This post shows students and new users how to set a default printer in Windows 11 and stop Windows from auto assigning your printers.
Windows 11 comes with a feature that automatically sets the printer you used most recently to be your default printer.
While this might work when a single printer is installed, in situations where multiple printers are used, sometime the wrong printer can be set as your default printer.
The new Windows 11 will come with many new features and enhancements that will work great for some while adding some learning challenges for others. Some things and settings have changed so much that folks will have to learn new ways to learn manage Windows.
For some users who are used to working with Windows 10, there are some changes with Windows 11 that might take some time to learn.
When using Windows 11 and you don’t want your default printer being automatically assigned, use the steps below to make that happen.
To get started with setting default printers in Windows 11, follow the steps below:
How to choose your default printer in Windows 11
By default, Widows will assigned the most recent printer used as your default printer. In multi printers environment, this can be annoying and can lean to you printing to the wrong printer. To prevent this from happening, manually set the default printer for your Windows computer.
Windows 11 has a centralized location for majority of its settings. From system configurations to creating new users and updating Windows, all can be done from its System Settings pane.
To get to System Settings, you can use the Windows key + i shortcut or click on Start ==> Settings as shown in the image below:
Alternatively, you can use the search box on the taskbar and search for Settings. Then select to open it.
Windows Settings pane should look similar to the image below. In Windows Settings, click Bluetooth & devices, select Printers & scanners on the right pane of your screen shown in the image below.
On the Printers & scanners settings pane, under Printer preferences, toggle the button to the Off position for ‘Let Windows manage my default printer‘
When you turn if off, Windows will stop selecting your default printers.
Now that this feature is disabled, select the printer on the list you want to set as your default printer so that your printer jobs can be sent there always.
On the printer you select, from the printer properties pane, click the button that reads ‘Set as default‘ as highlighted below.
Exit and you’re done.
Conclusion:
This post showed you how to disable Windows feature that automatically switches your default printer to the most recently used and also how to manually set your default printer.
If you find any error above, please use the form below to report.
