SOLVED HL-1440 driver not found in Windows 10 Update

[FluidTrills]

I have a new Dell Inspiron 15 that I'm trying to use a USB cable to print to Brother HL-1440. Windows 10 doesn't recognize that any printer is connected, and I can't get Update to find that particular driver. Lots of other Brother drivers, just no driver for HL-1440. Brother doesn't have Win 10 drivers for this printer, but their website says Windows 10 will support it. The USB port I'm using works fine with other USB devices, and the HL-1440 was fine with Win 7 computers. I looked on the web for other Win 10 drivers for HL-1440, and I downloaded some junk that only half installed a driver and maybe some malware and viruses. Other than buying another printer or computer or installing Win 7, is there anything else that might work?

 

[Wolfie]

Hi FT,

take a look at the following link.

Downloads | HL-1440 | United States | Brother

support.brother.com

 

[FluidTrills]

Wolfie,

I had been to that link several times. Followed the instructions as best I could. Brother does not have drivers, but they show you how to get to Windows Update to get the drivers. I had Windows Update search for drivers three times, and it always found lots of drivers for Brother printers, but never found one for HL-1440. I know, I know. I have a Ph.D. I keep telling myself, "I am not stupid. I AM not stupid. I am NOT stupid. I am not STUPID," but the evidence, in this case, leads to the contrary. I'm sure I'm missing something obvious.

 

[Scooter12]

Wolfie,

I had been to that link several times. Followed the instructions as best I could. Brother does not have drivers, but they show you how to get to Windows Update to get the drivers. I had Windows Update search for drivers three times, and it always found lots of drivers for Brother printers, but never found one for HL-1440. I know, I know. I have a Ph.D. I keep telling myself, "I am not stupid. I AM not stupid. I am NOT stupid. I am not STUPID," but the evidence, in this case, leads to the contrary. I'm sure I'm missing something obvious.

I have the exact same problem, tried the Brother HL 2040 series drivers but it prints an extra page and or garbage depending on what is printed

 

[Wolfie]

Hi guys,

are there any "Optional updates" showing in the Windows update window?. Settings > Updates & Security.

Have you both tried Control Panel > Device Manager right clicking your printer and search for update?.

 

[FluidTrills]

My HL-1440 printer has not been installed on this Windows 10 laptop. Therefore, I cannot right-click on the printer to search for update. To install a printer that is not recognized by the Windows system, I was directed to Settings; Printers & Scanners; add a printer; The printer that I want isn't listed; Next (My printer is a little older. Help me find it.). Here's a spot where I have trouble. My printer doesn't show up in the list. If I plow ahead, I get to a button, Windows Update, (which is not really a windows update, but a place that gets an updated list of all the available printer drivers. In the Brother section, the list goes from HL-1210W series to HL-1660 BR-Script, without an HL-1440 in between. There is no HL-1440 driver to select, although Brother support insists that it is there and supported by Microsoft. I'm stuck there between Brother and Microsoft (aka "a rock and a hard place"). But I found a 15-year-old installation disk that has all the files I think would work, labeled HL-1230/1440/1450/1470N. I tried to use it, but Windows said I need files that are compatible with a 64-bit OS. Bummer. Still can't make it work. God bless the covid that made me unemployed so that I have an almost unlimited amount of time to try to install an obsolete printer/driver rather than buy a new printer.

 

[Grizzly]

Have you tried the compatibility mode yet?? I only have found drivers for that printer up to Vista (including 64bit). I am afraid that you may not be able to install that printer due to the (Stone-) age of it..

maybe its a Brother thing. My old Canon (i860) I was able to install, however that one is now retired due to cost of ink.

 

[Scooter12]

Update - In advanced windows update options, I enabled updating other microsoft products, then in windows update, optional updates, I checked Microsoft - Printer I 6/21/2006. I then went into add printer and magically the Brother HL-1440 was there

 

[Wolfie]

My HL-1440 printer has not been installed on this Windows 10 laptop

All I can say to that is to attach the printer and see what messages about new hardware you get, do a restart and then look in the control panel and device manager as well as devices & printers after downloading the driver package from the link above.

 

[FluidTrills]

Grizzly -- I had just seen the compatibility method, and read where someone had success. I was about to try it when I read:

Scooter12 -- Your method sounded improbable. Like magic, you say. What a bunch of crap. So, I tried it, and unbelievably, just like magic, the Brother HL-1440 appeared in the printer manager. It works fine. I would never have found that method. Thanks for your suggestion.

Thank you, all, for your help. Glad you are here.

 

[McFuggins]

Scooter12 - Thank you, thank you all, my god it has been driving me crazy, I had previously had installed my HL-1440 on Win 10 64 bit and it was working fine. Tune in the the start of Feb where my SSE with the Win 10 installation died, really died.
So no problem, I buy a new one and guess what. I have the exact problems detailed throughout here.
I suspect I will now have the same issues with my Epson V600 Scanner.
Anyway, thank you all for the advice.

