Why is the Logging Application Block Not Writing to Vista Event Log?

Q: I’m currently working with Enterprise Library 4.1 and have set up the Logging Application Block on my Web.Config so that exceptions can be handled and logged on the event log. I have checked the configuration parameters and all the calls to the Logging Application Block but I’m not able to get it to record anything on the Event Log. I have checked with other people and the Event Log is working fine in Windows XP, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2003, so for some reason it has something to do with Vista. Any thoughts?

Here is a sample of the Web.Config for the Logging Application Block

<loggingConfiguration name=“Logging Application Block“ tracingEnabled=“true“

defaultCategory=“Default Category“ logWarningsWhenNoCategoriesMatch=“true“>

<listeners>

<add source=“SOLA.CTS Logging“ formatter=“Default Formatter“

log=“Application“ machineName=“.“ listenerDataType=“Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Logging.Configuration.FormattedEventLogTraceListenerData, Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Logging, Version=4.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35“

traceOutputOptions=“None“ filter=“All“ type=“Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Logging.TraceListeners.FormattedEventLogTraceListener, Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Logging, Version=4.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35“

name=“Event Log Destination“ />

<add fileName=“trace.log“ header=“” footer=“” formatter=“” listenerDataType=“Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Logging.Configuration.FlatFileTraceListenerData, Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Logging, Version=4.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35“

traceOutputOptions=“None“ filter=“All“ type=“Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Logging.TraceListeners.FlatFileTraceListener, Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Logging, Version=4.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35“

name=“Flat File Destination“ />

</listeners>

<formatters>

<add template=“Timestamp: {timestamp} Message: {message} Category: {category} Priority: {priority} EventId: {eventid} Severity: {severity} Title:{title} Machine: {machine} Application Domain: {appDomain} Process Id: {processId} Process Name: {processName} Win32 Thread Id: {win32ThreadId} Thread Name: {threadName} Extended Properties: {dictionary({key} – {value} )}“

type=“Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Logging.Formatters.TextFormatter, Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Logging, Version=4.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35“

name=“Default Formatter“ />

</formatters>

<logFilters>

<add categoryFilterMode=“AllowAllExceptDenied“ type=“Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Logging.Filters.CategoryFilter, Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Logging, Version=4.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35“

name=“Category“ />

<add minimumPriority=“0“ maximumPriority=“2147483647“ type=“Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Logging.Filters.PriorityFilter, Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.Logging, Version=4.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35“

name=“Priority“ />

</logFilters>

<categorySources>

<add switchValue=“All“ name=“Default Category“>

<listeners>

<add name=“Event Log Destination“ />

</listeners>

</add>

<add switchValue=“All“ name=“Tracing“>

<listeners>

<add name=“Flat File Destination“ />

</listeners>

</add>

</categorySources>

<specialSources>

<allEvents switchValue=“All“ name=“All Events“>

<listeners>

<add name=“Event Log Destination“ />

</listeners>

</allEvents>

<notProcessed switchValue=“All“ name=“Unprocessed Category“>

<listeners>

<add name=“Event Log Destination“ />

</listeners>

</notProcessed>

<errors switchValue=“All“ name=“Logging Errors &amp; Warnings“>

<listeners>

<add name=“Event Log Destination“ />

</listeners>

</errors>

</specialSources>

</loggingConfiguration>

<exceptionHandling>

<exceptionPolicies>

<add name=“Logging Policy“>

<exceptionTypes>

<add type=“System.Exception, mscorlib“ postHandlingAction=“NotifyRethrow“

name=“Exception“>

<exceptionHandlers>

<add logCategory=“Default Category“ eventId=“100“ severity=“Error“

title=“Application Exception“ formatterType=“Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.ExceptionHandling.TextExceptionFormatter, Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.ExceptionHandling, Version=4.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35“

priority=“0“ useDefaultLogger=“false“ type=“Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.ExceptionHandling.Logging.LoggingExceptionHandler, Microsoft.Practices.EnterpriseLibrary.ExceptionHandling.Logging, Version=4.1.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35“

name=“Logging Handler“ />

</exceptionHandlers>

</add>

</exceptionTypes>

</add>

</exceptionPolicies>

</exceptionHandling>

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I read that there is a typical permission issue that ASP.Net worker process account may not have permission to create Event Source, but can write into an existing event source. Another suggestion I’ve read is to run Visual Studio as an Administrator (right click, Run as Administrator). What I did to make it work was run as an Administrator and then use the “EventLog.CreateEventSource(source, log);” command to create the Event Source. After that it worked fine on my Vista Machine.

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