Low on disk space on C? Don't install ISA2K4 SP2

Gary Karasik

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Feb 5, 2006, 12:02:18 PM2/5/06

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Hi,

Well, here's a reason not to install ISA2K4/SP2: It will create a new 400mb
file, Windir\Debug\ISALOG.BIN, and a second, new 400mb file, ISALOG.BAK, on
the C: drive. According to my admittedly superficial reading of the technote
(google ISALOG.BIN), this file's purpose is for troubleshooting by MSSupport
in the event of problems with ISA 2004.

You can get rid of this by going to HKLM/Software/Microsoft/ISATracing and
setting the BootTracing parameter to 0. Then reboot and delete both
ISALOG.BIN and ISALOG.BAK.

The technote further says that you can prevent the creation of these files
by adding the reg key and value before installing SP2.

Below is the relevant info from the technote:

Nearly one gig of space taken up on crowded C: drives JUST IN CASE
MSSupport wants to look at the log file. Someone at MSSupport has lost his
mind.

GaryK

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/isa/2004/plan/sp2.mspx
(search page for ISALOG.BIN)
Tracing
Service Pack 2 includes an error-level tracing mechanism that operates
continually in the background. If necessary, the tracing information is
available for Microsoft Product Support Services. The tracing mechanism does
not collect personally identifiable information.

Tracing takes place in the background, and has a negligible affect on ISA
Server performance. A 400 megabyte (MB) file (%windir%\debug\isalog.bin) is
created by Service Pack 2 on each computer running ISA Server services, to
contain the tracing information.

We recommend that you use the default settings for this feature. However, if
you want to modify the tracing mechanism, you can do so through the registry
key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ISATrace. To change the size of
the file used by tracing, change the value of CircularlLogSizeMB. To disable
tracing, change the BootTracing value to 0. This does not delete the file,
which has to be deleted manually. After registry changes, restart the
computer so that the changes take effect. If you create the registry key
before installing Service Pack 2, and set the BootTracing value to 0, the
tracing file will not be added during the installation, and tracing will not
be enabled.

Susan Bradley, CPA aka Ebitz - SBS Rocks [MVP]

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Feb 5, 2006, 12:26:36 PM2/5/06

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Mind if I blog this?

Gary Karasik

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Feb 5, 2006, 12:32:10 PM2/5/06

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I'd be honored.

GaryK
"Susan Bradley, CPA aka Ebitz - SBS Rocks [MVP]" <sbra...@pacbell.net>
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Susan Bradley, CPA aka Ebitz - SBS Rocks [MVP]

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Feb 5, 2006, 1:26:10 PM2/5/06

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1. Add the following registry value under

HKLM/Software/Microsoft/ISATracing

Value name == AlternateTracingFile

Value type == String Value

Value data == FullPathToTracingFile.bin

1.a. Add the following registry value under

HKLM/Software/Microsoft/ISATracing

Value name == UseAlternateTracingFile

Value type == DWORD Value

Value data == FFFFFFFF (hex)

2. From a cmd window, type:

logman stop isa -etw & logman start isa –etw

Apparently there's a way to redirect it?

Gary Karasik

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Feb 5, 2006, 2:04:30 PM2/5/06

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> Apparently there's a way to redirect it?

Missed that. Thanks. Can't see why you'd want to redirect it. That's a lot
of space to waste on the very slim chance that some day MSSupport might want
to look at it.

GaryK

"Susan Bradley, CPA aka Ebitz - SBS Rocks [MVP]" <sbra...@pacbell.net>

wrote in message news:%23yfP%23FoKG...@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...

Susan Bradley, CPA aka Ebitz - SBS Rocks [MVP]

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Feb 5, 2006, 3:12:42 PM2/5/06

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I'm an auditor by trade... I like log files. :-)

Russ Grover

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Feb 6, 2006, 12:37:20 AM2/6/06

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Susan Rocks ;)

--
Russ Grover
Small Business IT Support
SBS Rocks!
Portland/Beaverton OR
Email: Sales at SBITS.Biz
Website: http://www.SBITS.Biz

"Susan Bradley, CPA aka Ebitz - SBS Rocks [MVP]" <sbra...@pacbell.net>

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wedor

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Feb 19, 2006, 10:04:28 AM2/19/06

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Thanks, I've been looking for this info.

"Susan Bradley, CPA aka Ebitz - SBS Rocks [MVP]" <sbra...@pacbell.net>

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wedor

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Feb 19, 2006, 10:12:24 AM2/19/06

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The Values were laready in the key but the commands do not appear to work, I
get errors about isa and -etw.

"Susan Bradley, CPA aka Ebitz - SBS Rocks [MVP]" <sbra...@pacbell.net>

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