Advanced troubleshooting

1 Client log

If a deployment fails or takes too long, you can read the log files from the client. Next to each program in the centre grid there are two log buttons.

The single-sheet button looks through the client's log files and finds the most relevant entries for that deployment. A window opens that shows only the messages for the deployment, colour coded so problems stand out. For example, an unmatched return code means the deployment failed. Click Refresh to refresh the log of an ongoing deployment. The window is called Client Log for followed by the program name and lists the columns Time, Severity, Text, Component, Thread and File, 250 entries to a page. Warnings are marked yellow and errors red. If nothing was found the window says No log entries found for this deployment.

The button is only shown for programs that were deployed through SoftwareCentral, and only when you have selected a computer rather than a user. It reads the log entries written since the deployment was started, so it shows the result of that deployment and not older attempts. It is not available for Intune items, and you need to be allowed to view client logs.

2 All client logs

The multi-sheet button next to it opens a window where you can browse all client logs.

SoftwareCentral shows the log that is best to start with for the package, application or Software Group, for example the suggested log for an application deployment that failed.

• Use the search box at the top for a wildcard search in the selected log.
• Select another log file from the list.
• Refresh the log, and export it to Excel or PDF.

The window is called Client Logs for followed by the computer name. The box Search current log: filters the entries as you type, and Select Log: lists the log files found on the computer. The log that SoftwareCentral suggests depends on the kind of software:

If the list is empty, the window says No logs found on the computer name and the hover text asks you to verify that the Configuration Manager client is installed on the computer. Warnings are marked yellow and errors red, as in the single log.

The buttons only work when the computer is online. See also Manage Software.

3 Requirements not met

When the status of an application is Requirements Not Met, click the underlined status to see which requirement the computer did not meet.

The window is called Requirements not met for followed by the application name. The grid shows the Type of requirement, the Requirement itself and the Actual Value found on the computer, so you can compare them. Right-click a header to show more columns: Collection ID, Collection Name, Resource ID, Computer Name, Machine OS and User. When the application has been replaced by a newer one, the requirement reads Superseded by: followed by the name of the newer application. If nothing is found the window says No requirements found for this deployment.

4 Intune applications

Intune devices have no client logs in SoftwareCentral. Click the underlined status of an Intune application instead.

The window shows the history of the application on the device as a list of events, each with a coloured marker: installed or uninstalled with success (green), failed (red), pending or not applicable (grey), unknown (yellow), app updated, app assigned to a group (with the name of the group, or Group no longer exists.) and the device's last check-in time. A failed event carries the details from Intune and the error code in both hexadecimal and decimal form. If Intune has nothing, the window says No details found.

5 Best practice

• Start with the single-sheet log for the program; open all client logs only when you need to see what else happened on the computer.
• Click Refresh while a deployment is running instead of rerunning it; a rerun can start a second installation.
• If a log is empty on a computer that is online, check that the Configuration Manager client is installed and healthy.
• Export the log to Excel or PDF when you need to send it to someone else.