Can you keep using it?
Can you keep using it?
Contact customer support if any of these apply
- !The printer keeps dropping back to Manual Feed even when the job settings are correct.
- !The multipurpose path cannot detect loaded paper at all.
What to check first
Step-by-step checks
- 1
Consumable check
Load the requested paper into the manual or multipurpose feed path.
Start with the official recovery step before moving on to parts or deeper servicing.
- 2
Safe first step
Check the source setting in the driver or on the printer.
- 3
Consumable check
Retry once the selected source matches the loaded paper.
Background
What this message usually means
Brother shows Manual Feed when the MFC-J6945 family expects paper to be loaded through the manual or multipurpose path. It is usually a source-selection issue rather than a hardware problem.
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 print job is calling for manual feed.
The selected source does not match the loaded paper setup.
The printer is waiting for media in the multipurpose path.
Service
When service or replacement is more likely
- -This is a source-selection prompt, not a jam or carriage failure.
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 no physical path issue exists just because no full sheet is visible at first glance.
See also
Related codes in this family
Explore more
More Brother printer families
Read this next
Helpful guides for this problem
Guide
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 MFC-J6945DW troubleshooting list includes Manual Feed among the common LCD prompts.
Built around Brother's official MFC-J6945DW FAQ and troubleshooting guidance. Exact wording can vary slightly by region and closely related model variants.
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-J6945DW, MFC-J6947DW
Last reviewed: 2026-04-12
Reference: Open reference