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Remove Let Windows Manage my default Printer

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Thursday, February 18, 2016 8:13 PM | 2 votes

How can we completely disable / remove the Let Windows manage my default printer?  We have created a GPO that affects the Current user and the GPO works when a gpupdate is ran, however when you restart Windows the setting is back on.   It seems that there is some sort of background Windows process that is turning this back on during the reboot and preventing the GPO from affecting this setting.  The only way we have been able to get it to apply after a reboot is to then run another gpupdate and if you have Settings - Devices box open while running the gpupdate you can actually watch the slide bar move. 

We are running Windows 10.0.10586 Enterprise with all of the latest updates through Feb 2016. 

This is the registry setting:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows]
"LegacyDefaultPrinterMode"=dword:00000001

Is there a way to completely disable this feature?

All replies (16)

Friday, February 19, 2016 1:22 AM | 1 vote

  • Open the Settings app.
  • Settings -> Devices -> Printers and Scanners.
  • See the option named "Let Windows manage my default printer". Turn it off or on accordingly.

S.Sengupta, Windows Experience MVP

Friday, February 19, 2016 6:29 AM | 1 vote

Hi Stan Cooper,

" It seems that there is some sort of background Windows process that is turning this back on during the reboot "
Are there any related error messages recorded in the Event Viewer?
We could try to audit that registry key to monitor who changes the registry key back.

As a work around, we could try to schedule a task to run "gpupdate /force" to update the gpo after we restart the machine.

"Is there a way to completely disable this feature?"
We could try to change the permissions of this registry key then export it and deploy it to others. This may destroy this registry key, you would take your own risk if you want to do this.

Best regards

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Friday, February 19, 2016 9:21 PM | 3 votes

Thank you for your suggestion and you are correct, that is where the setting is, however knowing where the setting is was NOT my question.  When you turn that setting off and reboot one would think it would stay off and not turn itself back on.  That is where we need a way to either disable the feature completely (preferred) or have the GPO that we've created actually work after a reboot.  The only work-around we've found is to run a gpupdate after the reboot.

Friday, February 19, 2016 9:32 PM | 1 vote

Thank you for your response.  There are no corresponding entries in the Event Viewer related to this and creating a batch file or login script to run the gpupdate is a work-around, however we shouldn't need a work-around as applying a group policy should make the change.  The real question is why would it be changing back in the first place?  If you change something one way or another it shouldn't switch unless there is some other command making it switch. 

One other thing to note is that this is affecting Windows 10.0.10586 Enterprise computers joined to a 2012R2 domain.  I've tried building a fresh Windows 10.0.10586 PRO computer connected to a workgroup and logged in with a Microsoft "live" account and that works as it should.  I went in and created a HP LaserJet 4000 TCPIP printer and set it as default, changed the "et Windows Manage"setting to off and rebooted.  When it came up the setting was still off.  I even went into the registry, deleted the LegacyDefaultPrinterMode entry under HKCU, went back into printers and changed the "Let Windows Manage" setting and the registry key got recreated with a 0 and when I slid it to the Off position the registry updated to a 1.  Exactly as it should. 

So could this be an issue with Enterprise edition on a domain?

Monday, February 22, 2016 2:28 AM | 1 vote

Hi Stan Cooper,

Have you tried to audit that registry key?

Best regards

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Monday, February 22, 2016 3:05 AM | 1 vote

MeipoXu - Yes, we audited the registry key while we were on a remote session with Microsoft support and had a Microsoft tech assisting.  The end result of working with two techs from Microsoft support was them telling us to run gpupdate in a batch file after the login process was finished to apply the setting.  That is a work-around, but not ideal and obviously not a solution.  We just want to disable this "feature" all-together so it can't be turned on at all.  Can that be done?

Monday, February 22, 2016 3:08 AM | 1 vote

Hi Stan Cooper,

How about changing the permissions of this registry key then deploy it?

This is the only idea I could figure out. This operation may destroy this registry key, you would take your own risk.

Best regards

Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they help, and unmark the answers if they provide no help. If you have feedback for TechNet Support, contact [email protected].

Thursday, March 3, 2016 7:37 AM

Same issue here with Windows 10 Professional.

I've tried the same solution as Stan for our user. In addition, even tried to turn it off manually. However, the setting goes back to on at the background while user logged in.

This is very annoying as it goes out of control. Is the any proven method to solve this issue or we have to wait for a hot fix?

Thursday, March 3, 2016 12:50 PM

We have a work around, but it's NOT ideal.  The root of the problem looks to be that there is a Computer setting that is getting applied after the GPO since User Settings get applied first, but we've not found which setting is doing it.   We tried auditing and even worked with Microsoft Support, but they suggested that we just run gpupdate /force after the login is complete.  That does turn it off, but what we want is to disable this "feature" all-together.

We have opted to NOT do the gpupdate /force because it takes so long and holds up the user login experience.  Instead we are running a batch file that does a reg add and changes the 0 to a 1.   That works until the machine is rebooted, but when the user logs in the batch file makes the change. 

Again, NOT the solution we want, but until Microsoft comes out with a fix or removes this "feature" (really, who would want this?) then this is all we have.

Regards, Stan Cooper

Tuesday, March 8, 2016 2:24 AM

Hi Stan Cooper,on99hkman,

I have made a test on my side. I changed that option manually but it didn`t turn back after restart. So the issue may be related to the specific environment.

What is the audit result in the Event Viewer?

Best regards

Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they help, and unmark the answers if they provide no help. If you have feedback for TechNet Support, contact [email protected].

Thursday, August 4, 2016 4:33 AM

Is this working yet or is it fixed in the Anniversary Update?

We need to deploy the setting to all our users and have it remain set after reboots.

Friday, August 5, 2016 1:56 AM

I solve this by putting below registry in group policy apply to user. The action setting is "Update".

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows]
"LegacyDefaultPrinterMode"=dword:00000001

Only tested to work on Win10 version 1511.

Friday, March 17, 2017 1:26 PM | 2 votes

The GPO for Windows 10 1607 is:

Turn off windows default printer management

Located in:

User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Control Panel -> Printers

Thursday, June 1, 2017 7:26 PM

Using Office for Windows 2016 with Windows 7, where is the Settings app? Finding Devices > Printers and Scanners is easy but there is no option there for "Let Windows Manage my Default Printer" which appears to be essential to solving the misalignment of addresses in printing envelopes. Thanks in advance.

Thursday, June 1, 2017 8:06 PM

There is no option in Windows 7

Tuesday, June 20, 2017 2:41 PM

Have you noticed a down arrow icon on this policy setting with a note stating:

"This registry setting is not stored in a policy key and this is considered a preference. Therefore, if the Group Policy Object that implements this setting is ever removed, this registry setting will remain."