Can you keep using it?
Can you keep using it?
Contact customer support if any of these apply
- !The message remains after a careful reinstall.
- !The cartridge slot, latch, or cover does not align normally.
What to check first
Step-by-step checks
- 1
Consumable check
Remove the affected cartridge and reinstall it slowly until it locks into place.
Start with the official recovery step before moving on to parts or deeper servicing.
- 2
Safe first step
Check that each color is seated squarely before closing the cover.
- 3
Consumable check
Avoid pulling multiple cartridges unless replacement is actually needed.
Background
What this message usually means
Brother shows No Ink Cartridge when the MFC-J1010 and J1170 family does not see one of the installed cartridges in a normal locked position. The official guidance is to remove and reinstall the cartridge slowly and firmly until it locks.
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
One cartridge is not seated fully.
A recent cartridge swap was not completed with the cartridge locked into place.
The printer cannot recognize the physical install state of one cartridge.
Service
When service or replacement is more likely
- -This is an installation-state message, not a warning that ink is empty by itself.
- -Repeated unnecessary cartridge removal can confuse ink tracking further.
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.
Guide
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 No Ink Cartridge article says the message appears when an ink cartridge is not installed correctly and advises reinstalling it firmly until it locks.
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