My printer will not print

Question

I have a Brother HL 2240 printer. I am now using Windows 11 software

I am getting the message Brother HL- 2240

Printer Status: Default, Error

Answer 1

Dear Dan Clark, 

Thank you for your question and for sharing the details into Microsoft Q&A Forum. 

I understand how inconvenient it is when you need to print but Windows shows “Brother HL‑2240 – Default, Error.” At this point, I recommend that you review and try the steps provided in the AI generated answer on your thread. That reply typically include the most relevant checks for this scenario. To help narrow down, could you please share the details below? 

• How is the HL‑2240 connected to your PC: USB directly, or through a print server / another PC (shared printer)? 
• When you send a print job, what happens in the print queue: does the job stay in “Error”, “Printing…”, “Paused”, or disappear?  
• Do you see any LED warning on the printer, or does the printer appear normal?  
• Is your Windows 11 device ARM-based?  

In the meantime, here are a few basic steps you can try: 

1. Make sure Windows isn’t forcing the printer “Offline/Paused” 

• Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Brother HL‑2240.  
• Select Open print queue. 
• In the queue window, open the Printer menu and ensure: Pause Printing and Use Printer Offline are unchecked 
• Try printing a simple Notepad test (1–2 lines) to check out. 

2. Fully clear the stuck queue files 

• Press Win + R, type services.msc, press Enter.  
• Open Print Spooler and select Stop.  
• Press Win + R again and open this folder: C:\Windows\System32\spool\printers  
• Delete all files inside the printer's folder (these are temporary queued-job files).  
• Go back to Services and select Start for Print Spooler.  
• Retry printing. 

3. USB-specific check 

• If you are using USB, open Device Manager. 
• Expand Universal Serial Bus controllers. 
• Look for USB Printing Support > right-click > Uninstall device. 
• Reboot the PC (Windows will re-detect and reinstall it), then test printing again. 

While my initial response may not fully resolve the issue, I truly appreciate your cooperation as we work together toward identifying the most effective solution. Thank you so much for your understanding. 

I hope these steps help address the “Default, Error” status for your Brother HL‑2240 on Windows 11 and allow print jobs to process normally again. Wishing you a smooth and reliable printing experience going forward. 

---

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".  

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Answer 2

Follow these steps in order on the Windows 11 PC that shows “Brother HL‑2240 – Default, Error.”

1. Check basic printer connections

• Make sure the Brother printer is powered on and shows no error lights on its panel.
• If using USB:
  • Firmly reconnect the USB cable at both the printer and PC.
  • Try a different USB port on the PC.
• If using network/Wi‑Fi:
  • Confirm the printer is connected to the same network as the PC.

2. Restart the Print Spooler service
3. Press Windows key + R.
4. Type services.msc and press Enter.
5. Scroll down and find Print Spooler.
6. Right‑click Print Spooler and select Restart.
7. After it restarts, try printing again.
8. Run the Windows printer troubleshooter (Windows 11)
9. Open the Get Help app (search for “Get Help” from Start).
10. In Get Help, run the Printer troubleshooter using this flow: Run the troubleshooter in Get Help.
11. Let it detect and fix issues, then test printing.
12. Update or reinstall the printer driver
13. Select Start > Device Manager.
14. Expand Printers (or Print queues).
15. Right‑click the Brother HL‑2240 and select Update driver and follow the prompts.
16. If no update is found or the error persists:
    • Right‑click the printer again and select Uninstall device.
    • Restart the PC; Windows will attempt to reinstall the driver automatically.

If Windows cannot find a suitable driver:

1. Select Start > Settings > System > About and note the Windows edition and whether it is 64‑bit.
2. Go to the Brother support site in a browser and download a driver that matches Windows 11 and the system type.
3. Install the driver and restart the PC, then test printing.
4. Remove and re‑add the printer in Settings
5. Select Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
6. Select the Brother HL‑2240 and choose Remove.
7. Restart the PC.
8. Go back to Printers & scanners and select Add device next to Add a printer or scanner.
9. Let Windows detect and install the printer, then try printing.
10. Set the Brother as the default printer
11. In Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
12. Select the Brother HL‑2240.
13. Choose Set as default.
14. Try printing a test page from Printer properties.

If the status still shows “Error” after all steps, capture any additional error text shown in Windows or on the printer panel and use that to search the Brother support site or contact Brother support.

---

References:

• Fix printer not found and printer not recognized errors in Windows
• Fix printer driver compatibility issues in Windows
• Fix printer connection and printing problems in Windows
• Troubleshooting offline printer problems in Windows
• Uncommanded Printer Operation - Microsoft Q&A