X
Tech

Create a sticky filtered Event Viewer

You probably already know that the Event Viewer gives you access to several logs, enabling you to view events that have occurred on the local computer or on a remote computer. The Event Viewer includes a filter feature that lets you configure a log to show only specific events.
Written by ZDNet Staff, Contributor
Windows 2000 Professional
Create a sticky filtered Event Viewer

You probably already know that the Event Viewer gives you access to several logs, enabling you to view events that have occurred on the local computer or on a remote computer. The Event Viewer includes a filter feature that lets you configure a log to show only specific events. For example, you might want to exclude Information events or only show events from a specific date range.

When you close the Event Viewer, the filter settings that you have set in the current session are discarded. When you open the Event Viewer again, the Event Viewer shows all events for all dates.

You can create your own Event Viewer with a sticky filter that remains in effect even after you close the console, so that the next time you open the console, the filter will be applied. Here's how to create such an Event Viewer:

  1. Go to Start, Run, and enter MMC in the Run dialog box.
  2. When the MMC opens, choose Console | Add/Remove Snap-in.
  3. Click Add | Event Viewer | Add | Finish | Close | OK.
  4. Select the log for which you want to set a filter and choose View | Filter.
  5. Configure the filter settings, and then click OK to return to the console.
  6. Choose Console | Save As and save the console with a new name, such as MyEvents.msc.
  7. Close the console and open it again to verify that your filters are still in place.

Windows 2000 Server


Use Edlin.exe as your text editor

If you've spent any time at all using UNIX, Linux, or another variation, you're no doubt familiar with edlin, the command-based line-oriented text editor included with these operating systems. If you've recently moved to Windows from UNIX or Linux, you're probably feeling a little lost without this helpful command. If so, you'll be happy to know that Edlin.exe is alive and well in Windows 2000 Server.

You can find the Edlin.exe program in the %systemroot%\System32 folder on a Windows 2000 Server installation. However, you can also start the program from the command line by entering edlin.

To edit a file with the Edlin.exe program in Windows, open a command console, and issue the following command:

EDLIN <file>

Replace <file> with the actual filename, whether existing or new, that you want to edit. To get help with specific Edlin.exe subcommands while editing a file, enter ? at the prompt.

The Edlin.exe program can come in handy. However, if you're not familiar with its uses, you'll likely find Notepad, WordPad, or another GUI-based text editor much easier to use.

Editorial standards