Start or stop a counter log, trace log, or alert manually

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

To start or stop a counter log, trace log, or alert manually

  • Using the Windows interface

  • Using a command line

Using the Windows interface

  1. Open Performance.

  2. Double-click Performance Logs and Alerts, and click Counter Logs, Trace Logs, or Alerts.

  3. In the details pane, right-click the name of the log or alert you want to start or stop, and click Start to begin the logging or alert activity you defined, or click Stop to terminate the activity.

    Or, click the Start or Stop buttons in the toolbar.

Notes

  • To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group, or the Performance Log Users 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. For more information, see Default local groups, Default groups, and Using Run as.

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

  • There might be a slight delay before the log or alert starts or stops, indicated when the icon changes color (from green for started to red for stopped, and vice versa). This delay might reflect the startup time for a service or the fact that you have added many counters. If a log or alert does not start, you can view the Application Log for errors.

Using a command line

  1. Open Command Prompt

  2. Type:

    logman startcollection_name

    or

    logman stopcollection_name

Value Description

start collection_name

Starts the data collection query collection_name. Use this option to change from scheduled collections to manual ones. Use the update parameter in the command line with begin-time (-b), end-time (-e), or repeat-time (-rt) to reschedule collections.

stop collection_name

Stops the data collection query collection_name. Use this option to change from scheduled collections to manual ones. Use the update parameter in the command line with begin-time (-b), end-time (-e), or repeat-time (-rt) to reschedule collections.

For example, to stop the collection query named perf_log, type:

logman stop perf_log

Notes

  • To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Administrators group, or the Performance Log Users 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. For more information, see Default local groups, Default groups, and Using Run as.

  • To open a command prompt, click Start, point to All programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command prompt.

  • To view the complete syntax for this command, at a command prompt, type:

    logman /?

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

Performance Logs and Alerts interface
Logman
Event Viewer overview