Can you keep using it?
Can you keep using it?
Contact customer support if any of these apply
- !The message remains after reseating the cartridge correctly.
- !Multiple cartridge positions begin failing recognition at the same time.
What to check first
Step-by-step checks
- 1
Consumable check
Open the cartridge area and reseat the indicated cartridge carefully.
Start with the official recovery step before moving on to parts or deeper servicing.
- 2
Consumable check
Confirm the cartridge is the correct type for the printer.
- 3
Safe first step
Close the cover fully and retry.
Background
What this message usually means
Brother shows No Ink Cartridge or Cannot Detect when the MFC-J6945 family cannot confirm the presence or state of an installed ink cartridge. It is usually a seating or recognition issue rather than a paper-path 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
An ink cartridge is not seated correctly.
The machine cannot recognize the installed cartridge.
A cover or latch did not close cleanly after cartridge replacement.
Service
When service or replacement is more likely
- -This is usually a seating or recognition problem before it becomes a support case.
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.
- -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
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Helpful guides for this problem
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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 MFC-J6945DW troubleshooting list includes cartridge-recognition problems such as No Ink Cartridge and Cannot Detect.
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