Optional: If you want a printer to be available but never used as default, click on it and select “Stop printing” to hide it from the main list. The old Control Panel still works and gives a different visual overview.
To see all installed printers, type:
Open Settings (press Windows + I on your keyboard). how to set default printer windows 11
Click the Set as default button. You will see a “Default” label appear next to the printer name. Optional: If you want a printer to be
Disable “Let Windows manage my default printer” only if you truly use one printer 99% of the time. Otherwise, let Windows 11 handle it intelligently per location. Now you can print confidently, knowing your documents will always go to the right device. Click the Set as default button
Set-Printer -Name "Your Printer Name Here" -DefaultPrinter $true To disable Windows’ automatic management (if needed) via PowerShell:
Windows 11 offers several ways to manage your printing preferences, but the default printer setting is crucial for efficiency. Without it, you might accidentally send a 50-page report to a receipt printer or waste time selecting the correct device every time you hit Ctrl+P .