MFMC-GTS-072-0053

Issued: January 15th, 2008

Technical Information:


Windows Print Data Capturing



Document Version 1.0



Global Technology Support Section
Service Support Department,
Marketing Center
MFP Business Group

Technical Information: Windows Print Data Capturing
MFMC-GTS-072-0053

Notice:
THIS DOCUMENT MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED OR DISTRIBUTED IN WHOLE OR IN PART, FOR
ANY PURPOSE OR IN ANY FASHION WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT OF RICOH
COMPANY LIMITED. RICOH COMPANY LIMITED RETAINS THE SOLE DISCRETION TO GRANT
OR DENY CONSENT TO ANY PERSON OR PARTY.


Copyright

2008 by Ricoh Company Ltd.

All product names, domain names or product illustrations, including desktop images, used in this
document are trademarks, registered trademarks or the property of their respective companies. They
are used throughout this book in an informational or editorial fashion only. Ricoh Company, Ltd. does
not grant or intend to grant hereby any right to such trademarks or property to any third parties. The
use of any trade name or web site is not intended to convey endorsement or any other affiliation with
Ricoh products.

Although best efforts were made to prepare this document, Ricoh Company Limited makes no
representation or warranties of any kind with regards to the completeness or accuracy of the contents
and accepts no liability of any kind including but not limited to performance, merchantability, fitness for
any particular purpose, or any losses or damages of any kind caused or alleged to be caused directly
or indirectly from this document.


Version history:
Version Issue Date Revised item
1.0 Jan. 15, 2008 1st release



1/10
Ricoh Company, Ltd.
Technical Information: Windows Print Data Capturing
MFMC-GTS-072-0053

Index

1. Introduction.....................................................................................................................3
2. Target readers ................................................................................................................3
3. Overview ........................................................................................................................4
4. Procedures .....................................................................................................................5
Method 1: Applications "Print to file". ...................................................................................5
Method 2: Change the printer port .......................................................................................6
Method 3: Pause the queue.................................................................................................7
Method 4: Change the printer settings.................................................................................9


2/10
Ricoh Company, Ltd.
Technical Information: Windows Print Data Capturing
MFMC-GTS-072-0053

1.
2.
Introduction
This document describes a procedure for capturing and then storing print data in Windows. There are
several methods for this. This document describes 4 of them.

Note: This document describes the capturing of the print data in Windows XP and Windows 2000.
Note: All of the examples shown in this document are based on Microsoft Word 2000.

Important: This document contains general information that does not apply to any specific printer
driver or device.


Target readers
This document is intended for the support staff of Ricoh family group companies and their subsidiaries.


3/10
Ricoh Company, Ltd.
Technical Information: Windows Print Data Capturing
MFMC-GTS-072-0053

3. Overview
In cases where a problem can't be reproduced or is difficult to reproduce, the ability to capture and
retain a problematic job can be a very useful tool.
Though there are many ways to capture a print data, this document will describe the 4 primary
methods that can be used with Windows.


Method 1: An application's "Print to File" function.
This method will depend on the ability of the print application to save its print data to file. Not all
applications support this.

Method 2: Configuring the printer's port to "File:".
This method will change the port from one that connects to a printer, to one that spools directly to a file.

Method 3: Pause the queue.
This method will spool print data but prevent it from being printed. The print data will be retained in the
queue until it is unpaused.

Method 4: Retain Windows Spool files.
This method will spool print data. Unlike Method1, 2 and 3, this method can be used to print a job while
simultaneously capturing it.



4/10
Ricoh Company, Ltd.
Technical Information: Windows Print Data Capturing
MFMC-GTS-072-0053

4. Procedures
Method 1: Applications "Print to file".
Step 1) Simply print the job while this box is checked.
Note: The availability and appearance of this checkbox depends on the application.



















Step 2) Input a location to save the file.







5/10
Ricoh Company, Ltd.
Technical Information: Windows Print Data Capturing
MFMC-GTS-072-0053

Method 2: Change the printer port
Step 1) Change the queues port to "File:"


























Step 2) Input a location to save the file.






6/10
Ricoh Company, Ltd.
Technical Information: Windows Print Data Capturing
MFMC-GTS-072-0053

Method 3: Pause the queue
Step 1) Right click a queue, and select Pause Printing.




















Step 2) Print data will remain in the queue without being printed.










7/10
Ricoh Company, Ltd.
Technical Information: Windows Print Data Capturing
MFMC-GTS-072-0053

Location of the files:
%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\spool\PRINTERS
For each print job there are two spool files generated by the Windows OS spooler. The .SPL file
contains print data. The .SHD file is a header containing information about which printer the job was
sent to and user who sent the job.




8/10
Ricoh Company, Ltd.
Technical Information: Windows Print Data Capturing
MFMC-GTS-072-0053

Method 4: Change the printer settings
Under the Advanced tab, enable Keep printed documents.


























If "Keep printed documents" is enabled, printed jobs will be retained in the print queue.












9/10
Ricoh Company, Ltd.
Technical Information: Windows Print Data Capturing
MFMC-GTS-072-0053

10/10
Ricoh Company, Ltd.
Location of the files:
%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\spool\PRINTERS
For each print job there are two spool files generated by the Windows OS spooler. The .SPL file
contains print data. The .SHD file is a header containing information about which printer the job was
sent to and user who sent the job.