Last Updated on March 25, 2023 by Carlo Dach
Your Brother printer could appear offline if it is unable to communicate with the computer. It can be really annoying to see your printer offline when you try to print something urgently. If you find that the status of your Brother printer is offline or paused, you can follow the troubleshooting steps discussed below to bring it online.
Table of Contents
Verify That the Printer is on
- If the screen (LCD) of your Brother printer is blank, it might not be turned on. If this is the case, you need to check the printer to see if it is in sleep mode. Wake it up from sleep mode to turn it online.
- If you are unable to turn on the printer, then you need to ensure that it is connected to a working power socket and that the switches are turned on.
- If the printer turns on, check the LCD screen for any error messages like Ink/Toner Empty or Paper Jam. If any error message is displayed on the LCD screen, you need to troubleshoot the error to turn the printer online.
Ensure That the Printer is Connected to the PC
- If you are using a USB cable to connect the printer to the computer, ensure that the cable is connected to both the computer and the printer. You may also try to connect the printer directly to the computer and not through a hub.
- If you are using an Ethernet cable to connect the printer, you need to make sure that the cable is connected to the router/access point and the printer. If you need the IP address of the printer, you can print the network configuration page.
- Use the network configuration page to verify the IP address if you are making use of a wireless connection. If the issue persists, you can move on to the next troubleshooting steps.
Ensure That the Printer is Set as the Default One
To ensure that your Brother printer is set as the default printer, you need to go to the Printers folder and ensure that there is a checkmark on the icon of the Brother printer. The steps to do this are explained below.
In Windows 8 and Newer Versions
- Press Windows and R keys together to open Run Type in Control in the Run window and hit the Enter key to open Control Panel.
- Click on Hardware and Sound and select Devices and Printers.
- Ensure that the icon of the Brother printer is checked.
In Windows 7
- Click on Start and select Devices and Printers.
- If there is no check mark on your Brother printer, you need to right-click on the icon of the printer and choose Set as default printer from the available options.
Remove All Print Jobs from Devices and Printers Window
- Right-click on the icon of the Brother printer, select See what’s printing and then choose Cancel All Documents.
- If you find that Cancel All Documents is grayed out, you need to select Open as Administrator. Type in the administrator password and click on Yes.
- Now you will be able to select Cancel All Documents.
Check the Status of the Printer in Devices and Printer
If the Status is Offline
You need to check if the status of the printer is offline. If it is offline, follow the steps explained below.
- Right-click on the icon of your Brother printer and choose to See what’s printing, Printer, Use Printer Offline.
- If you find that the Use Printer Offline option is grayed out, you need to select Open as Administrator and then type in the administrator password and select Yes.
If the Status is Paused
Check if the status of the printer is Paused. If it is shown as Paused, follow the steps explained below.
- Right-click on the icon of your Brother printer, choose to See what’s printing, and then select Pause Printing.
- If you find that the Pause option is grayed out, you need to select Open as Administrator and then type in the administrator password and select Yes.
If a Copy of the Brother Printer Icon is Listed in Devices and Printers
There might be a copy of your Brother printer listed with the same name in Devices and Printers. This can be created when you:
- Change the USB port on the computer to which the Brother printer is connected.
- Install the same printer driver more than once.
The presence of more than one copy of the same printer in Devices and Printers will make some of the copies of the printer not working properly. In such a case, you will need to select a copy that you know is working. For help with that or any other concerns with your device, get in touch with our printer tech support team over the toll-free number listed above.