 

[McFuggins]

Hi, I just wanted to update what I mentioned about the Epson V600 Scanner.
For years there was no proper driver for this in Win 10 and I had to make do with drivers that were less than optimal, if I remember correctly for a similar machine but it was buggy. I was most pleased to see they have gotten around to supporting this machine with real drivers. So yahoo! When I started I was thinking it would be the printer that would be easy and the scanner difficult. Turns out it was the reverse, ha.

 

[Rin leong]

I have a new Dell Inspiron 15 that I'm trying to use a USB cable to print to Brother HL-1440. Windows 10 doesn't recognize that any printer is connected, and I can't get Update to find that particular driver. Lots of other Brother drivers, just no driver for HL-1440. Brother doesn't have Win 10 drivers for this printer, but their website says Windows 10 will support it. The USB port I'm using works fine with other USB devices, and the HL-1440 was fine with Win 7 computers. I looked on the web for other Win 10 drivers for HL-1440, and I downloaded some junk that only half installed a driver and maybe some malware and viruses. Other than buying another printer or computer or installing Win 7, is there anything else that might work?

Tyt.

 

[Stevo60]

Hi, I am trying to install a Brother HL-1450 printer which I have connected to a 4-port switch which has USB print server. I am having exactly the same problem as you, where Windows update will not list the correct driver. I installed it a long time ago on 2 other Windows 10 computers with no problem but now it just won’t appear!
I have tried Scooter12’s solution but Microsoft - Printer I 6/21/2006 does not appear under optional updates!!
Any ideas?

 

[JamesClerk]

Windows 10 won't recognize HL-1440
if you search for solution, they would tell you need to download the brother printer driver,
then they would tell you the driver is already packaged with windows 10

then they tell you need to update the driver,
then they tell you the update is automatically done each time with windows 10 update

++++++++++++==+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
then I found this link

HL-1440 driver not found in Windows 10 Update

I have a new Dell Inspiron 15 that I'm trying to use a USB cable to print to Brother HL-1440. Windows 10 doesn't recognize that any printer is connected, and I can't get Update to find that particular driver. Lots of other Brother drivers, just no driver for HL-1440. Brother doesn't have Win 10...

www.windows10forums.com

"Update - In advanced windows update options, I enabled updating other microsoft products, then in windows update, optional updates, I checked Microsoft - Printer I 6/21/2006. I then went into add printer and magically the Brother HL-1440 was there."

"Grizzly -- I had just seen the compatibility method, and read where someone had success. I was about to try it when I read:"

"Scooter12 -- Your method sounded improbable. Like magic, you say. What a bunch of crap. So, I tried it, and unbelievably, just like magic, the Brother HL-1440 appeared in the printer manager. It works fine. I would never have found that method. Thanks for your suggestion.

Thank you, all, for your help. Glad you are here."
++++++++++++==+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Well, ok, two people tried it and had success.
What's the harm...

So I tried the steps, Windows Start button,
Update
Advanced Windows Update...
Optional Update...
etc...

Mind you, it did not do any actual update, as it kept telling I already have the latest update.
I only THREATENED to do an update.

And, lo and behold, the Brother printer HL-1440 icon magically, appeared in the printer manager.
Just like the other two people said.

 

[Stevo60]

Hi JamesClerk, thanks for your reply, but as I mentioned, I have tried that solution and still the driver does not appear in the printer setup, loads of Brother drivers but not that one!

Following the steps as you say: advanced windows update options, updating other microsoft products already enabled, then in windows update, optional updates, there is no sign of “Microsoft - Printer I 6/21/2006” or anything like it.

I have clicked the ‘check for updates’ button several times but it tells me there are no further updates available.

When it worked for you what did you check in optional updates?

Can you give me the precise steps you took, if you don’t mind?

Many thanks.

 

[Stevo60]

Update: finally got the HL-1450 printer installed!!

Gave up trying to get the driver to appear in the printer setup and instead downloaded it from the Microsoft Update Catalog website. There were several download options but after a bit of trial and error I got the right one.

Next I extracted the files/folder from the downloaded cab file - note it is important to extract this correctly in order to preserve any directory structure!! I opened a command prompt as administrator, cd to the folder where the cab file was located and:-

expand filename.cab -F:* C:\destination_folder

Then in the printer setup all I needed to do was to select “Have Disk” and point it to the folder where the cab file was extracted to. Select the inf file and then a list of printers appeared including all the missing HL printers. Selected HL-1450 and it installed and is working perfectly!!

 

[Kgosden]

The key for me to get the “Microsoft - Printer I 6/21/2006” to appear was to go through Device Manager. Viewing devices by connection I was able to drill down to see the Brother HL-1440 listed under USB generic printing support. Opened that listing and under drivers in there forced it to do a lookup. Voila, the “Microsoft - Printer I 6/21/2006” appeared.

 

[Kris Raghu]

driver for HL-1210W works for HL-1440
That driver is found on Brother website.
Thank me if it works for you !!

 

[PapaBear22]

driver for HL-1210W works for HL-1440
That driver is found on Brother website.
Thank me if it works for you !!

Not working in August. What a noghtmare!