Modifying the way windows send print jobs to the printer

NTDEV
1

I need to come up with the way to prevent users from printing unauthorized
documents from any application, should it be Microsoft word, mspaint, photo
editing suite, outlook, ect from a client workstation

The printer will be connected to a server, shared on the network. There will
be a database which will contain a list of documents which have been
approved for printing.

Now I am thinking that I might need to create a filter driver for a printer,
and an windows service, which will be installed on the clients to query the
database and notify users that the print job has been approved, or declined.

Is a filter print driver the way to go? or is there a way of modifying the
way the print spool service behaves?

Regards
James

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2

Isn’t this basically impossible? What’s to prevent someone from opening a
document, and copying its contents to another document, to bypass this
barrier? Once a user has access to a document, the game is over.

– arlie

From: xxxxx@lists.osr.com
[mailto:xxxxx@lists.osr.com] On Behalf Of James Dunning
Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 4:33 AM
To: Windows System Software Devs Interest List
Subject: [ntdev] Modifying the way windows send print jobs to the printer

I need to come up with the way to prevent users from printing unauthorized
documents from any application, should it be Microsoft word, mspaint, photo
editing suite, outlook, ect from a client workstation

The printer will be connected to a server, shared on the network. There will
be a database which will contain a list of documents which have been
approved for printing.

Now I am thinking that I might need to create a filter driver for a printer,
and an windows service, which will be installed on the clients to query the
database and notify users that the print job has been approved, or declined.

Is a filter print driver the way to go? or is there a way of modifying the
way the print spool service behaves?

Regards
James

Questions? First check the Kernel Driver FAQ at
http://www.osronline.com/article.cfm?id=256

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addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, please be advised that you
have received this email in error and action should be taken to inform the
originator and this email should be deleted immediately and any copies made
should be destroyed. If you are not the intended recipient, any form of
disclosure, distribution, printing, copying or any other use of this email
or the information in it or in any attachments is strictly prohibited and
may be unlawful. Any views, opinions or other information expressed in the
email and any attachments are those of the originator and not given or
endorsed by General Dynamics UK Ltd.In compliance with the various
Regulations and Acts, please be aware that General Dynamics UK Ltd reserves
the right to monitor all emails and email attachments, both inbound and
outbound, allowing legitimate business practice to continue.In addition to
monitoring, General Dynamics UK Ltd also provides appropriate Antivirus
measures scanning all incoming and outgoing email and email attachments.
However, email communications cannot be guaranteed to be secure or free of
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liability or responsibility for any such matters or the consequences
thereof.

3

No ways except hooking each of the numerous apps personally.

Maxim Shatskih, Windows DDK MVP
StorageCraft Corporation
xxxxx@storagecraft.com
http://www.storagecraft.com
----- Original Message -----
From: James Dunning
To: Windows System Software Devs Interest List
Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 12:32 PM
Subject: [ntdev] Modifying the way windows send print jobs to the printer

I need to come up with the way to prevent users from printing unauthorized documents from any application, should it be Microsoft word, mspaint, photo editing suite, outlook, ect from a client workstation

The printer will be connected to a server, shared on the network. There will be a database which will contain a list of documents which have been approved for printing.

Now I am thinking that I might need to create a filter driver for a printer, and an windows service, which will be installed on the clients to query the database and notify users that the print job has been approved, or declined.

Is a filter print driver the way to go? or is there a way of modifying the way the print spool service behaves?

Regards
James

Questions? First check the Kernel Driver FAQ at http://www.osronline.com/article.cfm?id=256

You are currently subscribed to ntdev as: unknown lmsubst tag argument: ‘’
To unsubscribe send a blank email to xxxxx@lists.osr.com
This email and any files attached to it are of a confidential nature and intended for the exclusive use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, please be advised that you have received this email in error and action should be taken to inform the originator and this email should be deleted immediately and any copies made should be destroyed. If you are not the intended recipient, any form of disclosure, distribution, printing, copying or any other use of this email or the information in it or in any attachments is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. Any views, opinions or other information expressed in the email and any attachments are those of the originator and not given or endorsed by General Dynamics UK Ltd.In compliance with the various Regulations and Acts, please be aware that General Dynamics UK Ltd reserves the right to monitor all emails and email attachments, both inbound and outbound, allowing legitimate business practice to continue.In addition to monitoring, General Dynamics UK Ltd also provides appropriate Antivirus measures scanning all incoming and outgoing email and email attachments. However, email communications cannot be guaranteed to be secure or free of errors as information may be intercepted, corrupted, amended, lost, destroyed or contain viruses. General Dynamics UK Ltd do not accept liability or responsibility for any such matters or the consequences thereof.