WD: Can't Set Default Printer (Word 7.0 and Later)

ID: Q134933

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows 95, version 7.0
Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

You can not set the default printer from the Print dialog box. This functionality has changed from Word version 6.x which allowed you to set a default printer.

CAUSE

This is a design feature of Word versions 7.0 and later. Word no longer sets the default printer driver. In Word 6.x when you set the default printer driver, it remained the default even when you exited Word.

RESOLUTION

To set the a default printer, use any of the following methods.

Method 1

To set a default printer, modify the properties of the printer. For more information about how to perform this task in Windows, see your Windows printed documentation or open the Windows Help Topics Index, and see the "default printer, setting" topic.

Method 2

You can create a macro using the FilePrintSetup command to set the default printer, as in the following example:

   FilePrintSetup .Printer = "HP LaserJet IIISi PostScript on
   \\NCPRINT\3SI@4079", .DoNotSetAsSysDefault = 1

The .donotsetAsSysdefault flag can be set to 0 to force the default printer change.

Additional query words: set default printer setting

Keywords          : kbprint
Version           : 7.0
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: January 29, 1998