Recovering A Scanned Document from EITHER the HP Smart App or My OfficeJetpro8720 Printer

[SpaceCadetS98]

Hello. 

I have been using the HP Smart app on my Windows 10 computer to scan documents. A lot of the time the app crashes, but I was scanning in old children's work from my elementary school years through this app one night. I hit save and am not exactly sure where it saved to - I THOUGHT it saved to my school-linked OneDrive Account. I looked for the newer scanned documents and I did not see them. I was wondering if there was a chance that you could track my activity on HP Smart, or if you could tell me how to navigate the HP app/website to see my own history/saved documents, or even if the scanned documents were saved somewhere in the printer? I have an HP OfficeJet Pro 8720.

The files were over 20 years old, and I got rid of them after I saved them that night, so I can't even go back and re-scan everything. They were my entire childhood and I would do anything to get them all back. Please. What can I do to recover my childhood? 

[Dragon-Fur]

@SpaceCadetS98 

I am sorry this happened to you.

Sadly, yours is not a unique story.  Without having checked the actual results, others have trashed, tossed, or otherwise destroyed original files / photos / content.

The bad news...

The printer does not save your scan data.

HP does not track your work beyond the tools used to process a current job.

HP Smart provides limited "Activity" history - Open the application > Click the "School Bell" icon.

The data itself is not saved.

What to do?

Before you give up, search your account.

Search both local folders and any remote locations (for example, Cloud Storage / OneDrive).

What about file names?

This is where it is helpful to sort the results by the date instead of the file name.

Using the file name for the search:

Content scanned by HP Smart without a preset filename include some form of the date on which the data was scanned.

Example file name

Photo_2021-03-13_133899.jpg

Don't forget to check the Temp folder in your AppData (personal account).

For example,

Open File Explorer > navigate to

 %temp%

Lots of data?

I use the "free" version of the following product.

The software produces results very quickly.

The results include a top level (selected start folder location) to file level search for both local and remote locations (Cloud storage).

Tree Size Free

Tree_Size_Free_Sample_1

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References / Resources

Adobe Reader DC – Install Whether You Use It or Not

If you have not done so,

Reinstall / Update your PDF Reader (Adobe Reader DC /Optional  Foxit Reader)

HINT:  Watch out for and UNCHECK unwanted extra software

NOTE:  Adobe Reader DC software can be installed even if you do not normally open / view / print PDF files directly from the Adobe Reader DC software.

HP Printer Home Page - References and Resources – Learn about your Printer  - Solve Problems

 “Things that are your printer”

NOTE:  Content depends on device type and Operating System

Categories:  Alerts, Access to the Print and Scan Doctor (Windows), Warranty Check, HP Drivers / Software / Firmware Updates, How-to Videos, Bulletins/Notices, Lots of How-to Documents, Troubleshooting, Manuals > User Guides, Product Information (Specifications), more

HP OfficeJet Pro 8720 All-in-One Printer series 

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