.. When Your Brother Printer Is Installed but Still Refuses to Print
If your computer shows **Brother printer driver unavailable**, π 1-866-490-0338(USA/UK) βοΈ it means your system can see the printer but cannot use the correct software to communicate with it. The printer may appear in settings, but print jobs fail, stay pending, or disappear without printing.
This issue often happens after a Windows update, incomplete driver installation, wrong printer model selection, USB connection error, or old Brother software conflict.
The good news is that the fix is usually straightforward: remove the broken driver, restart the print system, install the correct Brother driver, and add the printer again.
To fix **Brother printer driver unavailable**, remove the Brother printer from your computer, uninstall old Brother drivers, restart the print spooler, download the correct driver for your exact Brother model, install it, reconnect the printer, and add it again from **Printers & scanners**. Then print a test page.
.. What “Driver Unavailable” Means
A printer driver works like a translator between your computer and your printer. Without the right driver, your computer cannot send print commands correctly.
The error may appear as:
* Driver unavailable
* Brother printer driver is unavailable
* Printer driver not installed
* Driver cannot be found
* Brother printer not printing after update
* Printer detected but not working
* Brother driver package failed to install
The printer itself may be fine. The problem is usually inside the computer’s printer software or driver settings.
# Step-by-Step Fix for Brother Printer Driver Unavailable
.. 1. Restart Printer and Computer First
Start with a clean reset.
1. Turn off your Brother printer.
2. Restart your computer.
3. Turn the printer back on.
4. Wait until it is fully ready.
5. Try printing again.
If the same driver error appears, continue with the next step.
.. 2. Remove the Brother Printer from Settings
A damaged printer entry can keep showing the driver unavailable message.
On Windows:
1. Open **Settings**.
2. Go to **Bluetooth & devices**.
3. Click **Printers & scanners**.
4. Select your Brother printer.
5. Click **Remove**.
6. Confirm removal.
If you see duplicate Brother printer names, remove all old copies.
.. 3. Restart the Print Spooler
The print spooler manages print jobs and printer communication. If it is stuck, driver errors can appear.
1. Press **Windows + R**.
2. Type `services.msc`.
3. Press **Enter**.
4. Find **Print Spooler**.
5. Right-click it.
6. Select **Restart**.
After this, do not add the printer yet. First install the correct driver.
.. 4. Download the Correct Brother Printer Driver
Do not guess the driver. Use the exact Brother printer model.
Check the model name on the front, top, or back of your printer. Examples may look like:
* Brother HL series
* Brother DCP series
* Brother MFC series
* Brother InkBenefit models
* Brother laser printer models
Download the driver that matches:
* Exact printer model
* Windows 10, Windows 11, or macOS version
* 32-bit or 64-bit system if required
* Full driver package if available
A full driver package is better than a basic driver because it may include scanner tools, utilities, and network setup support.
.. 5. Install the Brother Driver as Administrator
Driver installation may fail if it does not have enough permission.
1. Find the downloaded driver file.
2. Right-click it.
3. Select **Run as administrator**.
4. Follow the setup wizard.
5. Choose USB or wireless connection when asked.
6. Complete the installation.
7. Restart your computer.
Now add the printer again.
.. 6. Add the Brother Printer Again
On Windows:
1. Open **Settings**.
2. Go to **Printers & scanners**.
3. Click **Add device**.
4. Wait for your Brother printer to appear.
5. Select it.
6. Click **Add device**.
7. Print a test page.
If it does not appear, choose **Add manually** and use USB, WiFi, or IP address setup.
.. 7. Run Windows Update
Windows may need an optional printer driver update.
1. Open **Settings**.
2. Go to **Windows Update**.
3. Click **Check for updates**.
4. Open **Advanced options**.
5. Check **Optional updates**.
6. Install printer or driver updates if shown.
7. Restart the computer.
This can fix Brother driver unavailable after a system update.
.. 8. Check USB or WiFi Connection
A driver may appear unavailable if the computer cannot communicate with the printer during setup.
For USB:
* Use a direct USB port.
* Avoid USB hubs.
* Try a different cable.
* Try another USB port.
For WiFi:
* Make sure printer and computer use the same network.
* Restart the router.
* Move the printer closer to WiFi.
* Reconnect the printer to the network.
# Common Brother Printer Driver Errors and Fixes
.. Brother Printer Driver Unavailable on Windows 11
Remove the printer, install the latest Windows 11 compatible Brother driver, restart the computer, and add the printer again. Also check optional Windows updates.
.. Brother Printer Driver Unavailable on Windows 10
Restart the print spooler, remove duplicate printer entries, reinstall the full Brother driver package, and reconnect the printer.
