Windows 10 lets you give an installed printer a more useful display name. Renaming it can make a list of similar office, home, or virtual printers easier to understand, but it does not change the printer’s network hostname, IP address, or physical configuration.
Rename a printer through Windows
- Open Settings.
- Go to Devices > Printers & scanners.
- Select the printer.
- Open its management or printer-properties controls.
- On the General tab of Printer Properties, edit the printer name when Windows allows it.
- Apply the change.
You may need administrator permission
Changing printer configuration can require elevated rights, especially for a printer installed for multiple users. On a managed computer, use the organization’s approved printer name rather than attempting to override policy.
If the printer is shared from a print server, the authoritative queue name can be controlled by the server. Renaming a local connection does not necessarily rename the shared printer for everyone else.
Renaming does not fix connectivity
If Windows shows the wrong device, an offline printer, or a duplicate queue, verify the printer port, network address, driver, and actual device before using a new name to hide the underlying problem.
Choose descriptive names
Names such as “Office Laser – 2nd Floor” or “Home Color Printer” are more useful than model numbers alone when several devices are installed.
Windows 10 support status
For printer management, remember that Microsoft ended standard Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025. Printer-driver availability can also become more limited as hardware and operating systems age.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.