Clear an event log

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To clear an event log

  1. Open Event Viewer.

  2. In the console tree, click the log you want to clear.

  3. On the Action menu, click Clear all Events.

  4. If you want to save the log before clearing it, click Yes.

Notes

  • To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the local computer, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. If the computer is joined to a domain, members of the Domain Admins group might be able to perform this procedure. As a security best practice, consider using Run as to perform this procedure.

  • To open Event Viewer, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Event Viewer.

  • You cannot clear archived logs; instead, delete the archived log file.

Information about functional differences

  • Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.

See Also

Concepts

Understanding event logging options
Archive an event log
Open an archived event log
Event Viewer overview
Set event logging options