| title | View the Windows Application Log (Windows) | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| description | When SQL Server is configured to use the Windows application log, each session writes events to that log. Learn how to view the Windows application log. | ||||||||
| author | MikeRayMSFT | ||||||||
| ms.author | mikeray | ||||||||
| ms.reviewer | maghan | ||||||||
| ms.date | 12/26/2024 | ||||||||
| ms.service | sql | ||||||||
| ms.subservice | performance | ||||||||
| ms.topic | how-to | ||||||||
| helpviewer_keywords |
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[!INCLUDE SQL Server]
[!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] is configured to use the Windows application log, each [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] session writes new events to that log. Unlike the [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] error log, a new application log is not created each time you start an instance of [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion].
This article covers Windows 10 operating systems and later.
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On the Search bar, type Event Viewer, and then select the Event Viewer desktop app.
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In Event Viewer, expand the Windows Logs folder, and select the Application event log.
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[!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] events are identified by the entry MSSQLSERVER (named instances are identified with MSSQL$<instance_name>) in the Source column. SQL Server Agent events are identified by the entry SQLSERVERAGENT (for named instances of [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion], [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] Agent events are identified with SQLAgent$<instance_name>). Microsoft Search service events are identified by the entry Microsoft Search.
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To view the log of a different computer, right-click Event Viewer (local). Select Connect to another computer, and fill in the fields to complete the Select Computer dialog box.
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Optionally, to display only [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] events, on the View menu, select Filter. In the Event source list, select MSSQLSERVER. To view only [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] Agent events, instead select SQLSERVERAGENT in the Event source list.
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To view more information about an event, double-click the event.