The Event Viewer doesn't look like a very exciting Windows componment. If your PC is unstable you might use it to check for error messages, but otherwise, well, that's about all. Or is it?
Look a little closer and you'll discover that the tool has all kinds of useful additional capabilities. It can sometimes be hard to find important events using the default settings, but creating a custom view will help you zoom in quickly on the data that really matters, which can be an essential troubleshooting aid.
If you have a network, then you can set up one copy of the Event Viewer to collect events from several PCs, and manage them all centrally.
One excellent feature gives you the ability to run a particular program or task when a given event occurs. If a program crashes you could restart it, for example. If you're short on hard drive space, you could delete your temporary files – whatever you like.
Then there are the secret Event Logs that you may not even know exist, the leftover logs that need to be deleted, the hidden management features and a whole lot more.
Please note, while we're focusing on the Windows 7 Event Viewer here, much of what we're saying also applies to Vista and even XP. Whichever version of Windows you're using, the Event Viewer deserves a much closer look.
The basics
Event viewer
The prime purpose of Event Viewer is to act as a log for various applications and Windows components. Many of these issues don't have an interface, or don't report all their problems and status issues via alert messages, so if you want to find out what's really going on with your PC then it's essential to take a look at the Event Viewer on a regular basis.
You can access the viewer via the Control Panel (go to 'System and security | Administrative tools | View event logs' if you're using Windows 7), but we find it easier to launch the tool directly: click 'Start', type eventvwr.msc, click the 'Event Viewer' link and it will pop up in a second or two.
If you just want to find out more about your PC, then you can expand the 'Windows Logs' section of the tree and browse the Application, Security, Setup and System logs for any interesting looking events.
These logs are presented in reverse chronological order, so the most recent events are at the top and as you scroll down you'll move back in time.
What will you see here? It depends entirely on the setup of your system, but we checked a test PC and came up with many interesting entries. There were detailed error messages for application and system crashes, for instance. If you come home and someone tells you the PC crashed an hour ago, but they can't remember the error message, the Event Log may tell you more.
We found performance-related information, including an Outlook message that said its launch was delayed because of a particular add-on. There were also warnings about four boot drivers that had failed to load. That's information we wouldn't have found anywhere else, and could explain all kinds of odd system behaviour.
Other issues
There were also events relating to the PC startup and shutdown process, installed programs, hardware problem, and many other issues. You wouldn't want to browse the Event Viewer for fun, but if you're having any kind of computer issues then it's wise to give it a closer look – you just might find the clues you need to uncover their real cause.
The problem with scrolling through the main Windows logs is that there are only a few interesting events, and they're masked by a great deal of irrelevant junk. Fortunately the Event Viewer provides several alternatives that will help you zoom in on the data that matters.
Custom view
The Windows 7 Event Viewer, for instance, opens with a useful 'Summary of Administrative Events'. Particularly important event types, such as 'Critical', 'Error' and 'Warning', are listed right at the top and you can expand these to find out more.
Trying this on our test system revealed seven disk errors in the past week. Double-clicking the entry revealed the details, and it turned out one of our drives was experiencing controller errors. Could the drive be about to fail? We're not sure, but at least the Event Viewer has given us a warning so we can back it up.
Another possible option is to expand the 'Applications and Services Logs' section of the viewer. This area contains logs dedicated to applications and areas of your system, such as hardware events, Internet Explorer and Media Center.
Perhaps the most important log here is a little buried, though. Browse to 'Applications and services logs | Microsoft | Windows | Diagnostics-Performance | Operational' and you'll find information about your PC's boot and shutdown processes. Again, everyone will see different things, but when we checked this log on our PC we found a wealth of essential data.
There were events warning us that the Bonjour Service, Function Discovery Resource Publication Service and Orbit Downloader were all causing delays in the system shutdown process. Other events pointed fingers at particular programs for delaying our PCs boot, too – if we were to remove anything non-essential, our system would speed up.
There were general warning events too, such as 'Video memory resources are over-utilised and there is thrashing happening as a result'. If your PC seems slow, or unstable, then this could be a clue. Simply closing some windows could make all the difference, as might updating the video drivers.
