. Then, test if your Brother printer works as intended. If not, try the next fix.

Fix 6 – Check for damaged system files

Missing or damaged system files can also lead to various printer issues and prevent your printer from working normally. You can simply run the Windows System File Checker to scan your computer and repair the corrupted system files. However, for more stubborn issues related to DLL or Windows Registry Key, you may need a professional repair tool .

Fortect is a PC repair solution with various powerful functions. It can not only deals with hardware-related issues, but also detect any security threats like viruses or malware, and improve your PC’s stability. Most importantly, it doesn’t harm your custom settings and data.

Download and install Fortect.
Open Fortect and clickYes to run a free scan of your PC.
Fortect will scan your computer thoroughly. This may take a few minutes.

4. Once done, you’ll see a detailed report of all the issues on your PC. To fix them automatically, clickSTART REPAIR . This requires you to purchase the full version. But don’t worry. If Fortect doesn’t solve the issue, you can request a refund within 60 days.

Check the status of your Brother printer to see if this method gives you luck. If not, check out the next solution.

Fix 7 – Print from other programs

Sometimes, the Brother printer not printing issue only happens with certain programs. You can test the printer byprinting from another program . If it works well, the problem lies in the application you run and you should contact its vendor or developer for further assistance. But if the problem remains, please proceed to the last fix.

Fix 8 – Factory reset your Brother printer

If none of the methods above works for you, a factory reset should be your last resort. Please note that this action will remove all the printer settings and archives.

The resetting steps for different Brother printer models may vary. You could consult the official documentation for detailed instruction.

Hopefully the listed fixes help you kick your Brother printer back into gear. If you have further questions or suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment below.