Get EventViewer Errors

What the Event Viewer Error Collector does

This Automox Worklet™ automates the collection of recent errors from Windows Event Viewer and displays them directly in your Automox Activity Log. The Worklet queries both the System and Application event logs, retrieving the most recent errors based on a configurable variable.

By default, the Worklet captures the ten most recent errors from each log. It retrieves critical error information including timestamps, event IDs, error source, and detailed messages, making it easy to identify what went wrong on each endpoint.

The Worklet eliminates the need to log into individual systems to check Event Viewer, saving administrators time when troubleshooting widespread issues across their infrastructure.

Why automate Windows Event Viewer error collection

Troubleshooting Windows endpoint issues typically requires manual RDP or console access to check Event Viewer on each affected system, creating time-consuming workflows when investigating service failures, application crashes, or driver problems across your fleet. When users report vague symptoms like slow performance or random crashes, administrators need immediate visibility into System and Application log errors containing event IDs, source components, and detailed error messages that reveal root causes like missing DLL files or failed Windows Updates. This Automox Worklet eliminates the need to log into individual endpoints by automatically collecting recent error log entries and displaying them centrally in your Activity Log, allowing administrators to identify patterns, diagnose issues remotely, and distinguish between isolated problems and systemic infrastructure issues affecting multiple systems.

How event log error collection works

1. Evaluation phase: The Worklet is designed to always trigger remediation, verifying that the error collection script runs whenever the Worklet executes (whether on a schedule or manually).

2. Remediation phase: The remediation script queries the System and Application logs using PowerShell's Get-EventLog cmdlet, filtering for Error type entries and returning the number specified by the $events variable (default is 10). Each error entry includes TimeGenerated, EventID, EntryType, Message, and Source properties, all formatted and displayed in the Activity Log.

Event log collection requirements

• Windows 7 and later (Windows Server 2008 and later)

• PowerShell 2.0 or higher

• Applies to both Workstations and Servers

• The $events variable can be modified to capture more or fewer errors (recommended range: 5-50)

• Accounts running the Worklet must have permission to read Event Viewer logs

Expected event log data after collection

After execution, you can expect these specific outcomes:

• The Automox Activity Log will display error entries from both System and Application logs

• Each error entry includes TimeGenerated, EventID, EntryType, Source, and Message properties

• By default, the 10 most recent errors from each log will be collected (configurable via $events variable)

• You can search Activity Log history to identify error patterns across your fleet

How to validate get eventviewer errors changes

1. Run this Worklet on a pilot Windows endpoint and review evaluation output for get eventviewer errors.

2. Confirm Automox activity logs show successful completion and exit code 0.

3. Verify endpoint state using checks aligned to evaluation script logic, such as the evaluation and remediation scripts.

4. Validate remediation effects from script operations such as Write-Output, Get-EventLog, Select-Object, then rerun evaluation for compliance.