Brother printers are reliable, but the extra software bundled alongside the driver — status monitors, notification popups, and utility hubs — can slow down your PC’s startup and clutter your system tray without adding much value if you just want to print. The good news is you don’t have to choose between a working printer and a lighter system: the driver and the extra software are separate components, and you can safely disable or remove the software while keeping the driver fully functional.
This guide walks through exactly how to do that on Windows 10 and 11, what’s safe to remove, what to keep, and how to fix things if printing stops working afterward.
How to Disable Brother Printer Software and Keep Drivers?
To disable Brother printer software while keeping the driver, open Settings > Apps > Installed apps and uninstall Brother utility programs (like Brother iPrint&Scan, Status Monitor, or ControlCenter) individually — leaving the entry labeled as your printer’s driver package untouched. You can also disable Brother-related startup items through Task Manager’s Startup tab and check Task Scheduler for any Brother notification tasks to turn off. The driver itself remains installed and continues to work for printing even after the extra software is removed.
Understanding Brother Printer Software vs Printer Drivers
What Is Brother Printer Software?
Brother printer software refers to the additional utilities bundled with the driver — tools like Brother iPrint&Scan, ControlCenter, Status Monitor, and update notification apps that add scanning workflows, ink/toner status alerts, and device management features beyond basic printing.
What Are Printer Drivers?
The printer driver is the core component that lets Windows communicate with your printer’s hardware, translating print commands into instructions the printer understands. It’s the minimum requirement for printing to work at all — everything else Brother bundles is optional.
Why Drivers Continue Working Without Brother Utilities
Because the driver and the utility software are installed as separate components (often as separate entries in your installed apps list), removing or disabling the utilities doesn’t touch the driver files Windows uses to actually send print jobs to your printer.
Why You Might Want to Disable Brother Printer Software
Reduce Background Processes
Brother utilities often run background processes that consume memory and CPU cycles even when you’re not actively printing or scanning.
Fix Slow Startup
Multiple Brother apps launching at boot can noticeably slow down how quickly your PC becomes usable after startup.
Prevent Unnecessary Notifications
Update reminders and status popups from Brother software can become a recurring annoyance, especially on shared or office computers.
Troubleshoot Printing Problems
Sometimes Brother’s bundled software conflicts with print settings or other installed drivers, and temporarily removing it helps isolate whether the utility software — not the driver — is causing an issue.
Before You Disable Brother Printer Software
Check That the Driver Is Installed
Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners (Windows 11) or Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners (Windows 10) and confirm your Brother printer is listed and shows as ready.
Create a Restore Point
Before making changes, create a system restore point through Control Panel > System > System Protection, so you can roll back easily if something goes wrong.
Identify Installed Brother Components
Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps and search “Brother” to see every Brother-related entry currently installed — this gives you a clear list before you start removing anything.
How to Disable Brother Printer Software and Keep Drivers on Windows
Method 1: Disable Brother Startup Applications
- Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc).
- Go to the Startup apps tab.
- Find any Brother-related entries (such as Status Monitor or notification tools).
- Right-click and select Disable.
Method 2: Stop Brother Background Services
- Open Services (search “Services” in the Start menu).
- Look for any entries related to Brother.
- If found, right-click, select Properties, and set the Startup type to Disabled.
- Click Stop if the service is currently running.
Method 3: Uninstall Brother Utilities but Keep the Driver
- Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
- Locate individual Brother utility entries (iPrint&Scan, ControlCenter, Status Monitor).
- Uninstall each utility one at a time.
- Leave the entry referencing your specific printer model’s driver package untouched.
Method 4: Disable Brother Software from Task Scheduler
- Open Task Scheduler (search in the Start menu).
- Expand Task Scheduler Library and look for any Brother-related tasks, often tied to update notifications.
- Right-click the task and select Disable.
How to Verify the Printer Driver Still Works
Print a Test Page
Go to Settings > Printers & scanners, select your Brother printer, and choose Print a test page to confirm printing still functions correctly.
Check Device Manager
Open Device Manager, expand Print queues or Printers, and confirm your Brother printer appears without a warning icon.
Confirm Printer Status
In Printers & scanners settings, the printer should show as “Ready” rather than “Offline” or showing an error status.
