Brother Printer Driver: Download, Install, Update, and Fix Common Errors

Find the right Brother driver for your model, install it cleanly on Windows 11, Windows 10, or a Mac, and clear the errors that stop Brother printers from working after setup.

Brother doesn't offer just one driver per printer. Open the download page for a typical Brother laser or inkjet and you'll see a setup tool, a full software package, a driver-only file, a USB-only bundle, a PostScript driver, a couple of "universal" drivers, and a list of utilities. Pick the wrong one and the printer may still print, just without 2-sided printing, tray selection, or scanning. Plug the USB cable in too early and Windows may grab its own basic driver before Brother's installer gets a chance.

Windows 11 has added a few new obstacles too. A security setting can block Brother's driver outright. Laptops with ARM processors can't run Brother's standard driver packages at all. And since January 2026, Windows Update no longer publishes new printer drivers. When a Brother driver goes wrong, you'll usually see it as a printer that shows as offline, jobs stuck in the queue, or a "driver is unavailable" note in Windows Settings.

This guide covers which Brother download to choose, how to install it on Windows and macOS, what to do on newer Windows 11 PCs, how to fix the errors people run into most, and how to keep the driver current.

A quick note: Printer Tales is an independent troubleshooting resource and isn't affiliated with Brother. Download Brother drivers only from Brother's official support site, support.brother.com.

Before You Install: Four Things to Check

A couple of minutes here saves most of the reinstalling people end up doing later.

• Your exact model name. It's printed on the front or top of the machine, for example HL-L2460DW, MFC-L3780CDW, or MFC-J4335DW. The letters matter. An HL-L2350DW and an MFC-L2750DW use different software, and Brother's download page only shows the files built for the model you pick.
• What kind of PC you have. On Windows 11, open Settings > System > About and look at System type under Device specifications. If it says ARM-based processor (common on Snapdragon laptops and some Surface models), Brother's standard driver packages won't install. Skip to the ARM section below before you download anything.
• How the printer connects. For Wi-Fi or Ethernet, make sure the printer and the computer are on the same network, and have the printer's IP address handy. You can find it on a network configuration report printed from the machine's menu. For USB, have the cable ready, but don't plug it in yet. Brother's installer tells you when.
• Windows protected print mode (Windows 11). Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners and scroll to Printer preferences. If Windows protected print mode is on, Brother says its drivers can't be installed or used. More on what to do about that below.

You'll also need to be signed in with an administrator account, since driver installs make system-level changes.

Which Brother Driver Should You Download?

The labels below are the ones Brother uses on its Windows download pages. Not every model lists every option, and a few are tucked behind a Show all link.

Setting up a brand-new printer? Start with EasySetup.
Newer Brother models list EasySetup at the top of the Windows download page. It walks you through the first-time setup: getting the machine on your network or connected by USB, then installing the software. Brother's own note on that page is clear: if the machine is already set up, download the Full Driver & Software Package instead. Brother also runs a dedicated setup site, setup.brother.com, for machines released in April 2020 or later.

Printer already set up? Get the Full Driver & Software Package.
This is the one most people should use. Brother describes it as a comprehensive file with the drivers and software available for your machine. That means the printer driver, the scanner driver on all-in-one models, and Brother Utilities, the small launcher you'll use later for updates, uninstalling, and network repairs.

Only need to print? The driver-only files.

• Printer Driver includes just the printer driver. It's handy when the full package won't install or you don't want the extra software.
• Printer Driver & Scanner Driver for USB includes the printer driver plus the WIA and/or TWAIN scanner drivers, set up for a USB connection.

Older models may call their driver-only download an Add Printer Wizard Driver. It installs through Windows' own Add Printer screens rather than a Brother installer.

For office and design work: BR-Script.
Many Brother lasers also offer a BR-Script driver, which is Brother's PostScript language emulation. Brother says it usually prints more slowly than the standard driver but can handle some graphic-heavy or complex documents better. If you print from design software, it's worth having. Otherwise, the standard driver is the better everyday choice.

Managing several Brother printers: the universal drivers.
The Universal Printer Driver for BR-Script and the Enhanced Generic PCL Driver are meant for offices running more than one Brother model. One driver covers many machines, so IT doesn't have to install a separate driver for each. On a single home or small-office printer, stick with your model's own driver.

Label printers are different.
P-touch and QL label printers have their own drivers and label software on the same Brother support site. The same rule applies to them, though: install the software first, and connect the USB cable only when the installer asks.

How to Download Brother Printer Drivers

Brother drivers are free. If a website wants payment, asks you to install a "driver updater," or has a phone number splashed across the page, close the tab. The only place you need is Brother's support site.

