If your brother printer offline how to turn online, it can be frustrating and prevent you from completing important printing tasks. This common issue often occurs due to connectivity problems, incorrect settings, or software glitches. In this guide, we'll walk you through the steps to turn your Brother printer online and back to functioning smoothly.
Why Is Your Brother Printer Offline?
Before we dive into the solution, it's helpful to understand why your Brother printer might be offline:
- Network connectivity issues: The printer may have lost its connection to the network or computer.
- Printer set to offline mode: The printer might be manually set to offline mode in your computer’s settings.
- Outdated drivers: Outdated or corrupted drivers can lead to communication issues between your printer and computer.
- Print spooler errors: Problems with the print spooler service can cause the printer to show as offline.
Step-by-Step Guide to Turn Your Brother Printer Online
1. Check the Brother Printer’s Power and Connectivity
Steps:
- Ensure the Printer Is On: Make sure your Brother printer is powered on. If it’s not, press the power button to turn it on.
- Check Cable Connections: If you’re using a wired connection, ensure that all cables are securely connected between the printer and your computer.
- Verify Wi-Fi Connection: For wireless printers, confirm that the printer is connected to your Wi-Fi network. You can do this by checking the printer’s control panel for the Wi-Fi status.
2. Set Brother Printer as the Default Printer
Setting your Brother printer as the default printer can resolve many offline issues.
Steps:
- Open Control Panel: On your computer, go to the Control Panel and click on “Devices and Printers.”
- Find Your Brother Printer: Locate your Brother printer in the list of devices.
- Set as Default: Right-click on your Brother printer and select “Set as default printer.” This ensures that all print jobs are directed to the correct printer.
3. Disable the Offline Mode
Your printer may have been set to offline mode, which prevents it from receiving print jobs.
Steps:
- Open Devices and Printers: In the Control Panel, navigate to “Devices and Printers.”
- Check Printer Status: Right-click on your Brother printer and see if the option “Use Printer Offline” is checked.
- Uncheck Offline Mode: If it’s checked, click to uncheck “Use Printer Offline.” This will change the printer status to online.
4. Restart the Print Spooler Service
Restarting the print spooler can resolve issues related to print job management.
Steps:
- Open Run Dialog: Press
Win + Ron your keyboard to open the Run dialog box. - Type services.msc: In the Run dialog, type
services.mscand press Enter. - Find Print Spooler: In the Services window, scroll down and find “Print Spooler.”
- Restart the Service: Right-click on “Print Spooler” and select “Restart.” This will refresh the print job management service.
5. Update Brother Printer Drivers
Outdated drivers can cause your Brother printer to appear offline. Updating the drivers can fix this issue.
Steps:
- Visit Brother’s Support Page: Go to the official Brother website and navigate to the support section.
- Search for Your Printer Model: Enter your Brother printer model to find the latest drivers.
- Download and Install: Download the latest driver updates and install them on your computer. Restart your computer after installation.
6. Reconnect the Brother Printer to the Network
If your Brother printer is still offline, try reconnecting it to your Wi-Fi network.
Steps:
- Access Network Settings on Printer: Use the printer’s control panel to go to the network or wireless settings.
- Select Wi-Fi Setup Wizard: Choose the Wi-Fi setup wizard option to reconnect your printer to your Wi-Fi network.
- Enter Wi-Fi Credentials: Select your network from the list and enter your Wi-Fi password.
- Test the Connection: Print a network status report to confirm the connection.
Conclusion
A brother printer is offline how to fix can disrupt your workflow, but following these steps will help you turn it back online. Whether it’s a connectivity issue, a simple setting adjustment, or a driver update, resolving the offline status is usually straightforward. By ensuring your Brother printer is properly connected, set as the default printer, and updated with the latest drivers, you can avoid future offline issues.
