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by Niharika

How to Open Print Management in Windows 

October 4, 2026
0

Print Management in Windows helps control various printers or print servers. Through this tool, you can troubleshoot printer driver conflicts, manage your printers, and control the print queues better. This article explains quick, easy methods to open this tool to manage print jobs, beginning with a brief overview.

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What Is Print Management in Windows

Print Management is a tool to control and monitor connected printers, ongoing print jobs, and the print queue. Since this feature is not available in Windows 11 Home Edition by default, you must first install it.

To install Print Management, press Win + I, click Apps, click Optional Features, click the View Features option next to Add an optional feature, type Print Management in the search box, tick the tool checkbox, click Next, click Install, allow the installation to complete, and then restart your computer.

After installing Print Management in Windows 11, you can open and use it easily to fix problems such as the printer not working or slow printing.

How to Open the Windows Print Management Tool

To open the Print Management tool, you can use the Run command, Control Panel, Windows Search, File Explorer, Start Menu, Task Manager, or Windows PowerShell (Admin) (if you are an advanced user comfortable with command-line interfaces). Below are all these methods in detail; choose the one you find most convenient.

Method 1: Use the Run command to open Print Management

  • Press Win + R to access the Run command box.
  • Type printmanagement.msc in the Run box and press Enter.
printmanagement
  • The Print Management console opens immediately. You can click Print Servers to add or remove printers and drivers, configure the printer port, print a test page, view the printer queue, etc.

Also know: How to Fix Encryption Credentials Have Expired (Printer Issue)

Method 2: Open Print Management in Windows using Control Panel

  • Click the Start button.
  • Type Control Panel in the search bar and click the matching search result.
  • In the Control Panel, click the View By drop-down and select Large Icons or Small Icons.
  • Click Windows Tools.
  • Lastly, double-click Print Management to open it.
print management

Method 3: Search for Print Management

  • Click the Start button.
  • In the search bar, type print management.
  • Click Print Management in the search results.

Method 4: Access Print Management console using File Explorer

  • Press Win + E to open File Explorer.
  • In File Explorer, navigate to C:\Windows\System32.
  • Type printmanagement.msc in the search bar.
  • Lastly, click the executable file to launch the Print Management application.
search print management

Method 5: Use the Start Menu to find Print Management

  • Click the Start button.
  • Next, click All Apps.
  • Select Windows Tools from the bottom of the menu list.
  • Double-click Print Management to open it.

Method 6: Access Print Management using Task Manager

  • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  • In Task Manager, click Run new task.
  • Type printmanagement.msc in the Create new task window and press Enter or click OK.
type printmanagment

Method 7: Use Windows PowerShell (Admin) to open Print Management

  • Right-click the Start button.
  • Click Windows PowerShell (Admin) in the menu that appears.
  • In the Administrator Windows PowerShell, copy and paste the command msc and press Enter to open Print Management.

If you have any persistent confusion, you can check answers to commonly asked questions about Print Management in Windows to clear your doubts.

Also know: Why Is Your Printer Offline and How to Fix it

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How to open Print Management?

To launch Print Management in Windows 11, click the Start button, type Print Management in the search bar, and then click the matching result. For details and other methods to access this tool, refer to the guide above.

Q2. What is the keyboard shortcut to open Print Management?

While Ctrl + P is the general document print shortcut, there is no direct shortcut to open the Print Management tool. You can create a desktop shortcut to open Print Management. To do this, press Win + E, navigate to C:/Windows/System32, type printmanagement.msc in the search bar, press Enter, right-click the search result, go to Show more options, click Create shortcut, click Yes to confirm, and then double-click Print Management on your desktop to open it.

Q3. Why can’t I find Print Management in Windows 11?

Print Management is an optional feature; it is only available on Pro and Enterprise editions. Home edition users must install it manually. Hence, you may not find it if you have Windows 11 Home edition. You can install it through Settings.

Hope this helps you open Print Management in Windows to manage your printers and print jobs easily. You can comment with your questions if any confusion persists.

Author

Niharika

Niharika is a passionate soul who finds immense satisfaction in putting all her thoughts in writing. Being a technology enthusiast, she loves learning new things about tech and making everyone technologically literate through her articles. When not composing tech articles, you can find her bringing characters to life in her fictional stories, reading something intriguing, or spending time with her near and dear ones.

