Why is print driver creating a folder everytime a user prints?

Question

Everytime a user prints to the Toshiba MFP, the windows driver creates a folder in C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\TOSHIBA. These folders contain subfolders and files amounting to about 4 meg of disk space. I found this by doing a windirstat on the C drive to see why it was bloated. There were 662 gig worth of those folder/files in that directory. Doing a test print makes a new folder show up. I do notice that the PrintWorkflow_xxxxxxx service is started when first printing to the Toshiba.

Answer 1

if not, you can also check:

1. Check Print Queue and Spooler: Problems with the print queue or spooler service can lead to unusual behavior. Open the Print Management console (printmanagement.msc) and examine the print queue for any stuck print jobs or errors. Restart the print spooler service if needed.

Printer Properties and Advanced Settings: Within the printer properties, check for any settings that might be causing excessive logging or file creation. Look for advanced settings related to logging, job tracking, or temporary file creation.

1. Investigate the PrintWorkflow Service: The PrintWorkflow_xxxxxxx service you mentioned is related to the Windows Print Workflow service. This service manages cloud-based printing scenarios, job routing, and other features. It's possible that this service is somehow involved in the creation of these folders. You might want to explore its settings and logs to see if there are any clues.

Group Policy or Registry Settings: Sometimes, printer behavior can be influenced by Group Policy or registry settings. Check if there are any relevant policies or settings that might be causing this behavior.

Answer 2

Hello there,

Is this behaviour occurs for multiple users or any specific users?

Have you checked the Event Viewer for any trace?

If you cannot find anything in Event Viewer I would suggest you use tools like Procmon to find the root cause for this behaviour.

Have you made any recent updates that you are aware of on this device? If so try uninstalling them and check if this sorts out the issue

When a user sends a print job to a printer, the print spooler temporarily stores the print job data in a folder before sending it to the printer. This temporary storage allows the print spooler to manage multiple print jobs and prioritize them for printing. After the print job is successfully printed, the temporary folder should ideally be cleared.

Hope this resolves your Query !!

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