How to see who/what devices are connecting to my printer and how much they are printing & when.

[2024CS]

How can I access  a detailed report showing who or what devices are print jobs are coming from and how much is being printed from those people or devices. It would also be helpful to know when they are being printed as well. HP Office Jet Pro 9018

[Dragon-Fur]

@2024CS 

Welcome to the HP English Community --

If you want a completed, detailed report of user activities, you need an application or program (code) to do the work for you.

If you are using Windows, you can generate the raw data (must be set up ahead of time), create logs that contain at least some of what you expect to collect.  The data and logging for the Event Viewer can set on one Windows machine.  If you have multiple users on multiple Windows machines, you need a report setup for each system.

Is there something similar for MacOS?  No idea.  Must be - Mac's OS is not a Dead-Sea-Language.

Windows

The log and report process is manual unless you program the steps into a batch file (for each Windows system) - Fancier options are available if you can get someone to code the whole thing. 

Lastly, the whole thing is a House of Cards -- Losing the full driver (through error or uninstalling the software) can (will) undo the setup.  How much you lose depends on what happens to disrupt the collection.

There might certainly be something "out there" packaged and ready to use  -- I can certainly imagine writing such a thing so someone must have done so.  ??

The following is a collection of my archived notes on the subject of raw data collection.

The entirety might -- or might not - work as presented.

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Message Content References

Windows

Print Queue Management - Set up "Save a print job to reprint later"

The "reprint" feature must be set ahead of time to "Keep printed documents".  (The feature is not switched on by default.)

This method requires that the user base (those people submitting print jobs) do not sabotage the print queue by removing entries -- this is a matter determined by Policy in your home office / workplace.  (In other words, you must have a modicum of control over what people are doing).

Save jobs to be reprinted later

The following applies to recent versions of Windows and a printer for which the Full Feature Software / Full Solution Software has been installed.

 Windows 10

Control Panel > icon view > Devices and Printers 

Right-Click on your Printer > Printer Properties

(If necessary) Change Properties

Tab Advanced

Select Keep printed documents > Apply > OK

Windows 11

Settings > (Bluetooth & devices) > Printers & scanners > Select Printer >

Printer Properties > Tab Advanced

Select Keep printed documents > Apply > OK

Next,

When jobs are saved in the queue, they can be printed again later.

Windows 10

Control Panel > icon view > Devices and Printers 

Double-Click on your Printer

Double-Click on See What's Printing

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Windows 11

Settings > (Bluetooth & devices) > Printers & scanners > Select Printer >

Open Print Queue

OR

More devices and printers settings

Double-Click on Printer

Double-Click on See What's Printing

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Reprint your Job

Windows 10 / Windows 11 "See what's printing"

Single-Left-Click on a job that you want to reprint to highlight that entry

Right-Click on the highlighted job > Restart

Windows 11 "Open Print Queue"

Left-Click on the job to be reprinted > Select Restart

IMPORTANT

Removing / Reinstalling the printer software resets this option back to default (printed document list is not saved).

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System Information (works with “Keep printed documents”)

NOTE: Job information stored in System Information might not show number of pages

Windows 10

Control Panel > icon view > Administrative Tools > System Information

OR

Windows 11

Control Panel > icon view > Windows Tools > System Information

In section Software Environment

Print Jobs

NOTE:  Click on Time Submitted (in ribbon on top) to sort by date / time

Track print jobs in Event Viewer

A more complete log of events can be enabled in the Event Viewer.

How you track down the print job action depends on how your software reports an incident in the Event Viewer, whether you have remote access to the computer(s) in your work group, and your skill level in garnering the information you seek (manual look-and-see or write a script to gather the reports).

Enable the job log

Windows key + X > Event Viewer

Event Viewer > Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows 

Scroll down > PrintService > Right-Click Operational > Enable Log

(Run a print job)

Check the log for activity

Open the Event Viewer on the computer (from which the job was submitted

Open Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows >

scroll down, down > PrintService > Operational 

Save the Data into a File or Event Log

Option – Filter the log – Save the Data

After opening the Operational folder,

Beneath Actions menu on the right side of the window,

Click Filter Current Log

Select When in “Logged” (for example, “Any time”
Select “Event Level” (for example, Information)

Click on down arrow in “Event Sources” > Select PrintService

Beneath “Includes / Excludes Event IDs…” enter “307”

NOTE: Please check – Printing a Document may have a different Event ID on your system)

Click OK to filter the log using your selected parameters

Click (Beneath Actions), Save Filtered Log File As… and save your data

And / OR

Click (Beneath Actions), Save Filter to Custom View,

Enter a name for your custom filter view and Save it.

Option – Various Methods - Find Jobs and Save the Data

Sort the columns by "Task Category" > scroll down to items named "Printing a document"

Click on each job to see the details on that job (name of system and UserID)

Click the mouse on the first entry in the collection of “Printing a document” events,

Scroll to the end of the “Printing a document” events entries,

Click and hold down the Shift key,

Click on the last entry you want in the “saved group”

Method - Save and View Document

Beneath Actions (or tab Action) > Click Copy

Open a blank document (for example, Office Word)

Insert the table or text data into the open document

Save file as desired

Open document in the appropriate format (Word, NotePad for .txt) to view the log data

Method – Save and View Event Log Entries

Beneath Actions (or tab Action) > Click Save Selected Events

Optional > Decide and click language display options

Select a Folder in which you want to save the file and enter a Filename

Open Event Viewer > Open Saved Logs > Click on log to view

OR

Open File Explorer > Navigate to the folder in which you saved the .evtx log file

Double-Click on that filename to open the log in the Event Viewer

 Check the log for documents / print jobs removed from the queue

Sample - For what purpose might the data be used?

Sort the columns by "Task Category" > scroll down to items named "Deleting a document"

Click on each job to see the details on that job (name of system and UserID)

How to - Event Log Notification

How to Create Your Own Windows Event Log Notification System

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References / Resources

HP Printer Home Page - References and Resources

Learn about your Printer - Solve Problems

“Things that are your printer”

When the website support page opens, Select (as available) a Category > Topic > Subtopic

NOTE: Content depends on device type and Operating System

Categories: Alerts, Troubleshooting, Ink & Paper, HP Software / Drivers / Firmware Updates , Setup & User Guides, Product Specifications, Account & Registration, Warranty & Repair

Open 

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 Enter the device type and model name of your HP product

OR

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OR 

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