Patent ID: 8244144

Claim:
A printing apparatus, which is connectable with an external storage device, comprising: a printer unit configured to execute a printing operation to print an image according to a current print job; a print log provider configured to provide a print log, which indicates a record of the printing operation for the current print job, to the external storage device to be stored when the printer unit activates the printing operation; a print log obtainer configured to obtain a preceding print log, indicating a record of an earlier printing operation executed earlier in the printing apparatus, wherein the preceding print log has been provided to the external storage device by the print log provider, and stored in the external storage device; a print log examiner configured to examine the preceding print log and determine normality of the preceding print log based on the record of the earlier print operation indicated by the preceding print log; and a controller configured to permit the printer unit to print the image when the print log examiner determines that the preceding print log is normal, and restrict the printer unit from printing the image when the print log examiner determines that the preceding print log is abnormal, wherein the print log obtainer obtains the preceding print log including the identifier of the client among a plurality of print logs provided to the external storage device earlier and stored in the external storage device.