# Location based printing



## rrleon1 (Oct 27, 2009)

Hello- I have looked everywhere for a solution to the location based printing problem. Having upgraded from Windows 8 Pro to Windows 10 pro some time ago, the ability to have my default printer automatically change based on the network I was on was available and the only reason I needed the Pro versions. Perfect for moving my laptop from home to work and not have to choose my printer each time. After the big cumulative Windows 10 upgrade, that feature went away to be replaced by something really useless- making your default printer the last printer used. Doesn't help me when I change locations. Does anyone have a solution or option for this? It seem like it would have been easy to keep that great feature. I hope I'm explaining this correctly but I have seen nothing on searches to address the problem. Thanks in advance.


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## jenae (Jun 17, 2008)

Hi, welcome to the forums I haven't tested this however if you open "Settings" then "Devices" you can turn off the option to let windows manage my default printer.


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## rrleon1 (Oct 27, 2009)

The latest version of Windows 10 Pro even does not allow for default printer based on the network your computer is on. It manages default printer by saying the last printer used is default. It used to be when you went into the control panel and clicked on printers, it had a manage printers button to push and you could select a printer for a given network. One for home, one for work. That option is no longer available. So the default printer option for Windows now does nothing.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

This is done by going to *Settings/Devices/Printers and Scanners/Let Windows manage my default printer*
Printer - Turn On or Off Let Windows 10 Manage Default Printer - Windows 10 Forums


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## rrleon1 (Oct 27, 2009)

Thanks for the reply but that is the problem. The "new" way to manage printers only selects the last printer used. So, if I printed something at work, and then go home, when I go to print something, my work printer comes up. In earlier pro versions, when I went home, my home printer would pop up because that was the network I was connected to. So then I print at home, when I go back to work with the new "management system," my home printer would be default, not my work one. It was the main feature until that last build. I don't understand why Microsoft took that out. Now, if the new system had last printer based on network, fine. But that is not how it works. At least not for me. The only reason I used the Pro versions on Windows 7 and 8 and even 10 in the beginning was for that automatic selection of a printer based on the network I was connected to.


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## Lead3 (Jun 14, 2006)

Microsoft removed the ability to have the default printer based on the network, in Windows 10.
I do not know why they chose to do this.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

You can add a network printer this way:
From the control panel (Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Devices and Printers) click on* "Add a printer"* then choose *printer wasn't listed* then *"Add a printer using a TCP/IP address or hostname" *Type in the Printer Name or IP Address. You can also go to Start/Search and type the Host name or IP address of the printer (ie) *\\[HostName]* Or *\\192.168.1.254* _Right _click the shared printer and choose *Connect*. 
If Windows is _not _Managing the Default printer, Right click it and making it Default:


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## Lead3 (Jun 14, 2006)

The OP is asking about the ability for the default printer to be automatically chosen based on what network the computer it is connected to. This capability has been removed from Windows 10.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

It will no longer automatically select a network printer, but you can manually still browse to it.


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## Lead3 (Jun 14, 2006)

spunk.funk said:


> It will no longer automatically select a network printer, but you can manually still browse to it.


True, but that is not what the OP wants to do and the capability did exist in Windows 8.1.


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## rrleon1 (Oct 27, 2009)

It actually existed in Windows 10 Pro when I first upgraded. It only went away with that first cumulative update. I don't know why they would have taken that away. Especially from the Pro version. It was just handy to have. The printers have network addresses of course at home and work. Now just have to figure out some automatic switching.


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