Turn on error logs in lync

You can select error logging options on the Lync General Options window. An error log is an ongoing record of the internal operations of a computer. Usually, logging levels are set by your support team when your software is installed and don't need to be changed. But occasionally you may be asked to send an error log to help analyze a problem in Lync or Windows, in which case you may need to know how to change the settings and collect error information, as described in this article.

Having trouble signing in to Lync?

If you're unable to sign in to Lync, there are some things you can try yourself before contacting your support team. On the main Lync Sign in page, click Need help signing in? for suggestions. If you're still having trouble, you can contact your support team and follow their instructions, which may include turning on error logs.

Select a logging level for Lync

Important:  Before you change Lync logging settings or enable Windows event logging, review the Privacy supplement for Microsoft Skype for Business.

1. On the Lync main window, click the Options button , and then click General.

2. On the General options window, under Logging, click the drop-down arrow next to Logging in Lync, and select the logging level you want:

   • Full: Creates a log file that contains detailed information.

   • Light: Records summary information and gathers information about specific errors.

   • Off (default): Records no information.

Enable or disable Windows event logging

• On the General options window, under Logging, select (to enable logging) or clear (to disable logging) the check box next to Also turn on Windows Event logging for Lync to collect troubleshooting info.

Locate and gather information from the Lync log file

1. In File Explorer, navigate to the Tracing folder in your user profile directory—for example, C:\Users\<your_alias>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Lync\Tracing. (If you've just enabled Lync logging, you'll need to sign out of Lync and then sign back in for the log files to be created.)

2. Compress (or zip) the Tracing folder.

3. If directed to do so by your support team, send the compressed folder to your support team.

View and gather information from the Windows Event Log

1. Do one of the following:

   • In Windows Vista operating system, click Start > All Programs, then click Accessories > Run.

   • In Windows 7 operating system, click Start > Run.

2. In the Open box, type eventvwr, and then click OK.

3. In the Event Viewer window, in the pane on the left, double-click Windows Logs, and then click Application.

4. Double-click the listing for the Lync error you're trying to track down (usually the most recent Lync error) to display the error details.

5. If directed to do so by your support team, in the Event Properties dialog box, click the Copy button to copy the text of the error. Paste the error information into a text file or email message to send to your support team.

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