Windows · Troubleshooting
Review detailed system and app logs
Opens Event Viewer, an advanced diagnostic tool that logs detailed records of system events, application errors, security events, and warnings, useful for pinpointing the exact cause of crashes or failures.
How to open Event Viewer
- Search for 'Event Viewer' in the Start menu
- Expand Windows Logs in the left pane
- Select Application, System, or another relevant log category
- Use 'Filter Current Log' to narrow by severity and time range
What you should know
- Browse Windows Logs categories: Application, Security, Setup, and System
- Filter events by type: Error, Warning, Information, or Critical
- View detailed error codes and descriptions for troubleshooting
- Create custom views to track specific recurring issues
Why it matters
Event Viewer provides the most detailed, low-level record of what's actually happening on a Windows PC, capturing crash details, driver failures, and application errors that other troubleshooting tools might only summarize vaguely. For advanced users and IT professionals, cross-referencing the exact event ID and timestamp from a crash with Event Viewer logs is often the fastest way to identify the specific faulting driver or application. While it can be overwhelming for casual users due to its volume of technical detail, learning to filter and read Critical and Error entries turns it into a powerful diagnostic resource.
Best practices
- Filter by Critical and Error levels first to cut through informational noise
- Note the exact time of a crash or issue, then look for corresponding log entries around that timestamp
- Search the specific Event ID online alongside the source application for targeted troubleshooting guidance
- Create a custom view for recurring issues you want to monitor over time
Common problems and fixes
- Too many entries to make sense of the logs
- Filter by Critical and Error levels and narrow the time range around when the issue occurred.
- Can't determine what caused a crash from the log alone
- Note the Event ID and source, then search Microsoft documentation or community forums for that specific combination.
- Application log is empty for a specific app
- Not all applications log to Event Viewer; check the app's own logging or diagnostic features instead.
Tips and tricks
- Use 'Filter Current Log' to quickly narrow results by event level and time range instead of scrolling manually
- Right-click an event and choose 'Attach Task to This Event' to get notified automatically if it recurs
Frequently asked questions
Is Event Viewer safe for regular users to use?
Yes, it's read-only for viewing purposes and doesn't risk system changes unless you're specifically clearing logs or configuring advanced settings.
What's the difference between the log categories?
Application covers software events, System covers OS and driver events, Security covers audit and login events, and Setup covers installation-related events.
Can Event Viewer show why my PC crashed with a blue screen?
Yes, checking the System log around the crash timestamp often reveals the faulting driver or hardware component.
Related settings
- Task Manager Performance MonitoringOpens Task Manager, which shows real-time resource usage across CPU, memory, disk, GPU, and network, lets you end unresponsive processes, and manage which apps launch automatically at startup.
- Windows Memory DiagnosticRuns the built-in Windows Memory Diagnostic tool, which restarts your PC and tests physical RAM for errors that can cause crashes, blue screens, or general instability.
- TroubleshootTroubleshoot gathers Windows' built-in automated diagnostic tools in one place, covering internet connections, audio playback and recording, printers, Bluetooth, Windows Update, and more. Each troubleshooter runs a scripted sequence of checks against the specific feature it targets and applies a fix automatically wherever it safely can, instead of requiring you to already know the underlying cause.
More Troubleshooting guides for Windows
- Windows ResetWindows Reset allows you to reinstall the operating system while choosing whether to keep your personal files or remove everything. This option is useful when your PC is experiencing serious performance issues, system corruption, or persistent software problems.
- System RestartSystem Restart allows you to safely reboot your PC, clearing temporary files and refreshing all running processes. This can resolve many common issues such as slow performance, unresponsive applications, and minor software glitches.
- Network ResetNetwork Reset restores all networking components to their factory default settings. This includes removing all saved WiFi networks, resetting TCP/IP stack, and clearing DNS cache. Use this as a troubleshooting step when other network fixes have not resolved your issue.
- RecoveryRecovery brings together the tools for fixing a Windows PC that won't start correctly or is having serious problems, including Advanced startup (for Safe Mode, Startup Repair, and command-line recovery tools), System Restore, and Fix problems using Windows Update. It's a broader troubleshooting toolkit than Reset This PC alone, covering scenarios where a full reset is more than you need.
- Get Help AppOpens the Get Help app, Microsoft's built-in support tool that provides guided troubleshooting for common Windows problems and can connect you to a live support agent when self-service steps don't resolve an issue.
- Feedback HubOpens the Feedback Hub app, which lets you report bugs, log performance problems with diagnostic traces, and upvote or suggest new features that Microsoft's Windows engineering teams review.