As usual, these logs are packed with clues to all sorts of problems, many of which you may not even realise you have. Take a look – it's surprising what you can learn.
Subscriptions
Subscriptions
The Event Viewer isn't only able to reveal issues with your own PC. It can also collect information on Vista or Windows 7 systems all across your network, so you can troubleshoot many problems from the comfort of your own desktop.
To set this up you must prepare the remote computers to forward events. First launch an elevated command prompt on each of these (do this by right-clicking the link 'cmd.exe' and selecting 'Run as administrator'), then enter the command winrm quickconfig.
Next, go to the central PC where you'll be collecting these events, launch another elevated command prompt and enter the command wecutil qc.
You can then launch the Event Viewer on the collecting computer, click 'Subscriptions | Create subscription' and tell the system exactly which events you'd like to collect from which computers. These will then appear in the log you specify, and you'll be able to view and filter them just as you can events on your own computer. Well, that's the basic principle at least.
In practice, there are usually some complications. You might have to specifically allow the Remove Event Log Management process to connect through your firewall, for instance, and you'll need to add an account with administrator privileges to the Event Log Readers group on each of the remote PCs. Check the 'Event viewer help' file under 'Manage subscriptions' for more details.
Run a task
Alert
So far we've only used Event Viewer in a passive way, allowing it to record what various apps are doing, but the best part of the tool is that it can also be active and dynamic, responding to events with the specific action that you choose.
Suppose one of your favourite apps has its own event log, for instance. It might only add one event a week, but that event might be very important and you may want to know about it right away. Is this a problem? Not at all. In a few clicks you can be alerted whenever a new event appears.
To make this happen, launch Event Viewer, expand the 'Applications and services logs' section of the tree, right-click your log of choice and select 'Attach a task to this log'. Click 'Next' twice, choose the 'Display a message' option, and click 'Next' again. Enter a title for your message, then the message itself, and click 'Next'. Click 'Finish' and that's it – Windows will now display a pop-up alert with your selected message whenever an event is placed in this particular log.
You can also attach a task to a specific event. If you see something that might be really important, like a message that a hard drive is returning controller errors, then right-click it, select 'Attach a task to this event' and the wizard will appear. With a few clicks, you can ensure that you're informed directly about important events, rather than just hoping you'll catch them later.
Perhaps most usefully, the Event Viewer can also launch a task in response to a particular event. If your system is regularly displaying some low-level drive error, for example, you could automatically launch Windows chkdsk or some other drive error checker to confirm that all is well.
If you're running short of hard drive space and related events are appearing, you could have these launch something like CCleaner to quickly free up a little space.
The principle is the same: right-click an event and select 'Attach a task to this event' to launch the Create Basic Task Wizard. This time, when you get to the 'Action' point, select 'Start a program'. Click 'Next', choose your program or script and any optional command line arguments, then click 'Next', finish the wizard and your configuration is complete.
Event details
Windows will now respond automatically to events as they occur, which could mean your PC problems are fixed before you realise they've occurred.
Read the views of online Certification Experts, which provide the real questions and correct answer and explanation for the students / professionals who are seeking or enhancing their level of expertise. more at certkingdom.com
May 14, 2011
May 12, 2011
Better Platform for Better Career
Microsoft MCTS Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist validates knowledge and skills to demonstrate your specialized technical expertise by earning this credential. Microsoft MCSD The Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) credential validates your advanced skill set, demonstrating to customers.
