To check error logs on Windows 11, right-click the Start button, select Event Viewer, and open Windows Logs > System or Windows Logs > Application. Errors show a red icon. For a simpler view of crashes and problems by day, open Reliability Monitor instead.
Windows records what happens on your PC in event logs: service failures, driver problems, app crashes, unexpected shutdowns, and much more. Event Viewer is the built-in tool for reading them. The steps below are the same in Windows 10.
How to Open Event Viewer
- Right-click Start (or press Windows key + X) and select Event Viewer.
- Or press Windows key + R, type
eventvwr.msc, and press Enter. - Or select Start, type Event Viewer, and open it.
How to Check Error Logs in Event Viewer
- Open Event Viewer.
- In the left pane, expand Windows Logs.
- Select System for hardware, driver, startup, and shutdown problems, or Application for app crashes. Result: the middle pane lists events with the newest at the top. For the specific event IDs behind crashes and sudden restarts, see how to check crash logs in Windows 11.
- Select an event to read its details at the bottom, including the Source, Event ID, and the time it happened.
What the Windows Logs Contain
| Log | What it records |
|---|---|
| Application | Events from programs, such as app crashes (often Event ID 1000) |
| Security | Sign-in attempts and other audited security events |
| Setup | Windows Update and feature installation events |
| System | Windows components, drivers, services, startup and shutdown |
| Forwarded Events | Events collected from other computers, if set up (usually empty at home) |
Below Windows Logs, Applications and Services Logs holds logs for individual Windows features and apps. Some of these, such as the printer log used to check print history in Windows 11, are off until you enable them.
Understand Event Levels
- Critical: a serious failure, such as the PC restarting without shutting down cleanly.
- Error: a significant problem, such as a service that failed to start or an app that crashed.
- Warning: something that is not necessarily a problem now but could cause one later.
- Information: a normal event, such as a service starting successfully.
Show Only Errors
- Select System or Application.
- In the right pane, select Filter Current Log.
- Check Critical and Error. You can also choose a time range under Logged, such as the last 24 hours.
- Select OK. To go back to everything, select Clear Filter.
To check the same filter often, select Create Custom View in the right pane instead. It appears under Custom Views in the left pane, and it can combine several logs, such as System and Application, into one list.
Use Reliability Monitor for a Simpler View
- Select Start and type reliability.
- Open View reliability history. Result: a chart shows a stability score for each day, with icons for problems.
- Select a day with a red X to see what failed, such as an app that stopped working or a Windows failure.
- Select View technical details for the error code and file involved.
Reliability Monitor pulls from the same event logs but groups problems by day, which makes it easier to match a crash to something you installed or updated.
Common Errors and What They Mean
- Kernel-Power, Event ID 41 (System): Microsoft says Windows logs this the next time it starts after the computer shut down unexpectedly, such as after a power loss, freeze, or crash. Microsoft’s Event ID 41 guide explains how to narrow down the cause. If your PC keeps shutting off, see how to stop your computer from turning off by itself.
- Event ID 6008 (System): the previous shutdown was unexpected.
- Application Error, Event ID 1000 (Application): an app crashed; the details name the app and the faulting module.
- Service Control Manager errors (System): a service failed to start; the details name the service.
To learn more about any event, copy its Source and Event ID into a search engine or Microsoft Learn.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I worry about every error in Event Viewer?
No. Windows logs many harmless errors on healthy PCs. Focus on errors that match the time a problem actually happened.
How do I share a log with support?
Right-click the log (or a custom view) in Event Viewer and select Save All Events As. The default .evtx format opens in Event Viewer on another PC.
Can I clear the logs?
Yes. Right-click a log and select Clear Log, and save a copy first if you might need it. Clearing logs does not fix problems; it only removes the history.
Where do I find error logs in Windows 10?
In the same places. Event Viewer and Reliability Monitor work the same way in Windows 10.
Looking for disk check results? See how to run CHKDSK and read its log.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are tested on current devices or checked against official product documentation, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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