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Brother printers depend on the correct printer driver to communicate properly with a computer. A driver acts as a connection between the operating system and the printer, allowing Windows or macOS to send print jobs and recognize supported printer functions. When the driver becomes outdated, corrupted, or incompatible with an updated operating system, you may experience printing problems, missing features, connection issues, or poor communication between the computer and printer.
Updating the Brother printer driver can help maintain compatibility and improve the overall printing experience. Brother recommends keeping its drivers and firmware updated to the latest available versions for supported machines.
Why Update the Brother Printer Driver?
A Brother printer driver update can be useful when the printer is not working correctly after an operating system update or when the existing driver is damaged. An updated driver may also provide improved compatibility with newer versions of Windows or macOS.
Driver updates can help when the Brother printer is not detected, print jobs remain in the queue, documents fail to print, or printer features are unavailable. Updating the driver can also replace outdated software components with a newer package designed for your particular Brother printer model.
If you have recently purchased a new computer or moved your printer to another computer, installing the latest Brother driver is also recommended.
Check Your Brother Printer Model
Before updating the driver, identify the exact model of your Brother printer. The model name is normally displayed on the front or top of the machine. You may also find it on a label attached to the printer.
Knowing the exact model is important because Brother provides different drivers and software packages for different machines. Installing a driver intended for another printer model can cause compatibility problems.
Also check which operating system your computer uses. Windows and macOS require different driver packages, and the available software can vary depending on the Brother printer model.
Prepare the Brother Printer Before Updating
Turn on the Brother printer and make sure it is in a ready state. If the printer is displaying an error, clear the error before beginning the driver update.
For a network-connected printer, confirm that the printer and computer are connected to the appropriate network. If you are using a USB connection, make sure the USB cable is securely connected.
Close any active printing applications before replacing the driver. It is also a good idea to allow current print jobs to finish or clear the print queue before beginning the installation.
Update Brother Printer Driver on Windows
Brother's recommended Windows procedure generally involves removing the existing Brother drivers and software and then installing the latest Full Driver & Software Package available for the printer model.
Start by identifying your Brother printer model and opening the Brother support and downloads area. Select your printer model and choose the Windows operating system installed on your computer.
Look for the latest Full Driver & Software Package available for your machine. Download the package and save it to an easily accessible location.
Before installing the new package, uninstall the existing Brother drivers and software if required for your model. This helps prevent conflicts between an older installation and the updated software.
After the previous Brother software has been removed, open the downloaded installation package. Follow the instructions displayed by the installer.
The installation process may ask how the printer is connected. Select the appropriate connection method, such as wireless network or USB, and continue with the setup.
When the installation is complete, restart the computer if prompted. Then open your printer settings and confirm that the Brother printer appears correctly.
Brother specifically recommends downloading the Full Driver & Software Package from its Downloads section when updating drivers on supported Windows machines.
Update Brother Printer Driver on Mac
Mac users can also update Brother printer software by downloading the latest package intended for their specific printer and macOS version.
First, identify your Brother printer model and select the appropriate macOS version in Brother's software and driver downloads area.
Brother recommends removing the existing Brother drivers and software before installing the latest Full Software Package on supported macOS machines.
After downloading the appropriate package, open the installer and follow the instructions. If your Brother printer supports scanning as well as printing, make sure the required printer and scanner software is installed.
Some Brother models may not have a Full Software Package available. In that situation, Brother advises installing the appropriate Printer Driver, Scanner Driver, or both depending on the functions supported by the machine.
After installation, open the Mac printer settings and verify that the Brother printer is available. Send a small test document to confirm that communication between the Mac and printer is working correctly.
Update Brother Printer Driver Through Windows Settings
Windows may sometimes provide printer drivers through its built-in update and device-management features. You can check the installed printer through Windows printer settings and look for available driver-related options.
However, the driver available through Windows may not include all of the features provided by Brother's complete software package. If you need scanning utilities, network configuration tools, or other Brother-specific features, the manufacturer's package may be more appropriate.
For the most complete Brother software installation, use the driver package intended specifically for your printer model and operating system.
Reinstall the Brother Driver When an Update Fails
Sometimes a normal driver update does not solve the problem because the existing installation is damaged. In this situation, completely removing the old Brother software and installing the current package can be more effective.
Uninstall the Brother printer software from the computer, restart the system, and then install the latest driver package for your model.
Make sure you select the correct operating system and printer model before downloading the software. Brother's official guidance uses uninstalling the existing software followed by installation of the latest driver package as its standard driver-update approach.
Brother Printer Driver Not Updating
If the driver update does not work, check that you have downloaded software for the correct Brother printer model.
An incompatible operating system selection can also prevent the installation from completing. Verify the Windows or macOS version before downloading the driver.
Temporarily close unnecessary applications and make sure the computer has a stable internet connection while downloading the installation package.
If an older Brother installation is interfering with the update, uninstall the existing Brother drivers and software before trying the installation again.
You should also check whether your particular Brother printer still supports the operating system installed on the computer. Older printer models may have limited software support for newer operating systems.
Brother Printer Not Detected After Driver Update
If the printer is not detected after updating the driver, first check the physical or wireless connection.
For a USB printer, disconnect and reconnect the cable and try another available USB port if necessary.
For a wireless Brother printer, confirm that the printer and computer are connected to the same network. Restarting the printer and router can sometimes restore communication.
Open the computer's printer settings and check whether an old or duplicate Brother printer entry is selected. Removing an outdated printer entry and adding the correctly installed Brother printer can help resolve detection problems.
Brother Printer Driver and Firmware Are Different
A printer driver and printer firmware perform different functions. The driver allows the computer's operating system and applications to communicate with the printer, while firmware is software that operates within the printer itself.
Updating the driver does not automatically mean that the printer firmware has been updated.
Brother provides separate procedures for driver and firmware updates. Firmware updates may be performed through a Firmware Update Tool or, on supported network models, through a mobile application.
If your printer is experiencing a problem that remains after updating the driver, check whether a firmware update is available for your particular model.
Things to Check After Updating the Driver
After the driver installation finishes, verify that the Brother printer appears correctly in your computer's printer settings.
Print a test document and check whether the printer responds normally. If your Brother printer includes scanning functionality, test scanning as well.
If you use the printer over WiFi, confirm that wireless printing works from the computer. If the printer is connected by USB, verify that the computer recognizes the device without displaying an error.
You should also check whether the correct Brother printer is selected when printing from applications such as Microsoft Word, PDF readers, or web browsers.
Keep Your Brother Printer Software Updated
Regularly checking for updated Brother software can help maintain compatibility with your computer's operating system. This is especially useful after a major Windows or macOS update.
Brother recommends keeping drivers and firmware updated to the latest available versions for optimum operation.
Always download software intended for your exact Brother printer model and operating system. Avoid installing a driver designed for a different printer, even if the printer belongs to the same Brother product family.
Final Thoughts
Updating a Brother printer driver is an effective way to maintain communication between the printer and computer. The recommended approach is to identify the exact printer model, select the correct operating system, remove the existing Brother software when required, and install the latest compatible driver package.
For Windows, Brother generally recommends the Full Driver & Software Package, while supported Mac computers can use the Full Software Package. If a complete package is unavailable for a particular model, the appropriate Printer Driver and Scanner Driver can be installed separately.
If the printer still does not work after updating the driver, check the printer connection, wireless network, operating-system compatibility, and firmware. A clean driver installation can also resolve problems caused by damaged or outdated Brother printer software.