Overview

Microsoft Windows 10 introduced a new feature where the operating system could update the default printer settings. Depending on various factors such as the network connection or location of your computer, Windows 10 can change your default printer and select a different printer as the default.

This new feature can be confusing and in some cases leads to problems where the default printer has been changed unbeknownst to the end-user. The following changes should only be made after a backup has been created; if you are uncomfortable making these changes please contact the EOAS IT Help Desk.

Disabling Automatic Default Printer option in Windows 10

Using the Command Prompt

Open a command prompt with administrator privileges and at the command prompt, execute the following:

reg load hku\ntuser.dat c:\users\default\ntuser.dat

reg add "hku\ntuser.dat\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows" /v LegacyDefaultPrinterMode /t REG_DWORD/d 1 /f

reg unload hku\ntuser.dat

References:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-ca/help/4028622/windows-10-how-to-set-a-default-printer