Windows 10: Change default printer depending on which network I'm on?

I have a laptop that I move between home and work. In each place, there is a network with a printer. (One is the home Wi-Fi network, the other is the hardwired work network through a USB-C docking station.) I am tired of having to manually select the printer I want to print to - or if I forget, to have to cancel a print job in the queue of a printer that's "offline." It seems to me that there ought to be a way for Windows to figure out which printer to use as default based on which network I'm on. Is there a way to do this?


Thanks!

:)

 

Default network printer randomly defaults to the adobe PDF printer

Start button > Settings > Devices > Printers and scanners >click at your printer > click Set as Default > click at Microsoft Print to PDF > click Remove device > click Yes to confirm >
I would suggest that you enable Let Windows manage my default printer option. That way, your default printer will be the last printer used.

 

Last used printer always comes up instead of default printer.

Hi,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community.

I suggest you to refer the below steps and check if this helps.

• 
  Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search.
  
  (If you're using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, and then click
  Search.)
  
• 
  Enter Devices and Printers in the search box, and then tap or click
  Devices and Printers.
  
• 
  Tap or click any printer, and then tap or click Manage default printers.
  
• 
  Un-Select Change my default printer when I change networks.
  
• 
  Under Select network, choose the first network you want to set a printer for.
  
• 
  Under Select printer, choose the printer you want to be the default on that network, and then tap or click
  Add.
  
• 
  When you're finished setting a default printer for each network, tap or click
  OK.
  

Note :

The issue you are facing might be due to selecting the option Change my default printer when I change networks in settings suggest you to uncheck the option.

Let us know if this helps.

Keep us posted for further assistance, we are here to assist you.

 

Setting Default Printer via Startup Script

I do it with VB logon scripts


"Dim ps0 [<------ our printer server the printers are added/managed on]
Dim printer

ps0 = "\\ps0\"
printer = "S14 - Oki ES4140" [<------- the name of the printer as it is shown on the server]

Set wshNetwork = CreateObject("WScript.Network")
on Error Resume Next

'Deletes all network printers
Set clPrinters = wshNetwork.EnumPrinterConnections
On Error Resume Next
For i = 0 to clPrinters.Count - 1 Step 2
wshNetwork.RemovePrinterConnection clPrinters.Item(i+1), true
Next

'Add Network printer
wshNetwork.AddWindowsPrinterConnection ps0 & printer

'Set Default Printer
wshNetwork.SetDefaultPrinter ps0 & printer" [<------ this bit sets it as default (note: this must be applied as the first policy before any other printers policies, otherwise it deletes them)]