Patent ID: 8717603

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: an external storage device insertion detecting section that detects that an external storage device is inserted; an automatic printing information searching section that searches automatic printing information defined to execute a printing process from information stored in the inserted external storage device; an image information generating section that generates image information page by page from the automatic printing information searched by the automatic printing information searching section; an identification information generating section that generates identification information to identify the corresponding image information from the image information generated page by page by the image information generating section; an identification information comparing section that acquires previous identification information, which is previously generated by the identification information generating section, and that compares page by page, the acquired previous identification information with the identification information generated by the identification information generating section; and a printing executing section that executes a printing process only for the image information corresponding to the generated identification information if a result of the comparison by the identification information comparing section indicates that the generated identification information does not match the previous identification information.