Microsoft is offering its own specialised MCITP exams (http://www.certkingdom.com) which also known to be the one of the best reputed certification world wide. It has the huge range of certification and training programmes which turn out to be really useful for the candidates. According to the recent survey, people who achieved and gained the credential of Microsoft certification are getting better career opportunities, why? Because Microsoft certifications and training programme specialises a candidate in a particular field therefore they stand out more infront of employers. Some of the most popular certifications of Microsoft are as follow; Microsoft MCDBA Microsoft Certified Database Administrator demonstrate your ability to design, implement, and manage the administration of Microsoft SQL Server 2000 databases successfully, Microsoft MCDST Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician, This credential proves your ability to successfully troubleshoot desktop environments that run on the Microsoft Windows operating system, Microsoft MCITP Microsoft Certified Information Technology Professional Demonstrate your range of expertise, real-world skills, and mastery of Microsoft technologies by earning this credentials and there are three tracks available to do this certification and that is MCITP Server, MCITP Enterprise and MCITP Business Intelligence,Microsoft MCSA Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator Prove your expertise in systems administration on Windows Server operating systems by earning this credential, Microsoft MCSE Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer equips you with the MCITP benefits (http://www.certkingdom.com)
technical capabilities and industry-recognized validation to help you compete. This certification is also being offered in two environments (Windows Server 2000 & Windows Server 2003 and in MCSE-Messaging & MCSE-Security). Microsoft MCTS Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist validates knowledge and skills to demonstrate your specialized technical expertise by earning this credential. Microsoft MCSD The Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) credential validates your advanced skill set, demonstrating to customers. Microsoft Certified Internetwork Professional validates advanced knowledge and skills required to manage service provider infrastructures and Microsoft MCPD Microsoft Certified Professional Developers validate your job-relevant skills and mastery of Microsoft Visual Studio and the Microsoft .NET Framework by becoming a Microsoft Certified Professional Developer.
Most IT professionals look for this document in determining the perfect candidate for the job vacancy. It’s better if you have newer certification because it speaks of fresher learning and knowledge, which is needed in the business today.
One leading industry that dictated the evolution of computers and the likes is none other than Microsoft. The rise of the IT industry is unstoppable at present. The said industry has created lots of opportunities through the development of its certification programs. They are specially designed to enhance the technical skills of these IT associates. With the growth of MCITP or Microsoft Certified IT Professional in this business many professionals will have the chance to follow a certain path for their desired free practice tests (http://www.certkingdom.com) . Wherein they can function well and display their knowledge and expertise.
Microsoft is offering its own specialised MCITP exams (http://www.certkingdom.com) which also known to be the one of the best reputed certification world wide. It has the huge range of certification and training programmes which turn out to be really useful for the candidates. According to the recent survey, people who achieved and gained the credential of Microsoft certification are getting better career opportunities, why? Because Microsoft certifications and training programme specialises a candidate in a particular field therefore they stand out more infront of employers. Some of the most popular certifications of Microsoft are as follow; Microsoft MCDBA Microsoft Certified Database Administrator demonstrate your ability to design, implement, and manage the administration of Microsoft SQL Server 2000 databases successfully, Microsoft MCDST Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician, This credential proves your ability to successfully troubleshoot desktop environments that run on the Microsoft Windows operating system, Microsoft MCITP Microsoft Certified Information Technology Professional Demonstrate your range of expertise, real-world skills, and mastery of Microsoft technologies by earning this credentials and there are three tracks available to do this certification and that is MCITP Server, MCITP Enterprise and MCITP Business Intelligence,Microsoft MCSA Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator Prove your expertise in systems administration on Windows Server operating systems by earning this credential, Microsoft MCSE Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer equips you with the MCITP benefits (http://www.certkingdom.com)
technical capabilities and industry-recognized validation to help you compete. This certification is also being offered in two environments (Windows Server 2000 & Windows Server 2003 and in MCSE-Messaging & MCSE-Security). Microsoft MCTS Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist validates knowledge and skills to demonstrate your specialized technical expertise by earning this credential. Microsoft MCSD The Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) credential validates your advanced skill set, demonstrating to customers. Microsoft Certified Internetwork Professional validates advanced knowledge and skills required to manage service provider infrastructures and Microsoft MCPD Microsoft Certified Professional Developers validate your job-relevant skills and mastery of Microsoft Visual Studio and the Microsoft .NET Framework by becoming a Microsoft Certified Professional Developer.
Most IT professionals look for this document in determining the perfect candidate for the job vacancy. It’s better if you have newer certification because it speaks of fresher learning and knowledge, which is needed in the business today.
