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LogRisk: Caution

DtcInstall.log C:\Windows\DtcInstall.log

MSDTC (Distributed Transaction Coordinator) installation log, written at Windows setup and on each "msdtc -install".

Updated on By AltF4 Formation

What it’s for

DtcInstall.log records the installation of the MSDTC service (Distributed Transaction Coordinator), which orchestrates transactions spanning several databases or services. Windows writes it at setup, then on each run of msdtc -install.

What it contains

  • Timestamped lines describing the installation of the service and its components, with any errors creating the service or Registry keys.
  • Usually a short file, unchanged since the system was installed.

Risks and best practices

  • The file has no effect on MSDTC: deleting it uninstalls nothing.
  • If MSDTC misbehaves, do not reinstall blindly. Check the service, the DTC network security configuration and the Application log first.
  • msdtc -uninstall followed by msdtc -install interrupts in-flight transactions, so keep it for a maintenance window.

Useful commands

Fenêtre de terminal
# MSDTC service state
Get-Service -Name MSDTC | Select-Object Name, Status, StartType


# DTC network configuration
Get-DtcNetworkSetting

Format

Text file, one line per action, with the date and time followed by the message.

Rotation and archiving

No rotation: the file is only touched when MSDTC is installed or reinstalled.

How to read it

The file is short, so read it whole (Get-Content $env:windir\DtcInstall.log) and look for error lines. Then confirm the service state with Get-Service MSDTC and the Application log.

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