Keeping a System Log (Hardware / Operating Systems / Software Changes)

[sburtchin]

How do you log system changes? - paper, text file, Word doc, Excel doc, other?

Do you just give each entry a date, or do you have a standard header for each entry? What information do you put in the header?

How much detail do you put into the log?

I recently added a couple of bigger hard drives and partitioned so I can experiment with some different boot options. I started a text file log to keep track of changes and problems I run into. At the moment I'm using EDIT in DOS and Notepad in Windows, but there are difficulties with this. EDIT only displays 78 columns at once, and won't wrap the text. Notepad is difficult to use if I put in hard carriage returns. I'd like to be able to update the log whether in DOS (floppy boot) or Windows and have automatic text wrapping. 96 characters per line seems to be a nice value for printing 'fixed-width' fonts.

Can you recommend compatible editors for both environments?

Thanks!

[Sylvander]

I keep a written paper log on loose-leaf A4 sheets.
It's mostly a list of...
Installs [of programs and updates and infrequently hardware]
Uninstalls [prefer to eliminate prog's by using restores]
Image backups
Restores [of image backups]

I prefer a written paper log because if the PC isn't working I can still access these to help plan a response to the problem.

e.g.
My recent entries:
------------------------------------------------------------------
Dec 22 - Image of F: to G: and to N: also.
Dec 22 - Restored C: D: from N:\image\c&d\061008
Dec 23 - Installed AVG 7.5 Free.
Dec 23 - Installed J2 SE Runtime Environment 5.0 Upd 10.
Dec 23 - Image of C: D: to N:\image\c&d\061223.
Dec 23 Installed Firefox 2.0.0.1 Beta 1.
Dec 26 - Installed "Adobe Flash Player".
Dec 28 - Acronis True Image C: D: to G:
-------------------------------------------------------------------

G: is a partition on the only internal HDD.
N: is a partition on the only external USB HDD.

[jlreich]

I keep a written paper log as well. I write down the data, what machine and what partition. Where the backup was stored and if stored to HDD what the filename is. And little notes if applicable like: before installing x program, after installing x program, before installing x hardware etc.

If I save an image to a hard drive would name the file with the first three letter for the month, next two for the numbered day, and the last three an abbreviation of the computer name.

For instance if I were to make an image of my main system today, the file name would be jan05osi.

When I make any other type of backup, like backing up email folders or FF profile etc, I just simply make a note of whatever I did, when I did it, and where I put it.

[sburtchin]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm seriously considering the all-paper log, but I have'nt given up just yet. The all-paper logs are great until they start getting bigger than a couple dozen pages, then it gets really difficult to find things reliably.

At a previous job we kept a text log on a VAX computer for tracking changes to a proprietary application used by the company. This was printed out and kept in a binder (over 200 pages). It had a simple header consisting of the date, the programmer's initials, and one or more key words (below the date) for the purpose of the entry.9-05-95 -ABC-
Prob I discovered that the command procedure DUA3:[SCN.SSS]SCN.COM did not
get updated when the "EQUIP" specs were added or when the "CAS6" and
"PDS6" specs were added.
.
.
.

Key: Prob = entry describes a problem encountered in $$$
Req = entry describes a request to be incorporated within $$$
Fix = entry relates to the correction of a problem
Live = entry details the installation of new executable in Live area
Appr = entry describes a change made to the approval form
Supp = entry describes anything done to make $$$ easier to maintainWith just this simple header, in seconds you could find all entries by a particular programmer, or that match a key word, or related to a specific subroutine, or containing any text string. The terminal could be used like an index with the entry dates used like page numbers in the printed document. This worked great because the system was (essentially) never shut down and the log could be updated while doing the work.

Creating a similar log on a PC has turned out to be more challenging than I imagined. I shut it down, then I can't access the log. Windows takes over two minutes to boot. DOS boots faster, but EDIT works much differently than Notepad. I can't print from DOS because I have a USB printer. I can't access the log while doing most of the stuff I want to log. The log needs to be backed-up independently of my normal backups (need to figure that out). Still not wanting to give up that ability to do electronic searches, but getting frustrated:mad:.

I'm thinking of taking notes on paper and then transferring to a text document, as doing it all in editors is just not working so far (I can type much faster than I can print, but I've never been a fan of writing the same information twice). An editor that works in DOS and one that works in Windows and have compatible features would go a long way. Know of any?

[Sylvander]

Don't know if it would be of any use to you, but...

The EBCD "File Manager" can access a text file [made within Windows] located anywhere on [any partition on] an internal HDD [I think my customised EBCD's File Manager could access my external USB HDD and/or USB memory stick].

Once the file has been accessed the File Manager can...
VIEW [and then search the content][on ANY kind of partition].
EDIT [a bit primitive][only on a FAT partition].

