This article describes three ways to set the default printer in Windows 11, and what to do if Windows keeps changing the default printer.
What to Know
- Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > select printer > Set as default.Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers, right-click printer > Set as default printer.There’s also a Command Prompt command that sets the default printer.
How to Set a Default Printer in Windows 11
To choose a default printer, you first need to access it from Settings or Control Panel. There’s also a command you can execute in Command Prompt if you’d rather set the default printer with a command.
Settings
This is the polished, “normal” way to set the default printer. It can be done in just a handful of steps.
- Open Settings. You can use search to find it or right-click the Start button and select Settings.
- Select Bluetooth & devices from the left column, and then Printers & scanners on the right.
- Find the option called Let Windows manage my default printer, and make sure it’s toggled to the off position. There’s more below on why this is important when choosing a default printer.
- Scroll back up if you need to, and select the printer you want as default.
- Select Set as default. The printer status should change to confirm it’s now the default printer.
Control Panel
You can also use Control Panel to mark which printer should be default.
Open Settings. You can use search to find it or right-click the Start button and select Settings.
Select Bluetooth & devices from the left column, and then Printers & scanners on the right.
Find the option called Let Windows manage my default printer, and make sure it’s toggled to the off position. There’s more below on why this is important when choosing a default printer.
Scroll back up if you need to, and select the printer you want as default.
Select Set as default. The printer status should change to confirm it’s now the default printer.
- Open Control Panel. The quickest way to get there is to search for it, but you can also run the control command in the Run dialog box.
- Navigate to Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers.
- If you don’t see that first category, then you must be viewing Control Panel by icons instead of categories, in which case, just select Devices and Printers from the list.
- Right-click the printer and choose Set as default printer. A checkmark will appear on the printer icon to indicate it’s the new default printer.
- If you see a message stating that setting the printer as default means Windows will stop managing the default printer, select OK.
Command Prompt
If you prefer to work with commands, such as through Safe Mode or in a batch file, or you can’t follow the above directions for whatever reason, you can also define the default printer through Command Prompt.
Open Control Panel. The quickest way to get there is to search for it, but you can also run the control command in the Run dialog box.
Navigate to Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers.
If you don’t see that first category, then you must be viewing Control Panel by icons instead of categories, in which case, just select Devices and Printers from the list.
Right-click the printer and choose Set as default printer. A checkmark will appear on the printer icon to indicate it’s the new default printer.
If you see a message stating that setting the printer as default means Windows will stop managing the default printer, select OK.
- Determine the exact name of the printer. One way to do this is through Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers.
- Open Command Prompt and enter this command, replacing Printer Name with your printer’s name:
- rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /y /q /n “Printer name”
- Return to the Devices and Printers window to confirm the default printer checkmark is on the printer’s icon.
Why Windows 11 Keeps Changing the Default Printer
There are two ways to choose the default printer in Windows 11: mark it yourself using the directions above, or have Windows always default to the last printer you used.
Determine the exact name of the printer. One way to do this is through Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers.
Open Command Prompt and enter this command, replacing Printer Name with your printer’s name:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /y /q /n “Printer name”
Return to the Devices and Printers window to confirm the default printer checkmark is on the printer’s icon.
In both cases, you always have full control over which printer to use when it comes time to print; just manually select the printer that should be used in that instance. But, if you prefer to always have a particular printer be the default one, regardless of what you used last time you printed, there’s a setting you need to change.
Go to step 3 above (the first set of steps that use Settings), and confirm Let Windows manage my default printer is disabled/off. Turning this off enables the Set as default button in step 5, and forces Windows 11 to always default to the printer of your choice.
Can You Set Two Printers as Default?
No, the built-in mechanism for selecting a default printer in Windows 11 allows for only one.
A printer marked as ‘default’ is simply the one your computer assumes you want to use when it’s time to print. If you have multiple printers installed, choosing one as default makes printing a little faster because you don’t have to sift through all your printers to choose the right one. Having two (or more) default printers would defeat the purpose.
- How do I set the default printer in Windows 10?
- To set the default printer in Windows 10, navigate to Settings > Printers & Scanners, then select your printer, click Manage, and select Set as default. To set your default printer using the Control Panel, open Control Panel, and select View Devices and Printers; right-click your printer and choose Set as default printer.
- How do I set the default printer in Windows 8?
- If you’re using Windows 8, set your default printer by going to Settings > Printers & Scanners > Manage. Under Manage your device, select Set as default printer.
- How do I set the default printer in Windows 7?
- To set the default printer in Windows 7, click Start, type printer in the search box, then select Devices and Printers. Right-click the printer you want to use as the default, then click Set as default printer.
- How do I set the default printer on a Mac?
- To set the default printer on a Mac, click the Apple menu and select System Preferences, then choose Printers & Scanners. Next to Default printer, click the drop-down arrow and choose a printer as your default, or select Last printer used.
To set the default printer in Windows 10, navigate to Settings > Printers & Scanners, then select your printer, click Manage, and select Set as default. To set your default printer using the Control Panel, open Control Panel, and select View Devices and Printers; right-click your printer and choose Set as default printer.
If you’re using Windows 8, set your default printer by going to Settings > Printers & Scanners > Manage. Under Manage your device, select Set as default printer.
To set the default printer in Windows 7, click Start, type printer in the search box, then select Devices and Printers. Right-click the printer you want to use as the default, then click Set as default printer.
To set the default printer on a Mac, click the Apple menu and select System Preferences, then choose Printers & Scanners. Next to Default printer, click the drop-down arrow and choose a printer as your default, or select Last printer used.
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