Setting up a printer shortcut on your Windows 11 desktop is kind of a relief when you print a lot, but it’s surprisingly not as straightforward as you’d hope. Sometimes, the usual routes are clunky or just don’t show up like they’re supposed to. If your goal is to get quick access to a printer’s settings, queue, or perhaps just to avoid digging through the Control Panel every time, then this guide’s for you. It’s not perfect — sometimes the shortcuts don’t stick, or you get weird permission prompts — but with these tips, you’ll probably shave off some time and frustration.
How to Fix or Create a Printer Shortcut on Desktop Windows 11
Method 1: Manual Creation via the ‘Devices and Printers’ Folder
This method is kind of old-school but works reliably if you can find your printer listed properly. Basically, you’re telling Windows exactly where to put the shortcut, rather than relying on the ‘Create shortcut’ menu which sometimes messes up.
- First, head over to Control Panel. To find it quickly, type “Control Panel” in the search bar on the taskbar, hit enter — but beware, sometimes it doesn’t show up immediately. If it’s not there, check under %windir%\System32\control.exe or just right-click the Start menu and choose Run, then type `control`. Easy enough.
- Navigate to Devices and Printers — found under Hardware and Sound if you’re in the Category view, or just search for “Devices and Printers” if you’re in Icon view.
- Find your printer in the list. Sometimes, it’s not as obvious, especially if you have multiple printers, so double-check the printer name.
- Right-click on your printer, then choose Create shortcut. A tiny notification might pop up saying “Windows can’t create a shortcut here — do you want it on the desktop instead?” — that’s the good part, it worked.
- If the shortcut doesn’t appear immediately, head to your desktop and see if it’s there. If it’s not, try dragging the icon manually and dropping it onto your desktop or right-clicking and selecting Send to → Desktop (create shortcut) — sometimes that extra step helps.
Now, if straight-up creating the shortcut doesn’t work because of weird permissions or missing options, don’t panic. You can also create a custom shortcut that opens your printer’s queue directly.
Method 2: Create a Custom Shortcut to Printer Queue
This is more of a hack, but it works if you want quick access to a specific printer’s queue or settings. It involves creating a shortcut that calls the printer’s URL directly via a command.
- Right-click anywhere on the desktop, then choose New → Shortcut.
- In the location field, paste this command:
explorer shell:PrinterPorts— this opens your printer list, but it’s kind of unwieldy, so for specific printers, you might want to create a shortcut to open print settings like this: - Use the command:
control printers. This opens the Devices and Printers window directly, bypassing a few clicks. - Name the shortcut something like “Printer Settings,” and hit Finish.
- Now, this shortcut can be renamed to match your printer or preferred label by right-clicking and selecting Rename.
Alternatively, for more quick access, you could create a shortcut that opens the specific printer’s properties using a command like this:
rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /p /n "Your Printer Name"This should open the printer’s properties directly, saving a bunch of clicking around. Just replace “Your Printer Name” with the exact name from your list, including quotes if it has spaces. Not sure why, but this sometimes fails the first time, or if Windows doesn’t recognize the printui DLL, but on some setups, it works wonders.
Tips for Reliable Shortcuts
- Make sure your printer is installed and connected properly before setting up shortcuts. If Windows doesn’t see it, creating a shortcut probably won’t help.
- Label your shortcuts clearly so you know which printer they correspond to. Otherwise, it’s a guessing game.
- If shortcuts vanish or break after updates, recreate them after updating your drivers.
- Consider pinning the printer or its queue directly to Start or Taskbar for even quicker access.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t I find Devices and Printers in Control Panel anymore?
If it’s missing or hidden, you might be in the new Settings app. Try searching for “Printers & Scanners” in Settings → Bluetooth & Devices → Printers & Scanners. Sometimes, the classic panel isn’t showing everything, but that shouldn’t stop you.
What if my printer isn’t even listed in Devices and Printers?
Check your connections — USB cables, network status, or Wi-Fi, depending on your setup. Also, verify your drivers are installed correctly. Sometimes Windows gets confused if you have multiple printer drivers or old software lingering around.
Can I create shortcuts for multiple printers at once?
Definitely. Just repeat the process for each printer. Or, for bulk setups, scripting with PowerShell or batch files can help, but that’s a different rabbit hole.
Is there a way to delete or update the shortcuts later?
Yep, just right-click and choose Delete. To update, right-click, select Rename or change the target in the shortcut’s properties.
Summary
- Use Control Panel or ‘Devices and Printers’ to locate your printer.
- Create shortcuts directly or via custom commands.
- Label and organize shortcuts for quick access.
- If something’s missing, check your connection and driver status.
Wrap-up
All in all, setting up a printer shortcut isn’t necessarily seamless, but once it’s done, it makes printing way less of a hassle. The key is finding the printer in Windows’ big maze of settings and then crafting a shortcut that sticks. Sometimes, it takes a few tries or tweaks, especially with varied printer models and Windows updates. But hey, if this gets one less annoying step in your workflow, that’s a win.