Some programs are set up to print only on the system’s default printer. Other programs are set up to print on the system default printer but allow you to target, or change to, a different printer. If several printers are available, you can designate any one of them as your default printer.

Change the Default Printer

1. Click the Start button, type printer in the Search box, and choose the Printers folder.

2. Click the printer you want to use as the default printer to select it.

3. Click Set As Default.

4. Close the Printers folder when you’ve finished.

Caution

If you normally print documents using a printer that’s installed on your computer, make sure the device that’s designated as your default printer is not the Microsoft XPS Document Writer, or any other specialized printer. If one of these other devices is set as your default printer, documents that you want to print might seem to have disappeared.

See Also

"Printing from a Program" and "Printing a Document" for information about printing on different printers.

Tip

If there’s a check mark next to the printer icon, the printer you’ve chosen is already designated as the default printer.