Turn off Windows default printer management
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
Path in the GPO console
User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Printers Description
This preference allows you to change default printer management. If you enable this setting, Windows will not manage the default printer. If you disable this setting, Windows will manage the default printer. If you do not configure this setting, default printer management will not change.
Registry
HKCU
Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows Value name: LegacyDefaultPrinterMode
Enabled: LegacyDefaultPrinterMode = 1
Disabled: LegacyDefaultPrinterMode = 0
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_Printing/LegacyDefaultPrinterMode Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Turn off Windows default printer management
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows]
"LegacyDefaultPrinterMode"=dword:00000001More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off Windows default printer management
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LegacyDefaultPrinterMode' -Value 1 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_Printing/LegacyDefaultPrinterMode
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off Windows default printer management
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows' -Name 'LegacyDefaultPrinterMode' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off Windows default printer management
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LegacyDefaultPrinterMode' -Value 1 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off Windows default printer management
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off Windows default printer management
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows' -Name 'LegacyDefaultPrinterMode' -Expected 1 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Turn off Windows default printer management
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'LegacyDefaultPrinterMode' -Value 1 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.