Shared computers with PaperCut Hive and Pocket

This page explains how PaperCut Hive and PaperCut Pocket function on shared Windows and macOS computers. It details how user identity files are managed across multiple profiles, explains client installation requirements, and provides troubleshooting guidance for common setup issues.

PaperCut Hive and PaperCut Pocket support shared computer environments differently, depending on the computer’s operating system. To accurately track and secure print jobs, the system must link the print client on a device with a unique PaperCut account. PaperCut offers various types of linking methods, which you can read about in the Summary of client linking methods and required admin and user actions, and Bulk deploying edge node software to managed users’ devices.

Windows shared computers

Multi-user profiles and Fast User Switching are supported on Windows environments.

Support for multiple users on a single computer

PaperCut Hive and PaperCut Pocket support multiple users on a single computer because each user’s identity file is stored in the user’s local Windows profile. The identity file contains the user ID that matches print jobs with the correct account to ensure accurate tracking and charging.

When a user authenticates on a device for the first time, the system creates an identity file within that user’s Windows profile rather than in a shared system location. Every Windows account on the computer automatically receives a separate identity file.

PaperCut Hive identity file locations — Windows

Each user has their own identity file stored within their individual Windows profile:
%localappdata%\Programs\PaperCut Hive\data\config\userclient.ident

The full path format depends on the product:

• PaperCut Hive: C:\Users\username>\AppData\Local\Programs\PaperCutHive\data\config\userclient.ident
• PaperCut Pocket:
  C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Programs\PaperCut Pocket\data\config\userclient.ident

For example, if multiple users share the same machine, the files are stored in separate directories:

• User A:
  C:\Users\userA\AppData\Local\Programs\PaperCut Hive\data\config\userclient.ident
• User B:
  C:\Users\userB\AppData\Local\Programs\PaperCut Hive\data\config\userclient.ident

Because each Windows account uses a unique profile path, the system supports multiple users on a single computer without additional configuration. Each user must log in to the computer with their own unique Windows username.

Authentication on shared Windows computers

After the PaperCut Hive or Pocket client software is installed on end-users’ computers, an authentication process “links” the client to the user as part of the user’s PaperCut onboarding experience.

The authentication process has two phases:

• Linking the PaperCut Hive or Pocket client to a user’s account — This lets Hive and Pocket know which user is performing a print job.
• Releasing a print job by authenticating at the printer — This lets the PaperCut Hive and Pocket mobile app, User Portal, or device app (Hive only) know which user has logged in.
  See details at: Authenticating users and print jobs with PaperCut Hive and Pocket

Windows Fast User Switching (FUS)

Fast User Switching (FUS) is a Windows operating system feature that lets multiple users stay logged in simultaneously and switch between their sessions without logging out.

When you log in to the computer, the system loads your profile, including your desktop settings, files, favorites, and history. FUS lets multiple users log in and switch between their open accounts without logging off. If you are working on a project and another user needs to check their email, they can switch to their account. When you switch back, your applications continue running exactly as you left them.

What does FUS mean for PaperCut Hive and Pocket?

In the world of PaperCut Hive and Pocket, each user gets their very own instance of the print client, tucked away in their local AppData. The directory path is %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\PaperCut Hive\

This print client submits print jobs to the available edge nodes and matches them to your account. The Print Client Service (pc-print-client-service.exe) associated with this print client must be owned by the active, logged-in user.

Key behavior and requirements with FUS in PaperCut Hive

• Windows Fast User Switching is not available during Hive users’ onboarding. When a user links their authentication token for the first time, no other active sessions must exist in the same user profile. A full logout, ideally a full restart, is required between each user’s onboarding.
  
• Windows FUS is supported during normal use. Once all users have completed onboarding on a shared device, they can switch between sessions without needing to fully log out each time.
  
• Incorrect session tokens cause wrong-user print jobs. If a user switches sessions without logging out, particularly during onboarding, the session token may not update correctly, resulting in print jobs being attributed to the wrong user.
  
• Each user has their own Print Client instance. In PaperCut Hive, each user’s Print Client is installed per-user in their own %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\PaperCut Hive\ directory, not as a single machine-wide installation.

Onboarding multiple users on one Windows computer

To onboard multiple users sequentially:

1. Log in as User A and complete onboarding by installing the Print client, linking the authentication token, and performing a test print.
2. Log out completely as User A. We recommend a system reboot.
3. Log in as User B and complete onboarding.
4. Verify that FUS works correctly.

Windows system tray app for PaperCut Hive and Pocket

The System Tray App is a PaperCut Hive feature available in the Windows system tray that provides visibility and manual control over the PaperCut Hive client.

The System Tray App is the recommended, more reliable method for account switching on shared workstations, while Windows FUS is supported but requires careful user onboarding procedures to avoid assigning print jobs to the wrong user.

The system tray app provides the following capabilities:

• Shows whether the user is logged in and ready to print.
• Allows users to log in or out of the PaperCut Hive or Pocket client directly from the desktop without reinstalling the software.
• Supports switching between user accounts within the same PaperCut Hive organisation.
• Allows on-demand refreshes of the available printers. For more information, refer to Explore the system tray app.

The system tray app differs from operating-system-level FUS in the following ways:

• Instead of relying on Windows session switching, users can select the PaperCut icon in the system tray and select Log in to print to associate their identity. This capability is useful for flexible or shared workstations.

The application does not replace the need for each user to have their own Windows profile. Environments using a single shared or generic Windows login (for example, “KioskUser”) are not supported.

macOS shared computers

Multi-user profiles and Fast User Switching are not supported on macOS environments.

Supported workflow for shared macOS computers

Shared macOS computers function as expected (print data processing is separate for each user) only if users click Log out to completely log out of their profile and end their session, rather than using Fast User Switching.