So at least a log could be updated/read/searched even if Windows wasn't working.

[jlreich]

Also on the same note, if your are using Bing it can access and edit a text file on any partition as well. I use it to edit boot.ini files all the time when I am moving partitions around and such.

That still doesn't help if the system can't boot do to a hardware problem, or the hard drive with the log on it dies.

[Dinosaur]

I have been keeping a log for about 2 years using WordPerfect. I make several some what verbose entries per week describing problems, solutions to problems, software installations, anything that seems useful to know aobut my system.

In two years, the log is still small enough to fit on a diskette, which seems like a safe place to back it up regularly.

I do not back up to a diskette because I have three hard disks. I use DriveImage7 to back up all critical files to partitions on other disks. I can lose two of the three disks and recover.

I create images prior to any potentially dangerous activity like running a registry fix utility, defragmenting, installing a major program. I create backup images about every two weeks, keeping the three most recent sets of images and deleting the older ones.

I find it handy to use Boot magic to run two versions of XP. One is a bare bones version I use to boot up if I need to recover from an image.

BTW: I have recovered from virus infections and weird undiagnosable problems by merely using Drive Image to restore my OS Partition. The log file gave me all the information I needed to take care of changes since creation of the OS Images.

[Sylvander]

"I have recovered from virus infections and weird undiagnosable problems by merely using Drive Image to restore my OS Partition"
That's the way to do it! :D :cool:

"The log file gave me all the information I needed to take care of changes since creation of the OS Images"
Seems almost too easy to be true huh? :D

[sburtchin]

I will give those editors on EBCD and BiNG a second look. With EBCD I can also use DOS's EDIT which I have been using when booting to floppy. Still looking for a compliment of editors for DOS and Windows.

I have been keeping a log for about 2 years using WordPerfect. I make several some what verbose entries per week . . . In two years, the log is still small enough to fit on a diskette, which seems like a safe place to back it up regularly. . . . I do not back up to a diskette . . . My log is much the same. Why did you choose WordPerfect (vs. a pure text file)? I use Word now (not for this log), but I have used WordPerfect (for DOS) in the past. I'm no fan of M$ products, but I got a good deal through work. I remember WordPerfect being cleaner and Word being more featured, but more difficult.

Text documents have the advantage that they can be searched incredibly fast with the right editor, like "vi" and the editor we had on the VAX (also called EDIT). Notepad and DOS's EDIT are both a pain to use though.

Word is a space hog, but your WordPerfect file fits onto one diskette? Are you able to edit it in DOS? Do you backup your system log file onto diskette now?

I can lose two of the three disks and recover.Does each of your disks contain images of the other two, or is one more critical? For example, I have two internals and one external. I could afford to lose both internals, but if the external dies, I have to replace it before either of the internals has a failure.

[Dinosaur]

SburtChin: Each of my 3 disks contains images from the other two. I have 12-13 Partitions spread over three physical hard disks (and some hidden partitions). 3 of the Partitions contain data which would be either difficult or impossible to recover. The other Partitions contain the OS Page File, work space for burn data, temporary files, and copies of various CD’s. The CD copies allow me to play music and run applications requiring a CD without putting a CD into a reader.

I use WordPerfect for my log file because I format a lot of the entries. With most text editors it is inconvenient or impossible to use bold, colored text, indenting, and other formatting features.

WordPerfect has more features than MS Word and it seems easier to find the features I do not use often. I have MS Word and use it, primarily due to helping friends who rely on it. The most recent versions of WordPerfect will process and create MS Word files, so I have less need to use Word than I had in the past.

I used MS Word a lot when I was part of a group working on software projects. MS has better features for managing large documents being updated by more than one person. It also seems to have better version control than WordPerfect (I am not sure about this, since I never used version control with WP). MS Word seems to be interact better with other MS Office applications than WordPerfect does with other Corel Suite applications.

My current system is obsolete and I intend to get a new one when Vista gets its first Service pack. When I get that system, my current system will become my Girl Friend’s system. I intend to use LapLink or some similar product to allow each system to provide backup for the other. I do not feel comfortable with no backup external to my system.

[sburtchin]

Thanks for the insight:).

I'm one internal drive bay short to do the double redundancy you have, but I will definitely consider doing that in my next system.

At the time I used WordPerfect I remember that it was much more intuitive to use than Word. Like all M$ products, Word seems to give features names I would never imagine to give them myself, and hide them where I would never expect to find them. I never had those problems with WordPerfect.

I am leaning now toward converting my text log into a Word document. I had thought that a text log would be one step better than an all paper log in that I could do electronic searches and edit it quickly from floppy or CD boot even if Windows was dead. In practice formatting only by upper/lower case, indenting, etc. is far more restrictive than being confined to Windows for edits.