---
title: "Windows Event Logs"
description: "Integrate Middleware with Windows Event Logs to monitor system logs, detect errors, and track performance."
section: "Integrations"
breadcrumb: "Integrations > Log Sources > Windows Event Logs"
canonical: "https://docs.middleware.io/integrations/windows-event-logs"
---
# Windows Event Logs

A Windows event log provides a comprehensive record of **system**, **security**, **application** and **custom** channels of windows os. Event logs can be used to monitor system and certain application problems and predict issues down the road.

## Introduction

The Middleware Windows Event Log integration enables monitoring and forwarding of Windows Event Logs to the Middleware backend. This integration allows you to:

- Track system and application events with OpenTelemetry.
- Correlate system and application events across your application stack.

## Prerequisites

Ensure that Windows Event Log service is started on the Windows machine.

Middleware Windows Host Agent must be installed on your windows machine. To install the MW Windows Agent, see our [Installation Guide](/get-started/agent/windows).

## Configuration Fields

Before moving to setup, there are some configuration fields required to integrate Windows Event Logs. Fields are given below:

- **Channel Name**: The windows event log channel to monitor, Drop down with 3 prefilled values - `Application`, `System` and `Security`.  Customers can type in `custom` channel name as well. This is a required field.
- **Collection Interval**: The interval at which the channel is checked for new log entries. This check begins again after all new bodies have been read. Duration in seconds. Default to `1s` if left empty.
- **Resource Attributes**: A map of `key: value` pairs to add to the entry's resource that customers can configure.

## Listing Windows Event Channels

First, identify the Windows Event Log channels you want to monitor.

To list available channels, use PowerShell with the command:

```bash
Get-WinEvent -ListLog *
```

To list channels by activity level, use:

```bash
Get-WinEvent -ListLog * | Sort-Object RecordCount -Descending
```

> **Note:** In output, the value under the `LogName` column represents the channel name.

## Setup

Follow these steps to set up the Windows Event Logs integration:

### 1 Navigate to Windows Event Logs Integration

Go to **Installation > Integration > Windows Event Logs Integration** as shown in the image

Now, click on Add Host. That will show available windows hosts.

![Windows Event Logs Integration](/images/windows-event-logs1.png?width=100&height=400)

### 2 Configure the windows event logs channels

After selecting respective host.

Fill all the required fields as per your need.

Click on save and then the configuration will be saved successfully.

![Windows Event Logs Integration](/images/windows-event-logs2.png?width=100&height=400)

## Visualize Your Windows Event Logs Metrics

You can now access this metrics data under our Dashboard builder

```
https://app.middleware.io/reports
```

![Windows Event Logs Integration](/images/windows-event-logs3.png?width=100&height=400)

## Troubleshooting

### Missing Integrations Menu

If you do not see the Integrations Menu in Middlware, that means your account has not been granted `Installation` permissions. Contact your system administrator to add the `Installation` permission to your user role in Settings.

Need assistance or want to learn more about Middleware? Get in touch with us via our Contact Us page or join our Slack channel.