Turn on debug logging in the Windows Time Service for troubleshooting

The Debug.log file can record database operations, system processes, and errors that occur when executing a transaction or running unit tests. In today’s post, we describe how to turn on debug logging for the Windows Time Service (also known as W32time). The debug logging feature of the Windows Time service can help you troubleshoot issues.

What does enable debug logging mean?

Logs are records of events that happen in your computer, either by a person or by a running process. They help you track what happened and troubleshoot problems. Microsoft recommends that you use debug logging after you have performed all other troubleshooting steps. Also owing to the nature of the detailed information in the debug log, you may have to contact a Microsoft Support Professional.

Note: This procedure requires a registry tweak, so first you should back up the registry or create a system restore point in case the procedure goes south.

Turn On Debug Logging for Windows Time Service

To turn on debug logging for the Windows Time Service, do the following:

1. Open the Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to Config in HKLM.
3. Go to Edit > New > DWORD (32-bit) value and name it as FileLogSize.
4. Set the Value data as 10000000.
5. Create a new String Value and name it as FileLogName.
6. Set the Value data as C:\Windows\Temp\w32time.log
7. Create another String Value and name it as FileLogEntries.
8. Set the Value data as 0-116.

To learn more about these steps, continue reading.

To get started, you need to open the Registry Editor and navigate to this path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Config

Then, go to Edit > New > DWORD (32-bit) value and name it as FileLogSize.

Then, set the Value data as 10000000. This registry value specifies the size of the log file in bytes. A value of 10000000 bytes will limit the log file to approximately 10 MB.

After that, repeat the same steps to create a String Value and name it as FileLogName.

Then, set the Value data as C:\Windows\Temp\w32time.log.

For your information, this registry value specifies the location of the log file. The path is not fixed. You can use a different path.

After that, create another String Value, name it as FileLogEntries and set the Value data as 0-116.

This registry value specifies the level of detail of the information in the debug log. If you need more detailed logging information, contact a Microsoft Support Professional.

The Data Type value must be of type REG_SZ (String). You must type the value exactly as shown (that is, type 0-116). The highest possible value is 0-300 for most detailed logging. The meaning of this value is: Log all entries within the range of 0 and 116.

Finally, close all the windows and restart your computer.

I hope you find this guide useful!

Read: How to Enable or Disable Debug logging for Netlogon service on Windows

How do I enable debug log in Windows?

Before enabling debug log in Windows 11/10, you need to know the purpose or the function for which you want to create it. For example, it is possible to enable debug logs for Windows Time Service, Netlogon service, Windows Installer, etc. If you want to turn on debug logging for Windows Time Service, you need to create three new keys in the Registry Editor and name them as FileLogSize, FileLogName, and FileLogEntries. Next, you need to set the Value data as shown above.

Read: How to enable Windows Installer logging on Windows