Which Brother Software Can Be Safely Removed?
| Component | Safe to Remove? | Driver Affected? |
| Brother iPrint&Scan | Yes | No |
| Brother Status Monitor | Yes | No |
| Brother ControlCenter | Yes, if you don’t use scan workflows | No |
| Brother Update Notification | Yes | No |
| Brother Utilities (launcher hub) | Yes | No |
Which Components Should You Keep?
Printer Driver
This is required for printing to work at all — never remove the entry corresponding to your specific printer model’s driver.
Scanner Driver (For Multifunction Printers)
If your model scans as well as prints, keep the scanner driver (sometimes listed as a WIA or TWAIN driver) if you plan to use scanning through Windows’ built-in scan tools.
Firmware Update Utility (Optional)
Keeping this allows you to update your printer’s internal firmware later; it’s optional but convenient if you don’t want to update firmware manually through Brother’s website.
Common Problems After Disabling Brother Software
Printer Not Detected
If the printer disappears from the printers list, reconnect it via USB or check that it’s still on the same network, then re-add it through Settings > Printers & scanners > Add device.
Scanner Stops Working
If scanning stops functioning, you may have removed the scanner driver component along with the utilities — reinstall just the scanner driver portion from Brother’s support site.
Missing Printer Features
Advanced features like specific paper tray selection or duplex printing sometimes require the driver’s full print settings interface — check your printer’s properties under Printing Preferences if a feature seems missing.
Driver Was Accidentally Removed
If you accidentally uninstalled the driver itself rather than just the utilities, you’ll need to reinstall it using the steps below.
How to Reinstall Only the Brother Printer Driver
Download the Correct Driver
Go to Brother’s official support site, enter your exact printer model number, and look for the Driver Only or Basic Driver download option, separate from the Full Driver & Software Package.
Install Driver Without Extra Software
Run the downloaded driver-only installer and follow the prompts — this installs just the printing component without bundling the additional utility software.
Verify Successful Installation
Print a test page afterward to confirm the driver installed correctly and the printer is recognized by Windows.
Tips to Improve Printer Performance Without Brother Utilities
Use Windows Print Management
Windows’ built-in Print Management console lets you monitor queues and manage printer settings without relying on Brother’s own utility software.
Keep Drivers Updated
Periodically check Brother’s support site for updated driver-only downloads to maintain compatibility with Windows updates.
Disable Unnecessary Startup Apps
Beyond Brother software, reviewing your full Startup apps list in Task Manager helps keep overall boot time fast.
Restart the Print Spooler
If print jobs get stuck, restarting the Print Spooler service (via Services) often resolves the issue without needing any Brother-specific software.
Windows 11 vs Windows 10: Does the Process Differ?
Windows 11 Changes
The Settings app layout differs slightly (Printers & scanners is under Bluetooth & devices), and some Windows 11 versions include a Protected Print Mode setting that may need to be disabled temporarily during driver installation.
Windows 10 Compatibility
The core process — Task Manager for startup items, Settings > Apps for uninstalling utilities, and Task Scheduler for notification tasks — works the same way, just under Windows 10’s slightly different Settings menu structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I uninstall Brother software and keep the printer driver?
Yes. Brother installs the driver and its utility software as separate components, so you can uninstall utilities like iPrint&Scan or ControlCenter individually while leaving the printer driver entry installed.
Will my Brother printer still work without Brother Utilities?
Yes, printing continues to work normally through the driver alone — Brother Utilities is a launcher for additional features, not a requirement for basic printing.
How do I remove Brother ControlCenter but keep printing?
Uninstall ControlCenter specifically through Settings > Apps > Installed apps, leaving the printer driver entry untouched; printing will continue working normally afterward.
How do I know if the driver is still installed?
Check Settings > Printers & scanners to confirm your printer is listed and shows as ready, or print a test page to verify the driver is functioning correctly.
Can I reinstall only the Brother printer driver?
Yes. Brother’s official support site typically offers a “Driver Only” or “Basic Driver” download option separate from the Full Driver & Software Package for most printer models.
Conclusion
Disabling Brother’s bundled printer software doesn’t mean sacrificing your ability to print — the driver and the utility apps are separate components by design, and removing the extras leaves core printing fully intact. Work through the startup, service, and uninstall steps one at a time, verify with a test print along the way, and you’ll end up with a leaner system that still prints exactly as reliably as before.