You sent a document to your Brother MFC-J1010DW, heard the rollers grind, and now the screen shows a jam message while a crumpled sheet sits stuck somewhere inside. It is one of the most common stumbles with this wireless color inkjet, and the good news is that almost every paper jam on this model clears with a few careful steps and the right access points. The MFC-J1010DW has a real, documented paper path with a front tray, two green levers inside, a lift-up scanner cover, and a rear Jam Clear Cover, so you have everything you need to free the sheet without guesswork.
The fixes below are ordered from the safest and simplest to the most involved, ending with a control-panel reset and the official support path. Work through them in order and stop as soon as the printer prints normally again.
Cut the power before you reach into the paper path
Whether your screen reads Jam Inside/Front, Jam Front, Jam Rear, Repeat Jam, or Repeat Jam Inside/Front, the manufacturer's very first instruction is the same. Unplug the machine from the AC power outlet before you clear any paper. This is not optional. Powering down stops the rollers and protects both your hands and the print head from movement while you are working inside.
Do not try to pull the sheet out while the printer is still energized, even if part of it is visible. Cut the power first, then move on to the tray.
Pull the tray and release the two green levers
Most jams on the MFC-J1010DW are caught at the front feed area, and the two green levers inside are designed specifically to free them. With the machine unplugged, follow this sequence.
- 1.Pull the paper tray completely out of the machine.
- 2.Pull the two green levers inside the machine to release the jammed paper.
- 3.Slowly pull the jammed paper out of the machine.
Pull slowly and evenly so the sheet does not tear. If it resists, do not yank it; the next two fixes give you better access from the top and the back.
Lift the scanner cover to reach paper trapped deeper inside
When the sheet has fed past the front rollers, you reach it from the top. Place both hands under the plastic tabs on both sides of the machine to lift the scanner cover into the open position, then slowly pull the jammed paper out.
There is one critical caution here. Do not touch the encoder strip, the thin strip of plastic that stretches across the width of the machine, because touching it can damage the printer. Keep your hands clear of it while you work, then gently close the scanner cover using both hands when you are done.
Open the rear Jam Clear Cover for a back-of-machine jam
If your screen specifically calls out Jam Rear or a Repeat Jam, the sheet is likely caught at the back. With the paper tray already out, squeeze both levers and open the Jam Clear Cover at the back of the machine, slowly pull out any jammed paper, then close the Jam Clear Cover completely.
Depending on the paper size, it is often easier to remove the sheet from the front than from the back, so try both directions if one is awkward. Before you close up, look carefully for any torn scraps still inside the path; a small fragment left behind is a common cause of a jam that returns immediately.
Reseat the tray and restore power
Once the path is clear, the printer needs everything closed and seated correctly before it can re-detect the paper path. Finish the job in this order.
- 1.Slowly push the paper tray completely back into the machine until it locks into place.
- 2.Pull out the paper support until it locks into place and unfold the paper support flap.
- 3.Reconnect the power cord.
Confirm that both the Jam Clear Cover and the scanner cover are fully closed. A cover that is even slightly ajar will keep the printer from clearing the error and re-sensing the paper.
Reload the paper the right way to stop jams from coming back
If sheets keep jamming, the loading itself is often the culprit. Take a moment to reset the stack properly rather than fighting the same jam over and over.
- 1.Remove all the paper and fan the stack well before reloading it.
- 2.Do not overfill the tray, and do not push paper too far into the tray.
- 3.Make sure the paper is straight, and straighten any curled paper before loading.
- 4.Load the paper with the printing surface face down.
- 5.Set the paper guides to the correct paper size.
- 6.Confirm the paper meets the machine's specifications.
If you mostly see jams on 2-sided printing, the paper feed rollers may be stained with ink and should be cleaned. Clean, properly fanned paper loaded within spec eliminates a surprising share of repeat jams on this model.
Clear the print queue and take the printer off Offline or Paused
After a jam, a stuck job can leave your printer sitting Offline or Paused on the computer, so even with the path cleared, nothing prints. First, glance at the printer's LCD and confirm it shows no remaining error, then clear things up on the computer.
On Windows 10 or earlier, right-click the Brother icon and choose See what's printing. Under the Printer menu, choose Cancel All Documents, then clear the checkmark on Use Printer Offline (and clear Pause Printing if it is checked). If those options are grayed out, use Open As Administrator and try again.
On Windows 11, go to Start, then Settings, then Bluetooth and devices, then Printers and scanners. Select your printer, choose Open print queue, open the menu, and choose Cancel all. With the queue emptied and the Offline checkmark cleared, send a fresh test page.
Reinstall or update the driver if the jam clears but printing still fails
If the paper path is empty and the queue is clear but your computer still cannot print, the link between the computer and the printer may need refreshing. Download and install the latest Full Driver and Software Package for Windows, or the current driver and utilities for your operating system, from the official Brother MFC-J1010DW downloads page.
The full package is provided for Windows 10 and Windows 11, with separate drivers and utilities available for macOS. Installing the current software ensures the computer communicates correctly with the printer after a jam has been cleared.
Reset the machine as a last resort, then contact Brother
If the printer still refuses to behave after everything above, the control panel offers a reset. Be aware before you start that resetting may delete faxes stored in memory, and that a Network Reset restores the print server, including the password and IP address, to factory defaults. Only use this once the simpler fixes have failed.
To run a reset, press [Settings], navigate to [Initial Setup], press [OK], then choose [Reset]. Select the reset option you need (Machine Reset, Network, Address Book and Fax, or All Settings), press [OK], and hold the confirm button for two seconds to reboot. If you only want to rebuild the network connection, you can instead go to [Settings], then [All Settings], then [Network], then [Network Reset], then press [OK] for two seconds, and the machine will restart and restore the print server to factory defaults.
If the printer still will not clear the jam after a reset, it is time to contact Brother customer service through the official support site for further help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my MFC-J1010DW keep showing a jam after I removed the paper?
A repeat jam usually means a small torn scrap is still inside the path. Unplug the machine, recheck the front behind the two green levers, lift the scanner cover (without touching the encoder strip), and open the rear Jam Clear Cover to inspect for fragments. Make sure both covers are fully closed and the tray is seated before reconnecting power.
Where exactly is the rear Jam Clear Cover on this printer?
It is at the back of the machine. With the paper tray pulled out, squeeze both levers and open the Jam Clear Cover, slowly pull out any jammed paper, then close the cover completely. Depending on the paper size, it can be easier to pull the sheet from the front instead.
What is the encoder strip and why can't I touch it?
The encoder strip is a thin strip of plastic that stretches across the width of the machine, visible when you lift the scanner cover. The manufacturer warns that touching it may damage the machine, so keep your hands clear of it while removing jammed paper from inside.
Will resetting the printer delete anything?
It can. Resetting may delete faxes stored in memory, and a Network Reset restores the print server (including the password and IP address) to factory defaults. Use a reset only as a last resort after the paper-path and queue fixes have not worked.
My printer prints fine over USB but keeps dropping off Wi-Fi after a jam. What should I check?
The MFC-J1010DW is a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi device, so confirm your router is set to 2.4 GHz or to 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz mixed mode; the machine may not support a 5 GHz-only SSID. If the connection still will not hold, a Network Reset followed by reinstalling the driver from the official downloads page rebuilds the connection.