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How to Show This PC on Desktop in Windows 11/10 

September 3, 2026
0

The This PC on desktop, previously known as the My Computer icon, is a quick way to access files, drives, and system settings. However, it may be missing after installing an application, updating your computer, or because of a temporary system glitch.

The good news is that you can get the This PC icon back to quickly access the hard disk, storage drives, network locations, and important files and folders. This article explains quick methods to add the My Computer icon or This PC to your desktop.

How to Add This PC on Desktop

You can add This PC to the desktop using Windows Settings, the context menu, the Run command, or File Explorer, depending on the method you find the most convenient. Below is how to show This PC on the desktop in Windows 11/10 step-by-step using each of these approaches.

Method 1: Use Windows Settings to get the This PC icon

Windows Settings helps when important icons are not showing on the desktop. Here is how to get This PC on the desktop using Windows Settings.

  • Press the Windows key + I key to open Settings.
  • Click Personalization in the Settings menu.
  • Click Theme in the Personalization options.
  • Scroll down to Related Settings.
  • Find and click Desktop icon settings.
  • Select Computer in the desktop icons.
  • Right-click Computer, click Apply, and then click OK.

Also know: Remote Desktop Sound Not Working in Windows

Method 2: Add This PC on desktop using context menu

Right-clicking in the context menu is another way to add icons to the desktop. Below is how to enable This PC on the desktop using the context menu.

  • Right-click any empty desktop space and then click Personalize.
Personalize
  • Click Themes in the Personalization menu.
themes
  • Scroll down to Related Settings and click Desktop icon settings.
desktop icon settings
  • In the Desktop Icon Settings, click the Computer
  • Lastly, click Apply and OK to set the This PC icon on the desktop.
apply and ok

Method 3: Use the Run command to get This PC on the desktop

Run command allows you to quickly access the settings to put This PC on the desktop. The following are the steps to use it.

  • Press the Windows key + R key to access the Run command.
  • Type desk.cpl in the Run box and click OK.
desk cpl
  • In the Desktop Icon Settings, click the box next to the Computer and Allow themes to change desktop icons.
  • Lastly, click Apply and OK to save the changes.

Also know: Desktop Window Manager High GPU in Windows 10, 11

Method 4: Show My Computer icon/This PC icon on desktop using File Explorer

You can use File Explorer to create a This PC shortcut on your desktop. Visually, the shortcut will display a small arrow overlay, which distinguishes it from the default This PC icon. Functionally, the shortcut opens the File Explorer view as usual, but when you right-click it, you will see Shortcut properties instead of the full system properties available with the original This PC desktop icon. This means you cannot access system properties or other context menu options available via the default icon. If a simple shortcut meets your needs, below is how to create a shortcut of This PC on the desktop with File Explorer.

  • Press the Windows key + E to open File Explorer.
  • Locate This PC in the left sidebar of the File Explorer window.
  • Click This PC and drag it from the sidebar to your desktop.

Method 5: Use Registry Editor to add This PC icon on desktop

You can control the system icons that appear on your desktop using the Windows Registry. It also allows you to enable This PC on the Windows desktop if the Desktop Icon Settings are not available. The following steps explain how to get This PC on the desktop via the Windows Registry.

Note: Edit the Windows Registry only if you are sure of what you are doing. Even a single wrong change can cause system problems. Hence, back up your Registry before changing anything. To back up the Registry, open Registry Editor, click File, then select Export. Choose a location to save the backup, enter a file name, and click Save. This way, you can restore your settings if needed.

  • Press Windows key + R to open the Run utility.
  • Type regedit in the Run box and press
  • Approve the User Account Control prompt if it appears.
  • In the Windows Registry, navigate to the path HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel
  • Locate the value: 20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D.
  • Double-click the 20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D value if it exists and change the value data to
  • If the 20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D value does not exist, right-click the right pane, click New, click DWORD (32-bit) Value, name the value 20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D, and set the value data to
  • Press F5 on the desktop or follow the path Ctrl+Shift+Esc > find Windows Explorer > Restart to restart Windows Explorer and see the My Computer icon (which is now called This PC).

Method 6: Set This PC on the desktop using a PowerShell command

If you are comfortable with the command line interface or an IT administrator deploying settings across different computers, you can use a PowerShell command to get the This PC icon on the desktop. Here is how.

