Every time you start up a VM, creates a log file that records system configuration and events. The Log Viewer is a tool that enables you to view and analyze system logs.

Log Viewer Tool, Showing System Events Log Viewer Tool, Showing System Events

To display the Log Viewer, do either of the following:

• Click the VM name in the machine list and select Logs from the machine tools menu.

• In the guest VM, select Machine, Show Log.

Log messages for the VM are displayed in tabs in the Log Viewer window. See Collecting Debugging Information for details of the various log files generated by .

If you select multiple VMs in the machine list, logs are listed for each VM.

The toolbar of the Log Viewer includes the following options:

• Save: Exports the contents of the selected log file to a text file. Specify the destination filename and location in the displayed dialog.

• Find: Searches for a text string in the log file.

• Filter: Uses filter terms to display specific types of log messages. Common log message terms used by , such as Audio and NAT, are included by default. Select one or more terms from the drop-down list. To add your own filter term, enter the text string in the text box field.

• Bookmark: Saves the location of a log message, enabling you to find it quickly. To create a bookmark, either click on the line number, or select some text and then click Bookmark.

• Preferences: Configures the text display used in the log message window.

• Refresh: Refreshes the log file you are currently viewing. Only log messages in the current tab are updated.

• Reload: Refreshes all log files. Log messages in every tab are updated.

• Settings: Displays the Settings window for the VM, enabling you to make configuration changes.

• Discard: For a running VM, discards the saved state for the VM and closes it down.

• Show/Start: For a running VM, Show displays the VM window. For a stopped VM, Start displays options for powering up the VM.