1. Go to support.brother.com and choose your country if asked. US visitors can also start from brother-usa.com and click through to Support.
2. Click Downloads and type your model name into the search box, or browse by product category, series, and model.
3. Choose your operating system. Pick the exact version, such as Windows 11, Windows 10 (64-bit), or macOS 15.x, then confirm. Brother only lists the operating systems your model supports. If yours isn't there, Brother isn't offering software for it on that model.
4. Click the file you want. Use the section above to decide. For most people, that's the Full Driver & Software Package.
5. Read the notes on the next page. Brother often puts install instructions and warnings here. On Windows 11 downloads, some models now carry a note telling you to check a Windows setting before you install.
6. Click Agree to the EULA and Download. The file saves to your Downloads folder. In most browsers, press Ctrl + J to find it.

Setting up a new Brother machine from scratch? Our Brother printer setup issue guide covers the steps before the driver.

How to Install a Brother Printer Driver on Windows 11 or 10

Using the Full Driver & Software Package

1. Save your work and close other programs.
2. Unplug the USB cable if you've already connected the printer to this computer. You'll plug it back in when the installer asks.
3. Double-click the file you downloaded. It unpacks itself and the setup screen should open. If it doesn't, open the folder it created and double-click start.exe.
4. Click Yes when User Account Control asks for permission.
5. Choose your language, then accept the license agreement.
6. Pick your connection type: USB (local), wired network, or wireless network. For a network printer, let the installer search, then select your machine from the list. If it isn't found, check that the printer is on and on the same network, and confirm its IP address on a network configuration report.
7. If Windows Security asks about installing device software, tick Always trust software from Brother Industries, Ltd. and click Install.
8. For USB, connect the cable only when the installer tells you to.
9. If the installer says to restart partway through, don't. Brother's guidance is to keep going until the whole installation finishes, then restart.
10. Print a test page. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, click your Brother printer, and choose Print test page.

Why the USB timing matters: if the cable is plugged in first, Windows sets the printer up with its own basic driver. Brother's installer may then fail to find the machine, or you'll end up with two copies of the same printer and one of them missing half its options.

Installing the driver-only file manually

Use this when the full package keeps failing, or when you downloaded the Printer Driver or Add Printer Wizard Driver file.

1. Double-click the downloaded file. A ZIP Self Decompression window opens. Choose where to save the files, click Decompress, then OK. Note the folder location.
2. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners and click Add device.
3. Wait a moment, then click Add manually next to "The printer that I want isn't listed."
4. For USB: choose Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings, then Use an existing port and pick the USB00X port (the X is a number). If no USB port appears, Windows isn't seeing the printer, so try another cable or USB port.
   For a network printer: choose to add the printer by TCP/IP address or hostname and type the printer's IP address.
5. When Windows asks for a driver, click Have Disk, then Browse to the folder you extracted, and click Open and OK.
6. Pick your Brother model from the list and click Next. If Windows asks about an existing driver, choose Replace the current driver.
7. Keep the suggested printer name, choose whether to share it, and print a test page.

If Windows warns that the software hasn't passed Windows Logo testing, Brother says you can click Continue Anyway.

How to Install a Brother Printer on a Mac

This is where Brother has changed the most. On current macOS versions, many Brother models don't have a separate Mac printer driver on Brother's site at all. The HL-L2350DW's macOS 15 download page, for example, lists firmware and utilities but no printer driver. For macOS 13 and later, Brother's position is to print with AirPrint and use Brother iPrint&Scan for scanning and extra features.

That's less of a downgrade than it sounds. AirPrint is built into macOS, so there's nothing to download for basic printing.

To add your Brother printer with AirPrint (macOS 13 Ventura through macOS 26 Tahoe):

1. Turn the printer on and make sure it's on the same network as your Mac, or connected by USB.
2. Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners.
3. Click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax.
4. Select your Brother machine from the list.
5. Check the Use menu. Brother notes that it won't say "AirPrint." It shows something like Brother [your model] series, and that's correct.
6. Click Add.

When to add Brother's software too:

• Scanning. Brother says its TWAIN scanner driver and ControlCenter2 aren't supported on macOS 13. Scan with Brother iPrint&Scan (from the Mac App Store) or Apple's Image Capture.
• Printers without AirPrint. Older models that don't support AirPrint need Brother iPrint&Scan to print from a current Mac.
• Newer models with a Mac package. Some recent Brother models list a Full Software Package for macOS. The MFC-L3780CDW has one for macOS 26, for example. If your model's download page shows one, install it.
• Older macOS versions. On earlier releases, Brother offered a CUPS driver for many models. If you're still on one of those versions and your model's page lists a printer driver, choose it from the Use menu for the full set of options.

