What’s A .LOG File?

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Vbognot called in and left me a voice mail to ask what exactly .log files are, and are they safe to delete?

A .log file is a text file that can be found in many locations on your computer. It can be found in your root drive, your Windows folder — even your Documents folder. What is it? Well, it is exactly what it sounds like. You know in Star Trek, when they talk about the “Captain’s Log”? That’s what this is, as well. Programs on your computer will write a .log file to a location on the computer.

Sometimes, the .log file holds uninstall information for a specific program. Other times, it may be a log with diagnostic text in it. In either case, it’s safe to delete these for the most part. However, what if you are uninstalling a program that needs a specific .log file to refer to? I suggest backing up those .log files if you want to remove them. Move them all to one specific folder on your computer. You could also put them on a disk, or on a removable drive. That way, if you need one later, you can always stick it in the computer, and let the program access what it needs.

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[tags]log file, .log[/tags]