How To View Print History in Windows 11 & 10

If you’ve enabled print history tracking/logging, you can use the Event Viewer or Print Queue to view the print history. This Windows feature is very helpful for thoroughly auditing what’s being printed, whether on a personal computer or in organizational and corporate settings with strict compliance requirements.

In this quick and easy guide, I will show you the steps to view the print history in Windows 11 and Windows 10. Let’s get started.

Before You Start

• The print history only shows print tasks completed after enabling the history feature. If that feature is not enabled, you cannot see the history. To set this up for the future, follow our guide on how to enable print history on Windows using Event Viewer and Print Queue. Once done, you can follow the methods below to view future print history.

Using Event Viewer to View Print History

1. Right-click the Start button on the taskbar.
2. Select “Event Viewer“.
3. Go to the “Applications and Service Logs” folder on the left sidebar.
4. Go to the “Microsoft” > “Windows” > “PrintService” > “Operational” folder under it.
5. In the top center panel, look for events with the ID “307” (Event ID column) and select it.
6. The bottom center panel displays the print history, including the user account, file path, time, size, and the number of pages printed.

Note: If you want to list all print tasks in the Event Viewer, make sure you are in the “Operational” folder, click the “Filter current log” option on the right sidebar, type “307” in the “All Event IDs” field, and click “OK”. This instantly filters and shows only the print logs.

Note: If you cannot find events with ID 307, the print history feature is not enabled in Event Viewer. Follow the link in the “Before You Start” section to enable it.

Using Print Queue to View Print History

Unlike the Event Viewer, the Print Queue method lets you view printing history on a per-printer basis.

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.
4. Click the printer for which you want to view the history.
5. Click the “Open print queue” option.
6. It displays all documents printed in the Print Queue window.

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 “Open queue” button.
6. It displays all documents printed in the Print Queue window.

Note: If the print queue is empty, either on Windows 11 or Windows 10, it is possible that the print queue is manually cleared or the “Keep printed documents” option is not enabled. To enable this option, follow the link in the “Before You Start” section to enable it.

If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.