Windows Event Logs are an essential component of the Windows operating system, providing valuable information about system events, errors, and warnings. Understanding and effectively utilizing these logs is crucial for system administrators and IT professionals to monitor and troubleshoot issues in the Windows environment.

In the Windows operating system, event logs are divided into three main categories: Application, Security, and System. Each category contains different types of events that are logged by various components of the system. These logs can be accessed and analyzed using built-in tools such as Event Viewer, PowerShell, or command-line utilities.

Examples:

1. Viewing Event Logs using Event Viewer:

• Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.


• Type "eventvwr.msc" and press Enter to open Event Viewer.


• Navigate to the desired log category (Application, Security, or System) to view the corresponding events.

2. Querying Event Logs using PowerShell:

• Open PowerShell as an administrator.


• Use the Get-WinEvent cmdlet to retrieve events based on specific criteria such as event ID, log name, or time range.


• Example: Get-WinEvent -LogName Application -ID 1000

3. Clearing Event Logs using Command Prompt:

• Open Command Prompt as an administrator.


• Use the "wevtutil" command to manage event logs.


• Example: wevtutil cl Application