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Format of Log Entries That Are Not Part of a Text Log Section

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A text log can contain log entries that are not part of a text log header or a text log section. Such entries are not associated with any section and, in general, are interspersed between sections. The format of such log entries consists of an entry_prefix field, a time_stamp field, an event_category field, and a formatted_message field, as follows:

entry_prefix time_stamp event_category formatted_message

The following list describes the fields of a log entry:

entry_prefix field
Indicates the message type. The entry_prefix field is always present and contains one of the strings that are listed in the left-hand column of the following table, where the meaning of the string is indicated in the right-hand column.

Entry_prefix field Message type 
"!!!  "

An error message in a text log

 
"!    "

A warning message in a text log

 
"   . "

An information message in a text log (other than an error message or a warning message)

 
"     "

An information message in the application installation text log (other than an error message or a warning message)

time_stamp field
Indicates the system time when the logged event occurred. The time_stamp field is optional and will be present only if an installation application requested that a time stamp be included for a log entry. The format of the time_stamp field is the same as that described in Format of a Text Log Section Header.

event_category field
Indicates the category of the SetupAPI operation that made the log entry. The event_category field is usually present, but is not required. If present, the event_category field contains one of the strings that are listed in Format of a Text Log Section Body.

formatted_message
Contains the information that is specific to the log entry. The formatted_message field is generally present, but is not required.

Note  The maximum length, in characters, of a log entry is 336.

The following example of text log entries is taken from a device installation text log. In the example, the first two log entries are not part of a text log section. The user-mode Plug and Play (PnP) manager wrote these log entries in the device installation text log to indicate the start of a server-side installation of a PCI device. The server-side installation, in turn, created the text log section that is indicated by the text log section header that follows the first two log entries in the example.

Be aware that the event_category field for the first two log entries indicates that the user-mode PnP manager wrote these log entries.

   . ump: Start service install for: PCI\VEN_104C&DEV_8019&SUBSYS_8010104C&REV_00\3&61aaa01&0&38
   . ump: Creating Install Process: rundll32.exe

>>>  [Device Install - PCI\VEN_104C&DEV_8019&SUBSYS_8010104C&REV_00\3&61aaa01&0&38]
>>>  2005/02/13 22:06:28.109: Section start