Question 1

copies come out with black streaks and smudges down the page on my brother mfc-j1010dw

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS Those black streaks are usually caused by dirt or dried ink on the scanner glass or, more specifically, on the white plastic strip underneath the scanner lid (the backing strip). FIX For copies and scans, the problem is in the scanner assembly, not the printer. Lift the scanner lid. You'll see two pieces: the flat glass bed and the white plastic backing on the underside of the lid. That white plastic gets dirty. Take a soft, lint-free cloth slightly dampened with water or glass cleaner, and thoroughly wipe down the entire flatbed glass. Then, carefully clean that white plastic strip on the lid. Dry everything completely with a dry part of the cloth before closing the lid and trying another copy. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK If the streaks are only on printed pages (not copies), then the issue is with the printer, not the scanner. That points to a dirty print head or a problem with the black ink cartridge. Run a Print Head Cleaning cycle from the Maintenance menu, followed by a nozzle check pattern. HEADS UP Never use abrasive cleaners or paper towels on the scanner glass—they scratch it. Those scratches will then appear as permanent lines on every single copy and scan you make.

Question 2

the ink levels on my brother j1010dw are always wrong, says empty but it's not

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS The printer estimates ink levels based on page count and nozzle usage, not by physically measuring the ink left. It's notoriously inaccurate, especially if you've done a lot of print head cleanings. FIX You can reset the ink level indicator, but it's a manual process. When the message says 'Ink Empty' for a color, you can continue printing for a while. To reset the monitor, the printer needs to detect a new cartridge. Take the cartridge it says is empty out, inspect it (if there's actually ink in the sponge window), and then re-insert it firmly. Sometimes it will recognize it as 'new' and reset the counter. If not, you may need to temporarily put a piece of tape over the cartridge's sensor window—this is a well-known workaround, but do your research on the exact method for your cartridge model. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK The printer's internal counter might just be stuck. A full power cycle can help. Turn the printer off with the side switch, unplug it, wait 60 seconds, plug it back in, and turn it on. This won't reset the level, but it can clear the persistent warning message temporarily. HEADS UP Printing with an 'empty' warning won't harm the printer. It will eventually stop when the ink is truly, physically depleted. The warning is more of a reminder to have a spare cartridge on hand rather than an exact gauge.

Question 3

how do i scan to my computer with this thing? the brother software is confusing

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS You're probably stuck in the maze of Brother software options. You don't actually need the full software suite to do a simple scan. FIX The most reliable method is to use the Windows Fax and Scan utility (if you're on a PC). Make sure your printer is connected to the same network as your computer. On your PC, open 'Windows Fax and Scan'. Click 'New Scan' on the toolbar. Your Brother printer should appear as a source. Select it, choose your settings (color, DPI, file type), and hit Scan. For Macs, use the built-in 'Image Capture' application. It works the same way. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK Your computer might be missing the proper TWAIN or WIA driver. Go to the Brother support website, download and install only the 'Scanner Driver' and 'ControlCenter' software for your model. After installing, you should see a 'Brother ControlCenter' icon on your desktop. Open it, and you can set up one-touch scan buttons to a folder or email. HEADS UP Avoid the massive 'Full Driver and Software Package' unless you need all the extra features. It can be bloated. The scanner driver and ControlCenter are usually all you need for basic scanning.

Question 4

my brother printer is making a loud grinding noise when it prints, sounds bad

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS That's usually the sound of the print head carriage trying to move but hitting an obstruction or moving on dried ink. It's a distinctive metal-on-plastic grinding or crunching sound. FIX Turn the printer off immediately. Open the front cover where the cartridges are. Look inside at the black plastic rail that the print head moves on. You'll probably see blobs of dried ink or dust. Take a cotton swab lightly dampened with distilled water (or a tiny bit of isopropyl alcohol) and wipe that silver rail clean. Also, wipe the flat plastic guide next to it. Make sure there's nothing like a paperclip or torn label stuck in there. Manually slide the print head carriage from side to side—it should move silently and freely. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK The obstruction might be under the carriage. Shine a flashlight under the print head carriage itself. If you see a thick buildup of ink, carefully clean it with a damp swab. Also, check for any bits of paper from a past jam caught in the mechanism. HEADS UP Never force the carriage if it's stuck. You can strip the gears on the motor. If cleaning the rail doesn't fix it and the noise persists, the carriage motor or encoder strip might be failing, which is a more serious repair.

