Resetting the MS DTC Log File

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008

Although you must reset the MS Distributed Transaction Coordinator (MS DTC) log file to move it to another device or to change its size, you should not do so under normal circumstances because the MS DTC might lose track of pending transactions, which could affect the consistency of the transaction-protected databases, message queues, and files that the MS DTC coordinates.

It is not necessary to reset the MS DTC log file to reclaim disk space within the file because the MS DTC reclaims the disk space automatically. When a transaction has successfully committed or aborted, the MS DTC notes that the records in the log file are no longer needed and it eventually reuses the space for other transactions.

Note

You cannot reset the MS DTC log file on a remote system. The Component Services administrative tool updates the MS DTC log file directly. Therefore, it must run on the system where the log file resides. For more information about resetting the MS DTC log file or changing log file attributes, see the Help for Component Services on your computer.

Before you alter the MS DTC log file, be sure that there are no transactions in the In Doubt, Cannot Notify Abort, or Cannot Notify Commit transaction states. For more information, see Transaction State Resolution After a System Failure.