Redirect Event Logs
There could be many reasons why you need to redirect event logs to another location. For this example, I’m going to redirect them to C:\EventLogs. They are, by default located at C:\Windows\System32\winevt\Logs.
First, you need the directory in place (not a mandatory requirement, but I like things clean). You can create the directory by hand, with PowerShell, or anything else. I prefer PowerShell. Here’s the commands that I used, which builds the directory, hides it, and sets it as a system directory:
$dir = new-item -type directory C:\EventLogs
$dir.attributes=”Hidden,System”
Next, to prevent users from modifying the directory, we need to set some ACLs. I just grab the ACLs from the current directory (C:\Windows\System32\winevt\Logs) and set it on the new directory. The second line disables inheritance in the ACL, which is important so that the directory doesn’t get rules from C:.
$acl = get-acl “C:\Windows\System32\winevt\Logs”
$acl.SetAccessRuleProtection($true,$true)
set-acl “C:\EventLogs” $acl
Finally, we need to create a GPO to move the log locations. The policies you are looking for are at Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Event Log Service. There are four folders here, one for each log. You need to enable the “Control the location of the log file” setting in each folder and set it to your new location.
Disclaimer
All content provided on this blog is for information purposes only. Windows Management Experts, Inc makes no representation as to accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. Windows Management Experts, Inc will not be liable for any errors or omission in this information nor for the availability of this information. It is highly recommended that you consult one of our technical consultants, should you need any further assistance.
