Is there any way of going into your computer/printer to see the history of what has been previously printed? I have a HP printer.
printer history?
- Thread starter suresue592003
- Start date
Well I don't doubt that there's a way to look at old spool files on the disk... if you are a hacker who knows how to do those things. 
In fact, I read an article awhile ago about security concerns over newer photocopy machines. Basically, they are just a computer connected to a scanner and printer. When businesses replace them it doesn't usually occur to them that images of many of their internal documents are still somewhere on the internal hard drive.
In fact, I read an article awhile ago about security concerns over newer photocopy machines. Basically, they are just a computer connected to a scanner and printer. When businesses replace them it doesn't usually occur to them that images of many of their internal documents are still somewhere on the internal hard drive.
Windows doesn't log print history and the spooler file(s) are purged upon completion of the print job, so there isn't much you can do. If the printer is a Server based shared printer, local security policies and auditing could be setup to track printing, but for a locally attached printer you would need a third-party application for print job tracking.
Some network based printers provide a lot of info re: status etc, but I have not seen one that keeps a log of individual job usage.
Some network based printers provide a lot of info re: status etc, but I have not seen one that keeps a log of individual job usage.
I really don't know the specifics of windows printing and will bow to your expertise. But I doubt that the spooler does a secure erase of the files, so there are probably pieces of them scattered across different disk sectors. I just have a feeling that if the FBI thought you were printing something nasty they could send your hard drive to a lab and find all kinds of things.
I went to Kinko's last year to copy some large maps I have, and the machine there is quite modern. It copies the map and displays it on a computer screen to view. I was moving along quite well and then a very large calendar printed out that I did not have. It was huge, and consisted of various things to do on each day of the month. That got me to thinking that I bet the employees each day look through that computer for items that they might find interesting. That included my maps that maybe I did not want them to have.
Guy
Guy
On some printers you can set a switch to keep printed documents. Look in your printer properties under the 'Advanced' tab. Won't help for what has already been printed though and it does use disk space.
"You can turn on the option in the printer's Properties dialog box. To reach it in Windows 2000, select Start, Settings, Printers. In Windows XP, you may have Printers and Faxes on your Start menu, or you may have to open Control Panel, click Printers and Other Hardware, and finally select View installed printers or fax printers. If your Control Panel option opens a menu, choose Printers and Faxes. Right-click your printer and select Properties. Click the Advanced tab, check Keep printed documents, and click OK.
You'll also want a shortcut to the printer spool. In the Printers or 'Printers and Faxes' window, drag the printer icon to your desktop, your Quick Launch toolbar, or your Start menu. If Control Panel is displayed as a menu, Ctrl-drag the printer icon from the menu. To reprint a document, just launch the printer shortcut, right-click the file, and select Restart.
You'll eventually get a long list of printed documents. And the folder containing those printouts--either C:\WINDOWS\System32\spool\PRINTERS or C:\WINNT\System32\spool\PRINTERS--will be huge. To clean out the spool, launch the printer icon, right-click the files you don't need, and select Cancel. "
"You can turn on the option in the printer's Properties dialog box. To reach it in Windows 2000, select Start, Settings, Printers. In Windows XP, you may have Printers and Faxes on your Start menu, or you may have to open Control Panel, click Printers and Other Hardware, and finally select View installed printers or fax printers. If your Control Panel option opens a menu, choose Printers and Faxes. Right-click your printer and select Properties. Click the Advanced tab, check Keep printed documents, and click OK.
You'll also want a shortcut to the printer spool. In the Printers or 'Printers and Faxes' window, drag the printer icon to your desktop, your Quick Launch toolbar, or your Start menu. If Control Panel is displayed as a menu, Ctrl-drag the printer icon from the menu. To reprint a document, just launch the printer shortcut, right-click the file, and select Restart.
You'll eventually get a long list of printed documents. And the folder containing those printouts--either C:\WINDOWS\System32\spool\PRINTERS or C:\WINNT\System32\spool\PRINTERS--will be huge. To clean out the spool, launch the printer icon, right-click the files you don't need, and select Cancel. "
That's okay. If you own a Xerox color laser, the time, date, and serial number if your printer is recorded on all of your prints.
http://w2.eff.org/Privacy/printers/docucolor/
Big Brother is Watching You.
http://w2.eff.org/Privacy/printers/docucolor/
Big Brother is Watching You.
With the right tools and knowledge, it's amazing how much info someone can get off a computer. I was involved with a local procecutors investigation a while back. They took the individual in questions desktop as evidence and recovered stuff that was on it going back years. It was regarding a theft. The detective told me to always remove any hard drives and flash the memory or remove it when getting rid of a computer.