NAME
    Clear-EventLog

SYNOPSIS
    Deletes all entries from specified event logs on the local or remote computers.

SYNTAX
    Clear-EventLog [-LogName] <string[]> [[-ComputerName] <string[]>] [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [<CommonParameters>]

DESCRIPTION
    The Clear-EventLog cmdlet deletes all of the entries from the specified event logs on the local computer or on remote computers. To use Clear-EventLog, you must be a member of the Administrators group on the affected computer.

    The cmdlets that contain the EventLog noun (the EventLog cmdlets) work only on classic event logs. To get events from logs that use the Windows Event Log technology in Windows Vista and later versions of Windows, use Get-WinEvent.

PARAMETERS
    -ComputerName <string[]>
        Specifies a remote computer. The default is the local computer.

        Type the NetBIOS name, an Internet Protocol (IP) address, or a fully qualified domain name of a remote computer. To specify the local computer, type the computer name, a dot (.), or “localhost”.

        This parameter does not rely on Windows PowerShell remoting. You can use the ComputerName parameter of Get-EventLog even if your computer is not configured to run remote commands.

        Required?                    false
        Position?                    2
        Default value                Local computer
        Accept pipeline input?     true (ByPropertyName)
        Accept wildcard characters? false

    -LogName <string[]>
        Specifies the event logs. Enter the log name (the value of the Log property; not the LogDisplayName) of one or more event logs, separated by commas. Wildcard characters are not permitted. This parameter is required.

        Required?                    true
        Position?                    1
        Default value
        Accept pipeline input?     true (ByPropertyName)
        Accept wildcard characters? false

    -Confirm [<SwitchParameter>]
        Prompts you for confirmation before executing the command.

        Required?                    false
        Position?                    named
        Default value
        Accept pipeline input?     false
        Accept wildcard characters? false

    -WhatIf [<SwitchParameter>]
        Describes what would happen if you executed the command without actually executing the command.

        Required?                    false
        Position?                    named
        Default value
        Accept pipeline input?     false
        Accept wildcard characters? false

    <CommonParameters>
        This cmdlet supports the common parameters: Verbose, Debug,
        ErrorAction, ErrorVariable, WarningAction, WarningVariable,
        OutBuffer and OutVariable. For more information, type,
        “Get-Help about_CommonParameters“.

INPUTS
    None
        You cannot pipe objects to Clear-EventLog.

OUTPUTS
    None
        This cmdlet does not generate any output.

NOTES

        To use Clear-EventLog on Windows Vista and later versions of Windows, start Windows PowerShell with the “Run as administrator” option.

    ————————– EXAMPLE 1 ————————–

    C:\PS>Clear-EventLog “Windows PowerShell”

    Description
    ———–
    This command deletes the entries from the “Windows PowerShell” event log on the local computer.

    ————————– EXAMPLE 2 ————————–

    C:\PS>Clear-EventLog -LogName ODiag, OSession -ComputerName localhost, Server02

    Description
    ———–
    This command deletes all of the entries in the Microsoft Office Diagnostics (ODiag) and Microsoft Office Sessions (OSession) logs on the local computer and the Server02 remote computer.

    ————————– EXAMPLE 3 ————————–

    C:\PS>Clear-EventLog -log application, system -Confirm

    Description
    ———–
    This command prompts you for confirmation before deleting the entries in the specified event logs.

    ————————– EXAMPLE 4 ————————–

    C:\PS>function clear-all-event-logs ($computerName=”localhost”)
    {
        $logs = Get-Eventlog -ComputerName $computername -list | foreach {$_.Log}
        $logs | foreach {Clear-EventLog -comp $computername -log $_ }
        Get-Eventlog -ComputerName $computername -list
    }

    C:\PS> clear-all-event-logs -comp Server01

     Max(K) Retain OverflowAction        Entries Log
     —— —— ————–        ——- —
     15,168     0 OverwriteAsNeeded         0 Application
     15,168     0 OverwriteAsNeeded         0 DFS Replication
         512     7 OverwriteOlder             0 DxStudio
     20,480     0 OverwriteAsNeeded         0 Hardware Events
         512     7 OverwriteOlder             0 Internet Explorer
     20,480     0 OverwriteAsNeeded         0 Key Management Service
     16,384     0 OverwriteAsNeeded         0 Microsoft Office Diagnostics
     16,384     0 OverwriteAsNeeded         0 Microsoft Office Sessions
     30,016     0 OverwriteAsNeeded         1 Security
     15,168     0 OverwriteAsNeeded         2 System
     15,360     0 OverwriteAsNeeded         0 Windows PowerShell

    Description
    ———–
    This Function clears all event logs on the specified computers and then displays the resulting event log list.

    Notice that a few entries were added to the System and Security logs after the logs were cleared but before they were displayed.

RELATED LINKS
    Online version: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=135198
    Get-EventLog
    Limit-EventLog
    New-EventLog
    Remove-EventLog
    Show-EventLog
    Write-EventLog
    Get-WinEvent