In this recipe, we will read the event log.
Let's see how we can read the Windows event log from PowerShell.
Open PowerShell ISE. Go to Start | Accessories | Windows PowerShell | Windows PowerShell ISE.
Add the following script and run it:
Get-EventLog -LogName Application -Newest 20 -EntryType Error
Reading the event log is straightforward in PowerShell. We can do this using the Get-EventLog
cmdlet. This cmdlet accepts a few switches, which includes LogName
and EntryType
.
Get-EventLog -LogName Application -Newest 20 -EntryType Error
Some of the possible LogName
values are as follows:
Application
HardwareEvents
Internet Explorer
Security
System
Windows PowerShell
You can alternatively pass it the name of a custom log available in your system.
The EntryType
switch can be of the following types:
Error
FailureAudit
Information
SuccessAudit
Warning
In our recipe, we also use the –Newest
switch, to filter only for the newest 20 error...