An XPS file, short for XML Paper Specification, is a file format developed by Microsoft. It is used for sharing and preserving the layout, formatting, and content of a document, including text, images, and graphics. XPS files are similar to PDF files and provide a fixed document format that can be viewed and printed consistently across different devices and operating systems.
When Windows wants you to print an XPS file, it means that you have encountered an XPS document that the system is prompting you to print. This could happen if you open an XPS file or if you try to access certain features or content within the file that require printing.
Windows includes native support for viewing and printing XPS files. The system recognizes XPS files and provides options to open, view, and print them. When you encounter an XPS file and Windows prompts you to print it, it means that the default action for that file is set to printing.
If you don’t actually need to print the XPS file, you can simply close the print dialog or choose the option to cancel the print action. You can still view and read the contents of the XPS file without having to print it.
If you want to change the default action for opening or viewing XPS files, you can modify the file association settings in Windows. Here’s how:
- Right-click on an XPS file on your computer.
- Select “Open with” from the context menu, and then choose “Choose another app.”
- In the “How do you want to open this file?” window, select the desired application for viewing XPS files, such as Microsoft Edge or another PDF viewer.
- If the desired application is not listed, click on “More apps” to see additional options or click on “Look for another app on this PC” to browse for a specific application.
- Once you have selected the desired application, you can choose to set it as the default app for opening XPS files by checking the box labeled “Always use this app to open .xps files.”
- Click “OK” to save the changes.
By modifying the file association settings, you can change the default action for XPS files and choose an application other than the default print action.