How to enable verbose logging on a Windows XP-based computer (906485)

Important This article contains information about how to modify the registry. Make sure to back up the registry before you modify it. Make sure that you know how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up, restore, and modify the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows registry

INTRODUCTION

When you troubleshoot installation issues or setup issues, sometimes you must review registry entries that are listed in the Setupapi.log file. By default, the Setupapi.log file does not contain registry information. To record registry information in the Setupapi.log file, you must enable verbose logging on a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer.

RESOLUTION

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.
To enable verbose logging on a Windows XP-based computer, follow these steps:

Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open field, and then click OK
Locate and then double-click LogLevel under the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup
On the Edit DWORD Value window, click to select Hexadecimal on the Base pane.
Type 0000FFFF in the Value data box.
Click OK.

Note When you enable verbose logging, the size of the Setupapi.log file grows to approximately 4 megabytes (MB). To reset the registry value after you troubleshoot, follow these steps again. However, set the DWORD value to 0 in step 4.