Clear All Event Logs in Event Viewer in Windows  

When you test and then provide an answer... make sure you give the correct one (the one that works!!!)

Code:

$EventLogs = Get-WinEvent -ListLog * 
foreach($log in $EventLogs) { [System.Diagnostics.Eventing.Reader.EventLogSession]::GlobalSession.ClearLog($log.LogName) }

This should work.

Sorry for the late reply Dimitri @ddelo,

This is what I got below with those commands in an elevated PowerShell. It looks like the "System" logs don't get cleared in Event Viewer.

Brink said:

Sorry for the late reply Dimitri @ddelo,

This is what I got below with those commands in an elevated PowerShell. It looks like the "System" logs don't get cleared in Event Viewer.

Now I have to apologize for the delayed answer. You see my daughter was visiting and I had other priorities....

OK, this thing is starting to get into my nerves!

While looking to see why the System log was skipped, I tried to make it more efficient, by adding a "where" clause... and guess what... problem resolved (pending your confirmation). So now this should be the command:

Code:

Get-WinEvent -ListLog * | where {$_.RecordCount} | ForEach-Object -Process { [System.Diagnostics.Eventing.Reader.EventLogSession]::GlobalSession.ClearLog($_.LogName) }

Regarding the red error you're getting, which I also get, is attributable to the "Microsoft-Windows-LiveId/Operational" log which needs special treatment to be cleared.

Hope to have finally nailed it. Awaiting your comment!
Take care mate

Works great now. I'll add it to Option 3 now.

Brink said:

Works great now. I'll add it to Option 3 now.

Question; I've been using the .BAT file (Win 7 Viewer.bat) for a few yrs and when running it as Admin it always sped thru the cleaning mode, but now, it has slowed down to where it does one line at a time and takes a long time to complete.

Could this be a Win10 update thing? Or a setting somewhere that has caused this to slow down? In Safe Mode it runs as expected, which is very quick an only takes less than a minute to complete whereas now not in Safe Mode it takes up to 3 or 4 minutes to complete. I'm thinking it may be a permission thing which it did not need in the past.

tazmo8448 said:

Question; I've been using the .BAT file (Win 7 Viewer.bat) for a few yrs and when running it as Admin it always sped thru the cleaning mode, but now, it has slowed down to where it does one line at a time and takes a long time to complete.

Could this be a Win10 update thing? Or a setting somewhere that has caused this to slow down? In Safe Mode it runs as expected, which is very quick an only takes less than a minute to complete whereas now not in Safe Mode it takes up to 3 or 4 minutes to complete. I'm thinking it may be a permission thing which it did not need in the past.

Hello mate,

How does the .bat file from Option 1 here instead work for you?

Hey Brink,,

Option 1 now seems to work a tad faster than the older model. I'd say it cuts the time in half but is not as quick as it once was. But hey it's faster and thanks I'll be using this one from now on....

tazmo8448 said:

Hey Brink,,

Option 1 now seems to work a tad faster than the older model. I'd say it cuts the time in half but is not as quick as it once was. But hey it's faster and thanks I'll be using this one from now on....