Whether you want to check print history for your own reference or to see what others are printing from your system, it’s easy to find a list of previously printed files on Windows.

Although the print queue in Windows displays your queued print jobs, it does not keep track of completed ones. However, you can still view your printed document history using the Event Viewer tool on Windows. Let's see how.

How to Enable Logging for All Printed Documents in Event Viewer

Event Viewer is a useful tool that provides detailed information about the processes that take place on your PC. It also keeps a log of all the app activities and system messages. Although Event Viewer is typically used to troubleshoot various system issues, you can also use it to keep track of your printed documents on Windows.

It's important to note that Event Viewer does not keep a record of your printed documents by default. In order to view your printed document history, you need to configure Event Viewer to keep a log of your printed documents.

Follow the steps below to enable logging for your printed documents in Event Viewer.

  1. Press Win + X to open the Power User menu and select Run from the list.
  2. Type eventvwr in the text box and press Enter. This will open the Event Viewer window.
  3. Use the left pane to navigate to Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows.
  4. Within the Windows folder, locate the PrintService folder.
  5. Right-click on the Operational log from the middle pane and select Properties.
    PrintService Log in Event Viewer
  6. In the Log Properties window, navigate to the General tab.
  7. Tick the Enable logging checkbox.
  8. You can specify what Windows should do when the maximum event log size is reached.
  9. Click Apply followed by OK to save the changes.
    Enable Print History in Windows 11

Once you complete the above steps, Windows will keep a log file of any documents that are printed from your system. You can access that log file from the Event Viewer at any time.

How to View the Printed Document History in Event Viewer

Once you've enabled logging for your printed documents, you can use Event Viewer to see a list of previously printed files on your computer.

To view your print history in Event Viewer, use the following steps.

  1. Click the search icon on the taskbar or press Win + S to open the search menu.
  2. Type event viewer in the box and select the first result that appears.
  3. In the Event Viewer window, use the left pane to navigate to Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > PrintService.
  4. Double-click the Operational log to view your print history.
  5. In the middle pane, you’ll see entries for various printer events. You can sort these entries by Date and Time or Task Category.
  6. Select an entry to view the exact date and time of the print job along with the printer that was used. You’ll also find the file path of your printed document under the General tab.
    View Print History Log in Windows 11

If you ever need to clear your print history from Windows, simply right-click on the Operational log file within the PrintService folder and select the Clear log option from the context menu.

Clear Printer History on Windows 11

Likewise, you can also use Event Viewer to check the startup and shutdown history of your Windows computer.

Checking Your Printed Document History on Windows

Knowing how to access your printed document history on Windows can come in handy in certain situations. You can use it to track down a particular document or double-check if someone else is using your printer without permission.

If you don't like using Event Viewer, you can also use a third-party event log management tool to check your printer history on Windows.