Question 5

getting a 'support code 46' error on my brother mfc-j1010dw, can't print or scan

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS Support Code 46 means the scanner unit (the flatbed and the automatic document feeder) has a mechanical problem, likely stuck or obstructed. FIX First, power the printer completely off using the switch on the side. Unplug it from the wall for two full minutes. This lets everything reset. While it's unplugged, gently lift the scanner unit (the whole top lid) and look underneath for any paper scraps, paper clips, or obstructions. Also, manually move the scanner carriage (the plastic piece under the glass with the thin white strip) from side to side with your fingers—it should move smoothly. Plug the printer back in and turn it on. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK Something might be physically blocking the scanner's home position sensor. With the power off, watch the scanner carriage as you slowly open and close the scanner lid. See if it tries to move and hits something. Also, check if the Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) on top is fully closed; sometimes if a document is jammed in the ADF path, it can trigger this. HEADS UP If this code comes back repeatedly after trying the fixes, there's likely an internal component failure in the scanner assembly. Unfortunately, that's not really a user-serviceable part and usually requires a technician.

Question 6

brother mfc j1010dw won't connect to wifi, i've tried everything and it just fails

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS The most likely culprit is your router's security setting. This printer can be finicky with certain Wi-Fi bands or encryption types. FIX First, do a full network reset on the printer. Go to Settings (wrench icon) > Network > Reset Network Settings. Then, try the setup again, but manually. On the printer's panel, choose Network > Wireless > Setup Wizard. Select your network and carefully type your password using the on-screen keyboard. The key is to make sure you're connecting to the 2.4 GHz band of your router, not the 5 GHz. This printer doesn't support 5 GHz Wi-Fi. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK Temporarily change your router's security to WPA2-PSK (AES) only. Sometimes mixed-mode (TKIP/AES) or newer WPA3 can cause a handshake failure. You can change it back after the printer connects. Also, during setup, keep the printer within 10 feet of the router with a clear line of sight. HEADS UP If you've recently changed your Wi-Fi password, the printer won't auto-reconnect. You have to go through the Wireless Setup Wizard again on the printer itself to input the new password. Your computer settings won't update it.

Question 7

why is my brother printer printing really faded even with brand new ink cartridges?

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS The print head nozzles are clogged, which is super common if the printer hasn't been used for a few weeks. New ink is in the cartridges, but it can't get through the tiny holes in the print head. FIX You need to run the printer's cleaning cycles. From the home screen on the control panel, touch Settings (the wrench icon). Go to Maintenance > Print Head Cleaning. Run the Standard cleaning first. Print a test page (there's an option right in that menu). If still faded, run a second Standard cleaning. Avoid using the Deep Cleaning option unless absolutely necessary—it uses a ton of ink. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK The ink cartridges themselves might not be seated properly or the protective tape wasn't removed. Turn the printer off, open the front cover, and firmly press each cartridge down until you feel a solid click. Also, double-check you removed the orange protective tape from the bottom of each new cartridge. HEADS UP These inkjets don't like sitting idle. If you print even one colorful page a week, it keeps the ink flowing. If you go on vacation, run a quick print job when you get back before you see a problem.

Question 8

my brother mfc-j1010dw just beeps a bunch of times and says manual feed mode on the screen, what's that?

Accepted Answer

DIAGNOSIS Your printer has paper loaded in the Multi-Purpose Tray (the little slot on the front) instead of the main paper cassette. It's waiting for you to confirm you want to use that sheet. FIX This is easy. Look at the control panel. It's asking you to press either the Start key (the green circular arrow) or the OK key to proceed with feed. If you don't want to use that tray, just remove the paper from the Multi-Purpose Tray, close the tray flap, and put your paper in the main paper cassette. The message should clear and it'll go back to normal. IF THAT DIDN'T WORK The sensor flag for the Multi-Purpose Tray might be stuck. With the printer off, open and close that front tray a few times firmly, and look inside the slot for any torn paper or obstruction. A quick visual clean with a flashlight can help. HEADS UP If you leave a single sheet of paper or even a sticky note in the Multi-Purpose Tray, the printer will detect it every time it wakes up and give you this message. Keep that tray empty unless you're actively using it for special paper.

Brother MFC-J1010DW Wireless Color Inkjet Printer

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