How to enable global and advanced logging for Microsoft Outlook

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:Note It is optimal to enable logging when you can reproduce the problem in real time. If you leave logging enabled for several hours or days, the problem becomes very difficult to analyze because too much information is captured in the log file.

Enable global logging in Outlook

When you enable global logging through the Outlook interface, Outlook generates both transport and advanced trace logs. The mail transport logs are text-based logs, such as OPML, IMAP, POP3, and SMTP. The advanced trace log contains advanced logging events. Advanced logging events include the following:

• RPC trace events
• Sync events
• Exchange Web Services (EWS) events that are related to AutoDiscover, Availability Services, MailTips and Out of office (OOF).

Note In Outlook 2010, global logging changed after the RTM version of the product. To troubleshoot a performance issue or other unexpected behavior, you must first make sure that you are using the latest build of Outlook. For more information about the latest applicable updates for Outlook, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:To enable global logging in Outlook, follow these steps:

1. On the File tab, select Options.
2. In the Outlook Options dialog box, click Advanced.
3. Scroll down the list of settings, and then select the Enable troubleshooting logging (requires restarting Outlook) option.
4. Click OK.
5. Exit Outlook.
6. Start Registry Editor.
7. Create the following registry value at the specified location.
   
   Note Manually create any registry keys or values if they don't exist. Also, unless there are specific instructions, all registry keys are the same for 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Microsoft Office. If the value already exists, make note of it.
   
   Subkey: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\xx.0\Outlook\Options\Shutdown
   DWORD: FastShutdownBehavior
   Value: 2
   
   The xx.0 placeholder stands for 14.0 in Outlook 2010, 15.0 in Outlook 2013, and 16.0 in Outlook 2016, Outlook for Office 365 and Outlook 2019.
8. Exit Registry Editor.
9. Restart Outlook, and reproduce your issue.
10. After you have reproduced the issue, exit Outlook.
11. After you send files to the Microsoft Support engineer, restore the original settings by disabling the logging from step 3 and by setting FastShutdownBehavior to the default value of 0, unless you noted an existing value in step 7.
    
    Note The log files are created in multiple folders. These folders vary, depending on the version of Outlook that you're running.
     

    Outlook 2010

    Log files in the %temp% folder	File name
    Outlook RPC log	OLKRPCLOG_date-time.etl
    AutoDiscover log	olkdisc.log
    Outlook/SharePoint synchronization logs	.htm and .xml files

    Log files in the %temp%\OlkAS folder	File name
    Availability Service, OOF, and Meeting Suggestion log files	date-time -AS.log
    Protection Rules log files	date-time -PB4S.log
    Unified messaging log files	date-time -UM.log
    Unified Messaging configuration log files	date-time .UMCFG.log

    Log files in the %temp%\OlkCalLogs folder	File name
    Outlook calendar log files	OlkCalLog_date_time.etl

    Log files in the folder %temp%\Outlook Logging	File name
    Outlook advanced ETW log	Outlook-########.etl
    MailTips log	date-time-mailtips.log
    OOF log	date-time-oof.log
    Transport log file	opmlog.log
    Outlook profile logs	Prof_OUTLOOK_PID_OutlookStart_date_time.txt Prof_OUTLOOK_PID_OutlookStart_date_time.txt
    SMTP log files	emailaddress-Outgoing-date_time.log
    POP3 log files	emailaddress-Incoming-date_time.log
    IMAP log files	IMAP-emailaddress-Incoming-date_time.log
    HTTP DAV log files	HTTP-emailaddress-date_time.log
    Outlook Hotmail Connector log files	OLC-emailaddress-date_time.log OLC-date_time.log emailaddress.txt
    Outlook Sharing Engine log files	SharingEngine date.log
    Outlook-Windows Desktop Search indexing log files	data file name.log
    Outlook first-run process log file	firstrun.log

     

    Outlook 2013 and Outlook 2016

    Log files in the %temp% folder	File name
    Outlook/SharePoint synchronization logs	.htm and .xml files
    Log files in the %temp%\EASLogFiles	File name
    EAS logs for Hotmail accounts	.bin and .xml folders
    Log files in the %temp%\OlkCalLogs folder	File name
    Outlook calendar log files	OlkCalLog_date_time .etl
    Log files in the folder %temp%\Outlook Logging	File name
    Advanced ETW log	Outlook-########.etl
    Transport log file	opmlog.log
    Outlook profile logs	Prof_OUTLOOK_PID_xxxxxxxx_date_time.txt Prof_OUTLOOK_PID_LoggingStart_date_time.txt
    SMTP log files	emailaddress-Outgoing-date_time.log
    POP3 log files	emailaddress-Incoming-date_time.log
    IMAP log files	IMAP-emailaddress-Incoming-date_time.log
    Outlook Sharing Engine log files	SharingEngine date.log
    Outlook-Windows Desktop Search indexing log files	data file name.log
    Outlook first-run process log file	firstrun.log

    Note You can sort by Date modified to find the files that were created most recently.

Note The above steps 1 through 5 sets the following registry data:
 The xx.0 placeholder stands for 14.0 in Outlook 2010, 15.0 in Outlook 2013, and 16.0 in Outlook 2016, Outlook for Office 365 and Outlook 2019.

Enable only advanced logging in Outlook 2013 and Outlook 2016

In Outlook 2013 and Outlook 2016, you can enable the advanced ETW logging without enabling global logging. If you use the following registry setting, the mail transport logs (POP3, SMTP, and so on) aren't generated. Additionally, the Outlook window title bar doesn't display the "Logging Enabled" string. To enable only advanced logging in Outlook 2013 and Outlook 2016, follow these steps:
 

1. Exit Outlook.
2. Start Registry Editor.
3. Create the following registry values at the specified locations.
   
   Note Manually create any registry keys or values if they don't exist. Also, unless there are specific instructions, all registry keys are the same for 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Office.
   
   Subkey: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\xx.0\Outlook\Options\Mail
   DWORD: EnableETWLogging
   Value: 1
   
   Subkey: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\xx.0\Outlook\Options\Shutdown
   DWORD: FastShutdownBehavior
   Value: 2
   
   Notes 
   • If FastShutdownBehavior already exists, make note of the value.
   • The xx.0 placeholder stands for 15.0 in Outlook 2013 and 16.0 in Outlook 2016, Outlook for Office 365 and Outlook 2019.
4. Exit Registry Editor.
5. Start Outlook, and reproduce your issue.
6. After you have reproduced the issue, exit Outlook.
7. After you send files to the Microsoft Support engineer, restore the original settings as follows:
   • Change the value for EnableETWLogging to 0.
   • Change the value for FastShutdownBehavior to 0,unless you noted an existing value for FastShutdownBehavior in step 3.

Enable only Sync Issues Conflict logging in Outlook 2013 and Outlook 2016

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Start Registry Editor.

2. Create the following registry value at the specified locations.

   Subkey: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\Microsoft\Office\xx.0\Outlook\Options 
   DWORD: EnableConflictLogging
   Value:  0 = Never save Modification Resolution logs 
               1 = Always save Modification Resolution logs 
               2 = Save Modification Resolution logs when a "critical conflict" occurs 
   
   Note The xx.0 placeholder stands for 15.0 in Outlook 2013 and 16.0 in Outlook 2016, Outlook for Office 365 and Outlook 2019.

3. Exit Registry Editor.

To view the Modification Resolution logs, follow these steps:

1. On the Navigation Bar, click 
   
   .
   
   
   
2. Click Folders, and then locate the Sync Issues folder.  
   
   Note The Sync Issues folder is usually hidden unless you expand the folder list.

Performance Log Users group

If .etl files aren't generated as expected, add your user account to the Performance Log Users group on the workstation. To do this, follow these steps:
 

1. Click Start, click in the Start Search box, type compmgmt.msc, and then press ENTER.
2. Expand System Tools.
3. Expand Local Users and Groups, and then click Groups.
4. In the list of groups, right-click Performance Log Users, and then click Add to Group.
5. On the General tab, click Add.
6. Type your user name, or click Advanced to search the directory for your user account.
7. When you have finished, click OK.
8. Click OK again to close the Performance Log Users Properties dialog box.