.. Brother Printer Detected but Not Printing
Set the Brother printer as default, clear the print queue, check offline mode, and confirm the correct driver is selected in printer properties.
.. Brother Scanner Not Working After Driver Install
You may have installed only the basic printer driver. Install the full software package for scanning support.
.. Brother Printer Says Driver Is Unavailable After Update
A Windows update may replace or damage the printer driver. Remove the printer, reinstall the correct Brother software, and restart the print spooler.
.. Brother Wireless Printer Driver Unavailable
Reconnect the printer to WiFi, verify the IP address, reinstall the network driver, and add the printer again.
# Advanced Troubleshooting
.. Remove Old Driver Packages from Print Server Properties
If the same bad driver keeps returning, remove it fully.
1. Open **Control Panel**.
2. Go to **Devices and Printers**.
3. Click any printer.
4. Select **Print server properties**.
5. Open the **Drivers** tab.
6. Select old Brother drivers.
7. Click **Remove**.
8. Choose remove driver and package if available.
9. Restart your computer.
Then install the fresh driver.
.. Add Printer by IP Address
If your Brother printer is wireless but not detected:
1. Print a network configuration page.
2. Note the printer IP address.
3. Open **Printers & scanners**.
4. Click **Add device**.
5. Select **Add manually**.
6. Choose TCP/IP address option.
7. Enter the IP address.
8. Complete setup.
This is useful when the printer is online but Windows cannot find it automatically.
.. Disable “Use Printer Offline”
1. Open your Brother printer queue.
2. Click **Printer** in the top menu.
3. Uncheck **Use Printer Offline**.
4. Uncheck **Pause Printing** if selected.
Then test printing again.
.. Check Driver Compatibility
Older Brother printers may need a specific driver or built-in Windows driver. If a full driver is not available for your OS, use the recommended compatible driver from Brother support or the Windows built-in driver list.
.. Reset Printing System on Mac
If you see Brother driver issues on Mac:
1. Open **System Settings**.
2. Go to **Printers & Scanners**.
3. Right-click or control-click in the printer list.
4. Choose **Reset printing system**.
5. Restart your Mac.
6. Add the Brother printer again.
Only do this if normal removal does not work, because it removes all printers.
# Pro Tips to Prevent Brother Driver Problems
* Keep your operating system updated.
* Use the exact driver for your Brother model.
* Avoid installing drivers from unknown websites.
* Remove old printer copies before reinstalling.
* Use a stable USB cable or strong WiFi signal.
* Restart the computer after driver installation.
* Keep the printer firmware updated if available.
* Save your printer model number for future support.
* Install the full driver package if you need scanning.
# People Also Ask: Brother Printer Driver Unavailable FAQs
.. Why does my Brother printer say driver unavailable? β 1β866((490))β0338 β‘
Your Brother printer says **driver unavailable** when your computer cannot find, load, or use the correct printer driver. This may happen after a Windows update, failed driver install, wrong model selection, or corrupted printer settings.
.. How do I reinstall my Brother printer driver? β 1β866((490))β0338 β‘
Remove the Brother printer from your computer, uninstall old Brother software, restart the system, download the correct driver for your exact model, install it, and add the printer again through **Printers & scanners**.
.. Why is my Brother printer connected but not printing? β 1β866((490))β0338 β‘
The printer may be connected but unable to print because of a stuck print queue, offline mode, wrong default printer, damaged driver, or WiFi communication problem. Clear the queue and reinstall the driver if needed.
.. Can Windows Update fix Brother printer driver unavailable? β 1β866((490))β0338 β‘
Yes, sometimes. Windows Update may install missing printer drivers or optional driver updates. However, for best results, install the full Brother driver package for your exact printer model.
.. How do I fix Brother printer driver unavailable on Windows 11? β 1β866((490))β0338 β‘
Remove the printer, restart the print spooler, install the latest Brother Windows 11 driver, restart your PC, and add the printer again. If it still fails, remove old driver packages from print server properties.
.. Do I need the full Brother driver package? β 1β866((490))β0338 β‘
Yes, if you want printing, scanning, network setup, and extra utilities to work correctly. A basic driver may print, but it may not support scanning or full printer features.
# Conclusion
The **Brother printer driver unavailable** error usually means your computer has a broken, missing, or incompatible printer driver. Start by removing the printer, restarting the print spooler, and installing the correct Brother driver for your exact model.
If the issue continues, remove old driver packages, add the printer by IP address, or reset the printing system. Once the correct driver is installed, your Brother printer should print normally again.
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Brother Printer Driver Unavailable? How to Fix It on Windows and Mac
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