Where Are My IIS Logs?

by | Aug 12, 2015 | ConfigMgr, How-To, Tips

Last updated on August 2nd, 2022 at 09:56 am

Recently I answered a forum post about troubleshooting hardware (HW) inventory from a client PC into the ConfigMgr database by pointing them to a blog post I wrote back in 2013. In that blog post under the heading, Phase 2 – MP Server, I say to locate your IIS logs on your MP server. They ask where are the IIS Logs located? As a Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (MEMCM / MECM / SCCM / ConfigMgr ) Administrator, you will need to be familiar with how to determine the IIS Location. This article will help you locate the logs and for good measure I create a video on

Where are IIS Logs?

They are found here: c:\inetpub\logs\LogFiles.

Where Are My IIS Logs - Log Files

 Unfortunately, these steps only partially help. If you have a number of W3SVC directories you also need to know which one is the right one.

Normally, I can tell just by looking at it which one is the right directory, but I thought that there has to be a better way. After researching this a bit more, I discovered a way to definitively determine which W3SVC directory is the right one for your MP. See the steps below.

Where Are My IIS Logs - Step 1

1. On your site server open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

Where Are My IIS Logs - Step 2

2. In the left pane, expand the Server | Sites | Default Web Site (blue arrow). Ensure that the SMS_MP (green arrow) is listed under the Default Web Site. Finally, click the Advanced Settings… (Red arrow) link.

Where Are My IIS Logs - Step 3

3. Notice the ID number (green arrow).

Where Are My IIS Logs - Step 4

4. Now when you look at the c:\inetpub\logs\LogFiles directory, you will notice the correct W3SVC log directory is the one that matches the ID number you saw in the previous step. In my case it is, “1”.

To help prove this point, notice the second folder’s number. This number matches up with the WSUS Administration web site that is also installed on this server. See the screenshot below.

Where Are My IIS Logs - WSUS Administration

In case you still have questions about how I found this information, tomorrow I’ll post a video that demonstrates in real time how I determine the correct IIS log file location for my MP.

As promised, I also create a video of the steps that you need to do.

Don’t forget that you can subscribe to my RRS feed to stay on top of the latest trips and tricks. Additionally, If you have any questions, please feel free to touch base @Garthmj.