Windows 10: Set Default Printer in Windows 10

How to: Set Default Printer in Windows 10


Information A default printer is the printer that all print jobs are sent to by default unless otherwise specified.

This tutorial will show you how to set a default printer for your account in Windows 10.

CONTENTS:

• Option One: To Let Windows Manage my Default Printer
• Option Two: Set a Default Printer in Settings
• Option Three: Set a Default Printer in Control Panel
• Option Four: Set a Default Printer in Command Prompt

OPTION ONE [/i] To Let Windows Manage my Default Printer


Note When you turn on Let Windows manage my default printer, Windows will automatically set your default printer to be the one you used more recently at your current location.

1. For how, see: How to Turn On or Off Let Windows 10 Manage Default Printer









OPTION TWO [/i] Set a Default Printer in Settings
1. Open Settings, and click/tap on the Devices icon.

2. Click/tap on Printers & scanners on the left side, and uncheck Let Windows manage my default printer if checked on the right side. (see screenshot below)



3. Click/tap on a printer you want to set as the default printer, and click/tap on the Manage button. (see screenshot below)



4. Click/tap on the Set as default button. (see screenshot below)


Note You will not see a Set as default button if you left step 2.



5. The printer will now be set as your default printer. (see screenshots below)





6. You can now close Settings if you like.





OPTION THREE [/i] Set a Default Printer in Control Panel
1. Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click/tap on the Devices and Printers icon.

2. Right click or press and hold on the printer you want to set as your default printer, and click/tap on Set as default printer. (see screenshot below)



3. If you have Let Windows manage my default printer turned on, then click/tap on OK to confirm. (see screenshot below)



4. The printer will now be set as your default printer. (see screenshot below)



5. You can now close Devices and Printers if you like.





OPTION FOUR [/i] Set a Default Printer in Command Prompt
1. Open a command prompt.

2. Copy and paste the command below into the command prompt, and press Enter. Make note of the printer name (ex: "HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477 PCL 6") you want to set as the default printer. (see screenshot below)


Note The currently set default printer will have TRUE showing in the Default column to the left of the printer name.

*Arrow wmic printer get name,default




3. Type the command below into the command prompt, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)
*Arrow wmic printer where name="printer name" call setdefaultprinter



Note Substitute printer name in the command above with the actual printer name (ex: "HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477 PCL 6") from step 2 you want to set as the default printer.

For example: wmic printer where name="HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477 PCL 6" call setdefaultprinter



4. You can now close the command prompt if you like.

5. If you haven't already, you will need to turn off Let Windows manage my default printer for the set default printer to always be used.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Turn On or Off Let Windows 10 Manage Default Printer
• How to Backup and Restore Printers in Windows
• How to Reset and Clear Print Spooler in Windows 10
• Create Printers Folder Shortcut in Windows
• How to Rename a Printer in Windows 10
• How to List All Installed Printers in Windows 10

:)

 

Windows 10 Sets Last Printer Used As Default Printer

Hi,

Thank you for contacting Microsoft Community.

I suggest you to follow the below steps to change the printer settings and check if it helps.

• In the search box, type as “settings”.
• Go to “settings” and select “devices”.
• Click on “printers and scanners” option on the left hand side.
• You will find all your printers listed on the screen, below that there is an option
  “Let Windows manage my default printer”.
• I suggest you to turn “OFF” the option “When turned on, the default printer is the last used printer”.
• Now check whether you can choose the other printers or not.

Hope this information is helpful and do let us know if you need further assistance. We will be glad to assist.

 

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)]

 

Windows 10 - Cannot Set Printer Default

Hi Marc,

I suggest you to place the computer in Clean boot state and then try to make the default printer.

Perform clean boot to identify if any 3rd party service is causing this issue:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135

Note: After performing the troubleshooting steps in clean boot, follow
Step 3 from the link to start the computer to
Normal startup mode.

Note: Also applies to Windows 10.

To make printer as a default printer you can follow the below steps:

• 
  Press Windows key+ X and select
  device manager.
  
• 
  Select devices and printers
  
• 
  Right click on the printer you want to use, and then click
  set as default printer (You'll see a check mark on the printer's icon signifying that it's now your default printer).
  

Hope this helps. Please reply to us with the status of the issue.

Thanks.

 

Setting Default Printer via Startup Script

This looks like a good solution, and similar to some of the VB scripts I tried.. but it is a logon script. I would need something that works as a startup script. We are not mapping printers to users as they move around too much, but rather mapping to each computer.

The Link that W1ZZARD posted is good information. Sadly however, I have tried utilizing most of the commands that are available. The /c command is indeed interesting, but we are trying to map them when a computer starts up (prior to logon screen) versus just mapping them remotely. The purpose would be if we had a lab that needed the default printer changed, sure we could just send the remote command to each machine, or even remote into them ourselves and manually do it, but I was looking for a smoother alternative.

It seems like its just something that will have to be done manually and with user education.

Thanks for all the suggestions though.

 

How do I set up default printer in Windows 10

Hi Marcy,

Thank you for posting your response.

We would like to know if you are facing any issue when you printer documents with on other printer.

I would like to inform you that, whenever you give a task to printer on your computer it always selects the default printer to print.

I suggest you to follow the steps provided below to set the printer as default.

• 
  Press Windows + X key.
  
  

• Select Control Panel.
• Click on Devices and Printers.
• Under printers, Right on the printer.
• Select set as default printer.

Hope this information is helpful. Please write back to us if you need any further assistance, we'll be glad to assist you.