What is Windows Event Viewer

If you work with a Windows PC, you must have come across error messages (in the form of small message boxes) from time to time. When you click on the “OK” button on these message boxes, those simply disappear. However, if you wish to view these error messages again in future, you are in a fix. How can you display or view these error messages in future, when you have already closed those? The answer is provided by Event Viewer, a system-generated log of errors that occur in your system.

In Event Viewer, you can see a record of every error that has occurred since you installed or reinstalled your operating system the last time. The errors are logged date-wise and time-wise, and can be sorted for easy access. You can double click on any error message to see details about it in a separate window that pops up.

You can access the event viewer in many different ways in Windows XP. The easiest way is through the Command Prompt. Here’s how you do it:

1. Click on Start button, and then on Run.
2. In the box named Open, type “eventvwr.msc” (without the quotes) and hit Enter. The Event Viewer will open.

You can also access Event Viewer through the Control Panel. Here’s how:

1. Click on Start button, then on Control Panel.
2. In the Control Panel window, double click on the item named Administrative Tools.
3. You will find Event Viewer among the items in the list that opens.

In case of Windows XP, you can simplify access to Event Viewer through a small configuration. Here’s how you can go about doing that:

1. Right click on Start button, and choose Properties.
2. Select the tab named Start Menu (if it is not already selected).
3. Click on the button named Customize.
4. Click on the tab named Advanced.
5. In the box named Start Menu Items, scroll down to the list till you come to the item named Administrative Tools.
6. Select the option named Display on the All Programs menu.
7. Click on OK.
8. Now, click on Apply and then on OK.

The Event Viewer is a very useful tool for system administrators, who can use it to find out the various errors the system has encountered over time. This is one of the best diagnostic tools available to users of Windows XP.