  • Right-click the Start button.
  • Click Windows PowerShell (Admin) in the menu that appears.
  • In Administrator PowerShell, copy and paste the following command and press Enter.

$path = “HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel”

$name = “{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}”

New-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name $name -Value 0 -PropertyType DWORD -Force

Stop-Process -Name explorer -Force

Method 7: Use the Group Policy Editor to add This PC to the desktop

If you have a Pro, Enterprise, or Education Windows edition, your organization’s Group Policy may be hiding the desktop icon. Below is how to edit the Group Policy to show This PC on the desktop in Windows 11/10.

  • Press Windows key + R to access the Run utility.
  • Type msc in the Run box and press Enter.
  • In the Group Policy Editor, follow the path User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Desktop.
  • Find, double-click, and set Hide and disable all items on the desktop to Not Configured or
  • Click Apply and
  • Lastly, restart your computer to save the changes.

However, if you still can’t see the This PC icon, you can check below for solutions.

Also know: How to Download Tiny 10 ISO File for Windows PC

How to Troubleshoot This PC Icon Not Showing

To fix This PC on desktop not showing:

  • Right-click the desktop, click View, and ensure Show Desktop Icons is checked.
  • On Windows 10, press Windows key + I, click System, click Tablet, and choose Never use tablet mode for When I sign in.
  • Launch Command Prompt as an administrator, run the following command, and then restart your PC to rebuild the icon cache.

DEL /A /Q “%userprofile%\AppData\Local\IconCache.db”

DEL /A /F /Q “%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\iconcache*”

  • If you have recently changed your Windows theme, the new theme may have overridden the settings for your desktop icon. Uncheck Allow themes to change desktop icons in Desktop Icon Settings to prevent this.
  • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, right-click Windows Explorer, and then click Restart to restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager.
  • Check Group Policy settings or the Registry if the icon keeps disappearing, as IT policies or system optimization tools can override your icon settings.
  • Perform a system restore. To restore your system when the icon was visible, follow the path Control Panel > Recovery > Open System Restore > Next > Restore Point > Next > Finish.
  • If all the above solutions fail, you can get help in Windows 11 or Windows 10 from Microsoft Support.

Below, we also answer a few related questions to clear any remaining doubts about the This PC icon on the desktop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How to rename the This PC icon?

To rename the This PC icon, right-click the icon, click Rename, type the new name (for example, My Computer icon), and press Enter.

Q2. How to remove the This PC desktop icon?

To remove the This PC icon, right-click an empty desktop space, click Personalize, click Themes, go to Related Settings, click Desktop icon settings, uncheck This PC in desktop icons, click Allow themes to change desktop icons, click Apply, and then click OK.

Q3. Where is This PC on my PC?

You can find This PC by pressing the Windows key + E and then clicking This PC in the left sidebar of File Explorer.

Q4. What does the This PC icon do on the desktop?

The This PC icon helps you access the settings to view and manage your storage drives, system properties, and folders quickly.

Q5. Why is This PC not showing on the desktop?

Windows does not show the This PC icon on the desktop by default to keep the desktop clean. You can enable it by following any of the methods in the guide above.

Q6. How to recover the This PC icon on the desktop?

You can check your Registry Editor settings or Group Policy to recover the icon if the icons are not showing on the desktop.

Hopefully, you can now access your files, drives, and system folders easily with the This PC icon on the desktop. However, if any confusion or doubt persists, leave us a comment; we will be happy to help.

Windows Could not Prepare the Computer to Boot into the Next Phase of Installation: FIXED

Windows Could not Prepare the Computer to Boot into the Next Phase of Installation: FIXED

June 17, 2023
0

When attempting to install Windows or upgrade to an existing version, some users are getting an error that reads “Windows could not prepare the computer to boot into the next phase of installation.” The problem is not exclusive to a single version of Windows, since it has been documented to occur with installs of Windows 7, 8.1, 10, or later versions too. Although the problem can be frustrating it has easy solutions.

The following guide explains the most workable solutions to fix the mentioned issue. So without wasting any more time let’s begin.

