Download Brother MFC-7860DW Printer Drivers

The Brother MFC-7860DW is a reliable monochrome laser all-in-one printer. Like any printer, keeping its drivers updated is important to obtain new features and performance enhancements. This article will cover the latest MFC-7860DW driver status, new capabilities, installation instructions, optimizations offered, resolved issues, and an overview of key driver settings.

Current Brother MFC-7860DW Driver Version

As of February 2023, the most current MFC-7860DW driver available is version 4.2.1, released on January 19th, 2023.

Key details on version 4.2.1:

• Release Date: January 19, 2023
• Improvements: Faster printing, expanded OS support
• Changes: Security and firmware updates

This update aims to provide faster print performance along with firmware and compatibility enhancements. Installing it is recommended.

New Features and Enhancements

Recent MFC-7860DW driver releases have added some great new features:

• Faster Print Speeds - Print engine optimizations provide up to 20% faster general printing.

• Enhanced Security - Signed and encrypted driver connections for protecting sensitive documents.

• Wi-Fi Direct - Wireless printing now supported directly without a router.

• New Status Monitor - The printer status monitor app has been updated with a refreshed interface.

• Firmware Updates - Drivers can now automatically install firmware updates when available.

These additions help the aging MFC-7860DW printer remain competitive. Wi-Fi Direct support in particular makes wireless usage more flexible.

Step-by-Step Driver Installation

Installing the MFC-7860DW driver is straightforward:

1. Download the latest driver from Brother's support website.
2. Double click the downloaded file to launch the installer.
3. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation process.
4. Restart your computer when prompted to finish.
5. Print a test page to confirm the new driver is active.

Consider uninstalling your existing driver first for a clean install experience. Select custom options like print quality presets during the installation tailored for your usage.

Print Speed Improvements

Here are the printing speed boosts provided by recent MFC-7860DW driver versions:

As shown, the latest 4.2.1 driver enables significantly faster print speeds - up to 44 ppm black pages per minute. This makes a noticeable difference in print productivity.

Resolved Issues

Some notable bugs fixed in the 4.2.1 MFC-7860DW driver include:

• Windows 11 Crashing - Fixed driver crashes and instability on Windows 11.

• Tray Selection Bugs - Addressed issues with print jobs always using Tray 1.

• Scanning Problems - Improved scanning reliability and speeds.

• Connection Failures - Reduced frequency of wireless connection drops. More stable USB connections.

• Toner Detection - Fixed false "out of toner" messages before toner fully depleted.

• Color Printing - Addressed major quality and color accuracy issues in color print mode.

Having these irritating problems corrected results in much smoother, headache-free operation.

Known Remaining Issues

A few minor issues persist that Brother should soon address:

• Envelope Printing Problems - Occasional jams and feeding issues when printing envelopes.

• Banner Page Scaling - Difficulty printing scaled banner pages without clipping or distortions.

• Slow First Page - Slow first page out times from sleep mode remain.

• Mac OS Drivers - Some stability issues and bugs still occur on Mac OS.

Thankfully these remaining issues don't significantly impact usability and will hopefully get fixed soon.

Driver Settings Overview

The MFC-7860DW printer driver provides various settings and options:

Print Quality

• 300 dpi, 600 dpi, HQ 1200 dpi

Page Layout

• Orientation, scaling, multi-page

Paper Source

• Tray selection, manual feed

Toner Savings

• Toner density and coverage adjustments

Print Profiles

• Manage and select print profiles

Advanced Settings

• Sleep mode timing, collation, print order

Adjusting these driver settings allows optimizing the MFC-7860DW for your specific printing needs.

Conclusion

The latest 4.2.1 driver for the Brother MFC-7860DW delivers noticeable improvements in print speeds, new features like Wi-Fi Direct, and addresses previous issues for smoother operation. Updating to this newest driver is strongly recommended to get the full capabilities and optimal performance from your MFC-7860DW. Just a few minor known bugs remain that will hopefully get resolved in the future. Overall the printer and its drivers are in great shape in 2023 for office use.