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Set Default Printer in Windows 10

A default printer is the one to which all documents are sent by default for printing. Due to constant changes to the user interface in Windows 10, many novice users may have issues changing the default printer. Here is how it can be done.

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As you may already know, Microsoft has implemented a new behavior for printers in Windows 10. Starting in Build 10565, Windows 10 changes the default printer to the last used one automatically. While this can be useful for some users, many others might prefer to set the default printer manually.

Here is how it can be done.

To set the default printer in Windows 10, do the following.

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Navigate to the following page: Settings -> Devices -> Printers and Scanners.
  3. See the option named "Let Windows manage my default printer". Turn it off as shown below.Windows 10 Disable Printer Management
  4. Now, select the desired printer in the list.
  5. Click on the 'Manage' button.Windows 10 Printers Manage Button
  6. On the next page, click on the 'Set default' button.Windows 10 Set Default Printer

The selected printer is now your default printer. Also, Windows 10 will not change your default printer every time you select some other printer in the print dialog.

Alternatively, you can use the classic Control Panel app to set your default printer in Windows 10.

Set the Default Printer using the Control Panel

  1. Open the classic Control Panel app.
  2. Go to Hardware and Sound \ Devices and Printers.
  3. Under Printers, right-click on the desired printer.
  4. Select Set as default printer from the context menu.Windows 10 Set Default Printer Control Panel
  5. If you have the Let Windows manage my default printer option enabled, you will need to confirm the operation and disable the feature.Windows 10 Set Default Printer Control Panel Confirmation

The printer will now be set as your default printer.

Tip: If you have a local or network printer connected to your Windows 10 PC, you may need to open its queue or printing status window occasionally to remove print jobs which have got stuck or pause printing. You can create a special shortcut with a rundll32 command which will allow you to access the printing queue directly with one click. See the article:

Open Printer Queue With a Shortcut in Windows 10

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Author: Sergey Tkachenko

Sergey Tkachenko is a software developer who started Winaero back in 2011. On this blog, Sergey is writing about everything connected to Microsoft, Windows and popular software. Follow him on Telegram, Twitter, and YouTube.

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