Printer Software Update Fails: Real Fixes That Work

30-Second Fix: Restart the Printer and PC

You're probably rolling your eyes. But I've had clients spend an hour on this before trying the obvious. Here's the deal: printers and PCs hold onto network sessions like grudges. A quick reboot clears the cache and resets the connection.

Unplug the printer from power for 30 seconds. Not just turn it off — pull the plug. Wait the full 30. Plug it back in. Then restart your PC or Mac. Don't skip the PC restart. A client last month had an HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e stuck on a firmware update that kept bombing out. After a full power cycle, the update sailed through first try.

If the update still fails after that, don't waste time rebooting again. Move on.

5-Minute Fix: Kill the Stuck Update Process

When the printer software says update required but fails, it's often because a partial update download got corrupted or a service is stuck in a loop. On Windows, open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), look for anything with your printer brand in the name — HP Update, Canon BJ, Brother Print Update, etc. Right-click and End Task. On macOS, open Activity Monitor, search for your printer brand, and Force Quit any update processes.

Then manually clear the update cache. On Windows, open File Explorer and type in the address bar:

%temp%

Delete everything in that folder. Don't worry, these are temporary files. If something's in use, skip it. On macOS, open Finder, hit Cmd+Shift+G, type ~/Library/Caches, and delete any folders with your printer brand name.

Now reopen the printer software. It should re-download the update fresh. Had a client with a Brother MFC-L2710DW that kept showing a failed firmware update. Clearing the cache and killing the update process fixed it in under 5 minutes. They'd been fighting it for two days.

If the printer software still says update required but fails, we need to get more aggressive.

15-Minute Fix: Manual Firmware Update via USB

When the automatic update keeps failing, stop trusting it. Go manual. This works for 99% of cases where the software update genuinely needs to happen but won't.

First, find your printer's exact model number. It's on a sticker, usually on the back or inside the paper tray. Not the series name, the model — something like HP LaserJet Pro M404dn or Canon PIXMA TS8320.

Go to the manufacturer's support site directly. Don't click a link from the update software. Google "[brand] [model] firmware download" and go to the official support page. Download the latest firmware file. It'll be a .exe or .dmg file, or sometimes a .bin file that you copy to a USB drive.

For HP printers: download the HP Print and Scan Doctor tool from HP's site. Run it, choose your printer, and select "Update Firmware." It bypasses the broken software updater. I've used this on HP OfficeJet 3830s that wouldn't update through the normal app.

For Canon: download the firmware file and the Canon IJ Printer Firmware Update Tool. Connect the printer to your PC via USB — not Wi-Fi. The USB connection is more stable for firmware updates. Run the tool, point it to the downloaded firmware file. This avoids the Wi-Fi dropouts that cause failures.

For Brother: download the firmware updater from Brother's support site. It's usually a standalone .exe file. Run it with the printer connected via USB. Brother printers are picky — if the printer's in sleep mode, the update fails. Wake the printer up by pressing any button before running the updater.

For Epson: download the Epson Firmware Updater from Epson's support site. Connect via USB. Epson's updater sometimes fails if the printer's network connection is even slightly unstable. USB eliminates that problem.

I had a client with an Epson ET-2760 that refused to update over Wi-Fi for three months. One USB-connected manual update fixed it permanently. The software was trying to push a security patch that kept timing out over a weak signal.

Still Failing? Check for a Blocked Update

If the manual firmware update also fails, check these two things:

1. Antivirus or firewall blocking it. Temporarily disable your antivirus for 5 minutes. Yes, it's a security risk, but you're doing it for a few minutes. If the update succeeds, re-enable it. Had a client whose Norton was silently blocking HP's firmware updater.
2. Windows Update is paused. On Windows 11/10, go to Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Pause updates. If updates are paused, it can block printer firmware updates too. Unpause and let Windows check for updates first. Then try the printer update again.
3. Printer firmware is already current. Sometimes the software is wrong. Check your printer's current firmware version from the printer's menu (usually under Setup > About or Information). Compare it to the version on the manufacturer's site. If it's the same, the update is a false flag. Ignore it.

When to Give Up and Call Support

If you've tried all three levels and the update still fails, the printer's internal storage might be corrupted. This is rare but happens. Some printers have a tiny file system that can get corrupted during a partial update. You'll need a factory reset, which wipes everything back to out-of-box state.

To factory reset most printers: turn it off, hold the Wi-Fi and X (cancel) buttons while turning it on, then release when the screen says "Factory Reset." Each brand varies — check your manual for the exact combination.

After the factory reset, try the manual USB update again. If that still fails, it's a hardware issue. Contact the manufacturer's support. Tell them you've already tried: full power cycle, cache clear, manual USB firmware update, and factory reset. They'll likely send a replacement or schedule a repair.

I've seen maybe five printers in my career that truly needed a replacement due to a failed firmware update. The rest were fixable with one of the steps above. You'll probably be fine.