How to Reset Brother Printer

Posted by Chloe Harter , 08 May, 2025
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Brother printers are known for their reliability and efficiency, but like all electronic devices, they can occasionally experience problems. Whether it’s a persistent error message, network connection issues, or the need to clear out old settings, resetting is a simple and effective solution. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to reset a Brother printer, including soft resets, network resets, and factory resets. We’ll also cover how to reset the drum and toner assembly, which is critical to maintaining print quality.

When Should You Reset Your Brother Printer?

Let’s first understand when a reset is needed. There are several situations in which you may need to reset your Brother printer:

• The printer is frozen or unresponsive

• Error messages appear repeatedly even after troubleshooting

• Network connection problems persist

• You are setting up the printer for a new user or location

• You want to delete all customized settings and restore factory defaults

Different Types of Brother Printer Reset

Brother printers offer several types of resets, depending on the issue you are trying to resolve.

Soft Reset (Power Cycle)

A soft reset (also called a power cycle) is the simplest type of reset. It can fix minor software glitches and performance issues by simply restarting the printer without changing any settings.

Network Reset

A network reset clears all Wi-Fi and network configurations. This is especially useful if you are unable to connect the printer to a new network, or if the connection is unstable.

Factory Reset (Full Reset)

A factory reset returns your Brother printer to its original factory condition. It deletes all user settings, including network settings. This method is best used if you need to restart your printer or give it to someone else to use.

How to Perform a Soft Reset

Performing a soft reset is simple and does not require any technical knowledge. This simple action can often resolve temporary issues and get your printer back up and running.

Turn off the printer using the power button.
Unplug the printer from the power outlet.
Wait for about 30 seconds to allow the internal memory to clear.
Plug the printer back in.
Turn your Brother printer on.

How to Reset Network Settings

Resetting your Brother printer’s network settings is especially useful if you’ve changed your Wi-Fi password, switched to a new router, or if your printer continues to have connection issues. Resetting deletes all saved wireless and network configurations, allowing you to start over.

Here’s how to reset the network settings for most Brother printers:

On the printer control panel, press the “Menu” or “Setup” button.
Use the navigation keys to navigate to “Network” and select “Network Reset.”
Press “OK” or “Yes” to confirm your selection.
The Brother printer will automatically restart and restore the default network settings.

After resetting, the printer will no longer connect to any Wi-Fi or Ethernet network. You’ll need to reconnect the printer using the Wireless Setup Wizard or by manually entering new network credentials.

Here are some examples for popular Brother printers.

Brother HL-L2350DW: Menu > Network > Network Reset > Yes.
Brother MFC-L2710DW: Settings > All Settings > Network > Network Reset > Yes.
Brother DCP-L2550DW: Settings > Network > Network Reset > Yes.

After resetting the network settings, go to the “Network” or “Wi-Fi” menu on the printer, select “Setup Wizard,” and follow the prompts to reconnect it to your wireless network.

How to Reset Brother Printer to Factory Settings

A factory reset completely erases all customized configurations and returns the printer to the default factory settings. A factory reset deletes saved network connections and passwords, user-specified settings and preferences, fax numbers, custom scans, and other stored data. This is useful when dealing with complex issues, preparing to resell your printer, or simply starting over.

Press the “Menu” or “Settings” button on your Brother printer.
Navigate to “Initial Setup,” and select “Reset.”
Select “Factory Reset” from the reset options.
Confirm the action by pressing “Yes” when prompted.
The printer will automatically restart and return to its factory state.

Below are some examples of popular Brother printers.

Brother HL-L2370DW: Menu > Initial Setup > Reset > Factory Reset > Yes.
Brother MFC-J995DW: Settings > Initial Setup > Reset > Factory Reset > Yes.
Brother DCP-T710W: Menu > Initial Setup > Reset > Factory Reset > Yes.

Once the printer restarts, you’ll need to go through the setup process again as if you just unboxed it—setting the language, date/time, network configuration, and reinstalling it on your devices if necessary.

After the Reset: What to Do Next

After a printer reset (especially a factory reset), you’ll need to follow a few steps to get your printer back up and running:

Use the setup wizard to reconnect to your Wi-Fi network.
Reinstall the printer driver on your computer, if necessary.
Set your language, date, and time preferences.
Run a test print to make sure everything works.

This post-reset setup ensures your printer is running smoothly and restored to normal functionality.

How to Reset Drum on Brother Printer

When replacing a drum unit, resetting the drum counter is critical as it ensures accurate tracking of the life of the drum unit. Here’s how to reset the drum for most Brother models:

Open the front cover of your Brother printer.
Press and hold the OK button (or Go button, depending on the model) for about 2-5 seconds.
When prompted, select the appropriate drum you’ve replaced.
Press OK to reset the counter.
Close the front cover.

Always reset the drum counter after installing a new drum unit to avoid receiving premature replacement messages. See more in the blog How to Reset Drum on Brother MFC-L2710DW & HL-L2350DW Series Printers.

How to Reset Brother Printer Toner

If you replaced the toner cartridge and still receive the “Replace Toner” message, you might need to manually reset the toner counter. Our blog Brother Printer Replace Toner Override provides more details.

For most Brother printers:

Open the front cover while the printer is on.
Press the Clear/Back button.
On the display, select your toner type (e.g., STD, STR, HC).
Press OK to confirm.
Close the front cover.

Wrap It Up

Resetting your Brother printer can resolve many common issues and restore optimal functionality. Whether you are performing a simple soft reset, troubleshooting a network problem, or performing a full factory reset, this guide will give you the knowledge you need to proceed with confidence. When replacing the drum and toner counter, always reset these components to ensure smooth operation of the printer.