Sometimes, a printer may not scan to your computer. One thing I got asked by my friend who has a brother printer is: how do I get my Brother printer to scan to my computer?
The first step is to download and install the driver software for the printer. No printer will ever scan to your computer unless the two of them are communicating. Unfortunately, big and sophisticated printers like Brother do not work with a simple USB—they are not plug-and-play devices.
Below are the next steps you should take:
1. Open the Brother iPrint&Scan app. If you are using a Mac, go to the Applications and look for the app
2. The app will automatically search for your printer. Make sure it is connected to your computer. If the app showed your printer, select it. You can choose USB or Network—it depends on your Brother printer model and how you set it up.
3. Select on Machine Scan Settings
4. If it is your first time accessing the printer, the system will show you two options. One is for Windows, and the other one is for Mac. Choose the one that applies.
5. Next, click on Machine Scan Settings again.
6. Click on PC.
From here, you can configure the machine to your desired settings and then hit the OK button. This process should set up the Brother printer with your computer. Here, you can toggle where the scanned material will be stored and other things.
How to Scan from Brother to Computer
Now, you are ready to scan from your Brother printer to your PC. Follow the steps below:
1. Look for Windows Fax and Scan app
2. Click on New Scan
3. Choose the Brother printer from the options
4. Click on OK
5. Now, the app will open the scanning interface. Before you click on SCAN, make sure your document is loaded on the Brother printer and scanner.
6. After clicking SCAN, you can now save the image to your PC
If you are using Bluetooth as a connection, you need to open the Bluetooth settings of the PC. From here, you must choose the Add Printer and Scanner.
From here, you will see the Brother printer, which you can add. Next, click on Manage, then you will see the Scanner in the drop-down list. Click on Open Scanner, and then you can now scan. Take note that the interface between this and the first one is different.
Again, make sure that your document is already on the printer’s scanner. If not, there will be no image in the scan.
Common Brother Scanner Problems and How to Fix Them
Here, I am consolidating some of the most common problems you may face when scanning with a Brother printer.
Problem 1: You see the TWAIN error, which appears while scanning.
Solution: Brother scanners come with what they call TWAIN drivers. You must install and choose this driver as the primary source. In the management settings of the printer, under the In PaperPort™ 11SE, you must click on File > Scan or Get Photo and then choose the Brother TWAIN driver.
Problem 2: The OCR does not work.
Solution: If you are trying to transfer copy to text, you must increase the scanning resolution. This will help the printer recognize the material better and therefore give the software better visibility of the text.
Problem 3: The scanner does not work on a network
Solution: There are many possible reasons for this. First, you have to make sure that your machine is online and that the printer is powered on. If it is not in ready mode, wait until it gets there. If you are using LAN and it is not working, remove the connection and reconnect them.
On some occasions, you may have problems with the software itself. It is a probable cause why the scanner does not work. In this case, you need to uninstall the software and then get the latest version from Brother.
What if the network scanner is not working?
If you have connected the printer properly and yet the scanner still does not work, you must be experiencing a network problem.
It is possible that the firewall setting on your computer is preventing the Brother printer from connecting with it. To manage this, go to the Firewall settings of Windows and give rights to the Brother printer.
Here are some steps to help you out if this is what you are going through:
- Go to your PC’s Control Panel and find Network and Internet Connections
- Go to Windows Firewall
- Set the Windows Firewall to ON
- Now, click on Advanced, then go to Settings
- Click on the Add button
Here, it gets a little complicated. There is a box there that says port. Add 54925 in the network scanning box, and then enter the following information:
- Description of Service: Brother Scanner
- IP Address: Localhost
- External Port Number: 54925
- Internal Port Number: 54925
- Check UDP
- Click Ok
This should make the Windows Operating System recognize the Brother printer. If it still does not work, click on the Add button again.
This time, add port 137 on the box that says network scanning and network printing. Then do the following:
- Description of Service: Brother Network Scanning
- IP Address: Localhost
- External Port: 137
- Internal Port: 137
- Check the box for UDP
- Click OK
Both these steps should fix the issue. However, there may be cases where the Brother printer will still not work via the network. In this case, you will have to contact Windows.
For Windows Vista, the process is a little different. you must go to Windows Firewall and then click on a button that says Exception. Here, you only need to change the port and type 54925 and then make sure that the UDP box is selected. For the name of the network, you can also add “Brother Scanner.”
If you have an account with Microsoft, this should be easy. They have a chat feature where a customer service representative can control your computer remotely. The agent is a specialist and will know what to do.
It also makes sense if you revisit the manual on how to connect the Brother printer via WiFi. First of all, you must make sure that your Brother printer has visibility on the router or access point. List it down as you will need it in the setup.
To connect via WiFi, the Brother printer needs the router’s password and network ID. Brother cannot automatically detect this. You need to type the password so the printer can connect to the same network wirelessly.
For more support, I suggest that you read the manual or go to Brother’s website so you can locate your printer and follow the WiFi connectivity instructions.
Summary: How Do I Get My Brother Printer to Scan to My Computer
Brother printers are excellent products. But know that computers will be computers—while we all expect them to work, there simply are cases where they don’t. Do not panic if this happens. There is always a solution to these things.
Ideally, the set-up should be smooth. If your Brother printer is not scanning or is not being recognized by your PC, visit my troubleshooting list, and I am sure you will find a solution here.