The big question is Why would you want to change the Log File to another drive or to another location? The simple answer is that we want to manage and control the amount of disk space that Internet Information Services (IIS) log files consume. In this guide, you will learn how to change the log file directory location in IIS. You may also want to know how to create a self-signed cert via IIS, how to install IIS Web Server on Windows Server, and How To Use Logrotate For Managing Log Files In Ubuntu Linux.

The log files that IIS generates can usually fill up a complete hard drive. These logs increase with time and can start to consume your limited server space. This brings us to How to Change the Log File Directory location in IIS. Below is a YouTube video on how to perform this task.

We have different ways we can stop this problem: We can turn off logging completely on the system, We can enable folder compression. We can use a script to delete old files and we can move the log file to another location.

Steps On How to Change the Log File Directory location in IIS

IIS log files are usually stored by default in the %SystemDrive%\inetpub\logs\LogFiles folder of your IIS server. All what is needed is to move the IIS log files of your server to a folder on another server that has more space.

The new server or device storing your log file can either be in the same domain as the local IIS server, or a different domain.

1. Login to the Remote Server on the same domain or Network as the IIS Server. Create a log-file folder “IIS Log File“.

2. Open the folder’s Properties page, on the Sharing tab, click Share so that the folder is globally shared.

On the Security tab, assign groups and users with the appropriate permissions. So that they can read and write to the log files. But in this article i will add “Everyone“.

3. This image showed the folder shared and the new log file directory created.

3. Run inetmgr command to open IIS Manager on your IIS Server.

4. Click the Server on the connections pane.

5. Double-click Logging on the middle pane.

6. What we are going to do next now is to change the log file default directory to the new log file directory we created on the remote server.

On the One log file per drop down, select the type of log you want to capture Server or Site. On the directory box, browse to the new IIS Log File directory created on the remote server.

Here is how to fix “Application pool has been disabled or Changing identity user for IIS Application Pool (Event ID 5059)“, and how to “Add and remove IIS Web Server on Windows Server 2019 via the Server Manager and PowerShell“.

New File Location

7. The below shows the New Log File Directory added and once you click browse it will connect to the new directory and your Log file will start flowing to the new location.

Also, see how to install and debug logs with the CMTrace Tool, How to install Pleasant Password Server, and how to Change the default Save and Download Location in Windows.

I hope you found this blog post on how to Change the Log File Directory location in IIS Interesting and helpful. If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask in the comment section.