Brother software/drivers

[John Collins]

I have a Brother MFC-L8690CDW laser printer.

I loaded the Brother printer software and drivers from the CD disk that Brother supplied with the printer many years ago. I use third party toners for my printer, not Brother brand, because I refuse to pay the extortionate prices that Brother charge and I have not had any problems with the toners I use.

I reject any Brother software/driver updates because I’m aware that if I allow them there is a danger that updates can cause my printer to refuse to operate with non Brother toners and force me to use their own very expensive brand.

My desktop computer now needs replacing. Most desktops don’t have optical drive now, and so I won’t be able to load the printer software and drivers from the CD disk that Brother supplied. I will have to download load them from Brother’s web site.

What I’m concerned with is that the latest software/drivers that I download will have a restriction on the toner brands I use and won’t allow any third party ones.

Is this true or not ??

 

[The Hat]

Is this true or not ??

No..

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

You can do one thing as long as the old computer is still running - creating an image file of the installaion CD, and you install a virtual CD drive on the new computer , open the image file there and install the drivers again. Be aware, you may get installation problems when the newer Windows is not accepting such old drivers anymore, and you are effectively forced to load the latest drivers from the Internet first.

 

[PeterBJ]

You could also buy a portable and external CD/DVD drive for the new computer. They are not very expensive and might come in handy if you have got some software/music/movies on CD or DVD.

 

[Epatcola]

I have a Brother MFC-L8690CDW laser printer.

What I’m concerned with is that the latest software/drivers that I download will have a restriction on the toner brands I use and won’t allow any third party ones.

I have an 8650CDW which uses TN336 cartridges and they definitely have no data connection or chips. Your TN443 cartridges are very likely the same.

Brother cartridges have a reset gear train which mechanically tells the printer you have installed a new cartridge and its capacity. The 8650 has a hidden reset menu where you can force it to think a new cartridge has been installed.