Checking Console for clues

This FAQ, derived from the "Console and Crash Logs" chapter of our book, Troubleshooting Mac® OS X, provides basic instructions for using Console to check for clues that may help in troubleshooting.

1. Launch Console, which is located in the Macintosh HD > Applications > Utilities folder.
2. Check both the console.log and system.log logs for messages that may be written therein related to the problem. To open the console.log and system.log files, in Console select File > Open, then select:
   • Open Console Log to open the console.log file
   • Open System Log to open the system.log file.
   • Note: The console.log file may open by default when you launch Console.

If messages related to the problem appear near the end of these logs at the time the problem occurred, and these messages refer to the function or application you are attempting to troubleshoot, the details of the message may provide additional clues you can use in troubleshooting.

A detailed understanding of Mac OS X at a system level is generally required to understand the messages one finds in Console logs. If you need help with the specific messages, you can copy and paste them into a post on a Mac forum, such as the Apple® Discussions, for additional analysis. Note that when posting Console messages to a forum:

• Be sure to note the log — console.log or system.log — from which the messages were copied.
• Do not post an entire console.log or system.log to a forum: just the messages referring to the function or application in question.

Additional information on system logging in Mac OS X is covered in the "System Logging" appendix of our book Troubleshooting Mac® OS X, Tiger Edition.