How to Get Brother MFC 495cW Printer Online

How do I Get My Brother MFC 495cW Printer Online?

Oct 05, 2026 2 min read 114 views

Get Brother MFC 495cW Printer Online

Printers are sensitive devices that can easily go into "Printer Offline" mode even when there is a small deviation in the power supply. In fact, a printer can show offline status if the issue is related to overload, drivers, or connectivity. In some cases, a simple reboot might prove helpful to resolve all technical issues.

Getting your Brother MFC 495cW printer online is not difficult. If your Brother printer goes offline too often, adjust a few settings as described below.

Method 1: Uncheck Use Printer Offline

Click the Start button located on the bottom-left corner of your screen and go to Devices and Printers.
Right-click on your Brother printer icon and select See what's printing.
Click on Printer at the top of the window. Look for a blue checkmark next to Use Printer Offline.
If the checkmark is there, click on it to remove it. Your printer should now show as online.
If the printer still does not print, proceed to the next method.

Method 2: Reconnect the Printer

Turn off your Brother printer by pressing the power button.
Disconnect the USB cable from your computer's USB port.
Wait 30 seconds, then turn on your Brother printer.
Plug the USB cable back into the USB port of your computer.
Check if the documents in the printing queue begin to print.
If the problem persists, restart your computer by going to Start > Shut down > Restart.

Method 3: Set Brother Printer as Default

The printer offline issue can sometimes happen when the printer is not set as the default device. Your system keeps looking for other options when a print command comes in.

Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
Right-click on your Brother MFC 495cW printer.
Select Set as default printer.
A green checkmark should appear on your printer icon.

Method 4: Set the Printer Spooler to Automatic

The printer spooler forwards print commands from your computer to your printer. If the spooler is not responding, your printer will show offline.

Press Windows + R, type services.msc and press Enter.
Find Print Spooler in the list.
Right-click on it and select Properties.
Set the Startup type to Automatic.
Click Start if the service is stopped, then click OK.

Method 5: Update Brother MFC 495cW Drivers

Drivers are software programs that control the functionalities of your printer hardware. These drivers can become corrupted or outdated over time, causing connectivity issues.

Go to the official Brother website at www.brother-usa.com.
Search for your model number MFC-495CW.
Download the latest driver for your operating system.
Install the driver and restart your computer.

Method 6: Manually Set Printer Online

If none of the above methods worked, you can manually force the printer online:

Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
Find your Brother printer name in the window.
Right-click on it and uncheck the option for Use Printer Offline.
Restart your printer and check if the issue is resolved.

Brother MFC 495cW Printer Online FAQ

Q1. Why does my Brother MFC 495cW keep going offline? Ans: The most common reasons are an unstable USB connection, outdated printer drivers, or the Print Spooler service not running properly. Power fluctuations can also cause the printer to go offline. Make sure the USB cable is firmly connected, update your drivers from the Brother website, and set the Print Spooler service to Automatic in Windows Services.

Q2. Can I use my Brother MFC 495cW printer wirelessly instead of USB? Ans: Yes, the Brother MFC 495cW supports wireless connectivity. You can connect it to your WiFi network through the printer's control panel. Go to the Network menu on the printer, select WLAN, then Setup Wizard, and follow the prompts to connect to your wireless network. Once connected wirelessly, you can remove the USB cable.

Q3. What should I do if my Brother printer spooler keeps stopping? Ans: If the Print Spooler service keeps stopping on its own, there may be a corrupted print job stuck in the queue. Open C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS folder and delete all files inside it. Then restart the Print Spooler service from Services. If it still stops, run sfc /scannow in Command Prompt as Administrator to repair any corrupted system files.