Keep getting Universal Print pick message - need to stop it

[todd_ruggles]

I need to stop this message when printing 

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @todd_ruggles 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

Thank you for flagging this—it’s understandably disruptive to have the Universal Print dialog pop up every time you try to print. I appreciate your effort in identifying the behavior. 

Let’s walk through how to stop that message so your printing experience feels smooth and direct.

 

1. Switch Default Printer

• On your Windows PC, press Windows + I to open Settings.
• Go to Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
• Select your preferred physical HP printer (e.g., HP Color LaserJet Pro M478f-9f).
• Click Set as default.

If Universal Print is currently set as default, Windows will keep prompting you to pick it—even if you select another printer manually.

 

2. Remove Universal Print Driver (if not needed)

• Press Windows + R, type control printers, and press Enter.
• In the Devices and Printers window, locate any printer labeled Universal Print.
• Right-click it and choose Remove device.

This ensures Windows doesn’t default back to Universal Print or offer it as a preferred option.

 

3. Disable Automatic Printer Management

• In Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, scroll down and turn off:
  • Let Windows manage my default printer

This prevents Windows from switching your default printer based on usage patterns.

 

4. Check Outlook Print Settings

• Open Outlook and go to File > Print.
• Select your preferred HP printer from the dropdown.
• Click Print Options and confirm that the selected printer is saved as default for future print jobs.

 

5. Update HP Universal Print Driver (if you still use it)

If you rely on Universal Print for networked environments but want to suppress the prompt:

• Download the latest HP Universal Print Driver from HP’s official page:
  HP Universal Print Driver for Windows: https://support.hp.com/ie-en/drivers/hp-universal-print-driver-series-for-windows/503548

Let me know if you'd like help confirming whether your setup uses Dynamic or Traditional mode—I can guide you through that too.

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Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye