Problems with using System.Diagnostics.EventLog to retrieve event log messages

Question

Hi
In my app I am retrieving error and critical events from application and system log - but for some reason what it is returning doesn't tally with what I see in event viewer
For example:-
1) Source is SideBySide and shows in event viewer with Event ID of 33 - but in my app it is returning an event ID of 3238068257 - all other details such as message are correct - other event sources show fine
2) A lot of the system event log messages are showing wrong error message - in event log it shows correctly but in my app it is retrieving messages like this "The description for Event ID '41' in Source 'Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Power' cannot be
found. The local computer may not have the necessary registry information or message DLL files to display message, or you may not have permission to access them" - I am running the app with admin rights?, so not sure why not showing same message as it
shows in event viewer i.e "The system has rebooted without cleanly shutting down first. This error could be caused if the system stopped responding, crashed, or lost power unexpectedly."
Darren Rose

Answer 1

Private Sub btnCheckEventLog_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles btnCheckEventLogs.Click
' get event logs
' APPLICATION LOG
' variables for adding to the listview application log
Dim ListEventlogApp As ListViewItem
Dim arrayEventlogApp(5) As String
' Clear existing items from list
lvwEventLogApp.Clear()
' Create columns and set width
lvwEventLogApp.Columns.Add("Date/Time", 120)
lvwEventLogApp.Columns.Add("Type", 50)
lvwEventLogApp.Columns.Add("Source", 150)
lvwEventLogApp.Columns.Add("ID", 100)
lvwEventLogApp.Columns.Add("Message", 1000)
' get event log (application) error entries
Dim eventLogAppError As New System.Diagnostics.EventLog("Application")
Dim eventCntr1 As Integer = 1
Dim numberofeventstoshow1 As Integer = 1
For i As Integer = eventLogAppError.Entries.Count - 1 To 0 Step -1
Dim eventLogAppErrorEntry As EventLogEntry = eventLogAppError.Entries(i)
If eventLogAppErrorEntry.EntryType.ToString = ("Error") Then
arrayEventlogApp(0) = (eventLogAppErrorEntry.TimeGenerated)
arrayEventlogApp(1) = (eventLogAppErrorEntry.EntryType.ToString)
arrayEventlogApp(2) = (eventLogAppErrorEntry.Source)
arrayEventlogApp(3) = (eventLogAppErrorEntry.InstanceId)
arrayEventlogApp(4) = (eventLogAppErrorEntry.Message)
ListEventlogApp = New ListViewItem(arrayEventlogApp)
lvwEventLogApp.Items.Add(ListEventlogApp)
eventCntr1 = eventCntr1 + 1
If numberofeventstoshow1 = 10 Then Exit For ' amend if you want to show more than 10 events
numberofeventstoshow1 = numberofeventstoshow1 + 1
End If
Next
' SYSTEM LOG
' variables for adding to the listview application log
Dim ListEventlogSys As ListViewItem
Dim arrayEventlogSys(5) As String
' Clear existing items from list
lvwEventLogSys.Clear()
' Create columns and set width
lvwEventLogSys.Columns.Add("Date/Time", 120)
lvwEventLogSys.Columns.Add("Type", 50)
lvwEventLogSys.Columns.Add("Source", 150)
lvwEventLogSys.Columns.Add("ID", 100)
lvwEventLogSys.Columns.Add("Message", 1000)
' get event log (system) critical entries
Dim eventLogSystemCritical As New System.Diagnostics.EventLog("System")
Dim eventCntr2 As Integer = 1
Dim numberofeventstoshow2 As Integer = 1
For i As Integer = eventLogSystemCritical.Entries.Count - 1 To 0 Step -1
Dim eventLogSysCriticalEntry As EventLogEntry = eventLogSystemCritical.Entries(i)
If eventLogSysCriticalEntry.EntryType.ToString = ("0") Then
arrayEventlogSys(0) = (eventLogSysCriticalEntry.TimeGenerated)
arrayEventlogSys(1) = ("Critical")
arrayEventlogSys(2) = (eventLogSysCriticalEntry.Source)
arrayEventlogSys(3) = (eventLogSysCriticalEntry.InstanceId)
arrayEventlogSys(4) = (eventLogSysCriticalEntry.Message)
ListEventlogSys = New ListViewItem(arrayEventlogSys)
lvwEventLogSys.Items.Add(ListEventlogSys)
eventCntr2 = eventCntr2 + 1
If numberofeventstoshow2 = 10 Then Exit For ' amend if you want to show more than 10 events
numberofeventstoshow2 = numberofeventstoshow2 + 1
End If
Next
' get event log (system) error entries
Dim eventLogSystemError As New System.Diagnostics.EventLog("System")
Dim eventCntr3 As Integer = 1
Dim numberofeventstoshow3 As Integer = 1
For i As Integer = eventLogSystemError.Entries.Count - 1 To 0 Step -1
Dim eventLogSysErrorEntry As EventLogEntry = eventLogSystemError.Entries(i)
If eventLogSysErrorEntry.EntryType.ToString = ("Error") Then
arrayEventlogSys(0) = (eventLogSysErrorEntry.TimeGenerated)
arrayEventlogSys(1) = (eventLogSysErrorEntry.EntryType.ToString)
arrayEventlogSys(2) = (eventLogSysErrorEntry.Source)
arrayEventlogSys(3) = (eventLogSysErrorEntry.InstanceId)
arrayEventlogSys(4) = (eventLogSysErrorEntry.Message)
ListEventlogSys = New ListViewItem(arrayEventlogSys)
lvwEventLogSys.Items.Add(ListEventlogSys)
eventCntr3 = eventCntr3 + 1
If numberofeventstoshow3 = 10 Then Exit For ' amend if you want to show more than 10 events
numberofeventstoshow3 = numberofeventstoshow3 + 1
End If
Next
End Sub
Darren Rose