Review Actions with the Log

The Log dialog displays records of the actions taken on the current archive. A record is added to the log for every file added, extracted, or tested. These records can contain useful information about the files and the operations performed on them. For example, the log records whether a file was extracted successfully. The log also contains information about digital signatures attached to files.

You can save a copy of the log to a text file.

To open the Log:

Right-click in an empty area of the archive window. Select Show Log from the context menu. The Log shows records of all operations during the current session—in other words, since the archive was opened last.

By default, the Log opens automatically after certain operations, such as extractions and tests, to display the results of the just-completed operation. You can change this behavior in Miscellaneous options.

Expand Log Records

The display has a hierarchical, tree structure like the display of folders and files in Windows Explorer. A record that contains collapsed records of subsidiary actions is shown with a "+" icon. Click the icon to expand the record to show the subsidiary records. For example, expand the record of an extraction to show records of the subsidiary actions of inflating a file and checking to verify that the file was extracted successfully.

The drop-down menu list at the top of the dialog determines the level of detail of the information displayed:

Option	What It Does
Show Summary	Shows entries only for high-level operations such as testing an archive, extracting files from the archive, saving an archive, or opening an archive
Show All	Shows detailed information about operations
Show Errors	Shows information only about errors and warnings. (Offered only if there are errors or warnings.)

View Errors and Warnings

Actions that completed successfully are flagged with a green check. Errors and warnings are flagged with a red X. Records that contain subsidiary records of errors or warnings are flagged with a yellow triangle. These initially display expanded.

To filter the display so that you see only errors and warnings, select Show Errors in the drop-down menu list at the top of the dialog.

How to Interpret Log Information

Log entry	What it means
CRC32 verified	The checksum of the file after it was extracted or tested matches the checksum of the original file
Signed by <name>	The file is digitally signed by the person named. A tested or extracted file was not signed if its log record does not say who signed it.
Content has not been altered	The tested or extracted signed file is unchanged since it was signed and is identical to the original
Certificate is valid	There are no problems with the certificate used to sign the file. Note that even an invalid certificate can be used to sign files. Not all possible problems are serious. For example, a certificate may simply have expired. See About Certificate Validity.

Save a Copy of the Log

You can save a copy of the log as either a text or HTML file. Your selection in the drop-down menu at the top of the dialog determines how much detail is saved. For example, if Show Summary is selected, summary information is saved; if Show All is selected, detailed information is saved.

To save a copy of the Log as a text file or HTML file:

1. Click Save As to open a standard Save As dialog box.

2. Navigate to the folder where you want to save the file.

3. Select an option from the Save as type drop-down menu:

Save-as-type Option	What It Does
HTML Log Files (.html;.htm)	Saves the log as an HTML file; attaches .html extension if you do not specify an extension
Log Files (*.log)	Saves the log as a text file; attaches .log extension if you do not specify an extension
All Files	Saves the log as an HTML file; attaches .html extension if you do not specify an extension

4. Enter a name for the file. For example, enter mylog.

5. Choose Save.

To close the Log, click Close.