Windows 11’s pretty streamlined, but sometimes setting your default printer isn’t exactly a walk in the park. Especially if you’re juggling a few printers or using networked ones. You think you’ve set it, but Windows seems to forget — or just keeps reverting to some other printer. Fair dinkum frustrating, especially when you need to print something important and it’s using the wrong device. So, here’s a straightforward approach to keep your printer as the default—or at least, troubleshoot if it plays up.
How to Make Sure Windows 11 Uses Your Chosen Printer
This is for anyone who feels like their default printer won’t stick or you’re fed up switching it back every time. It’s not always foolproof—Windows can be a bit quirky about network printers—but these tips should get you closer to a reliable print setup.
Method 1: Turn Off the “Let Windows Manage Default Printer” Setting
This one trips up a lot of blokes and sheilas. By default, Windows 11 tries to pick the ‘best’ printer based on your last use, which can be annoying if you want to control it yourself. Turning this off usually sorts it out.
- Head to Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners.
- Scroll down to find the checkbox that says “Let Windows manage my default printer”.
- Uncheck it. Easy as that.
Why bother? This stops Windows from second-guessing your choices and means the “Set as default” button actually sticks. If your default keeps changing, this is often the culprit. Sometimes, you might need a quick restart or log-out and back in to make it work. Worth a go if it keeps reverting.
Method 2: Set Your Printer Manually in the Settings
Sometimes, clicking “Set as default” doesn’t work perfectly, especially with networked printers or if Windows is being a bit stubborn. Here’s what’s helped me:
- Go back into Printers & Scanners.
- Click on your preferred printer.
- Hit Manage and then Set as default again.
Pro tip: if the button’s greyed out or nothing happens, try opening the Run dialog (Windows + R) and type control printers. It opens the classic Devices and Printers window—sometimes Windows handles defaults better there. Right-click your printer and select Set as default printer. This old-school method often does the trick, especially if the Settings app is giving you grief.
Method 3: Use Command Line for a Quick Fix
It might sound a bit flash, but if Windows is being stubborn, a quick command in PowerShell or Command Prompt can do the job. Open either as an administrator and run:
wmic printer where name="Your Printer Name" call setdefaultprinterSwap out Your Printer Name with the exact name from your list. To find it, type wmic printer get name. Make sure the name matches exactly — copy-paste it from the list. This is a handy workaround if the GUI just refuses to do its job.
Method 4: Check Drivers and Connection
If your printer driver’s out of date or acting dodgy, Windows might get confused about defaults. Make sure your driver’s up to scratch:
- Head to the printer manufacturer’s website and download the latest driver.
- Uninstall the current driver via Device Manager: find your printer, right-click, and choose Uninstall device.
- Reinstall with the fresh driver.
Also, double-check your connection—wired, Wi-Fi, or network. Sometimes, Windows thinks it’s set, but the printer is offline or unreachable. That can mess with defaults and cause print jobs to fail.
When All Else Fails: Dive into the Registry (Advanced)
If you’ve tried everything and Windows still forgets, you might need to poke around in the registry. Fair warning: messing with it can cause grief if you’re not careful. Only go down this route if you’re comfortable fiddling with system files.
Open Registry Editor (Win + R, type regedit) and go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\WindowsLook for a value called Device. Sometimes, setting this to your preferred printer’s name helps Windows remember it better. But only do this if you’re comfy with registry tweaks.
It’s a bit of a hassle, but these tips cover most of the stubborn cases—at least for me on different setups. Windows can be a bit quirky, but hopefully, these tips will keep your default printer behaving itself.
Summary
- Turn off “Let Windows manage my default printer” in Settings.
- Manually set your printer via Settings or Devices & Printers.
- Use the command line with
wmicif needed. - Keep your drivers updated and double-check connections.
- If all else fails, poke around in the registry—but do so carefully.
Wrap-up
Getting your default printer to behave can be like herding cats, especially with networked devices. But these tricks should cover most of the common issues. Once you get it sorted, printing becomes a lot less of a hassle—no more surprise defaults or endless clicking. Do a bit of tinkering, reboot if needed, and hopefully, it’ll save you a headache down the track. Fingers crossed, this makes life a bit easier when managing printers on Windows 11.