Exception.log

Question

Exception.log

p.matsinopoulos

SSC Veteran

Points: 237
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January 26, 2011 at 12:39 am

#230843

Hi,
I read in an article that SQL Server 2005 writes exceptions in a file called "Exception.log". Is that true?
If "yes", where is this file located?
BR
Panayotis

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Gail Shaw SSC Guru Points: 1004504 More actions · Answer 1

I don't recall such a file. SQL writes errors to it's error log. Files are called ERRORLOG, ERRORLOG.1, etc (current one is ERRORLOG, others are older files). Found in the log directory whereever you installed SQL, also accessible through management studio.

Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

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p.matsinopoulos SSC Veteran Points: 237 More actions · Answer 2

Ok. Thanks a lot for the quick answer.

This is the article I read this about Exception.log file:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/910416

It is a microsoft support article.

BR

Panayotis

Megistal SSCrazy Eights Points: 8787 More actions · Answer 3

This is true, at least for 2k8 and R2.

When having one, something has gone terribly wrong with the SQL Server instance.

I've notice this file is created only under critical situation, like when SQL Server produce minidump because a crash occurs. (A severe error occurred on the current command. The results, if any, should be discarded.)

If can be found under the same folder as other logs files (ERRORLOG, ERRORLOG.1 etc) and minidumps. As long as everything's fine it won't exist so don't look for it.

(default path, default instance) C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10_50.MSSQL\MSSQL\Log

This is only a wild guess but I believe this is due to so sort of memory corruption from what I've seen so far:

CLR with Unsafe mode having unsafe code within (C/C++ pointers pointing on wrong memory address)

Rogue application overwriting SQL Server memory and producing ramdom crash

Physical memory failing

Here's one I got. It's pretty similar to the article you link to. However in my case there was never any SQL Server upgrade or update. It was from a fresh RTM installation for R2. Fresh SP1 for 2k8 (slipstream).

(I had to add the .txt extension for SSCentral to allows it)