Brother Printer Error Code 79 — What It Means & How to Fix It

What Does This Error Mean?

Brother error 79 is a firmware error — it means the printer received data or a command it could not process. This is very similar to what HP calls error 49. It usually happens when a corrupt print job, a bad printer driver, or outdated firmware causes the printer's processor to crash.

Affected Models

Brother HL-L2370DW
Brother HL-L5100DN
Brother MFC-L2750DW
Brother MFC-L5800DW
Brother DCP-L2550DW

Common Causes

A corrupted or overly complex print job was sent to the printer and caused a processing error
The printer's firmware is outdated and contains a bug that certain documents or commands trigger
An incompatible or corrupted printer driver on the computer is sending malformed data to the printer
A print job was sent using an incompatible protocol — for example, PCL data sent to a PostScript-only printer
A third-party print server or network device is modifying the print data in a way that corrupts it

How to Fix It

Turn the printer off by holding the power button. Wait 30 seconds, then turn it back on.

This clears the printer's memory buffer, including any corrupted job data that may be stuck in the queue.
On your computer, open the print queue, cancel all pending jobs, and delete them.

In Windows, go to Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners, click your Brother printer, then Open Queue and cancel everything. Resending the same bad job will just trigger error 79 again.
Reconnect the printer after the print queue is fully clear. Try printing a simple test page — a single page of plain text — before attempting the original document.

If the test page prints fine, the problem is with the original print job, not the printer hardware.
Update the printer driver. Go to Brother's official support website, enter your printer model, and download the latest driver.

Outdated drivers sometimes generate commands that are incompatible with the current printer firmware. Fresh driver installation often permanently resolves error 79.
Check for firmware updates on Brother's support website. Download and install any available firmware updates for your model.

Brother regularly releases firmware updates that fix processing bugs. Keeping firmware current prevents many error 79 triggers.

When to Call a Professional

If error 79 returns after every restart even without printing — especially if it appears during the boot sequence — the printer's main board or flash memory may be corrupted. A Brother service technician can attempt a firmware recovery or main board replacement. If the printer is older, replacement may be more economical.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Brother error 79 mean the printer is broken?

Not usually. Most error 79 occurrences are caused by a bad print job or driver issue — not a hardware failure. Clearing the print queue, restarting the printer, and updating the driver resolves the vast majority of cases. Only if the error keeps recurring with no print jobs in the queue does it suggest a deeper hardware issue.

Why does error 79 only happen when I print certain files?

Certain documents — particularly complex PDFs, files with unusual fonts, or documents exported from certain applications — create print data that can confuse the printer's processor. Try opening the file in a different application or exporting it as a different format. Printing via 'Print as Image' in Adobe Acrobat's print dialog is a reliable workaround for complex PDFs.

Can a network device cause Brother error 79?

Yes. If you are printing over a network and there is a print server, router, or network device between your computer and the printer, it could be modifying or corrupting the print data. Try printing via a direct USB connection to bypass the network entirely. If the error disappears over USB, the network path is the problem.