Do we want the same printer to always be used? Let’s see how to set it as default on Windows
Especially in offices, but also at home, a PC has multiple printers available to print on. This is true even if there is only one real printer because, from Windows 10 onwards, there is also a virtual printer for creating PDFs in addition to the printer for printing in the XPS format (already available from Windows 7).Furthermore, it may happen that, after a Windows system update, the default printer changes on its own. When the default printer is skipped, you will waste time figuring out why printing isn’t working and restoring the correct printer.
In this guide we will see what to do if Windows changes default printer on its own by setting the preferred printer and ensuring that, at the next update, the system no longer changes anything, always leaving our favorite printer as the default.
READ ALSO -> If your printer doesn’t print (HP, Epson and others), what to do
1) Set default printer to Windows 11
On Windows 11 we can change the default printer by opening the Settings (right click on the Start menu), clicking on the item Bluetooth and devices and subsequently on the menu Printers and scanners.
From here we press on the name of the printer that we want to make default and finally click on the button Set as default to choose the printer to use for all future prints. From now on, the writing will appear Default under the name of the printer, so you can recognize it immediately.
2) Set default printer to Windows 10
On Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows 10, there is another method to change the default printer. Let’s also go to the app in this case Settings (we can find it in the Start menu, as a gear icon on the left or as a separate app), click on the item Devices and subsequently on the menu Printers and scanners.
Basically, Windows 10 independently manages which printer to set as default, based on our choices; to prevent the system from “doing its own thing” we remove the check mark from the item Let Windows manage the default printerwe left click on the printer we intend to use as default, select Manage and, in the new screen, we finally click on Set as default.
3) Prevent automatic default printer switching
Basically, Windows independently manages which printer to set as default, based on our choices; For prevent the system from “doing its own thing” let’s get back on the path Printers and scanners (as seen in previous chapters) and remove the check mark from the entry Let Windows manage the default printer.
Alternatively we can prevent the default printer from changing on Windows 11 Pro and Windows 10 Pro by opening the Start menu, typing gpedit and taking us on the journey User Configuration -> Control Panel -> Printers. Once the window is open, press on Disable Windows’ handling of the default printerwe click on Qualifiedconfirm and restart the PC for the changes to take effect.
Conclusions
With Windows it is convenient check the presence of our printer as defaultgiven that installing programs or tools for managing virtual printers can nullify our choice and make us use different devices every time.
If we need to share a printer on the local network, to allow all employees to print, we recommend that you read our guide set up a network printer shared between PCsin which we can find all the steps to follow to transform any printer connected via USB to the computer into a printer available on the network (without necessarily connecting it to the modem).
READ ALSO -> Connect the Wifi printer and solve wireless connection problems