How to Delete Log Files in Windows 11/10? Complete Guide

Overview: Did you know what log files are, where they are stored, and how to delete them? If not, then this article will take you through different ways to safely delete Windows log files. Before that, let’s know about system log files who don’t know. It is an appropriate place to monitor the activities on your Windows PC. However, these logs accumulate and take a lot of disk. If your goal is to save disk space or keep your computer sorted then removing old log files might be useful.

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What are Windows Log Files & Where are they Stored?

Want to delete Windows log files? For this, first understand log files, these are auto generated files that record activities, errors, and other system events. Like application installs, updates, and or hardware performance settings. These are usually stored in .log format and used to debug problems. Yet without regular clearing, they can take up valuable space.

The location of the Windows log files depends on the type of log file you have in your computer. Like mostly standard logs are found in:

C:\Windows\Logs – It locates your system and application log files.

C:\Windows\System32\LogFiles – HTTPERR (and firewall, and other service-specific) logs.

C:\Windows\System32\winevt\Logs – Log files of Event Viewer stored in .evtx format.

%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\WER – It is your Windows Error Reporting log files.

%LocalAppData%\CrashDumps – Application crash dumps area.

These folders can have several subfolders and log types. You can delete most of the file except active or system critical logs. As, it is used in the system environment at regular pace.

Reasons to Delete Windows Log Files

These are some of the top reasons why users want to delete old or unwanted log files. Here are those pointers given below:

• The log files can grow up to several gigabytes in size over time with limited storage.
• Collecting lots of log files can slow down your performance. By removing the logs, you can keep your system well optimized.
• Some logs might be sensitive in nature. So, you have to do frequent cleaning of your device to minimize the damage.
• If you clear old log files, then it can help in preventing confusion while having troubleshooting based on recent event history.
• You can delete corrupt or old log files to help troubleshoot problems with software installations or updates.

How to Delete Log Files in Windows 11 or 10? Manual Methods

The following are the best manual ways in which you can remove log files from your system:

#1. Use Disk Cleanup Utility

Windows has its own built-in tool to clean up temporary files from a computer. Follow the below quick steps.

1. Firstly, type Disk Cleanup in the search bar that pops up, and press enter to open it.
2. Then, choose the system drive that is by default your C:Drive and select the OK button.
3. Check systems WER Report, Windows upgrade log files, and Temp files.
4. At last, click OK and then delete Windows log files.

#2. Clear Event Logs with Event Viewer

If you want you can delete old event logs in the Event Viewer itself. The steps are given below:

1. Press Windows + X and hit Event Viewer.
2. Now, click on Windows Logs button present in the left pane.
3. After that, right click on each log like Application, Security, System, etc. and choose Clear Log.
4. Select Clear or Save & Clear as required.

#3. Delete Windows Log Files Using Command Prompt

It provides a list of commands to delete log files in Windows  quite handy and easily. It is perfect for power users or system administrators with multiple systems.

1. Open Command Prompt in Admin mode.

2. To clear event logs, you can use the command listed below:

wevtutil el | ForEach-Object {wevtutil cl “$_”}

3. This will clear all event logs at once.

Delete Log Files in Windows 10/11 Using Effortless Solution

If you want to delete Windows log files easily, then use SysTools Data Eraser Software. You need to select the folder in which log files are there and it will remove all your log files at one go. Instead of you having to find each log file and go through the logs and delete data, use our tool to have secure data deletion It serves users with privacy, space, data disposal and other system related functions. With a click or two you can remove Windows logs and other traces confidently and can save precious time.

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Final Words

To understand in short, if you delete Windows log files at regular time then it can help you solve problems and provide system auditing. As, it is not necessary to store these log files for a long time in your system. Remember that you should be careful and not delete the logs necessary for the current troubleshooting or operation. If you want to erase files in such a way that it cannot recover, then the best possible option is to make use of our professional tool that will make your work easy when it comes to wipe the sensitive log files beyond forensic recovery.