Windows PowerShell command on Get-command Remove-EventLog

NAME

Remove-EventLog

SYNOPSIS

Deletes an event log or unregisters an event source.

SYNTAX

Remove-EventLog [-LogName] [[-ComputerName] ] [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] []

Remove-EventLog [[-ComputerName] ] [-Confirm] [-Source ] [-WhatIf] []

DESCRIPTION

The Remove-EventLog cmdlet deletes an event log file from a local or remote computer and unregisters all its event

sources for the log. You can also use this cmdlet to unregister event sources without deleting any event logs. The cmdlets that contain the EventLog noun, the EventLog cmdlets, work only on classic event logs. To get events from logs that use the Windows Event Log technology in Windows Vista and later versions of the Windows operating

system, use Get-WinEvent.

CAUTION: This cmdlet can delete operating system event logs, which might cause application failures and unexpected system behavior.

PARAMETERS

-ComputerName

Specifies a remote computer. The default is the local computer. Type the NetBIOS name, an IP address, or a fully qualified domain name of a remote computer. To specify the local computer, type the computer name, a dot (.), or localhost.

This parameter does not rely on Windows PowerShell remoting. You can use the ComputerName parameter of

Remove-EventLog even if your computer is not configured to run remote commands.

Required? false Position? 1 Default value None Accept pipeline input? False Accept wildcard characters? false

-Confirm []

Prompts you for confirmation before running the cmdlet. Required? false Position? named Default value False Accept pipeline input? False Accept wildcard characters? false

-LogName

Specifies the event logs. Enter the log name of one or more event logs, separated by commas. The log name is

the value of the Log property, not the LogDisplayName , Wildcard characters are not permitted. This parameter

is required. Required? true Position? 0 Default value None Accept pipeline input? False Accept wildcard characters? false

-Source

Specifies the event sources that this cmdlet unregisters. Enter the source names, not the executable name, separated by commas. Required? false Position? named Default value None Accept pipeline input? False Accept wildcard characters? false

-WhatIf []

Shows what would happen if the cmdlet runs. The cmdlet is not run. Required? false Position? named Default value False Accept pipeline input? False Accept wildcard characters? false This cmdlet supports the common parameters: Verbose, Debug, ErrorAction, ErrorVariable, WarningAction, WarningVariable, OutBuffer, PipelineVariable, and OutVariable. For more information, see about_CommonParameters (https:/go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=113216).

INPUTS

None You cannot pipe input to this cmdlet.

OUTPUTS

None This cmdlet does not return any output.

NOTES

To use Remove-EventLog * on Windows Vista and later versions of the Windows operating system, start Windows

PowerShell by using the Run as administrator option.

If you remove an event log and then re-create the log, you will not be able to register the same event

sources. Applications that used the events sources to write entries to the original log will not be able to write to the new log.

* When you unregister an event source for a particular log, the event source might be prevented from writing

entries in other event logs.

Example 1: Remove an event log from the local computer

PS C:\>Remove-EventLog -LogName "MyLog"

This command deletes the MyLog event log from the local computer and unregisters its event sources.

Example 2: Remove an event log from several computers

PS C:\>Remove-EventLog -LogName "MyLog", "TestLog" -ComputerName "Server01", "Server02", "localhost"

This command deletes the MyLog and TestLog event logs from the local computer and the Server01 and Server02 remote computers. The command also unregisters the event sources for these logs.

Example 3: Delete an event source

PS C:\>Remove-EventLog -Source "MyApp"

This command deletes the MyApp event source from the logs on the local computer. When the command finishes, the MyApp program cannot write to any event logs.

Example 4: Remove an event log and confirm the action

The first command lists the event logs on the local computer.

PS C:\>Get-EventLog -List

Max(K) Retain OverflowAction Entries Log

------ ------ -------------- ------- ---

15,168 0 OverwriteAsNeeded 22,923 Application 15,168 0 OverwriteAsNeeded 53 DFS Replication 15,168 7 OverwriteOlder 0 Hardware Events 512 7 OverwriteOlder 0 Internet Explorer 20,480 0 OverwriteAsNeeded 0 Key Management Service 30,016 0 OverwriteAsNeeded 50,060 Security 15,168 0 OverwriteAsNeeded 27,592 System 15,360 0 OverwriteAsNeeded 18,355 Windows PowerShell 15,168 7 OverwriteAsNeeded 12 ZapLog The second command deletes the ZapLog event log.

PS C:\>Remove-EventLog -LogName "ZapLog"

The third command lists the event logs again. The ZapLog event log no longer appears in the list.

PS C:\>Get-EventLog -List

Max(K) Retain OverflowAction Entries Log

------ ------ -------------- ------- ---

These commands show how to list the event logs on a computer and verify that a Remove-EventLog command was

successful.

Example 5: Remove an event source and confirm the action

PS C:\>Get-WmiObject win32_nteventlogfile -Filter "logfilename='TestLog'" | foreach {$_.sources}

MyApp TestApp

PS C:\> Remove-Eventlog -Source "MyApp"

PS C:\> Get-WmiObject win32_nteventlogfile -Filter "logfilename='TestLog'"} | foreach {$_.sources}

TestApp

These commands use the Get-WmiObject cmdlet to list the event sources on the local computer. You can these

commands to verify the success of a command or to delete an event source. The first command gets the event sources of the TestLog event log on the local computer. MyApp is one of the sources.

The second command uses the Source parameter of Remove-EventLog to delete the MyApp event source.

The third command is identical to the first. It shows that the MyApp event source was deleted.

Remove-EventLog

Show-EventLog

Write-EventLog