{"id":1484,"date":"2016-01-23T14:30:43","date_gmt":"2016-01-23T09:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/198.58.113.91\/blog\/?p=1484"},"modified":"2026-03-12T11:48:30","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T06:18:30","slug":"stop-windows-10-change-default-printer-automatically","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/stop-windows-10-change-default-printer-automatically\/","title":{"rendered":"Stop Windows from Changing the Default Printer Automatically"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Windows 10 and 11, if you have multiple printers (including virtual printers, such as Microsoft Print to PDF and Foxit PDF) and set your preferred one as the default, the default printer changes automatically the next time you print to a non-default printer.<\/p>\n

Stop Windows from Changing the Default Printer<\/h2>\n

Click Start, type printers, and select Printers & Scanners<\/b> from the list. This opens the modern Printers and Scanners user interface.<\/p>\n

This interface lets you select the printer and set it as the default, or remove the device. Select your printer and click Set as default. Then, to prevent Windows from setting the default printer to the last used one, uncheck Let Windows manage my default printer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"manage<\/p>\n

(When this is on, Windows will set your default printer to be the one you used most recently at your current location.)<\/em><\/p>\n

Here’s how the setting appears in Windows 11.<\/p>\n

\"manage<\/p>\n

\"tipsNote that if the “Let Windows manage my default printer” option is enabled, the\u00a0“Set as default”<\/strong> button disappears on<\/span> the printer’s “Manage your device” page in the Settings app.<\/div>\n

Check your Sync settings<\/h4>\n

If the above setting is automatically enabled after some time or after a restart, check your Sync settings. If the “Other Windows settings” option is enabled in the Sync settings page, Windows will sync your printer, mouse, keyboard, and other settings.<\/p>\n

Open Settings (WinKey + i), click Accounts, and Sync your settings.<\/p>\n

\"sync<\/p>\n

Turn off the Other Windows settings<\/b> toggle button.<\/p>\n

(On Windows 11, open Settings \u2192 Accounts \u2192 Windows Backup. Expand “Remember my preferences”. Turn off “Other Windows settings.”)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On Windows 10 and 11, if you have multiple printers (including virtual printers, such as Microsoft Print to PDF and Foxit PDF) and set your preferred one as the default, the default printer changes automatically the next time you print to a non-default printer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[8,869],"tags":[492],"class_list":["post-1484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-windows-10","category-windows-11","tag-settings"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":28995,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/printer-error-0x00000bc4-0x00000709-windows-11-22h2\/","url_meta":{"origin":1484,"position":0},"title":"Fix: Printer Error 0x00000bc4 or 0x00000709 in Windows 11 22H2","author":"Ramesh","date":"October 5, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"After updating Windows 11 to version 22H2, your network printers may stop working. Also, the error code 0x00000bc4 (Desc: ERROR_PRINTER_NOT_FOUND) or 0x00000709 (Desc: ERROR_INVALID_PRINTER_NAME) appears when adding a new network printer. Operation could not be completed (error 0x00000bc4). No Printers Were Found. The printer name is invalid. Cause Windows 11\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Windows 11"","block_context":{"text":"Windows 11","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/windows-11\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"0x00000bc4 22h2 - printer gpo rpc connection","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/rpc-printer-gpo-w11.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/rpc-printer-gpo-w11.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/rpc-printer-gpo-w11.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/rpc-printer-gpo-w11.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1639,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/remove-old-printers-add-printer-list-windows-10\/","url_meta":{"origin":1484,"position":1},"title":"How to Completely Remove Old Printers in Windows 10 or 11","author":"Ramesh","date":"February 15, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"When you try to add a new printer by clicking the Add a printer or scanner in the Printer & Scanners page, old printers you added earlier but no longer use may be listed. This post tells you how to completely remove old, uninstalled, or obsolete printers from the Add\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Utilities"","block_context":{"text":"Utilities","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/utilities\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"FileRepository driver store","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/driver-store-filerepository.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/driver-store-filerepository.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/driver-store-filerepository.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":23714,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/printer-prints-documents-in-inverted-color-black-background\/","url_meta":{"origin":1484,"position":2},"title":"[Fix] Printer Prints Documents in Inverted Colors","author":"Ramesh","date":"April 20, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"When you try to print a document or image using your printer, it may print the contents in an inverted color scheme (black background with white text). The result is the same when you print a test page via the printer properties, or print from Word, Open Office, Libre Office,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Windows 10"","block_context":{"text":"Windows 10","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/windows-10\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"printer inverted colors printing - laser type 1 class driver","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/brother-firmware-inverted-printing.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/brother-firmware-inverted-printing.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/brother-firmware-inverted-printing.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/brother-firmware-inverted-printing.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6385,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/how-to-share-files-and-printers-in-windows-10-homegroup-alternative\/","url_meta":{"origin":1484,"position":3},"title":"How to Share Files and Printers Without HomeGroup in Windows 10","author":"Ramesh","date":"August 2, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The HomeGroup feature in Windows made it possible for novice users to share file and printer quickly. You could share pictures, music, videos, documents, and printers with other people in your home network. However, starting with this build (April 2018 - Version 1803), the HomeGroup service is no longer operational\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Windows 10"","block_context":{"text":"Windows 10","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/windows-10\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"why microsoft","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/microsoft-why.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1564,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/reinstall-microsoft-print-to-pdf-delete-accidentally\/","url_meta":{"origin":1484,"position":4},"title":"How to Reinstall Microsoft Print to PDF After Deleting it Accidentally","author":"Ramesh","date":"February 3, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Windows 10 and 11, as you know, includes the Microsoft Print to PDF virtual printer built-in that can print (convert) documents to PDF format from any application. Microsoft Print to PDF is a handy tool in Windows 10\/11. In the previous Windows Operating Systems, users needed to use a third-party\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Windows 10"","block_context":{"text":"Windows 10","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/windows-10\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"microsoft print to pdf printer missing add printer list","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/ms-print-pdf-driver-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":24345,"url":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/kb5005565-causes-printer-error-0x0000011b\/","url_meta":{"origin":1484,"position":5},"title":"Printer Error 0x0000011B Caused by KB5005565","author":"Ramesh","date":"September 17, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"After installing the September 14, 2021\u2014KB5005565 Cumulative Update, your computer may not print, especially when you attempt to print via the network. When you do so, the following error occurs: Windows cannot connect to the printer Printer error 0x0000011b (or) Operation could not be completed (error 0x0000011b). None of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Windows 10"","block_context":{"text":"Windows 10","link":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/category\/microsoft\/windows\/windows-10\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"printer error 0x0000011b KB5005565","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/printer-error-0x11b.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/printer-error-0x11b.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/printer-error-0x11b.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1484"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1484\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}