One leading industry that dictated the evolution of computers and the likes is none other than Microsoft. The rise of the IT industry is unstoppable at present. The said industry has created lots of opportunities through the development of its certification programs. They are specially designed to enhance the technical skills of these IT associates. With the growth of MCITP or Microsoft Certified IT Professional in this business many professionals will have the chance to follow a certain path for their desired free practice tests (http://www.certkingdom.com) . Wherein they can function well and display their knowledge and expertise.
May 11, 2011
When will PlayStation Network be back up?
Perhaps the question should be: "If I hold my breath waiting for Sony to answer and I die, can someone sue?" Because Sony's continued promises when PSN will be back up are like the kid who incessantly promises to clean his room and never does. Subscribers grow impatient, with the vast majority answering our poll are ready to switch to Xbox 360 and Xbox Live.
Late last month, Sony promised partial PSN restoration -- gaming, music and video services -- on May 4, a pledge repeated on May 1. It's now May 8, and PSN is still down. I checked just before posting.
Two days ago, in another "I promise to clean my room soon" blog post, Patrick Seybold, Sony Senior director of Corporate Communications & Social Media, writes: "We know many of you are wanting to play games online, chat with your friends and enjoy all of the services PlayStation Network and Qriocity services have to offer, and trust me when I say we're doing everything we can to make it happen. We will update you with more information as soon as we have it. We apologize for the delay and inconvenience of this network outage."
What's the excuse this time? Simply put, Sony cannot yet guarantee that PSN is secure enough to put back online. "When we held the press conference in Japan last week, based on what we knew, we expected to have the services online within a week," Seybold explains. "We were unaware of the extent of the attack on Sony Online Entertainment servers, and we are taking this opportunity to conduct further testing of the incredibly complex system."
Within hours of the May 1 promise to restore PSN last week, Sony Online Entertainment went down, and the company issued yet another security warning. Hackers had stolen data from SOE, and this time Sony confirmed that credit card information had been taken. At least 12,700 credit or debit card and 10,700 direct debt card numbers (with bank account numbers) were stolen from SOE subscribers in Austria, Germany, Netherlands and Spain. So the initial breach was much greater than Sony understood, and the company took much longer uncovering the problem.
Hackers broke into PlayStation Network between April 17-19 and stole massive amounts of personally-identifying user data. On April 20, Sony voluntarily took down the network, after discovering the hack. The action may have helped prevent further data losses and allowed Sony, third-party security investigators and law enforcement to begin a forensic analysis of the hack. To reiterate: Hackers didn't take down PlayStation Network. Sony did. The same can be said of SOE, which Sony took offline, arguably belatedly, after discovering the hack.
In mid April 2011, Sony took down PlayStation Network after hackers stole subscribers' personal data. PlayStation users, will you switch to Xbox?
Absolutely
Not even if Hell froze over
VoteView Results
Share This
Quantcast
The full extent of the data breach is still unknown. Hackers did steal subscriber account IDs, passwords, addresses and phone numbers, security questions, email addresses and birth dates. Sony has insisted that, despite reports of millions of stolen credit card numbers being up for sale, the data was encrypted. While 77 million stolen credit cards makes great headlines, the other information is far more damaging since it can be used to steal peoples' identities. Not surprisingly, lawsuits are piling up, one and one now, for each the PSN and SOE breaches and Sony's handling of the aftermath.
Last week, Sony accused Anonymous of the security breach. Based on my limited knowledge of the hacker group, stealing user information for profit is out of character. Anonymous denied the accusation.
"When will PSN be back up?" is the still unanswered qustion. "We're still working to confirm the security of the network infrastructure, as well as working with a variety of outside entities to confirm with them of the security of the system," Seybold writes. "Verifying the system security is vital for the process of restoration. Additional comprehensive system checks and testing are still required, and we must complete that process before bringing the systems online. As you've heard us say, our utmost priorities are the security of the network and ensuring your data is safe. We won't restore the services until we can test the system's strength in these respects."
