How to Fix Brother Printer Driver Not Installing on Windows 10/11

This comprehensive guide covers every reason brother printer drivers fail to install and provides step-by-step solutions to help you successfully install your drivers on any Windows 10/11 device.

Common Reasons Why Brother Printer Drivers Fail to Install

Before fixing the issue, it’s important to understand why the installation fails. The most common causes include:

Missing or corrupted driver files

  • A damaged installer can prevent Windows from recognizing your printer.

Windows security blocking the installation

  • Windows Defender or third party antivirus may block the setup process.

Wrong driver version installed

  • Drivers meant for a different Brother model or different Windows version may cause errors.

USB connection or network problems

  • If the printer is not detected during installation, the driver may fail to complete.

Pending Windows updates

  • Outdated Windows components can prevent new driver installation.

Conflicting older Brother drivers

  • Old or duplicate drivers often cause installation to fail.

 

Basic Checks Before Installing Brother Printer Drivers

These quick checks solve half the installation issues:

Restart your PC and printer

  • A simple reboot can clear driver conflicts.

Use the official Brother driver download page

  • Never use third party driver sites.

Disconnect and reconnect the USB cable

  • Use a direct USB port instead of external hubs.

Ensure your Windows version is supported

  • Windows 10 (64-bit) and Windows 11 (64-bit) are recommended.
  • If any of these are wrong, the installation will not work smoothly.

 

Method 1 – Install the Driver Using Brother Full Driver Package

The safest way to install brother printer drivers is:

Step-by-Step Installation

  1. Go to Brother Support Page

  2. Search for your printer model (e.g., HL-L2350DW, MFC-L2710DW)

  3. Select Windows 10/11 (64-bit)

  4. Download the Full Driver & Software Package

  5. Run the installer as Administrator

  6. Follow the on screen prompts

  7. Connect your printer when asked (USB or Wi-Fi setup)

 

Method 2 – Disable Antivirus or Firewall Temporarily

Sometimes antivirus blocks driver installation as a security measure.

How to disable temporarily (Windows 10/11):

  • Open Windows Security

  • Go to Virus & Threat Protection

  • Turn OFF:

    • Real time protection

    • Cloud delivered protection

  • Disable third party antivirus as well

 

Method 3 – Use Windows Update to Install Brother Printer Drivers

Windows sometimes installs the basic brother printer drivers automatically.

Steps:

  1. Open Settings

  2. Go to Windows Update

  3. Click Check for updates

  4. Install brother printer drivers Update if available

 

Method 4 – Remove Old or Conflicting Brother Drivers

Old drivers cause installation conflicts.

How to delete old drivers:

  1. Press Win + R

  2. Type printmanagement.msc

  3. Go to Print Servers → Your PC → Drivers

  4. Right-click old Brother drivers → Remove

  5. Restart your PC

Now install the new driver again.

 

Method 5 – Fix USB Not Detecting During Driver Installation

If your printer isn’t detected:

Try these solutions:

  • Use a different USB cable

  • Connect to a USB 2.0 port

  • Avoid USB hubs and extension cords

  • Power cycle the printer

If still not detected, reinstall the USB controller:

  1. Press Win + X → Device Manager

  2. Expand Universal Serial Bus controllers

  3. Uninstall each USB Root Hub

  4. Restart your PC

 

Method 6 – Run the Brother Installer in Compatibility Mode

Some older brother printer drivers models require compatibility settings.

Steps:

  1. Right click driver installer → Properties

  2. Go to Compatibility

  3. Check Run this program in compatibility mode

  4. Select Windows 7 or Windows 8

  5. Click Apply → OK

  6. Run the installer again

 

Method 7 – Install Driver Manually Through Device Manager

If automatic installation fails, install manually.

Steps:

  1. Open Device Manager

  2. Find your brother printer drivers under:

    • Other devices

    • Unknown device

  3. Right-click → Update Driver

  4. Select Browse my computer for drivers

  5. Choose the extracted Brother driver folder

 

Method 8 – Reset Printer Settings Before Installation

Resetting can fix network and driver detection issues.

Reset Method (General Brother Models):

  • Press Menu

  • Navigate to Initial Setup

  • Select Reset

  • Choose Network Reset or Full Factory Reset

After reset, reinstall the driver.

 

When to Contact Brother Support

Contact support if:

  • Installer keeps failing with error codes

  • Printer is not detected despite working USB

  • Drivers are missing from official site

  • Wireless setup doesn’t complete

brother printer drivers provides advanced diagnostics for rare cases.

Last modified: 2025-11-20Powered by