Brother HL-2240: Drivers, USB Setup and Printing Fixes

Updated 5 September 2026 · Published by Printer Answers

The HL-2240 connects to a computer by USB. Start with the exact HL-2240 download page; software for a similarly named wireless Brother model is not a substitute. Check your country and operating system before downloading.

Find the right driver

Use Brother’s official downloads below and select your operating-system version. Available packages differ between versions. If yours is absent, check Brother’s compatibility information before proceeding; an old macOS driver is not a guarantee of support on a newer Mac.

Set up printing

1. Remove packing materials and install the toner and drum assembly using the setup guide.
2. Load plain paper, adjust the paper guides and turn on the printer.
3. Run the compatible driver installer and connect the USB cable when instructed.
4. In your computer’s printer settings, select the HL-2240 and print a test page.

If the printer is not detected

Connect directly to the computer, bypassing a USB hub. Try another USB port and cable. Check whether the computer detects a USB device at all: no detection points toward the connection, while a detected device with a software error points toward the driver. Record the exact error before reinstalling.

If jobs stay in the queue

Check the printer’s lamps first. A paper or consumable warning can stop a correctly connected printer. Then confirm the selected queue belongs to this printer, cancel the stuck job and retry a single-page document. Avoid deleting every printer or resetting unrelated network settings.

If the page is blank, faded or streaked

A printed but defective page is a different problem from USB discovery. Compare the pattern with Brother’s print-quality troubleshooting in the manual. Use the specified cleaning procedure and regional consumable part numbers. Reset a drum counter only as directed after replacement; resetting counters is not a cure for a worn component.

Before asking for help

Note the operating-system version, driver name, lamp pattern, whether USB detection works and whether the issue affects every document. These details make support advice much more specific than “the printer does not work.”