That's perhaps good for PSN subscribers' personal data protection in the future. There are plenty of dissatisfied PlayStation Network users in the here and now. On April 30, I started a poll asking PSN subscribers: "Will you switch to Xbox?" The results aren't so interesting as how they changed the longer the PSN outage went on. In the first few days, the results consistently hung around 54 percent switching. But the number crept up the longer PSN stayed down -- to 60 percent, then 65 percent and as of this morning 72.94 percent based on 3,285 responses.
I'm surprised that someone hasn't started a betting pool for when PSN will be back up.
Late last month, Sony promised partial PSN restoration -- gaming, music and video services -- on May 4, a pledge repeated on May 1. It's now May 8, and PSN is still down. I checked just before posting.
Two days ago, in another "I promise to clean my room soon" blog post, Patrick Seybold, Sony Senior director of Corporate Communications & Social Media, writes: "We know many of you are wanting to play games online, chat with your friends and enjoy all of the services PlayStation Network and Qriocity services have to offer, and trust me when I say we're doing everything we can to make it happen. We will update you with more information as soon as we have it. We apologize for the delay and inconvenience of this network outage."
What's the excuse this time? Simply put, Sony cannot yet guarantee that PSN is secure enough to put back online. "When we held the press conference in Japan last week, based on what we knew, we expected to have the services online within a week," Seybold explains. "We were unaware of the extent of the attack on Sony Online Entertainment servers, and we are taking this opportunity to conduct further testing of the incredibly complex system."
Within hours of the May 1 promise to restore PSN last week, Sony Online Entertainment went down, and the company issued yet another security warning. Hackers had stolen data from SOE, and this time Sony confirmed that credit card information had been taken. At least 12,700 credit or debit card and 10,700 direct debt card numbers (with bank account numbers) were stolen from SOE subscribers in Austria, Germany, Netherlands and Spain. So the initial breach was much greater than Sony understood, and the company took much longer uncovering the problem.
Hackers broke into PlayStation Network between April 17-19 and stole massive amounts of personally-identifying user data. On April 20, Sony voluntarily took down the network, after discovering the hack. The action may have helped prevent further data losses and allowed Sony, third-party security investigators and law enforcement to begin a forensic analysis of the hack. To reiterate: Hackers didn't take down PlayStation Network. Sony did. The same can be said of SOE, which Sony took offline, arguably belatedly, after discovering the hack.
In mid April 2011, Sony took down PlayStation Network after hackers stole subscribers' personal data. PlayStation users, will you switch to Xbox?
Absolutely
Not even if Hell froze over
VoteView Results
Share This
Quantcast
The full extent of the data breach is still unknown. Hackers did steal subscriber account IDs, passwords, addresses and phone numbers, security questions, email addresses and birth dates. Sony has insisted that, despite reports of millions of stolen credit card numbers being up for sale, the data was encrypted. While 77 million stolen credit cards makes great headlines, the other information is far more damaging since it can be used to steal peoples' identities. Not surprisingly, lawsuits are piling up, one and one now, for each the PSN and SOE breaches and Sony's handling of the aftermath.
Last week, Sony accused Anonymous of the security breach. Based on my limited knowledge of the hacker group, stealing user information for profit is out of character. Anonymous denied the accusation.
"When will PSN be back up?" is the still unanswered qustion. "We're still working to confirm the security of the network infrastructure, as well as working with a variety of outside entities to confirm with them of the security of the system," Seybold writes. "Verifying the system security is vital for the process of restoration. Additional comprehensive system checks and testing are still required, and we must complete that process before bringing the systems online. As you've heard us say, our utmost priorities are the security of the network and ensuring your data is safe. We won't restore the services until we can test the system's strength in these respects."
That's perhaps good for PSN subscribers' personal data protection in the future. There are plenty of dissatisfied PlayStation Network users in the here and now. On April 30, I started a poll asking PSN subscribers: "Will you switch to Xbox?" The results aren't so interesting as how they changed the longer the PSN outage went on. In the first few days, the results consistently hung around 54 percent switching. But the number crept up the longer PSN stayed down -- to 60 percent, then 65 percent and as of this morning 72.94 percent based on 3,285 responses.
I'm surprised that someone hasn't started a betting pool for when PSN will be back up.
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