Reasons for “Windows could not prepare the computer to boot into the next phase of installation” Error:

  • An excessive number of non-essential hardware components are connected
    Some versions of the BIOS malfunction if an excessive number of non-essential hardware components are connected while the process of install or upgrade undergoes. By deleting or turning off any unneeded hardware, a significant number of users who were impacted by the problem were able to successfully fix it.
  • Improper Preparation of Installation Media
    Some of the users who were impacted have verified that this specific problem was happening as a result of incorrectly prepared installation media. The majority of customers have indicated that the problem has been fixed when it was recreated in the correct manner.
  • This specific problem is most often experienced by users of Mini PCs and other comparable devices. The BIOS does not support the version of Windows. The majority of newly launched smaller motherboard models that come with a version of the BIOS are incompatible with older versions of Windows i.e 7, XP.
  • It’s conceivable that a corrupted file in the system is the source of the problem. It’s possible that a corrupted file in the system is the source of this specific issue. Users who were in a scenario similar to yours have stated that the problem was addressed when they performed a clean installation and removed all of their partitions.

Solutions to resolve Windows Could Not Prepare The Computer to Boot Into the Next phase of Installation Error:

The following methods help in resolving the Windows could not prepare the computer to boot into the next phase of installation issue.

Method 1: Eradicating Each and Every partition

After erasing all partitions and beginning the process of operating system installation from the beginning, some users who were affected by the issue have reported that they were finally able to continue with the installation and finish the process without the “Windows could not prepare the computer to boot into the next phase of installation” error. This was the only thing that allowed them to do so.

Obviously, this may be a significant hassle if all you were attempting to do was update an existing installation of Windows, but if you’ve already gotten this far without a solution, you don’t really have any other options left to try at this point.Driver unallocated space

Before you continue with the process of deleting all accessible partitions, however, we strongly recommend that you first build a backup of your Windows system image in case something goes wrong.

After you have ensured that a backup has been created, you should restart your computer and configure it to always boot from the installation disc. When you arrive at the page where you get to choose where to install the operating system, erase every existing disk, and then make new partitions out of the Unallocated space.

Also Read: SOLVED whea_uncorrectable_error Windows 10

Method 2: Deactivate Unused Hardware

When you get the error message “Windows could not prepare the computer to boot into the next phase of installation,” the solution that will work the best to cure it is to delete or deactivate any superfluous devices on the computer. This is particularly useful in circumstances in which the user is attempting to update the existing version of Windows.

Some people have hypothesized that the problem is caused by an outdated computer’s faulty BIOS version, although this is just a theory at this point. The only time this has been observed to take place is when the computer is linked to a large number of peripherals and other external devices.

Keeping this in mind, remove any hardware that is not absolutely necessary.

  • This includes things like network adapters, USB, sound, and serial cards.
  • During the installation process, you should detach any hard disk drives or solid-state drives (SSDs) that are not required.
  • Deactivate optical drives in use on your device, as well.

Now when your device is ready to operate with a very minimal amount of hardware, simply restart your system and begin the installation process once again. There is a good chance that you will finish the procedure without encountering the issue once again.

Method 3: Determine if BIOS is compatible with the version of Windows

There is a possibility that the model of your BIOS does not support the version of Windows that you are attempting to install if you are using a more recent desktop or laptop computer and you are attempting to install an older version of Windows. There have been several reports of incidents like this one occurring on various versions of Mini-PCs. Virtually many of the more recent devices will not support earlier versions of Windows than 8.1.

Determine if BIOS is compatible with the version of Windows

If you believe that this scenario may possibly apply to your current situation, you should contact the warranty service for your product or do an internet search to see whether or not the BIOS model that is already installed on your personal computer is compatible with the version of Windows that you are attempting to install.

You might also attempt to install a more recent version of Windows and check to see if the problem message “Windows could not prepare the computer to boot into the next phase of installation” still appears after doing so.

Also Read: Fix: nvlddmkm.sys Failed Error on Windows 11/10/7

Method 4: Prepare Installation Media in the Correct Manner

A poorly written installation medium is yet another potential perpetrator that might be responsible for bringing about this specific problem. Since it has been established that the “Windows could not prepare the computer to boot into the next phase of installation” error can arise if media installation was improper. However, to resolve this start from the beginning and reinstall the media.Prepare Installation Media in the Correct Manner

Conclusion:

Hopefully, the aforementioned methods have helped you in fixing the Windows could not prepare the computer to boot into the next phase of installation error. Make sure you apply the solutions in the listed format to avoid wasting any time. If you still face any problems or have any suggestions write them in the comments section. For more information, guides, and tech updates subscribe to our blog.

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