Installer blocked on macOS? Brother's fix is to open System Settings > Privacy & Security and make sure apps are allowed from App Store & Known Developers, not just the App Store. Expect to type your Mac password during installation. That's normal.

Just upgraded to macOS 26 Tahoe? Brother publishes a macOS 26 support statement listing supported models. Brother says that if your model isn't on it, it has no current plans to support it.

When Windows 11 Won't Use Brother's Driver

There are two situations where Brother's own driver is off the table, and both are becoming more common.

Windows protected print mode is on

Windows protected print mode is a Windows 11 security setting that blocks third-party printer drivers and only allows Windows' built-in driver, the Microsoft IPP Class Driver. Brother says that while it's on, Brother-supplied printer drivers can't be used on a standard (x64) Windows 11 PC. Some Brother fax drivers and apps won't be available either.

You have two options.

Turn it off and install Brother's driver. This is Brother's documented fix when the driver won't install on Windows 11:

1. Go to Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
2. Under Printer preferences, turn off Windows protected print mode.
3. Confirm when Windows asks.
4. Install or reinstall the Brother driver.

Brother adds a caution worth repeating: turning this off lets any third-party printer driver work with Windows again, not just Brother's. On a work computer, leave this decision to your IT team.

Leave it on and use the Print Support App. Keep reading.

Your PC has an ARM processor

Brother's standard driver packages, both the downloads and the discs that came in the box, don't work on Windows PCs with ARM processors. Brother says that's true regardless of the protected print mode setting. On these PCs, you print through Windows' built-in drivers. Brother Utilities and bundled software that depend on Brother's drivers aren't supported either. Brother also notes that over a USB connection on Windows 11 ARM, you can't use its scanner driver or Brother iPrint&Scan.

The Brother Print Support App

Windows' built-in driver handles basic printing, but that's about it. Brother's own guide says you may not be able to pick a paper size, print on both sides, or put 2 or 4 pages on one sheet. The Brother Print Support App fills that gap. It adds a Brother print settings window on top of Windows' driver, with options including:

• Paper size, including custom sizes, and borderless printing
• 2-sided and booklet printing
• Several pages per sheet, scaling, and mirror or reverse printing
• Watermarks and header or footer printing
• Saved print profiles

Requirements: Windows 11 version 24H2 or later, on either a standard or ARM PC, and a Brother model on Brother's supported list.

How to get it: there's usually nothing to download yourself. For a network printer, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, click Add device, then click Add device next to your Brother printer. For USB, just connect the cable. In both cases, Windows installs the app from the Microsoft Store automatically.

How to check what you're using: click your printer in Printers & scanners. If you see Open printer app, the Print Support App is installed. If you see Get the app, you're on Windows' basic driver and can click it to add the Brother app.

Why new Brother printers are installing with a Microsoft driver

Even with protected print mode off, a Brother printer you add in 2026 may show Microsoft IPP Class Driver as its driver. That's Microsoft's plan at work, not a fault:

• January 15, 2026: Windows Update stopped publishing new printer drivers for Windows 11.
• July 1, 2026: Windows began ranking its built-in IPP driver first when a printer supports it.
• June 2026: Microsoft added a setting called Default install printers using Windows Ready Print under Printers & scanners. When it's on, newly added printers use the Microsoft driver where supported. Turning it off only affects printers you add afterward. It can't be turned off while protected print mode is on.
• July 1, 2027: Updates to manufacturer printer drivers are limited to security fixes.

Microsoft has said Windows will keep allowing manufacturer driver packages to install. So if you want Brother's full driver on a standard Windows 11 PC, install it with Brother's package. Don't count on Windows to fetch it for you.

Fixing Brother Printer Driver Problems

Find what's happening on your screen and start there.

"Driver is unavailable" under Printers & scanners

That message means Windows can't find a working driver for the printer. With Brother machines, it usually comes down to one of three things:

1. Protected print mode was switched on. An update, an IT policy, or a settings change can flip it. Brother's driver stops working the moment it's on. Check Printer preferences under Printers & scanners first.
2. The driver was damaged or partly removed. This usually happens after a Windows update or an install that got interrupted. Do the clean reinstall in the next section.
3. The PC runs on an ARM processor. A Brother driver copied over from an old PC, or restored from a backup, won't work there. Remove it and add the printer through Windows so the built-in driver and Print Support App take over.

If the problem started right after a Windows update, our guide to Brother printer issues after a Windows update goes into more detail.

The installer won't install anything on Windows 11

Check protected print mode first. It's the cause Brother lists for failed installs on Windows 11. Then make sure the package matches your PC. A standard Brother package won't install on an ARM laptop. Downloading the file again is worth a try too, since an interrupted download can look fine but fail partway through.

