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ETL file: What it is and how to open or read it

Dave Farquhar Windows July 23, 2020September 15, 2023

The C:\Windows\Logs directory has tons of useful information in it, but it’s all in the obscure ETL file format. What’s an ETL file, why did Microsoft switch to this format, and how do you open the file to read it?

ETL stands for Event Trace Log, and they contain information from kernel events generated by Tracelog. Windows uses them because they are more efficient than logging in plaintext, and you can open ETL files in Event Viewer, but it’s also possible to convert them into XML, CSV, or plaintext for troubleshooting.

Dave Farquhar

David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He started his career as a part-time computer technician in 1994, worked his way up to system administrator by 1997, and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He invests in real estate on the side and his hobbies include O gauge trains, baseball cards, and retro computers and video games. A University of Missouri graduate, he holds CISSP and Security+ certifications. He lives in St. Louis with his family.

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Windows 10 Start Menu not working: A 30-second fix

Dave Farquhar Windows May 13, 2020May 10, 2020

I had an issue with my Windows 10 Start Menu not working when I click on the Windows button on the screen or my keyboard, on two separate machines within two days of each other. The fix is easy enough but most people way overcomplicate it. Here’s the no-bull guide to fixing the Windows 10 Start Menu.

To fix the Windows 10 Start Menu, all you need to do is restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager. You can fix it in 30 seconds or less and get on with your day.

Dave Farquhar

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Is Windows 7 safe to use?

Dave Farquhar security, Windows April 14, 2020July 23, 2023

Is Windows 7 safe to use? No. Next question? Alright, I guess I need to explain why, without being so dismissive.

Support for Windows 7 ended in January 2020, which means there have been no new security updates for Windows since. That means Windows 7 isn’t safe to use, even with a firewall and antivirus.

Dave Farquhar

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Why no Windows 9? The surprising reason

Dave Farquhar Windows April 7, 2020June 28, 2020

After the hugely popular Windows 7, Microsoft followed up with the terrible Windows 8, and the only slightly less terrible Windows 8.1. And then they came out with Windows 10, which, while not as beloved as Windows 7, certainly was better than 8. But they skipped 9. Why no Windows 9?

Believe it or not, the reason Microsoft skipped Windows 9 has nothing to do with Windows 7 or Windows 8. The reason is a decades-old shortcut that was beyond Microsoft’s control.

Dave Farquhar

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Windows 10 mouse cursor disappears? Try this.

Dave Farquhar Windows November 25, 2019November 17, 2019

If your Windows 10 mouse cursor disappears, you’re not alone. It happens to me too. It’s a bit maddening but not super hard to fix.

Dave Farquhar

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Start menu keeps scrolling down? A simple fix

Dave Farquhar Windows May 6, 2019September 5, 2022

One morning I went to use my Windows 10 PC and brought up the start menu only to get an unpleasant surprise. The contents of the menu scrolled to the end uncontrollably, rendering it unusable. If your start menu keeps scrolling down, here’s how to fix it.

Generally speaking, a scrolling start menu or other menu is due to a fault on some USB-attached peripheral, such as a game controller or keyboard. Unplugging USB devices should allow you to isolate the problem.

Dave Farquhar

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Why Microsoft is the best – in some minds

Dave Farquhar Windows April 10, 2019March 25, 2019

Microsoft is a classic American story. If you want to know why Microsoft is the best in some people’s minds, it helps to start with that. But two people can look at the same set of facts about Microsoft and come to very different conclusions. That makes Microsoft interesting to follow, but at times confounding.

Microsoft’s story is basically the story of a string of successes, in sequence. The details matter, but in a nutshell, people’s opinion about Microsoft is generally shaped by their opinion about that success.

Dave Farquhar

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Stream from Windows Media Player to Roku

Dave Farquhar Windows March 7, 2019October 23, 2022

I wanted to be able to stream from Windows Media Player to Roku. I have lots of media stored on my Windows computers, but what’s the point of connecting a computer to my TV if I already have a Roku on it? Fortunately it’s not hard to get Roku and Windows talking.

People of a certain age probably have a lot of media loaded on their PCs, whether it’s MP3s ripped from CDs or vinyl, home movies, or digital video obtained from other sources. Needless to say, a lot of that stuff isn’t on streaming services and never will be. But that doesn’t mean you don’t want to watch it.

Windows Media Player can stream between multiple PCs, but it can also stream to devices like Roku, which, in many cases, is even more convenient.

Dave Farquhar

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Snagit alternative

Dave Farquhar Windows November 26, 2018November 12, 2018

I don’t do as many screen captures as I used to, but when I need to do a screen capture, I need to do one badly. Snagit is the most common program for this, but its cost can be hard to justify. What’s better than a Snagit alternative? How about a Snagit free alternative?

I’ve got you covered.

Dave Farquhar

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Fixing Windows 10 random lockups

Dave Farquhar Windows October 30, 2018October 29, 2018

The computer my sons use sometimes became unreliable a few weeks ago. It would work normally for a while, but rarely could make it through a full day without locking up hard. Here’s how I fixed the Windows 10 random lockups.

Dave Farquhar

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