Drivers & software
Documents keep going to the wrong printer
Windows, macOS or an app keeps choosing a different printer from the one you want. Set a fixed default and stop it switching back on its own.
Try this first
On Windows 11, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners and switch off Let Windows manage my default printer. Then select the printer you want and click Set as default. With that switch on, Windows makes whichever printer you used last the default, which is why it seems to wander.
Didn’t work? Go to the full stepsWhat you’ll notice
- Print jobs land on an old printer or on Microsoft Print to PDF
- The default changes every time you print to a different printer
- The Set as default button is missing in Printers & scanners
- One app keeps opening on the wrong printer while others are fine
- Setting a default fails with error 0x00000709
Usually caused by
- Most commonWindows is set to manage the default printer for you
- Most commonAn app remembers the last printer used in it
- SometimesA newly added printer or PDF printer became the default
- SometimesmacOS is set to use the last printer used
- Less commonA permissions or policy problem stops the setting saving
Step by step
Work down the list in order. Tick off each step as you go: your progress is saved on this device.
Windows 11 and 10
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Turn off automatic default switching
On Windows 11, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners and, under Printer preferences, switch off Let Windows manage my default printer. On Windows 10, go to Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners and clear the box with the same name.
You should see: The setting is still off when you leave the page and come back.
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Choose your default printer
Select the printer you want and click Set as default. On Windows 10, select it, click Manage, then Set as default. The button only appears once automatic switching is off.
You should see: The word Default appears under that printer’s name.
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Remove printers you no longer use
Old printers, duplicates with "(Copy 1)" in their names and fax entries are easy to pick by mistake. Select each one you don’t need and click Remove. Keep Microsoft Print to PDF if you save documents as PDFs; it won’t take over once a fixed default is set.
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Reopen apps after changing the default
Office apps and many others read the default printer when they start. Close and reopen the app after the change, or the old printer may stay selected for the rest of that session.
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Pick the printer once in stubborn apps
Some programs, browsers and PDF readers among them, remember the last printer used inside them and ignore the system default. In that app’s print dialog, choose the right printer and print once; in most apps the choice sticks for next time.
You should see: The app opens its print dialog on the right printer the next time.
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Fix a default that won’t save
If setting the default fails with error 0x00000709 or the old printer returns after every sign-in, open Command Prompt as administrator, run the command below to restart the Print Spooler, and set the default again. If it still fails, see the related 0x00000709 page. On a work computer, a policy may set the default for you; only whoever manages the PC can change that.
net stop spooler && net start spooler
macOS
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Pick a fixed default printer
Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners. Below the printer list, change Default printer from Last Printer Used to the printer you want.
You should see: Print dialogs in most apps now open with that printer selected.
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Remove printers you no longer use
Printers added at work, school or a friend’s house stay in the list long after you’ve left. Select any you don’t need and remove them so they can’t be chosen by accident.
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Choose the printer once in problem apps
A few apps remember the printer you last used in them. Open the print dialog, choose the right one from the Printer menu and print; the choice usually carries over to next time.
ChromeOS
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Print once to the right printer
In the print preview, open Destination, choose See more if the printer isn’t listed, select it and print. The preview generally opens on the most recently used destination after that.
You should see: The next print preview opens with the same printer already chosen.
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Remove printers you don’t use
Open Settings > Advanced > Print and scan > Printers (or search Settings for "Printers"), then use the menu beside an old printer to remove it.
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Check whether your school or work sets it
On a managed Chromebook, the organization can control which printers appear and which comes first. If the wrong one keeps returning, it’s set by policy, and only the administrator can change it.
Did this fix it?
Good to hear. If the problem comes back, the steps will still be here, and your ticked steps are saved on this device.
Try these next:
- Sign out and back in after setting the default. If it reverts, the setting isn’t being saved, which points to a profile or policy problem rather than the printer.
- Rename printers with clear names in Printer properties on the General tab so the right one is obvious in every list.
- If the right printer is selected but still doesn’t print, the default isn’t the problem; work through the related page on a printer that won’t print.
Still stuck? Run the diagnose questions, or check your printer’s manual and the manufacturer’s official support site.
Common questions
Why does Microsoft Print to PDF keep becoming my default?
With automatic management on, Windows makes the last printer you used the default, and saving a PDF counts as printing. Turn that setting off and set your real printer as the default.
Is the default printer the same for everyone on the computer?
No. Each Windows user account and each macOS user keeps its own default, so set it in every account that prints.
Why can’t I see the Set as default button?
It’s hidden while Let Windows manage my default printer is on. Switch that off and the button appears on each printer’s page.