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You are here: Home / Tech Questions & Answers / Q&A: Why does Windows 10 keep changing my default printer?

Q&A: Why does Windows 10 keep changing my default printer?

Posted on November 30, 2022

Question from Darren:  I love your blog Rick, especially the questions and answers section.

I hope you can help me solve a problem I’ve been having ever since I replaced my old computer with one running Windows 10.

I use two printers with my computer. The first one is an Epson inkjet that I use every now and then to print photos. The other is a Brother laser printer that I use to print most everything else.

With Windows 7 I could leave the laser printer as the default printer, then switch to the inkjet manually on the rare occasions when I needed to use it. But with Windows 10, every time I print to either printer, that printer gets set as the default printer.

I really want the laser printer to remain as the default and switch to the inkjet manually when I need it. Is there any way to stop Windows 10 from changing the default printer without my permission? 

Rick’s answer:  Darren, this is one of those changes that some people love and others absolutely despise.

Like you, I prefer to set my own default printer and not have Windows decide which one I should use the next time I need to print something.

Luckily, there’s a very simple settings change that will take care of this for you. Just follow the steps below:

1 – Right-click the Start button and select Settings from the menu.

2 – Click Devices.

3 – Select Printers & scanners from the menu over in the left-hand column.

4 – Uncheck the box beside “Let Windows manage my default printer”.

If you prefer following visual instructions the short video below shows how to make this change, step-by-step.

Note: You can watch this video at full screen by clicking the little “square” icon in the lower-right corner of the video after it begins playing.


That’s all there is to it. From now on Windows 10 will keep its “hands” off your Default Printer setting.

I hope this helps, Darren. Good luck!

Bonus tip: If you’re looking for a good resource for learning the ins-and-outs of Windows 10, I recommend the awesome Windows 10 for Dummies. Don’t let the name fool you – there’s a ton of useful info in there!







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