Can you keep using it?
Can you keep using it?
Contact customer support if any of these apply
- !The message remains even though all covers are clearly latched.
- !A hinge, latch, or cover tab looks broken or will not stay closed.
What to check first
Step-by-step checks
- 1
Safe first step
Lift the affected cover and close it again firmly.
Start with the official recovery step before moving on to parts or deeper servicing.
- 2
Safe first step
Make sure any telephone or interface cable is guided through the rear channel correctly.
- 3
Safe first step
Press the cover closed until it locks into place.
Background
What this message usually means
Brother shows Cover is Open when the MFC-J1010 and J1170 family detects that the scanner cover, top cover, or ink-tank cover is not locked in the closed position. This is usually a physical closure or cable-routing issue, not a deeper printer fault.
Before the message
What users usually notice first
Messages like this often appear after the printer fails one of its normal startup, supply, or paper-path checks and cannot return to ready state cleanly.
Diagnosis
Likely causes
The top cover or scanner cover is not fully closed.
The ink cartridge cover or ink tank cover is not locked.
A cable is routed badly enough to stop the cover from shutting completely.
Service
When service or replacement is more likely
- -This is usually a closure-state problem, not a mechanical failure inside the printer.
- -Cable routing matters on these Brother covers more than people expect.
Avoid wrong turns
Common misreads of this message
- -Treating the message like a confirmed failed part instead of a support clue about which system has stopped the printer.
- -Assuming any supply-related wording means the next step is automatically to buy a cartridge, toner, drum, or printhead.
See also
Related codes in this family
Explore more
More Brother printer families
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When a printer says paper jam but there isn't one
What a false paper-jam warning usually points to, from hidden scraps and tray issues to faults that are no longer simple jams.
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Common Brother printer messages that usually mean stop and check support
The Brother messages that usually mean it is time to stop retrying and treat the fault more seriously.
Guide
How to tell if a printer fault is a cartridge issue or a service issue
How to separate ordinary cartridge or toner trouble from the kind of printer fault that usually points to real service.
Boundary
When to stop troubleshooting and move to support
Use the message once to classify the problem, then move to support if the printer still cannot return to ready after the first safe checks.
Keep browsing
Where to go next
Source notes
Brother's official Cover is Open article says the scanner cover, top cover, or ink-tank cover may not be completely closed and highlights cable routing as part of the check.
Built around official Brother support articles that explicitly include MFC-J1010DW and MFC-J1170DW in the same message families. Exact wording can vary a little by region and sibling model, but the message meaning stays close across this inkjet group.
Printer error codes can vary a little by firmware, region, and exact model variant. Use this guide as a family-level starting point and stop if the next step would require disassembly or service-mode changes.
Known family variants: MFC-J1010DW, MFC-J1170DW, MFC-J1800DW
Last reviewed: 2026-04-12
Reference: Open reference