How to create Windows EventLog source from command line?

Question

I'm creating an ASP.NET application that will log some stuff to Windows EventLog. To do this an event source has to be created first. This requires administrative priviledges so I cannot do it in the ASP.NET app.

Is there an existing command-line application that is bundled with Windows that can create an event log source, or must I roll out my own?

Answer 1

Roll your own console app with...

EventLog.CreateEventSource(source, "Application")

See Initializing an EventLog Source

Answer 2

Or just use the command line command:

Eventcreate

Answer 3

An example: eventcreate /ID 1 /L APPLICATION /T INFORMATION /SO MYEVENTSOURCE /D "My first log"

This will create a new event source named "MYEVENTSOURCE" under APPLICATION event log as INFORMATION event type.

Hope this helps! For more information:

or eventcreate /? in CMD prompt.

I think this utility is included only from XP onwards.

Answer 4

MSV Muthu, YOU ROCK.

I was trying to create the event source using code-

EventLog.CreateEventSource(source, "Application") but permissions were preventing it.

used this- eventcreate /ID 1 /L APPLICATION /T INFORMATION /SO MYEVENTSOURCE /D "My first log"

it works now.

Answer 5

eventcreate2 allows you to create custom logs, where eventcreate does not.

Answer 6

You can also use Windows PowerShell with the following command:

if ([System.Diagnostics.EventLog]::SourceExists($source) -eq $false) {
    [System.Diagnostics.EventLog]::CreateEventSource($source, "Application")
}

Make sure to check that the source does not exist before calling CreateEventSource, otherwise it will throw an exception.

For more info:

• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/9t766zhb.aspx