Log files created when you upgrade Windows 11/10
Here are some terminologies you would see in the list below: Below is the list of log files, their location, why are they created, and when you should use these log files. While they are meant for IT admins, anyone who is interested can do their bit of analysis.
List of Log files are created when the upgrade is successful or failure
For every event, there is a log file generated. In fact, Log files are created even for an upgrade fails, and computer restarts for the second time or when there is a rollback. Here is the list:
Log files created when an upgrade is successful
C:\Windows\Panther\Setupact.logC:\Windows\panther\setuperr.logC:\Windows\inf\setupapi.app.logC:\Windows\inf\setupapi.dev.logC:\Windows\panther\PreGatherPnPList.logC:\Windows\panther\PostApplyPnPList.logC:\Windows\panther\miglog.xml
Log files created when an upgrade fails during installation before the computer restarts for the second time
C:$Windows.~BT\Sources\panther\setupact.logC:$Windows.~BT\Sources\panther\miglog.xmlC:\Windows\setupapi.log[Windows 10:] C:\Windows\Logs\MoSetup\BlueBox.log
Log files created when an upgrade fails during installation after the computer restarts for the second time
C:\Windows\panther\setupact.logC:\Windows\panther\miglog.xmlC:\Windows\inf\setupapi.app.logC:\Windows\inf\setupapi.dev.logC:\Windows\panther\PreGatherPnPList.logC:\Windows\panther\PostApplyPnPList.logC:\Windows\memory.dmp
Log files created when an upgrade fails, and then you restore the desktop
C:$Windows.~BT\Sources\panther\setupact.logC:$Windows.~BT\Sources\panther\miglog.xmlC:$Windows.~BT\sources\panther\setupapi\setupapi.dev.logC:$Windows.~BT\sources\panther\setupapi\setupapi.app.logC:\Windows\memory.dmp
The following log files are created when an upgrade fails, and the installation rollback is initiated:
C:$Windows.~BT\Sources\Rollback\setupact.logC:$Windows.~BT\Sources\Rollback\setupact.err
Read more about them on Microsoft here and here. We hope this post was informative enough to make you aware of the type of log files, memory dumps, location of those files which are not easy to find.