For example, User A logs out, then User B logs in. When User B logs in with their unique credentials, their print jobs are recorded against the correct user profile — User B.

To process jobs correctly on a shared Mac, the following workflow must be used:

1. Print your document as User A, then log out to end the session.
2. Log in with User B’s credentials.
3. Verify that print jobs are recorded against the profile for User B.

PaperCut Hive identity file locations — macOS

Each user’s identity file is stored within their individual home folder.
The standard path format is:
~/Library/PaperCut Hive/data/config/userclient.ident

The full path format is:
/Users/<username>/Library/PaperCut Hive/data/config/userclient.ident

Edge node client on shared Macs

The edge node needs to be installed only once per machine because it is a machine-level installation rather than a per-user one. All users who log in to the shared Mac share the same underlying edge node.

A system administrator typically deploys this software via MDM or bulk deployment tools. For more information on these deployment methods, refer to Bulk deploying edge node software to managed users’ devices.

macOS Fast User Switching (FUS)

PaperCut Hive does not support Fast User Switching on macOS. This is a significant difference from Windows behavior and applies to all deployment methods, including Jamf Pro, Microsoft Intune, Kandji, JumpCloud, and manual email invitation installs.

By default, the first user profile to log in on a shared Mac is cached and used to process all subsequent print jobs, regardless of which user profile is currently active.

This behavior means that if User A installs PaperCut Hive client first but doesn’t log in, when User B logs in, the system records all print jobs against User B’s profile.

Uninstalling the PaperCut Hive or Pocket client application from the shared macOS computer and reinstalling it under a different profile does not change this behavior.

The cached user profile persists across all user sessions on that machine.

macOS menu bar app for PaperCut Hive and Pocket

The PaperCut Hive app on the macOS menu bar provides quick visibility and control of which user is logged in. This helps users and IT teams better understand the status of the PaperCut Hive or Pocket client on their devices. For more information, refer to System Tray App for PaperCut Hive.

Troubleshooting shared computer issues

Use the following solutions to resolve common issues encountered on shared Windows and macOS computers.

Print jobs are attributed to the wrong/first user

If print jobs are attributed to the wrong user, perform the following checks:

• Verify that each user logs in to the computer with their own unique account instead of a shared or generic account.

• Check the identity file location for each profile to confirm that a separate file exists for each user.

PaperCut Hive identity file locations (Windows)

Each user has their own identity file stored within their individual Windows profile:
%localappdata%\Programs\PaperCut Hive\data\config\userclient.ident

Or using the full path format:
PaperCut Hive:
C:\Users<username>\AppData\Local\Programs\PaperCutHive\data\config\userclient.ident
PaperCut Pocket:
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Programs\PaperCut Pocket\data\config\userclient.ident

PaperCut Hive identity file locations (macOS)

Each user's identity file is stored within their individual home folder:
~/Library/PaperCut Hive/data/config/userclient.ident

Or using the full path format:
/Users/<username>/Library/PaperCut Hive/data/config/userclient.ident

• Ensure macOS users log out of their computer session completely rather than using Fast User Switching.

Print jobs get stuck or fail on macOS after logging out and logging in as a different user

When you log out of a shared macOS computer and immediately log in as a different user, print jobs sent by the second user might become stuck on the printer or fail with an error.

When the transition between logging out the first user and logging in the second user occurs too quickly, the underlying print client service does not have enough time to clear the previous user's context and cache the new user's profile.

To resolve this issue, use one of the following methods:

• Allow time between sessions: When logging out of a user profile, wait two to three minutes before logging in as the next user. This delay allows the computer to complete background logout processes, enabling the tracking engine to clear the cached profile without a service restart.

• Restart the print client service: If the print jobs are already stuck or failing with an error, restart the PaperCut print client service on the macOS computer. This action forces the service to re-initialize and link to the active user profile.

To restart PaperCut Hive services on macOS, follow these steps:

1. Open Activity Monitor (Applications > Utilities).

2. Search for pc-print-client and pc-print-client-service.

3. If either service is not running, reinstall the client.

A user is prompted to authenticate at every login

This behavior indicates that the identity file is deleted or reset on logout due to a roaming profile policy or a disk cleanup tool.

• Check whether your environment uses mandatory profiles, roaming profiles, or profile cleanup software that deletes the AppData\Local folder on logout.

• If you use roaming profiles, redirect the PaperCut Hive AppData\Local folder to persist the identity file across sessions.

The edge node client installer fails or is not visible

If the edge node client installer fails or is not visible to users, perform the following checks:

• Confirm that a local system administrator account is used to install the edge node instead of a standard user account.

• Verify that the computer meets the minimum system requirements for PaperCut Hive or PaperCut Pocket.

• If you deploy edge nodes via Group Policy or Microsoft Intune, verify that the installer package targets the machine configuration instead of the user configuration.

A user cannot complete authentication, or the QR code fails

If authentication fails or the QR code does not work, perform the following checks:

• Ensure the user has acted on their email invitation and that the link has not expired.

• If the download link has expired, send a new invitation from the PaperCut Hive or PaperCut Pocket admin console.

• Check that the computer has active internet connectivity to reach the PaperCut Hive or PaperCut Pocket authentication servers.

How to set up the same user account on an additional device

There is more than one way to install PaperCut Hive and PaperCut Pocket on Windows computers. See details at Where can I download the PaperCut Hive or Pocket app(s)?

Related topics

• Authenticating users and print jobs with PaperCut Hive and Pocket
• Troubleshooting PaperCut Hive and Pocket login problems
• Bulk deploying edge node software to managed users’ devices
• Printing for end users of PaperCut Hive and Pocket