How To Enable Print History Logging in Windows 11 & 10

By default, Windows doesn’t track your print jobs. However, there might be times when you want to track and keep a record of what’s being printed. For example, maybe you want to have a detailed list of all printed documents, need to reprint recently printed files, or need proof of print actions. Whatever your specific reason is, if you want to see the print history, you must manually enable print history logging in Windows.

In this quick guide, I will show you two methods, using Event Viewer and printer properties, to turn on print history tracking in Windows 11 and Windows 10. Let’s get started.

Before You Start

• The steps below have been tested to work in Windows 11 & Windows 10.
• If you are enabling print history primarily to track print jobs (e.g., for compliance reasons), follow the first method. If your primary concern is quick re-printing without the need to search for the files, follow the second method.

Quick Navigation:

• First method: Using Event Viewer
• Second method: Using printer properties

Enable Print History Using Event Viewer (Recommended)

In Event Viewer, you can enable printer operational logs to efficiently track all print jobs without clogging up your storage space. For the vast majority of Windows users, this is the recommended, safe method. Once enabled, the print history logs who printed the document, when it was printed, on which machine, using which printer, and the document’s name & location.

Note: This method is useful for auditing the print jobs. If you are specifically looking to track print jobs for re-printing, follow the second method shown below.

1. Right-click the Start button on the taskbar.
2. Select “Event Viewer“.
3. On the sidebar, double-click the “Application and Service Logs” option.
4. Go to the “Microsoft” > “Windows” > “PrintService” folder under it.
5. Right-click the “Operational” option in the right panel.
6. Select “Properties“.
7. Select the “Enable logging” checkbox.
8. Click “OK“.
9. With that, you’ve enabled print history logging in the Event Viewer on Windows 11 & 10.

Important note: If you are logging print jobs for legal or organizational compliance reasons, select the “Archive the log when full, do not overwrite events” option under the “When maximum event log size is reached” section after selecting the “Enable logging” checkbox in the properties window. This stops Windows from automatically deleting the logs. Additionally, you can also increase the “Maximum log size” to “50000 KB” (approx. 50 MB) or higher. However, increasing it too much can make auditing harder.

To view the logs, follow the steps 1 through 4 and double-click the “Operational” option in the center panel. You will see a list of print operations. Here, find the entries with “Event ID 307” and select them to view the print job information.

Enable Print History Using Printer Properties

You can also enable the “Keep printed documents” option in printer properties to turn on print history. Once you do this, Windows saves each print job as a separate file (SPL/SHD spool files) and displays them in the print queue. This method is particularly useful if you are looking for a quick way to reprint recent jobs without needing to find the actual file first.

Downsides: Windows does not automatically delete the print job files. You have to do it manually. If you print a lot of high-quality images or graphics and forget to delete old job files, your disk space will fill up quickly.

Note: If you have multiple printers and want to track them all, follow the steps for each printer separately.

On Windows 11:

1. Press “Windows key + I” to open Settings.
2. Go to the “Bluetooth & devices” tab on the sidebar.
3. Click the “Printers & scanners” option on the right panel.
4. Click the printer of your choice.
5. Click the “Printer properties” option.
6. Go to the “Advanced” tab at the top.
7. Select the “Keep printed documents” checkbox at the bottom.
8. Click “OK“.
9. With that, you’ve enabled print history tracking in Windows 11.

To view the history of printed documents or for re-sending a job to the printer, follow steps 1 through 4 and click the “Open print queue” option. It displays all the print jobs done by the printer since you enabled the “Keep printed documents” option.

On Windows 10:

1. Press “Windows key + I” to open Settings.
2. Click the “Devices” option.
3. Go to the “Printers & scanners” tab on the sidebar.
4. Click the printer on the right panel.
5. Click the “Manage” button.
6. Click the “Printer properties” option.
7. Go to the “Advanced” tab at the top.
8. Select the “Keep printed documents” checkbox at the bottom.
9. Click “OK“.
10. With that, you’ve enabled print history tracking in Windows 10.

To view the history of printed documents, follow the steps 1 through 4 and click the “Open queue” button.

That is all. It is that simple to enable print history functionality in both Windows 11 and Windows 10. If you have any questions or need help, comment below.