Everyone has had situations where the system crashes on their computer or certain programs stop performing their functions. If you have a similar situation, do not panic, because MacOS has a very useful thing – the system log. The system log is where all of the processes that occur on a particular computer end up. This detailed information is useful not only if you want to fix the problem yourself, but also for specialists if you decide to ask for help.
In this article, you will learn how to access and understand this system log via the built-in Console app. Keep in mind that the system log has quite a lot of information and here you will learn how to easily find what you are looking for among all the unnecessary stuff.
How to check your Mac’s system logs
You have access to view the system log using the Console application, which you’ll find in your Applications > Utilities folder.
When you open the Console app, you will see that it is divided into two parts: on the left is a list of all available logs and on the right is a list of error messages.
It is necessary to understand all of this in order:
- Mac Analytics Data. In this tab you can find out more about all the processes and applications running on your computer. It contains the timestamp, the name of the application and everything about its process
- System Reports. This tab is responsible for additional information about any crashes and freezes. If you select a specific report in this tab, a window will open with additional information on the specific crashes
- User Reports. About the same as in the previous tab, but with one difference. In this case, the failure may somehow affect the application, and here is where you need more information about the failure itself, so that you can share it with the developers through the support team and solve the problem faster
- System.log. Basically the system log folder
- ~/Library/Logs. Here you’ll find your system-wide application log
- /Library/Logs. Information about specific applications of a particular user is stored here. If there is a problem launching a particular application, or if it doesn’t work as it used to, this log can help the developers deal with it more quickly. Though there is one nuance – in order to view this tab, you need to log in on behalf of this user and run the Console app only on their behalf
- /var/log. This folder contains logs for low-level system services
How to find specific info you are looking for
As already mentioned, all information and the history of the application process are stored in the Console app and can easily get lost in the flood of text and numbers. Use these tips to find what you need in order to find what you are looking for:
- If you’re looking for error messages, the All Messages tab is definitely not useful. Instead, there is an Errors and faults tab next to it. There you can find the error
- By standard, the Console app is frequently updated in real time. This means that new information is constantly being added, which can clutter up your system log and make it harder to find the information you are looking for in the lists. Use the Now tab at the top left of the window to do this. It is responsible for pausing updates so that you can work more easily
- You can use the search bar at the top for an easier search. In addition, there are filters for Date and Time, Process, and Messege ID. Click on Any tab and you will see drop-down menu with filters. If you know that you will often use a particular search query, it is possible to save it and use it in the future. Just click the Save button just below the search box
Here you have some info and tips on how to easily manage the Console app and view system logs on Mac.
