Alex Ruben
How To Fix Brother DCP-720DW Inkbox Full and Error 4600 2025
Dealing with the Inkbox Full or Machine Error 4600 on your Brother DCP-720DW can be pretty frustrating. Sometimes, these errors pop up even when the ink isn’t necessarily empty, often because the waste ink pad is saturated or the printer’s internal sensors get a bit confused. Doing a reset can usually clear things up, but it’s not always straightforward. This guide walks through some tried-and-true methods to get your printer back to working order without too much hassle. Expect to access maintenance mode, perform resets, and clear those stubborn error messages. Once you get the groove going, your printer should be back to normal — or at least close to it.
How to Fix Brother DCP-720DW Inkbox Full & Error 4600
Accessing Maintenance Mode and Resetting the Error
This is kind of weird, but entering maintenance mode and resetting the counters usually does the trick. The reason is that the printer’s internal counters, especially for waste ink, need to be reset manually because the machine thinks it’s full or has an error. On some setups it works the first time, on others you might need to try a couple of different code combinations. The key is to follow the button presses precisely — because of course, Windows and printers like to make things harder than they should.
Method 1: Manual Reset via Button Combos
- First, turn off the printer. Make sure it’s fully powered down before doing anything.
- Now, press and hold the Menu button. Keep holding it.
- While holding Menu, press the Mono button. You should see some indicator or display flicker.
- Keep holding Menu and press Mono again, then release both.
- Press the Plus button four times quickly. Sometimes this step is fiddly, so don’t rush.
The display should show a maintenance mode screen or error code. If not, try the sequence again — it’s a little finicky sometimes. A quick note: the button labels might be different depending on the firmware, but usually, these are the common buttons to hit.
Method 2: Resetting Waste Ink Counter
- Once in maintenance mode, navigate with the Plus button to enter the number
8, then press OK. - Enter
0and press OK. This should bring you to the main reset menu. - Scroll through options with Mono or Color until you see “Purge” — then press OK.
- Enter the reset code
2703. If you’re doing a waste ink reset, this is usually the one. For flushing, the code is often2783. - Press Exit to back out of maintenance mode.
This resets the waste ink counter and typically clears the ‘Inkbox Full’ warning. On some printers, you might need to repeat these steps or try different code combos if errors persist. Not sure why it works, but on certain models, the reset isn’t solid until you unplug and power back up.
Restart and Recheck
- Unplug the printer from power. Wait at least 10 seconds, then plug it back in.
- Power it on and see if the error message went away.
- If it’s still there, repeat the maintenance mode procedure, maybe with different reset codes.
Typically, this is enough to clear the error, but sometimes the printer needs a little more coaxing.
What if the Error Keeps Coming Back?
This might mean the waste ink pad has truly reached capacity, or the sensor is wonky. Another one to try is entering maintenance mode again, but this time choosing the “Flushing” option, then resetting that counter with 2783. Occasionally, doing this helps get around persistent errors. Just a heads up, because these printers are messy inside and sometimes the software thinks it’s full even when it isn’t.
Extra Tips & Common Issues
- Double-check that you’re turning off the printer completely before starting the button combo, otherwise it won’t enter maintenance mode.
- Make sure you’re inputting the reset codes correctly — a typo can cause all kinds of confusion.
- If errors keep popping up, updating your printer’s firmware or checking for driver updates from Brother’s support site might help. Sometimes, weird bugs are fixed in those updates.
Wrap-up
Getting past these errors is often just a matter of hitting the right reset sequence, and then doing a full power cycle. If the problem persists, it could be the waste ink pad really being full or another sensor issue. For those cases, a more in-depth service might be needed, but for most folks, this reset dance gets things back on track. Just remember — patience, and double-check your codes if something doesn’t work the first time.
Summary
- Turn off the printer before entering maintenance mode.
- Use the button combos carefully, following the sequence.
- Reset the waste ink counter with the right codes (
2703or2783). - Unplug, wait, then power back on after resets.
- If errors repeat, try again or check software updates.
Fingers crossed this helps
That’s about it. These resets have saved a lot of printers from the garbage heap, and honestly, the process isn’t too horrible once you get the hang of it. Hopefully this shaves off a few hours for someone, and gets your Brother DCP-720DW rolling again. Good luck!