750MB of undeletable log files!

Topic

New Reply

LANGALIST By Fred Langa Sometimes, Windows can’t or won’t delete old and/or no-longer-relevant log files. Worse, these files can be locked or still ma
[See the full post at: 750MB of undeletable log files!]

2 users thanked author for this post.

woody, abbodi86

Reply | Quote

Replies

One of my long-standing gripes about Windows, and another example of why it fundamentally isn’t fit for purpose on enterprise servers.

Reply | Quote

The easiest way to get rid of ‘undeletable’ Windows files is by booting from a Linux (Live) disc/pen drive, and use the file explorer to go the destination folder on your Windows drive and simply delete them.
(If you don’t see the Windows drive, you will have to make it show up. See how #2022433.)

Beware though, that this will allow you to also delete essential/system files from Windows too easily, so be cautious!

Reply | Quote

Great advice on how to delete a boat load of pesky log files.  I would like to suggest that it is considerably easier to enter “Safe Mode” by just keying “msconfig” into the Search Bar on the left side of the  Task bar.

Reply | Quote

My Win 7 computer doesn’t even recognize EVTX files.  Must be one of those new Win 10 things.

Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you recognize a mistake as soon as you make it again.

Reply | Quote

According to one Search hit, these files have been around since XP.

My Win 7 C:\Windows\System32\winevt\Logs has 132 files, for 107 MB; 18 are dated 07/26/2009, apparently from the original Windows load by the OEM. 94 are 68 KB, 33 are 1028 KB, 2 at 4100 KB, and 3 at 20484 KB. (Note that all are 4 KB over a 4K multiple.)

Interestingly, as ‘Paul’ I was able to Delete one randomly, after the obligatory UAC authorization; it ended up in the ‘Admin’ Recycle Bin. So I logged in there and Restored it, although it was from years ago. I don’t know if other files are un-delete-able. My Windows\Temp folder has a ton of stuff, but no .evtx.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Charlie

Reply | Quote

[Charlie]

Well, if I’ve got any, they’re well hidden.  I did a Windows Explorer (name now changed to File Explorer in Win 10) Search and came up with no EVTX files.

Wait, disregard the above statement.  I found them where you said they’d be.  Wow, I’m still learning new things.

Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you recognize a mistake as soon as you make it again.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by Charlie.

Reply | Quote

In my C:/Windows/System32/Winevt/Logs/ folder all the large files are from the last 24 hours. The 55 files older than 1 January 2020 almost all date from 7/7/2019 and are 68 kB, maybe from an update, so hardly worth deleting. The total volume of files in the folder is 250 MB.

Reply | Quote

Win7 has the ability to restore settings and these settings they do get stored in to log files.

I would love to see screenshots for a further evaluation of what some people think of waste.

Windows XP they use dll-cache folder.

Win7 will have the same plus a second folder for cached settings.

Win7 Pro (Blue Retail Box) i7 4770 - 16GB DDR3 2400XMP - GTX1060 6GB - Professional Workstation

Reply | Quote

I did a search for .evtx files and did not find any, but for old .log files there were hundreds, some years old and seemingly undeletable, because a normal delete attempt resulted in errors.  I was eventually able to delete all of them, except for the few currently in use, using Unlock IT.  (The files went to the recycle bin, which then had to be emptied.)

I agree about using MSCONFIG to boot into Safe Mode.  The only downside is that when finished with Safe Mode you then have to use MSCONFIG again to get out of it – you can’t just reboot.

Windows 10 Pro 64 bit 20H2

Reply | Quote

These are recommendations by Microsoft.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/clean-up-the-winsxs-folder

Win7 Pro (Blue Retail Box) i7 4770 - 16GB DDR3 2400XMP - GTX1060 6GB - Professional Workstation

Reply | Quote