Default Printer Keeps Changing

Question

Level 2

371 points

Default Printer Keeps Changing

I have 3 printers: HP Photosmart (for photos/documents), Epson R200 (for CD/DVD printing) and Epson PictureMate (photos). The HP is set as the default and the preferences are locked. The Picturemate is set as a desktop printer so that my wife can just drag photos from iPhoto and drop it on the desktop printer to print.

My problem is that every now and then, the default printer changes to the PictureMate, even though the preferences are locked.

Any suggestions?

PowerMac G5 Dual 1.8/Mac Mini 1.42/iBook 12 (2005), Mac OS X (10.4.3)

Posted on Dec 19, 2005 1:23 PM

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Answer 1

Dec 19, 2005 2:15 PM in response to Only XM

Hi Only XM,
I believe this will fix your issue.

Open up System Preferences and select Print & Fax, in the lower section you should see two drop downs. One should say
Selected Printer in Print Dialog
It probably has "Last Printer Used" as the selected item, change this to your default printer and you should be okay.

Thanks,
Steven Stuart

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Answer 2

Only XM Author

Level 2

371 points

Dec 19, 2005 2:56 PM in response to Steven Stuart

Thanks for the reply. I already tried that. As soon as a drag a photo and drop it on the desktop printer (the Epson PictureMate), it changes the default to that printer.

As a test to see if it has something to do with the desktop printer, I reset the default to the HP, and printed to the Epson R200. The default printer did not change, which leads me to suspect that it's the desktop printer that is causing it to change the default printer setting to that printer each time a photo is dropped on it.

Strange . . .

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Answer 3

sparky67

Level 2

421 points

Feb 18, 2006 8:30 PM in response to Only XM

I just setup Desktop Printer icons today for several printers.

I discovered you are 100% correct.

If you use the Desktop Printers, they permanently over-ride the locked default printer settings.

You have to reset your default Printer in the System Prefs... after every stinkin' single time you use a Desktop Printer. Seems like a bug that should have been fixed by now.

😟

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