How to Resolve Brother Printer Says Replace Drum Error?

May 23, 2026 3 min read 1,208 views

Resolve Brother Printer Says Replace Drum Error:

The replace drum error is a very common Brother printer error that shows up often. In case you also came across this error, then take a look at our solution to resolve brother printer says replace drum error. Fixing or replacing a drum is a very simple process and can easily be done by anyone.

Before we start with the process to learn how to replace the Brother drum unit, let us first get to know the meaning of "replace drum".

What do You Mean by Replacing the Drum?

When we talk about a drum unit, it is a maintenance item for your printer machine, which you need to replace very often like a toner cartridge. It is a green-colored metal cylinder, which has an electrical charge that gets attracted to the toner powder and puts it on the paper as it passes through the machine. This is why the drum unit is placed close to the toner cartridge.

How to Replace and Remove the Drum Unit?

If you are using a Brother printer, then the drum unit is generally attached to the toner cartridge.

Step 1: In order to find the drum unit, just open the flap given at the front of your laser printer. Now, find the toner cartridge. You will see that the drum unit is attached to the toner cartridge.

Step 2: Take out the green toner that locks down the livers for releasing the cartridge. Now, remove the cartridge from the machine. Keep the toners on a flat surface.

Step 3: You will see a green lever on your toner cartridges. If you will press it, then you will be able to lift the toner that is attached to the drum unit.

Step 4: Now, replace the drum unit and now attach the timer over the new drum.

Step 5: Insert the toner as well as the drum back into the machine.

How to clear the replace drum message?

In case you have replaced the drum unit just now, you will see a new message on your screen that says "Replace Drum".

Cause

The drum units and the toner and ink cartridges made by other manufacturers have a chip on them. These chips are attached to the drum and cartridges so that they can identify themselves with the Brother printer after the installation.

If there is no chp, then your drum unit will not be able to identify itself with the printer machine. As a result, you will receive a message of replacing drum because then your printer will say that no drum unit is installed.

Fix

You are not required to contact the supplier to perform the replacement. It is a very simple task and one can easily do it by himself or herself. The steps to follow are given below.

Select Clear.
After that, press number 1.
Please make sure that the message "Accepted" is appearing on the screen.

In these three easy steps, you can do the replacement.

FAQ for Resolve Brother Printer Says Replace Drum Error

Q1. Why does my Brother printer say replace drum even after I changed it? Ans: If your Brother printer says replace drum after you've already swapped it, you probably need to reset the drum counter. Open the front cover, press and hold the 'OK' button (or 'Go' button, depending on the model), and follow the prompts to reset it. That should clear the Brother printer drum error and get you back to printing.

Q2. How do I replace the drum in my Brother printer properly? Ans: To replace the drum in your Brother printer, turn it off, open the front cover, remove the toner and old drum unit, insert the new one, and reattach the toner. Don’t forget to reset the drum counter to avoid the Brother printer replace drum message popping up again. A quick reset ensures smooth Brother printer drum replacement.