Get-WindowsUpdateLog
Merges Windows Update .etl files into a single log file.
Syntax
Get-WindowsUpdateLog
[[-ETLPath] <String[]>]
[[-LogPath] <String>]
[-ProcessingType <String>]
[-ForceFlush]
[-WhatIf]
[-Confirm]
[<CommonParameters>] Get-WindowsUpdateLog
[-IncludeAllLogs]
[<CommonParameters>] Description
The Get-WindowsUpdateLog cmdlet merges and converts Windows Update .etl files into a single
readable WindowsUpdate.log file. Windows Update Agent uses Event Tracing for Windows (ETW) to
generate diagnostic logs. Windows Update no longer directly produces a WindowsUpdate.log file.
Instead, it produces .etl files that aren't immediately readable as written.
For Windows 10 versions prior to 1709 (OS Build 16299), this cmdlet requires access to a Microsoft symbol server, and log decoding must be run from a Windows 10 version earlier than 1709. Logs from Windows 10, version 1709 onward don't require a Microsoft symbol server, and need to be decoded from Windows 10, versions 1709 or higher.
Examples
Example 1: Merge and convert Windows Update trace files
Get-WindowsUpdateLog
Converting C:\Windows\logs\WindowsUpdate into C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\WindowsUpdate.log
Directory: C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\WindowsUpdateLog
Mode LastWriteTime Length Name
---- ------------- ------ ----
d----- 5/30/2015 10:02 PM SymCache
Input
----------------
File(s):
C:\Windows\logs\WindowsUpdate\WindowsUpdate.20150529.112451.395.1.etl
C:\Windows\logs\WindowsUpdate\WindowsUpdate.20150529.112502.723.1.etl
C:\Windows\logs\WindowsUpdate\WindowsUpdate.20150529.112524.191.1.etl
C:\Windows\logs\WindowsUpdate\WindowsUpdate.20150529.121921.075.1.etl
C:\Windows\logs\WindowsUpdate\WindowsUpdate.20150529.122031.684.1.etl
C:\Windows\logs\WindowsUpdate\WindowsUpdate.20150529.122432.434.1.etl
C:\Windows\logs\WindowsUpdate\WindowsUpdate.20150529.122432.434.2.etl
C:\Windows\logs\WindowsUpdate\WindowsUpdate.20150529.122432.434.3.etl
C:\Windows\logs\WindowsUpdate\WindowsUpdate.20150529.122432.434.4.etl
C:\Windows\logs\WindowsUpdate\WindowsUpdate.20150529.122432.434.5.etl
0.00%8.33%16.67%25.00%33.33%41.67%50.00%58.33%66.67%75.00%83.33%91.67%100.00%
Output
----------------
DumpFile: C:\Users\admin\AppData\Local\Temp\WindowsUpdateLog\wuetl.CSV.tmp.0
The command completed successfully.
WindowsUpdate.log written to C:\Users\admin\Desktop\WindowsUpdate.logThis command merges and converts Windows Update trace files (.etl files) into a single readable
WindowsUpdate.log file.
Parameters
-Confirm
Prompts you for confirmation before running the cmdlet.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Aliases: | cf |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | False |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-ETLPath
Specifies an array of paths of Windows Update .etl files to convert into WindowsUpdate.log. The
default value for this parameter is the Windows Update trace file directory for the current device.
The acceptable values for this parameter are:
- The full path of a directory that contains one or more
.etlfiles. - The full path of a single
.etlfile. - A comma-separated list of full paths of
.etlfiles.
| Type: | String[] |
| Aliases: | PsPath |
| Position: | 0 |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | True |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-ForceFlush
Indicates that this cmdlet forces the Windows Update Agent on the current device to flush all of its
traces to .etl files. This process stops the Update Orchestrator and Windows Update services.
Running this cmdlet with this parameter requires administrative credentials. You can start Windows
PowerShell with administrative credentials by using the Run as administrator command.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-IncludeAllLogs
Decodes all update-related logs: Windows Update, Update Session Orchestrator (USO), and the update user interface (UX). This parameter is mutually exclusive of all other parameters of this cmdlet. Specifying this parameter uses defaults for all other parameters. This parameter causes a folder to be created on the desktop and readable WindowsUpdate.log, USO.log, and UX.log files are written to it.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-LogPath
Specifies the full path to which Get-WindowsUpdateLog writes WindowsUpdate.log.
The default value is WindowsUpdate.log in the Desktop folder of the current user.
| Type: | String |
| Position: | 1 |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-ProcessingType
Specifies the file type that Get-WindowsUpdateLog uses for temporary files that are created
during intermediate processing. The acceptable values for this parameter are:
CSV(comma-separated values)XML
By default, the value is XML.
The temporary files are in $env:TEMP\WindowsUpdateLog.
| Type: | String |
| Accepted values: | CSV, XML |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | None |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
-WhatIf
Shows what would happen if the cmdlet runs. The cmdlet isn't run.
| Type: | SwitchParameter |
| Aliases: | wi |
| Position: | Named |
| Default value: | False |
| Required: | False |
| Accept pipeline input: | False |
| Accept wildcard characters: | False |
Inputs
String[]
Outputs
Notes
The SymbolServer parameter is deprecated for Windows 1709 (OS Build 16299) and later.