Todays’ article mainly deals with the issue of brother printer troubleshooting. So, let’s get started with the solution and methods to fix this issue.
Set your printer as Default Printer
If your brother printer is not set as Default Printer, the system will not choose the printer first when you try to print something.
- Press Win + R keys. Type “control” and hit Enter.
- In Control Panel, click on Devices and Printers.
- Under Printers, right-click on your Brother printing device and select Set as default printer.
- Your printer is now set as Default Printer.
Unpause the printer and set it Online
Your printer will not function normally if you pause it or set it offline.
- Open Devices and Printers in Control Panel (as steps a and b in method 1 shows).
- Right-click on the Brother printer you are using and select See what’s printing.
- On the window popping up, click on Printer, and then select Open As Administrator.
- Click on the Printer again. If you see Pause Printing and Use Printer Offline are ticked, untick these items.
- Close the window and see if your printer is back online.
Cancel all printer jobs
Clearing all printer jobs can help you avoid being stuck in the printing queue that prevents you from printing things.
- Repeat steps 1 to 3 in method 2.
- Click on Cancel All Documents.
- Hit Yes to confirm your action.
- Close the window and see if your printer gets back to normal.
Update Printer Firmware
Sometimes you need to update the firmware of your Brother printer in order to resolve some issues of your device.
- Go to Brother official software download website. Search the product you are using.
- On the Downloads page of your printing device, select the operating system version you are using and hit Search.
- Scroll down to find the Firmware section, and select Firmware Update Tool.
- Hit Agree to the EULA and Download button at the bottom.
- After the download is completed, open the file and follow its instructions to update the firmware of your printer.
Update Printer Driver
The outdated printer driver can cause many issues. You need to ensure the driver of your printer is the latest so your printer can function normally. Follow the following steps for brother printer troubleshooting:
- Open Devices and Printers in Control Panel (as method 1 shows).
- Right-click on your Brother device and select Remove device. Then confirm your action by hitting Yes on the dialog popping up.
- Go to Brother official software download website and search for the Downloads page of your device (as shown by steps a and b in method 4).
- Select and download the Full Driver & Software Package.
- Open the file you have downloaded and follow the instruction to install the latest driver and software for your printer.
Check Your Printer
You also need to ensure your printer is powered on or waken from sleep mode when you see it is offline. In the meantime, check the LCD screen of your printer and see if it displays an error message that you can troubleshoot.
You can try restarting the printer and see if this fixes the problem. Or you can follow the instruction of the printer to reset it to factory settings.
If you encounter any problem that you cannot handle on your own, you may need to contact Brother support crew for further assistance.
Brother Printer Troubleshooting Tips
If you find yourself having trouble getting a Brother printer to print, first check to see if you can see any sign of what the problem could be on your computer or the printer. Look to see if your computer or the printer itself is displaying any sort of error message.
If you do see an error message, check the Brother website for advice on how to handle the situation and follow the instructions. Brother Printer troubleshooting website contains information on how to solve many common kinds of problems. For example, if you see a paper jam error, Brother’s site can guide you through safely removing the jammed page from the printer.
For a “JAM E1” error on an HL-2600CN, the site suggests opening the top cover and releasing the pressure release levers on the fusing unit, opening the rear access cover and slowly removing the page, and then resetting the levers and replacing the covers. If you’re not comfortable following the instructions or the suggestions don’t help. Contact an IT expert, the place where you bought the printer or Brother’s technical support hotline for assistance.
There’s No Error Message
If there’s no error message but the printer still refuses to print, you may need to investigate further. First, you can try restarting the printer and the computer in case either is having difficulties. Make sure to save your work before restarting. Also ensure that the printer and computer are properly hooked up to power, network and printer cables so that messages can go between the two.
If the printer is directly hooked up to the computer, you can try using another printer cable to see if that is causing the problem. You can also try hooking another computer, if you have one or can borrow one, to the printer to see if that makes a difference.
If it’s hooked up through a home or office network, see if another device can print to the printer and verify that your network is working normally by accessing a website. If the network seems to be behaving oddly, try to reboot your routers and check any cables, or contact whoever set up the network for help. Once the network is back to normal, try printing again.
Printer Driver Issues
A printer driver is a specialized program that your computer’s operating system uses to talk to a printer. Make sure you have the right driver for your printer installed.
Your operating system may do this automatically, but you can also search Brother’s website for the latest drivers for your system. Search for a string like “Brother TN 630 driver” on Brother’s site using the built-in search tool or your favorite search engine and follow the instructions to install the driver.
Beware of drivers from any site other than Brother’s or your operating system maker’s since they may contain malware.
Poor Quality Print Jobs
If the printer is printing but the printed document doesn’t look right, it may be low on ink or toner. Follow the instructions on the Brother website or in your printer’s documentation to get new ink or toner and replace it in the printer.
Also make sure you’re using a type of paper recommended by Brother, since low-quality paper may not print as well. If the paper appears damaged or wrinkled, try getting the new paper, since it may not be going through the printer properly.
If the paper and ink or toner don’t seem to make a difference, look for instructions on the Brother site for your printer model to inspect and clean the inside of your printer and its components. Take care not to spill ink or toner or damage any components. If you’re not comfortable taking apart your printer, consider contacting an expert for help.
Reinstall Printer
Upgrade or reinstall your printer driver and software may solve the printing problems like unreadable text and strange characters. Updating to the driver, you can also fix the problems if your PC won’t recognize the printer or it stops to work accidentally.
Go to the Brother’s official website and choose the correct printer model and operating system runs on your PC. Continue with the on-screen directions to finish the installation process. To get the necessary updates timely in the future and ensure you don’t miss the new release, bookmark and check the Brother website on a regular basis.
Try to clean the print heads to prevent blurry images and texts. You can get the possible options to take care of your Brother printer by selecting the print via any window and clicking the ‘Properties’ menu placed beside the name of your Brother printer. Choose the Maintenance tab and locate the option to inspect nozzles. If you get the blurred or broken lines in the printed pages, click the printer head cleaner icon to remove dried ink, dust, and dirt. Try to check and clean the print head regularly to prevent massive build-up.
So, these were the methods for fixing brother printer troubleshooting issues.