Nowadays, people use multiple printers due to the cheap pricing of entry-level models. And, with Windows 10, it will automatically set the printer that you have recently used to the default printer.
This can be annoying for anyone who tends to use one printer to print the majority of their documents and occasionally use the other ones. The easy workaround is to select which device you want to use for printing.
However, if you want to set a particular printer as the default printer, then you have to make some changes in the settings.
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Procedure on how to set default printer Windows 10
Here are the methods that you can use to set a default printer on your Windows 10.
Procedure I. By using settings
- Open the Start menu by clicking on the Start button. After that, click on the gear icon to open the Settings option. However, you can also open the Settings by pressing the I and the Windows key.
- Within Settings, click on the “Devices” option. After that, go to the left pane of the window and select “Printers & scanners”.
- Now, locate “Let Windows manage my default printer” and toggle its switch off.
- Then, locate your printer and click on “Manage”.
- On the next window, click on “set as default” button. You will be able to confirm the change by looking at the status of the printer. However, if you do not find any “Set as default” button, then it means that your printer is already set as default.
Procedure II. Use the control panel
You can also use the control panel to set a printer as your default printer on Windows 10.
- Go to your Start menu and open the Control Panel. Then, click on the option of “Device and Printers”.
- Now, go to the printer that you want to set as default and right-click on it. After that, select the option of “Set as default printer”.
- After that, locate the option of “Let Windows manage my default printers” and toggle off the switch.
- Now, this printer will be set as your default printer.
After this, you will be able to print all your documents through this printer only.
Procedure III. Use the Command Prompt
You can also use the Command Prompt to set your printer as the default printer. This process is the best option if you are looking for more control over the settings of the hardware.
Open the Command Prompt by pressing the R and the Windows button simultaneously. Then, type “wmic printer get name,default” in the Command Prompt and hit Enter. Now, you will be able to see the list of all the printers connected to your computer.
You have to go to the left panel of the windows. Here, you will be able to see “TRUE” or “FALSE” written beside every printer. The printer beside which you will be able to see “TRUE”, that is the printer that is the current printer.
Now, locate the printer that you want to set as the default printer. Note down its name and then go to the command prompt and type “wmic printer ‘name of the printer’ call set default printer”. This printer will now be set as your default printer.