How to set default printer on Windows 10

These are the easy steps to make set a new printer as the system default on Windows 10

Windows 10 change default printer
Windows 10 change default printer
  • To change the default printer on Windows 10, open Settings > Printers & scanners, click the “Manage” button on the printer, and click the “Set as default” button.
  • You may also need to turn off the “Let Windows manage my default printer” option to enable the option to change the default settings.

You can quickly change the default printer on Windows 10 through the Settings app, but you must disable a specific setting before the option becomes available, and in this guide, I’ll show you how.

On Windows 10, you probably noticed that the default printer keeps changing when you have multiple printers configured on your computer. This is because the operating system has a feature that sets your most recently used printer as the default automatically.

While allowing the operating system to change the default printer automatically can be a handy feature, it’s not something for everyone. If you must set a specific printer as the default, you first need to disable the feature to prevent the system from making changes to the printer settings, and then you have to choose the new default printing device.

This guide will teach you the steps to choose the default printer on Windows 10.

Change default printer on Windows 10

To change the default printer on Windows 10, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings on Windows 10.

  2. Click on Devices.

  3. Click on Printers & scanners.

  4. Clear the “Let Windows manage my default printer” option.

    Windows 10 disable manger default printer

  5. Select the printer to make the new system default and click the Manage button.

  6. Click the “Set as default” button to set the default printer on Windows 10.

    Choose default printer

Once you complete the steps, the new printer will become the default on Windows 10.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].