Setup stops at "connect the USB cable" or can't find the printer

This almost always means the cable was plugged in before the installer started, so Windows set up its own driver first. To fix it:

1. Remove the Brother printer in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
2. Unplug the USB cable.
3. Run the installer again and connect the cable only when it asks.

If it still can't see the printer, try a different USB port directly on the computer and a different cable.

"IS052 InstallNetworkDriver" during setup

This Brother error shows up while installing the full package. According to Brother, it affects the scanner driver installation, and the machine should still be able to print. Brother's suggested fix is to cancel, temporarily turn off antivirus or firewall software, and run the installer again. Turn your security software back on afterward.

The printer works but options are missing

If 2-sided printing, tray choices, or print quality settings aren't there, you're probably using a generic driver instead of Brother's. Here's Brother's quick test:

1. Open Printers & scanners, click the Brother printer, and open Printing preferences.
2. Look for an Advanced tab or a Support button.

If either one is there, the full Brother driver (Brother calls it the Brother Original driver) is installed. If neither is, you're on a built-in or generic driver. Brother notes these can be missing features and may print more slowly. Remove the printer and install your model's driver from Brother's site.

A network printer stopped working after a router or IP change

When a Brother printer's IP address changes, the driver on your PC can keep sending jobs to the old address. Brother's Network Connection Repair Tool is built for exactly this. It finds the printer on the network and updates its IP address inside your printer driver.

• If you installed the full package, open Brother Utilities, select your model, click Tools, then Network Connection Repair Tool.
• If you don't have Brother Utilities, the tool is under Utilities on your model's Windows download page.

One caution from Brother: don't use it if your network administrator gave the printer a static IP address, because the tool can change it. For wireless drop-outs, see Brother printer not connecting to Wi-Fi.

Jobs sit in the queue and never print

A stuck job can make a perfectly good driver look broken. Clear the queue and restart the Print Spooler before reinstalling anything. Our Brother printer job stuck in queue guide walks through it.

How to Do a Clean Reinstall of a Brother Driver

Installing a new driver on top of a damaged one rarely fixes anything. Remove the old one completely first. Close all programs and sign in as an administrator.

Method 1: Brother Utilities (if you installed the full package)

1. Open Start > All apps > Brother > Brother Utilities.
2. Select your model from the drop-down list.
3. Click Tools, then Uninstall, and approve the User Account Control prompt.
4. Follow the prompts. If you use USB, Brother says to keep the printer turned on and connected during the uninstall so the drivers are removed too.
5. When it's finished, unplug the USB cable and restart the computer.

Method 2: Brother's Uninstall Tool (if Method 1 isn't available or fails)

Brother's Uninstall Tool removes drivers installed from the CD, the Full Driver & Software Package, or Windows' Add Printer screens. It can also clean up an install that failed halfway.

1. Download Uninstall Tool from the Utilities section of your model's Windows download page.
2. Double-click it, choose where to save it, and click Decompress.
3. Open the new folder (it's called rempnp or Uninstall, depending on the model) and run BrRemPNP.exe or brunins.exe.
4. Select your Brother machine and click OK. If your exact model isn't listed, Brother says to choose a similar one.
5. When it finishes, unplug the printer's cable and restart the computer.

Then finish up: go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners and remove any Brother entries that are still listed. Download a fresh Full Driver & Software Package and install it using the steps above.

How to Update Your Brother Printer Driver

If everything prints the way it should, you don't have to go hunting for driver updates. It's worth checking after a major Windows or macOS upgrade, when a feature stops working, or when Brother lists a newer version for your model.

Skip Device Manager and Windows Update for this. A lot of guides still say to click Update driver in Device Manager. Since January 15, 2026, Windows Update no longer publishes new printer drivers for Windows 11, and Device Manager's automatic search draws from the same place. Keep running Windows Update for security fixes, but get the Brother driver from Brother.

Method 1: Brother Utilities (easiest)

1. Open Brother Utilities and select your model.
2. Click Tools, then Software Update Notification.
3. Click Check Now. If an update is listed, click Update and follow the prompts.

You can also set how often it checks automatically in the same window.

Method 2: Compare versions on Brother's site

Open your model's download page, set your operating system, and compare the version and release date with what you have. To see your installed version, open Printing preferences and click Support. If Brother's version is newer, download it. If it won't install over the old one, do a clean reinstall.

On a Mac

If you print with AirPrint, keeping macOS updated in System Settings > General > Software Update is enough. Brother iPrint&Scan updates through the Mac App Store.

Firmware is a separate update

Firmware runs inside the printer itself, not on your computer, and updating it doesn't replace the driver. Brother's download pages include a Firmware Update Tool that sends the latest firmware to your machine over the internet, and Brother recommends keeping it current. Leave the printer switched on until the update finishes.